A male cetoniine specimen recently submitted for identification from the Ditsong Museum of Natural History (Pretoria, South Africa) has been found to represent a yet unknown species. A review of the recently published book of Beinhundner (2017) has further revealed that one of the specimens mistakenly figured as Lophorrhina donckieri Bourgoin, 1913 in that work is most likely the female of this new species. Analysis of the diagnostic characters of the genus Lophorrhina Westwood, 1842 shows that the new species differs in several key areas. In particular, the clypeal armature is virtually identical in both sexes, the male protibiae are not typically elongate and narrow as in all the members of Lophorrhina, but are remarkably more robust, laterally expanded and with a tridentate margin in both sexes, even though the third tooth in the female and the second and third teeth in the male are virtually obsolete. The general body shape in the new species is also more globose and lacks the typical deplanate and apically tapering elytra of the Lophorrhina males. These and other characters are, in our view, sufficient to justify the erection of a new genus, Lophorrhinides gen. n., to accommodate the new species, here described as L. muellerae sp. n. The new genus is presumably a mountain specialist, as both known specimens were collected in the southern highlands of Tanzania, at Manow and Rungwe respectively.

Fruit chafers, Lophorrhina, East African Rift, Afrotropical region

A male cetoniine specimen from an old collection originating from “Deutsch Ost-Afrika” and submitted for identification in 2016 by the Ditsong Museum of Natural History (Pretoria, South Africa) has revealed unique characteristics, with affinities to Lophorrhina Westwood, 1842 and, to a lesser extent, genera such as Anisorrhina Westwood, 1842 and Chlorocala Kirby, 1828, particularly at the level of the parameres. A female specimen belonging to the same genus and species was also recognised among a series of photographs included under Lophorrhina donckieri Bourgoin, 1913, after the publication of the monograph on the “Cetoniinae of Africa” by Beinhundner (2017; p. 990, fig. 18). This has made it possible to complete and substantiate the description of a new species.

The genus Lophorrhina Westwood, 1842 currently includes the synonymic genera Chordodera Burmeister, 1842, Daedycorrhina Bates, 1888 Aphanesthes Kolbe, 1892, and Aphanochroa Kolbe, 1893. It includes 13 described species, most of which are high altitude endemics of the Tanzanian mountains. The new species described here occurs close to the southern limit of the distribution range of Lophorrhina and exhibits several distinct characters that may reflect geographical isolation from the ancestral lineage. In particular, the general body shape is rather globose and not deplanate like in Lophorrhina, the scutellum is equilateral triangular and exhibits dense and long setae, while in Lophorrhina this is isosceles triangular and virtually asetose. The clypeal shape is also remarkably different to that of Lophorrhina, in that the horn is virtually obsolete in both sexes and the clypeal margins are laterally expanded to form a general shape broader but shorter than in Lophorrhina.

These and other differences highlighted in the description below make it impossible to include with confidence this species within any existing genera of the African cetoniines, thereby necessitating the erection of a new genus, Lophorrhinides gen. n. This adds to the already remarkable diversity observed for this beetle group in the Afrotropical region (excluding Madagascar), where 138 genera and more than 1000 species are currently recognised (Sakai and Nagai 1998, Beinhundner 2017).

The only two specimens currently known for this new genus and species were analysed after obtaining a loan from the Ditsong Museum of Natural History (TMSA, Pretoria, South Africa) and through direct access to the Private Collection of Gerhard Beinhundner (PCGB, Euerbach, Germany), respectively.

As in previous work, the description of morphological characters of this study follows the terminology used by Krikken (1984) and Holm and Marais (1992). Specimen total length and maximum width were measured using a Vernier calliper, from the anterior margin of the clypeus to the apex of the pygidium and at the widest point of the elytra, respectively.

Photos of the dorsal and ventral habitus were taken with a Nikon CoolPix S9700 and a Nikon CoolPix 990 digital camera with macro setting, while photos of the male genitalia were obtained using a Nikon DigitalSight DS-Fi2 camera attached to a Nikon SMZ25 dissecting microscope. The background was removed from the photos using Microsoft Word 2010 (Picture Tools) and Adobe Photoshop 7.0, in order to increase clarity of resolution. The Combine ZP Image Stacking Software by Alan Hadley (alan@micropics.org.uk) was used to obtain z-stacking composite images.

The discovery of this new genus and species has come as a surprise, as it clearly represents a novel taxon with at least its male holotype having been available for study in a major museum since its collection in the early 20^th century. Interestingly, the only other specimen currently known for this species, a female from Rungwe collected more recently in 2006, had also been overlooked until now and confused with a female of Lophorrhina donckieri, due to a superficial resemblance to that species (cf. Beinhundner 2017: 990, fig. 18). It seems thus likely that other specimens may be “hidden” in other collections around the world. It must also be noted that despite the overwhelming circumstantial evidence in support of the male and female specimens belonging to the same species, there is a margin of doubt regarding this. Molecular phylogenetic analyses could potentially resolve this conclusively, and also help elucidate the relationship with allied genera.

Lophorrhinides muellerae gen. et sp. n. occurs at the southern end of the distribution range of the Daedycorrhina Bates, 1888 group, formerly a separate genus but recently synonymised with Lophorrhina by Krajcik (1998). As both specimens appear to originate from high altitude areas in the southern Tanzanian highlands of the East African Rift, it is possible that the genus may represent a geographically isolated relic derived from an ancestral lineage shared with Lophorrhina and perhaps other genera like Anisorrhina and Chlorocala, which show some similarities with Lophorrhinides gen. n. especially at the level of the parameres and clypeal or head armature.

Virtually nothing is known about the biology of this new genus and species. Given its close relationship with the Tanzanian and Malawian members of the genus Lophorrhina, it is likely that Lophorrhinides gen. n. shares some ecological characteristics with species of this group. Unfortunately, even in this case, information on the biology of the various species of Lophorrhina that occur in these countries is very scarce, but it seems that virtually all specimens collected were either captured in flight or found “drinking” sap running from the bark of different trees, mostly Acacia spp. (Thierry Garnier and Alan J. Gardiner, pers. comm.). However, the high altitude montane habitat where Lophorrhinides muellerae occurs may suggest a life cycle with a very short life span at the adult stage. This has been shown repeatedly with other genera, particularly in mountainous and/or semiarid environments in southern Africa (e.g., Holm and Marais 1992, Perissinotto et al. 1999, Perissinotto 2017). Here the adults of most cetoniine species emerge from their underground cocoons only after major rainfall events in the late spring or summer and fly and mate during the hottest part of the day. Because they are unable to replenish their energy source through feeding on flowers, sap flows or fermenting fruits, their life span lasts only from several days to a few weeks (Perissinotto et al. 1999).

We are very grateful to Ruth Müller of the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History (formerly Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, South Africa) for the proactive submission to the first author of the male specimen here described as new genus and species. Thanks also to Thierry Garnier (Montpellier, France) and Alan Gardiner (Hoedspruit, South Africa) for sharing information on the behaviour of Lophorrhina species in the field. The Nelson Mandela University (Port Elizabeth, South Africa) is thanked for providing facilities and funding towards the completion of his work.