Hoplonyx (Nataloplonyx) amoenus Péringuey 1904

This is probably the only bronze coloured Nataloplonyx recorded from KZN.

Original description in:
Péringuey, L. 1904. Sixth contribution to the South African coleopterous fauna. Description of new species of Coleoptera in the collection of the South African Museum. Annals of the South African Museum, 3 (6): 167-300.
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/1510606#page/295/mode/1up

Dark bronze, with the elytra brighter than the prothorax; antennae piceous; head deeply and somewhat roughly punctate especially on the vertex between the eyes which are divided by a space equal to one-third of their width, antennal crests strong, almost longitudinal; prothorax parallel, but obliquely narrowed near the apical angle, slightly impressed on each side of the base which is not grooved, covered with deep, closely set punctures, which are round on the sides but plainly elongated on the greatest part of the disk and divided there by smooth intervals; scutellum sub-cordate and having a few punctures; elytra only slightly wider at the base than the base of the prothorax, and with the shoulders rounded, nearly straight for one-third of the length, ampliated thence to two-thirds of the length, and from there acuminate towards the apex, deeply punctate-striate with the intervals plane and also deeply punctate, but the punctures are much smaller than those on the striae; legs finely punctate.
In this species the elytra are more ampliated laterally past the median part, and are therefore less parallel than in the other South African species.
Length 9.4 mm.; width 4 mm.

Type locality: Natal

Distribution: South Africa (Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal), Mozambique

iNat observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/141375624

Posted on 2024년 02월 11일, 04시 36분 51초 UTC by traianbertau