Abstract

DURIE, Joshua Ian; PRYKE, James Stephen; BASSON, Renier Johannes  and  ROETS, Francois. Colophon scholtzi sp. nov.: a newly described highly threatened stag beetle (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) from South Africa. AE [online]. 2024, vol.32, pp.1-3. ISSN 2224-8854.  https://doi.org/10.17159/2254-8854/2024/a18313.

A highly threatened and range-restricted, mountain-relic stag beetle species in the genus Colophon Gray, 1832 (Coleoptera: Lucanidae), Colophon scholtzi Roets & Durie sp. nov. is described from a peak in the Riviersonderend Mountain range of South Africa. It is morphologically allied to species in the Colophon stokoei Barnard, 1929 species complex that are confined to the neighbouring Hottentots-Holland Mountain range. Colophon scholtzi seems highly range-restricted and rare as no living specimens have been observed on the single peak from where the only known fragments were collected, despite repeated surveys over the past 12 years.

Keywords : Apterous; Cape fold mountains; Cape High-mountain stag beetle; Fynbos Biome.

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