Xiphoscelis namibica
| Xiphoscelis namibica | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Infraorder: | Scarabaeiformia |
| Family: | Scarabaeidae |
| Genus: | Xiphoscelis |
| Species: | X. namibica |
| Binomial name | |
| Xiphoscelis namibica Perissinotto, 2019 | |
Xiphoscelis namibica, the namaqua bladeleg chafer, is a species of beetle of the family Scarabaeidae.[1] It is found in Namibia and South Africa (Northern Cape).[2][3]
Description
Adults reach a length of about 14.3 mm (0.56 in). They are completely black and dull, except for small worn ridges on the elytral umbones. The head and pronotum are of normal proportions with respect to abdomen size. The pygidium is moderately protruding outside of the elytral margins. There is scattered and shallow sculpture throughout the dorsal surface, associated with short to medium dark setae, becoming longer and denser on the antero-lateral margins.[3]
Life history
They have been found in middens of the southern harvester termite (Microhodothermes viator).[3]
Etymology
The species name refers to the locality where the type series originates from, south-western Namibia.[3]
References
- ↑ "Global Biodiversity Information Facility". gbif.org. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
- ↑ Schoolmeesters, P. (2025). "Xiphoscelis namibica at Catalogue of Life". World Scarabaeidae Database (version 2025-10-07). In O. Bánki, Y. Roskov, M. Döring, G. Ower, D. R. Hernández Robles, C. A. Plata Corredor, T. Stjernegaard Jeppesen, A. Örn, T. Pape, D. Hobern, S. Garnett, H. Little, R. E. DeWalt, J. Miller, T. Orrell, & R. Aalbu, Catalogue of Life (2026-01-16). Amsterdam, Netherlands: Catalogue of Life Foundation. Retrieved May 18, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Perissinotto, R.; Šípek, P. (2019). "New species of Xiphoscelis Burmeister, 1842 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae) from arid regions of South Africa and Namibia". ZooKeys. 879: 57–89. Retrieved May 18, 2026.
This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.