A taxonomic overview of the genus Pseudoathyreus Howden and Martinez, and redescription of two related species from southern Africa (Coleoptera : Geotrupidae : Bolboceratinae)

A group of two closely related species from the southern part of the Afrotr opical Region is defined within the Afro-Indian genus Pseudoathyreus. It in cludes P. rhodesianus Peringuey from southern Zaire and Zimbabwe, and P. fr eyi Gomes Alves from some localities of southern Mozambique and Natal's coa st. The species of this group are easily separated from all the other repre sentatives of the genus by the following characters: (1) elytra with distin ctly impressed striae; (2) small size, not exceeding 12 mm in length and 6 mm in width; (3) upper surface of eye clearly reduced; (4) distinctive colo ur patterns; (5) shape of male genital apparatus; (6) shape of clypeo-front al carina and pronotal ornamentation; and (7) the geographic distribution e xtending throughout the Zambezian regional centre of endemism.