Tag Archives: Valenfriesia

Valenfriesia rotundata (Wollaston)

Rotund Fungus Beetle (Valenfriesia rotundata)

The Rotund Fungus Beetle was described in 1877; the species was restricted to the island of Saint Helena in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

The species appears to have already been extremely rare when it was discovered.:

“The only two examples of this most interesting little Notioxenus which I have yet seen are from the high central ridge, in the immediate vicinity of Actaeon and Diana’s Peak, – the first of them having been captured by Mr. Gray, and the other by myself. It is evidently, therefore, one of the rarest of the St. Helena Coleoptera.” [1]

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The Rotund Fungus Beetle was last recorded in the 1970, when a single specimen was collected in at High Peak, it could not be recorded in recent searches and is thus most likely extinct. [2]

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References:

[1] T. Vernon Wollaston: Coleoptera Sanctae-Helenae. London: John Van Voorst, Paternoster Row 1877 
[2] Howard Mendel; Philip Ashmole; Myrtle Ashmole: Invertebrates of the Central Peaks and Peak Dale, St. Helena. Report for the St Helena National Trust, Jamestown 2008

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edited: 26.05.2021

Valenfriesia congener (Wollaston)

Congeneric Fungus Beetle (Valenfriesia congener)

This species was described in 1877; it is, or rather was, endemic to the island of Saint Helena.

The species appears to have been quite common when it was discovered, however, it was apparently already restricted to the small areas of forest remains in the higher parts of the island.:

“My examples (about a dozen in number) of this Notioxenus were taken, in company with the N. rufopictus, on the high central ridge, – in the vicinity of Actaeon and Diana’s Peak.” [1]

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The species was last recorded in the 1970s when six specimens were collected, it was not found during any of the subsequent field searches and is now feared to be extinct. [2] 

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The depiction below shows the closely related Red-spotted Fungus Beetle (Valenfriesia rufopicta (Wollaston)).

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References:

[1] T. Vernon Wollaston: Coleoptera Sanctae-Helenae. London: John Van Voorst, Paternoster Row 1877 
[2] Howard Mendel; Philip Ashmole; Myrtle Ashmole: Invertebrates of the Central Peaks and Peak Dale, St. Helena. Report for the St Helena National Trust, Jamestown 2008

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Red-spotted Fungus Beetle (Valenfriesia rufopicta)

Depiction from: ‘T. Vernon Wollaston: Coleoptera Sanctae-Helenae. London: John Van Voorst, Paternoster Row 1877’

(public domain)

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edited: 26.05.2021