Ischnoscelis hoepfneri (Gory and Percheron), 1833

Hernández-López, Norberto, Delgado, Leonardo & Burgos-Solorio, Armando, 2016, Description of the Female ofIschnoscelis hoepfneri (Gory and Percheron) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae), Notes on the Species' Behavior, and a Key to the Species of the Genus, The Coleopterists Bulletin 70 (2), pp. 387-390 : 387-390

Ischnoscelis hoepfneri (Gory and Percheron), 1833 ( Figs. 1–4 )

Material Examined. Twelve males, one female. “ MÉXICO: Morelos, Cuernavaca, Buenavista del Monte, 23-XII-2012, 1,949 m, 18°57′24.87″N 99°18′4.33″O, N. Hernández col.” (1 male, 1 female; CEUM); idem, except: 19-X-2013, 1,799 m, 18° 55′47.47″N 99°18′50.96″O (1 male; CEUM) ; 26- X-2013, 1,891 m, 18°56′53.75″N 99°17′52.32″O (1 male; CEUM) ; 26-X-2013, 1,967 m, 18°56′ 49.12″N 99°19′8.52″O (1 male; LLDC) ; 19-XII- 2013, 1,962 m, 18°56′51.54″N 99°18′50.53″O (1 male; CEUM) ; idem, except: Colonia del Bosque , 29-IX-2013, 1,900 m, 18°58′11.43″N 99°17′0.85″O (1 male; CEUM) ; 4-X-2013 (1 male; CEUM) ; idem, except: Chamilpa , 9-X-2013, 1,914 m, 18°59′0.81″N 99°14′16.72″O (2 males; CEUM) ; 27-X-2014 (1 male; LLDC) ; idem, except: Camino El Gavilán , 20-X-2013, 1,726 m, 18°55′12.24″N 99°18′35.81″O

(1 male; CEUM); “ Morelos, Cuernavaca , 17-IX-2007, J. G. Hernández col.” (1 male; CIUM) .

Description. Female ( Figs. 1–2 ). Total length 18.1 mm; maximum width (at level of metacoxae) 10.5 mm. Body and legs glossy dark green, except for narrow, central stripe on scutellum, first 3 intervals of the elytra, posterior half of femora, and lateral inner side of metacoxae reddish brown. Surface of body almost entirely covered by whitish setae, setae shorter on dorsum. Clypeus semitrapezoidal with apex and sides reflexed, apex bidentate with teeth rounded, clypeal disc flattened. Frons with longitudinal, central, rounded ridge extending towards base and sides of clypeus, forming a semicircle. Head rugopunctate, nearly smooth near vertex. Length of antennal club equal to antennomeres 1–7 combined. Pronotum slightly convex, anterolateral borders convergent, posterolateral margins parallel; anterior angles almost right, posterior angles obtuse but rounded. Pronotum with dense, setigerous punctures, except at middle of base, punctation becoming rugose on sides and apex. Scutellum with sparse, setigerous punctures. Elytra distinctly tricostate, costae with sparse, small punctures, intervals with moderately dense punctures, punctation becoming strigose at apex and on posterior lateral third. Pro-, meso- and metasterna with long, dense setae, except on metasternal disc. Mesosternal process semicircular with apex moderately projected. Abdomen flattened, sides of sternites with long, dense setae. Pygidium slightly convex, surface concentrically strigulate, with dense, short setae. Protibiae wide, stout, tridentate, basal tooth removed from apical teeth. Meso- and metatibiae short with strong, lateral carina and long, dense setae on internal face.

Male ( Figs. 3–4 ) are easily separated from females by the presence of two horns on the clypeal apex, the protibiae are slender and with a single tooth, the meso- and metatibiae are slender and lacking carinae, and the abdomen is distinctly concave.

Distribution. The specimens from Morelos represent a new state record for I. hoepfneri . Previously, this species was cited from Guerrero, Jalisco, and Estado de México (Morón and Ratcliffe 1989; Deloya and Morón 1997; Fierros-López 2008) ( Fig. 5 ). The localities in Jalisco and Estado de México consist of oak, oak-pine, and pine-oak forests with different levels of disturbance at elevations from 1,540 m (Ajijic, Jalisco) to 2,030 m (Tenancingo, Estado de México). These localities are found in the Transverse Neovolcanic Belt, or close to it, but the Guerrero record (Zihuatanejo) is near the Pacific coast below 500 m in a tropical forest. We believe that this record requires confirmation because the habitat is so different from the other localities.

Behavior. Specimens were seen from early October to mid-December, being found mainly in ravines and moist places. Observations were made during 10:00–18:00 h, but individuals were only seen during 15:00–16:00 h during sunny days. Usually the flight was slow and in circles, flying at 20–50 cm above the ground. During flight, the prolegs were held up and out, and the antennae were extended with the lamellae separated. Some individuals landed on rocks in an alert position, while other individuals hid under leaf litter. Occasionally, birds preyed on individuals shortly after the beetles landed. The only female seen was observed during mating, around 16:00 h, on a sunny day in December. The pair was at the bottom of a deep, wet ravine with abundant organic matter. Mating lasted about 1.5 hours during which the female clung to a rock with the anterior legs and extended the antennae with the lamellae separated, while the male held the female with the middle legs at the level of the prothorax. No individual was observed feeding.

KEY TO THE SPECIES OF ISCHNOSCELIS BURMEISTER

1. Males with elytra entirely black. Clypeal horns with tooth on internal border directed to sides, with apex oblique. Female unknown, likely with elytra black. Estado de México .............. ......................................... I. cervantesi Curoe

1′. Males and females with elytra bicolored reddish brown and black or dark green. Clypeal horns of males without teeth, apex perpendicular ................................................................ 2

2. Males with frontal ridge almost transverse, slightly projected at middle. Clypeal horns with apex subtruncate to emarginate, slightly projected backward. Females with frontal ridge semicircular. Estado de México, Jalisco, Morelos, possibly Guerrero ........................... ............ I. hoepfneri (Gory and Percheron)

2′. Males with frontal ridge V-shaped. Clypeal horns with apex acuminate, distinctly recurved backward. Females with frontal ridge V-shaped. Sinaloa ............................. ........ I. sinaloensis Bouchard and Curoe

Figures

Figs. 1–4. Ischnoscelis hoepfneri. Female: 1) Dorsal view; 2) Ventral view. Male: 3) Dorsal view; 4) Ventral view.

Fig. 5. Distribution of Ischnoscelis hoepfneri. m = locality records; m? = doubtful record; shaded area represents the Transverse Neovolcanic Belt.