Cryptocanthon altus Howden, 1976

Cook, Joyce, 2002, A Revision Of The Neotropical Genus Cryptocanthon Balthasar (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 1) 56, pp. 3-96 : 55-57

21. Cryptocanthon altus Howden

( Figs. 115–119)

Cryptocanthon altus Howden 1976:96

Material Examined. Eleven specimens (7 males, 4 females).

Type Material Examined. Holotype: ‘‘ COLOMBIA, N[orte] de / S[antander], 3,000 m, 35 km / S. Chinacota / May 10–14, 1974,’’ ‘‘ S. Peck / tp #12’’ ( CMNC) male . Allotype: same data as holotype ( CMNC) female . Paratypes (5): same data as holotype ( CMNC) 3 males, 2 females .

Non-type Material Examined. ‘‘ COLOMBIA, N. de S., 3,000 m, 12 km S. Pamplona, May 13, 1974, H. & A. Howden, S. Peck ’’ ( CMNC) 1 male ; ‘‘9–13.V.74, S. Peck, dung traps 3, 4, 7’’ ( CMNC) 1 male, ( BDGC) 1 male, 1 female.

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished by the following combination of characters: vertical surface of clypeus broadly foveate; pronotal hypomeron not carinate; inflexed portion of elytron lacking basal fovea; metathoracic wings greatly reduced; pygidium evenly convex; paramere apices conjointly concave ( Fig. 118).

Description. Male. Total length 3.9–4.5 mm; greatest width 2.7–3.0 mm. Head. Clypeus not strongly produced anteriorly ( Fig.116). Clypeal teeth well developed, widely separated, moderately reflexed. Clypeal emargination evenly rounded; vertical surface Vshaped, broadly foveate. Apical margin of clypeus lateral to teeth slightly convexly arcuate. Disc of clypeus concave, coarsely punctate, punctures separated by one diameter or less. Clypeogenal suture weakly indicated. Gena slightly produced, forming angle at junction with anterior margin of clypeus. Vertex and gena coarsely, densely punctate.

Pronotum. Convex medially, laterally explanate, shallow depressions laterally in posterior half. Anterior angles acute. Sides anterior to lateral angles slightly concavely arcuate; straight posterior to lateral angles. Posterior angles obtuse, abruptly rounded, not incised. Pronotum densely punctate; punctures of disc elongate, curved; laterally and along posterior margin, punctures large, round, annulate; setae, when present, inconspicuous. Pronotal hypomeron convex, coarsely punctate, not carinate posteriorly.

Elytra. Transversely and longitudinally strongly convex; lateral carinae not strongly elevated. Each elytron dorsally with seven striae, each stria indicated by two feeble wavy lines. Elytral intervals flat; each interval with widely spaced very fine setose punctures on each side adjacent to striae; setae fine, short, inconspicuous. Inflexed portion of elytron broad, evenly narrowed apically, lacking basal fovea, smooth, nearly impunctate; stria eight indicated by faint line, nine present only at apical third, ten complete. Epipleuron with scattered moderately large, shallow, elongate punctures in basal half. Wings. Metathoracic wings greatly reduced. Venter. Prosternum and mesosternum with shallow, annulate punctures. Meso-metasternal suture roundly angulate medially. Metasternum flat medially with fine scattered punctures; laterally, punctures large, dense, annulate.

Legs. Profemur densely punctate ventrally. Protibia with apical half broadened medially and concave ventrally; notched medially before apex ( Fig. 115). Mesofemur and metafemur finely punctate ventrally. Metatrochanter unmodified. Metatibia slightly angulate, not crenulate; lacking subapical swelling or tooth. Abdomen. Apical sternite evenly convex, densely punctate. Pygidium strongly, evenly convex, moderately punctate; base not sulcate. Male genitalia. Parameres ( Figs. 117–118) conjointly emarginate at apex; apices not setose.

Variation. Female. Total length 4.1–4.2 mm; greatest width 2.8–3.0 mm. Clypeal teeth more strongly developed. Tibiae unmodified.

Bionomics. This species has been collected in dung traps at 3,000 m. It has been taken only during the month of May.

Geographic Distribution ( Fig. 119). This species occurs in the Cordillera Oriental of Colombia, in the division of Norte de Santander.