Dendropaemon (D.) piceus (Perty, 1830)

François Génier & Patrick Arnaud, 2016, Dendropaemon Perty, 1830: taxonomy, systematics and phylogeny of the morphologically most derived phanaeine genus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae, Phanaeini), Zootaxa 4099 (1) : 33-34

17. Dendropaemon (D.) piceus (Perty, 1830)

( Figs. 17 , 66–67, 138)

Eurysternus piceus Perty 1830 , Delec. Anim. Art.: Pl. 8 (primary citation)

Dendropaemon piceus: Perty 1830 , Delec. Anim. Art. (fasc. 1): 39 (description) Dendropemon piceus: Harold 1869 , Cat. Col. IV: 1020 (catalogue)

Dendropemon piceus: Harold 1875 , Col. Hefte 13: 68 (comment)

Dendropemon piceus: Gillet 1911 , Col. Cat. 38: 88 (catalogue)

Dendropaemon piceus: Olsoufieff 1924 , Insecta 13: 122 (monograph)

Dendropaemon piceus: Blut 1939 , Arch. Naturg. (N.F.) 8: 290 (monograph) Dendropemon piceum: Blackwelder 1944 , U.S. Nat . Mus. Bull. 185: 211 (checklist) Dendropaemon (D.) piceum: Edmonds 1972 , Univ. Kansas Sc. Bull. 49: 851 (comment taxonomy) Dendropaemon piceus: Scherer 1983 , Spixiana, Suppl. 9: 297 (type data)

Dendropaemon piceum : Vaz-de-Mello 2000, Hac. Proy. CYTED: 192 (faunistic) Dendropaemon (D.) piceus: Arnaud 2002 , Col. Monde 28: 15 (mention)

Dendropaemon sp. aff. piceum: Larsen et al. 2006 , Col. Bull. 60: 319 (biology)

Type locality. Provinciae Sancti Pauli, Brasilia australi.

Diagnosis. The two-segmented tarsi combined with the large and glossy black and largely flat body with clypeal teeth lacking emargination laterally will place this species in the piceus complex. From closely related species it can be easily separated by the shape of the meso- and metatibiae, which are parallel sided on most of the distance in anterior view.

Description. Male holotype ( Fig. 17 ). Body. Body large, length 20.0 mm, maximum width 11.0 mm; body subrectangular in dorsal view; dorsum largely flat. Color. Dorsal surface black, glossy, lacking metallic sheen; ventrum black; pygidium black; legs black. Head. Clypeus broadly arcuate, anterior portion slightly upturned; clypeal teeth triangular; clypeal median emargination v-shaped, clypeal edge lacking emargination on external side of each clypeal tooth, clypeal teeth ventral surface with a fine v-shaped carina, clypeal margin ill-defined, lacking sharp carina posteriorly, clypeal surface with short and blunt transverse rugulae; clypeogenal suture well-defined, bluntly carinate internally; genal surface simply punctate, with a long blunt transverse carina; clypeofrontal carina low, more than 6 times wider than high, straight in dorsal view, simply carinate, clypeofrontal carina apical edge straight in frontal view; eyes small in dorsal view, interocular ratio 5.4. Pronotum. Pronotum transverse in dorsal view, pronotal width/length ratio 1.6; disc of pronotum minutely punctate throughout, with a fine ill-defined longitudinal sulcus on posterior two-third; pronotal anterior margin wider and flat lateral to eyes; anterior portion with a slightly tri-sinuous carina tuberculate medially; anterior angles surface minutely punctate, similar to lateral margin along posterior edge of anterior margin; lateral fossae simply rounded, concave; lateral portions slightly explanate; pronotal basal fossae small more or less rounded; posterior margin well-defined, lacking crenulation and setae. Elytra. Elytra approximately as long as wide in dorsal view, elytral combined width/length ratio 1.1; elytral base lacking distinct margin, simply convex; elytral striae 1–4 fine on disc and gradually tapering toward apex, lacking minute carina laterally on apical declivity, evenly impressed throughout, elytral striae 5 atrophied, lacking fine carina on each side on disc, strial punctures fine and well-defined, adjacent strial edge shallowly encroaching on interval, stria 1 well-defined apically, connecting to marginal stria; interstriae slightly convex, minutely punctate throughout, surface glossy. Thoracic sterna. Proepisternal carina reduced, present along coxal insertion only; metasternal median lobe angularly produced anteromedially, ventral ridge ill-defined, keel shaped. Legs. Profemur posterior surface slightly but distinctly convex and glabrous internally, posterointernal margin rather thick, evenly developed, internal edge rather narrow, with a contiguous row of setae along anterointernal edge and few scattered long setae on anterior half, remaining surface with irregular ill-defined punctures and glossy. Protibia with four teeth on lateral edge; internal basal angle lobate; anterior surface with long aligned row of setae internally, surface glossy or feebly microsculptured between punctures; posterior surface with some well-defined punctures externally to median carina, surface glossy between punctures, with a single interrupted setal row along lateral teeth. Mesofemur angularly produced on anterointernal edge apically. Mesotibia rather short, parallel sided on most of length; anteroapical edge slightly sinuate in anterior view, anteroapical row of setae complete; apicoanterior edge circularly indented internally; external edge more or less flat, bordered anteriorly and posteriorly by an almost complete setal row. Mesotarsus similar in shape to metatarsus, 2-segmented, first segment elongate, more than three times as long as wide at apex. Metafemur elongate, internal and lateral edges mostly parallel in ventral view, more than twice as long as wide, lacking distinct depressed area anterointernally before apex, apicoposterior edge unmodified, anterior surface with a well-defined sulcus on apical half. Metatibia rather elongate, parallel sided on most of distance in anterior view, anterior surface with distinct row of setae, surface with ill-defined irregular microsculpture, metatibial posterior surface flat between longitudinal row of setae and lateral edge, with transverse microsculpture. Metatarsus 2-segmented, first segment elongate, more than three time as long as wide at apex, with anterointernal carina ill-defined. Abdominal sternites. Sternites 3–6 longitudinally flat; sternites 4–6 with more than three unaligned row of setae laterally, glabrous medially; sternite 7 approximately longitudinally flat medially, shorter than segment 6 along midline; pygidium finely punctate on disc. Male genitalia (Figs. 66–67). Parameres simply rounded apically in dorsal view; with minute raspy tubercles apically.

Measurements (1 male). Length: 20.0 mm.

Primary type data ( Fig. 138 ). Holotype male (ZSMC): [1./ Brasilia / Dendropaemon / piceus / Prty] handwritten; [ piceus Perty ] handwritten; [Type von/ Dendropaemon / piceus Perty ] partly handwritten, red card; [WORLD/ SCARAB./ DATABASE/ WSD00016490]; [HOLOTYPE / Eurysternus / piceus / Perty, 1830] red card; [ Dendropaemon / piceus / Perty, 1830/ vid. Génier & Arnaud, 2009].

Material examined. Primary type only.

Natural history. Unknown.

Remarks. Female and variation unknown.

The holotype, which is the only known specimen, bears the information “ Brasilia ”. Perty states in the original description that this species was collected along with D. viridis Perty in Southern Brazil and more specifically from the “Province of Sao Paulo” from rotting wood. Despite over a century and a half of collecting in this region no other specimens were found. We suggest that it could rather be an endemic of the caatinga instead.

See also remarks under D. viridis .

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 18. Dorsal habitus. 13. D. angustulus, male holotype; 14. D. ater, male neotype; 15. D. flechtmanni, male holotype; 16. D. larseni, male holotype; 17. D. piceus, male holotype; 18. D. telephus, male holotype.

FIGURES 134 – 154. Primary type labels. 134. D. hirticollis; 135. D. pauliani; 136. D. renatii; 137. D. ater; 138. D. piceus; 139: D. telephus; 140. D. viridis; 141. D. viridipennis. 142. D. convexus; 143. D. fredericki; 144. D. angustipennis; 145. D. bahianus; 146. D. amyntas (= D. attalus); 147. D. ganglbaueri; 148. D. refulgens; 149. D. fractipes; 150. D. fasces; 151. D. haroldi; 152. D. nitidicollis; 153. D. quadratus; 154. D. similis; 155. D. denticollis.