Ataenius kudrnai Minkina, Gama, and Skelley, 2024

Minkina, Łukasz, Gama, Emanuel R. R. & Skelley, Paul E., 2024, Two New Species of the Genus Ataenius Schmidt, 1810 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Eupariini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 78 (2), pp. 255-264 : 256-258

Ataenius kudrnai Minkina, Gama, and Skelley , new species zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:BF9E525F-5BF9-48A6-A1BF-15934B944798 ( Figs. 1–3 , 10 , 14, 15, 20 )

Type Locality. ParaguaY, 80–85 km NW Mariscal Estigarribia.

Type Material. HolotYpe (♂, MMBC): “ ParaguaY -06, ABCJCH | 80–85km NW Mariscal- | Estigarribia 30.i.-31.i.2008 | leg. Arnošt Kudrna jr. | Coll. & Det. Ing. Jiří Chromý ”.

Description of the Holotype. Dorsum ( Fig. 1 ). Length: 3.4 mm. Dorsal surface reddish brown;

tarsomeres, antennae and mouthparts pale brown. Body small-sized for Ataenius , elongate, moderatelY convex; indistinctlY macrosetate on sides of pronotum and distinctly macrosetate on sides and before apex of elytra, macrosetae short and thin.

Head ( Fig. 10 ) moderatelY convex, moderatelY shinY, with distinct microreticulation; transverselY trapezoidal; clYpeus anteriorlY distinctlY sinuate, sides widely rounded, latter truncate, not notched before genae, which are obtuse and distinctly exceeding eYes. FrontoclYpeal suture absent. Punctures on clypeus irregular in size and shape (basally and on the disc regularlY rounded, anteriorlY transverse, not wrinkled), dense, regularly distributed.

EpipharYnx ( Fig. 20 ) transverse, with sides rounded, anterior margin truncate, with weakly produced corypha bearing two short, thick celtes at apex.Acanthopariae, acropariae, prophobae without chaetae. Chaetopariae, adelochaetae, chaetopedia with dense belts of thick, long chaetae. Epitorma cup shaped, shortened, not reaching base of epipharynx. Tormae long.

Pronotum moderatelY convex, distinctlY transverse, as wide as base of elYtra, widest near base, moderately shiny, with distinct microreticulation. Anterior angles widelY rounded, sides verY widelY rounded; truncate before hind angles.Anterior margin not bordered. Sides and basal margin distinctly bordered. Punctures on sides bear indistinct, verY short macrosetation. Punctation double: smaller punctures dense, not fine, quite regularlY distributed, regular in size; larger punctures dense, quite regularly distributed, irregular in size, punctures near base with diameter about twice as large as smaller punctures, anteriorly all punctures smaller.

Scutellar shield small, triangular, with ogival sides, matte, with verY distinct microreticulation, with few small punctures basally.

Base of elytra thinly bordered, with small but distinct humeral denticles. ElYtra elongate, convex, nearly parallel sided, widest at midlength. Elytron with ten striae and ten interstriae. Interstriae distinctlY convex, weaklY shinY with distinct microreticulation and with irregular row of moderately large, quite dense punctures near each border; bor- ders smooth. Striae shiny, with distinct, moderately coarse, dense punctation; punctures of striae not encroaching on interstriae; striae variablY connected before apex.

Pygidium with similar structure as abdominal ventrites, disc eroded.

Legs. Profemur shiny, with trace of microreticulation, distinctly bordered anteriorly and basally, surface with coarse punctures; meso- and metafemora shinY, with trace of microreticulation, verY thinly bordered only basally, surface with fine punctures; all femora denselY punctate, punctures weaklY variable in size and shape, some with macrosetae. Protibia distinctly tridentate laterally, proximally not serrulate, with dorsal side smooth; apical spur inwardlY curved before apex, somewhat downwardlY bent. Metatibial superior apical spur somewhat longer than metatarsomere 1, latter as long as following three tarsomeres combined. Apex of meso- and metatibiae with weak accessory spine. Claws short, thin, distinctly arcuate.

Macropterous.

Venter ( Fig. 2 ). Metaventral plate shinY, with a trace of microreticulation, verY weaklY convex, with distinct, quite wide, deep longitudinal line in the middle; medial surface with moderatelY coarse punctation, regular in size, moderately dense, some punctures bearing verY short macrosetae.Abdominal ventrites shinY, without microreticulation; basal margins narrowly fluted, except the last one which is distinctlY fluted; with distinct, dense punctation variable in size; some punctures bearing short macrosetae.

Aedeagus ( Figs. 14, 15 ). Parameres somewhat shorter than phallobase, distinctly elongate, weakly downturned toward rounded apex; apex with small, membranous process not extending beyond apex.

Variation. Unknown.

Sexual Dimorphism. Unknown.

Etymology. PatronYmic. Dedicated to Arnošt Kudrna, collector of the holotype.

Affinity and Discussion. Based on the transverselY punctate clYpeus lacking wrinkles, elongate aedeagus with parameres rounded at apex and somewhat shorter than phallobase, body reddish brown, weak accessory spine on metatibia, and apical spur of protibia in male with inwardly hooked apex, we can place A. kudrnai in the A. aequalis-A. platensis species group. In Stebnicka’s (2005) keY to species of the A. aequalis-A. platensis species group, A. kudrnai keys to A. punctipennis , but it is also similar to A. guriensis , having a similar aedeagus. Because of their similarities, we present important distinguishing characters in Table 1 and fully illustrate A. punctipennis ( Figs. 7–9 , 12 , 18, 22 ) and A. guriensis ( Figs. 4–6 , 11 , 16, 17, 21 ) for comparison.

Figures

Figs. 1–3. Ataenius kudrnai, new species, ♂, holotYpe. 1) Dorsal view; 2) Ventral view; 3) Lateral view. Scale lines = 1.0 mm.

Figs. 10–13. Heads, dorso-anterior view. 10) Ataenius kudrnai, new species, ♂, holotYpe; 11) A. guriensis, ♂, para- tYpe; 12) A. punctipennis, ♂; 13) A. vazdemelloi, new species, ♂, holotYpe. Scale lines = 1.0 mm.

Figs. 14–23. Aedeagi and epipharynges. Aedeagus: 14) Ataenius kudrnai, new species, ♂, holotYpe, dorsal view; 15) Same, lateral view; 16) A. guriensis, ♂, paratYpe, dorsal view; 17) Same, lateral view; 18) A. punctipennis, ♂, lateral view; 19) A. vazdemelloi, new species, ♂, holotYpe, lateral view. EpipharYnx: 20) A. kudrnai, new species, ♂, holotYpe; 21) A. guriensis, ♂, paratYpe; 22) A. punctipennis, ♂; 23) A. vazdemelloi, new species, ♂, holotYpe. Scale lines: Figs. 14–19 = 0.5 mm; Figs. 20–23 = 0.2 mm.

Figs. 7–9. Ataenius punctipennis, ♂. 7) Dorsal view; 8) Ventral view; 9) Lateral view. Scale lines = 1.0 mm.

Figs. 4–6. Ataenius guriensis, ♂, paratYpe. 4) Dorsal view; 5) Ventral view; 6) Lateral view. Scale lines = 1.0 mm.