Haroldiataenius mariarum (Bates)

Stebnicka, Z. Teresa & Skelley, Paul E., 2009, A revision of the genus Haroldiataenius Chalumeau (Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Eupariini), Insecta Mundi 2009 (62), pp. 1-16 : 4-5

Haroldiataenius mariarum (Bates)

( Fig. 1 , 12, 16, 22)

Ataenius mariarum Bates 1887: 102 – Cartwright 1964: 101.

Haroldiataenius mariarum – Chalumeau 1981: 138-139, fig. 1, 3; Dellacasa 1988: 339 (catalogue). Psammodius perpolitus Schmidt 1916: 105 – Chalumeau 1981: 138-139 (as synonym of A. mariarum ).

Diagnosis. Clypeal margin angulate each side of middle, surface strongly wrinkled. Pronotum with coarse punctures laterally, widely scattered, weakly defined. Pronotum with basal marginal line strong, broad laterally, narrowed medially. Lateral margins of pronotum and elytron with long fringe of setae. Haroldiataenius mariarum is found in Mexico and Panama.

Description. Length 4.5-5.0 mm. Body oval, strongly convex, castaneous, shining ( Fig. 1 , 12). Clypeal margin subdentate each side of median emargination; surface coarsely wrinkled, frontal area smooth; genae small. Pronotum transverse, sides and base margined, setose; surface with extremely minute punctures throughout and moderate, shallow punctures scattered on sides. Scutellum relatively large, semioval. Elytral humeral lamella obtusely produced laterad; striae narrowly impressed, punctures fine; intervals flat to slightly convex, smooth; elytral margin with long pale setae. Ventral sclerites setose; meso-metasternal carina short with clump of setae; metasternum smooth; abdominal sternites 2-4 without fluting along sutures, all sternites with row of setae; disc of pygidium weakly eroded, punctate. All femora setigerous; posterior line of metafemur incomplete; meso- and metatibia strongly widened apically; mesotibia with traces of transverse ridges; metatibia with row of granules on outer side and row of very short setae apically, without accessory spine; basal tarsomere of metatarsus markedly shorter than upper tibial spur and subequal in length to following three tarsomeres combined. Epipharynx as in Fig. 16. Male genitalia with parameres narrowed, elongate ( Fig. 22 ).

Type data. Ataenius mariarum (examined, sex not determined) lectotype (Tres Marias Is., W Mexico) designated by Cartwright (1964), in NHML.

Psammodius perpolitus (examined, sex not determined): lectotype ( Panama, Vadona) designated by Chalumeau (1981), in NHRS.

Specimens examined (21). Mexico – (1 ex from type series) Tres Marias Is. ( ISEA); (6 ex) Guerrero, Acapulco , 28. VI.1956. R. E. Beer & party ( PESC); (2 ex) Guerrero, Acapulco , 20.VIII.1938, L. Lipovsky ( FSCA); (2 ex) Guerrero, 20 mi E Acapulco , 12.VIII.1962, U. Kans. Mex. Exped. ( PESC); (1 ex) Nayarit, San Blas , 17-21.IX.1953, at light, B. Malkin ( FSCA); (7 ex) Oaxaca, Salino Cruz , 29. VI.1970, P. M. Jump ( PESC, ISEA); (1 ex) Sinaloa, Culiacan , 2.VII.1972, K. Stephan leg. ( FSCA); (6 ex) Sinaloa, 1 mi S of Mazatlan , 10.VIII.1965, collection G. H. Nelson, at lite [sic] ( FSCA); (1 ex) Sonora, Yavaros , 31.VII.1952, C.&P. Vaurie ( FSCA) .

Remarks. Haroldiataenius mariarum is readily distinguished from other species of the genus by the long setae along the lateral margin of the pronotum and elytra, distinctly wrinkled clypeus, strongly dilated apex of meso- and metatibiae, and the basal meso- and metatarsomere being distinctly shorter than the long tibial spur. The species is similar in appearance to the psammodiine species Parapsammodius bidens (Horn) ( Verdú et al. 2006) , sharing with that species the strongly expanded metatibia with an external row of granules and similar epipharyngeal structures. In general, H. mariarum fits the diagnosis given by Chalumeau (1981) for Sayloria, except that the lateral setae are much longer and the clypeus is distinctly wrinkled. These characters are variable among the species placed herein in Haroldiataenius .

Figures

Figures 1-7. Haroldiataenius spp. 1) H. mariarum, lateral habitus. 2) H. hintoni lateral habitus. 3) H. lucanus, mesotibia. 4) H. semipilosus, mesotibia. 5) H. saramari, lateral habitus. 6) H. lucanus, lateral habitus. 7) H. limbatus, lateral habitus.

Figures 22-28. Haroldiataenius spp., male genitalia. 22) H. mariarum. 23) H. limbatus. 24) H. hintoni. 25) H. lucanus. 26) H. griffini. 27) H. saramari. 28) H. semipilosus.