Parochodaeus perplexus Paulsen & Ocampo

Paulsen, M. J. & Ocampo, Federico C., 2012, The Ochodaeidae of Argentina (Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea), ZooKeys 174, pp. 7-30 : 16-17

Parochodaeus perplexus Paulsen & Ocampo sp. n. Fig. 12Map 2

Type material.

Holotype male (MLP), pinned. Original labels: a) "Sgo del ESTERO / RIO SALADO / Wagner Col." b) "Parochodaeus / perplexus /Paulsen & Ocampo / HOLOTYPE" on red paper. One paratype (CNCI) labeled: a) "ARGT. Stgo. / del Estero"; b) “Fernández / II 1957"; c) "Parochodaeus / campsognathus / (Arrow) / Vaz-de-Mello det 2003". One paratype at (ZMHB) labeled: "Bolivien / Chaco de Bolivia / K. Pflanz S.G.". One paratype (ZMHB) labeled: a) "Rio Cuarto / Argentina / Breuer"; b) “80.” One paratype (MJPC) labeled: a) "ARGT. Santi. del / Estero, Fernández, / II 1957"; b) "Parochodaeus / campsognathus / (Arrow) / Vaz-de-Mello det 2003". One paratype (IAZA) labeled: "Mendoza, Lavalle / 20 km W de Arroyito / 12-XII-1979 / Col. A. Roig / SERGIO ROIG". One paratype (IAZA) labeled: "San Rafael / Los Toldos, 51 km / SW de Soitué / 31-I-1979 / Sergio Roig." One paratype (CMNC) labeled: "ARGENTINA / CÓRDOBA / D° Cruz del Eje / Guanaco Muerto / Coll. Martínez / Feb. 980". Two paratypes (IAZA) labeled: "San Rafael / Huarpes / 2-II-79 / Sergio Roig". All paratypes labeled: "Parochodaeus / perplexus /Paulsen & Ocampo / PARATYPE" on yellow paper.

Type locality.

Argentina: Santiago del Estero: Río Salado.

Diagnosis.

The species is similar to Parochodaeus dentipes in that both species have a frontal ‘horn’ and broad metatibiae. Parochodaeus perplexus (Fig. 12) can be separated by its lack of a large tooth at the apex of the metafemur and by the flatter mentum.

Description, holotype male.

Length:6.9 mm. Width:3.8mm. Head: Surface tuberculate, punctate; punctures small. Frons with central horn-like tubercle; tubercle with apex U-shaped. Clypeus subtrapezoidal, narrow, short (length equal to 1/4 width); anterior margin not thickened, truncate. Labrum broadly emarginate. Mandibles angulate externally. Mentum flat, weakly concave anteriorly surrounding longitudinal furrow in anterior half. Pronotum: Form convex. Surface with densely tiled tubercles; tubercles small, setose; surface between tubercles punctate; punctures fine. Elytra: Setae of interstrial tubercles short, erect. Legs: Protibia with apical spur weakly curved; internal apical tooth absent. Metatrochanter simple. Metafemur with posterior margin simple. Metatibia weakly curved (in ventral view external margin rounded, internal margin sinuate), broad (at apex approximately as wide as mesofemur), expanding abruptly in basal third. Metatarsomere 1 not greatly enlarged. Abdomen:Stridulatory peg absent.

Description, paratypes.Length:5.0-7.9 mm. Width:2.9-4.2 mm. Differing from the holotype in the following external characters: Head: Female paratypes with clypeus longer, length equal to 1/3 width.

Etymology.

The specific epithet ‘perplexus’ is Latin meaning "muddled, interwoven", because this species displays a mix of characters present in other species. The name also aptly represents how perplexed we were to find yet another new species from central Argentina. It is used a masculine adjective in the nominative singular.

Distribution

(Map 2). 10 specimens examined.

ARGENTINA: CÓRDOBA: Guanaco Muerto (1), Río Cuarto (1); MENDOZA: Lavalle (20 Km W Arroyito) (1), Los Toldos, 51 Km SW Soitué (1), San Rafael (2); SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO: Fernández (2), Río Salado (1).

BOLIVIA: "Chaco de Bolívia” (1).

Temporal distribution.

January (1), February (5), December (1), No data (3).

Remarks.

Ten specimens of this species are known. None of the labels have any information on how they were collected, but given the open habitat of the collecting localities they were probably taken at light.