Deltochilum abdominale Martínez, 1947

Rosa, Cecilia Lozano De La, Cupello, Mario & Vaz-De-Mello, Fernando Z., 2024, The dung beetles of Venezuela (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae): catalogue and updated distribution, European Journal of Taxonomy 959 (1), pp. 1-272 : 72-74

Deltochilum abdominale Martínez, 1947

Fig. 28A

Deltochilum abdominalis [sic] Martínez, 1947a: 269 (original description). Type locality: Venezuela: Distrito Capital: Pico Naiguatá. Name-bearing type: holotype (MACN), examined by MC. Note: as explained by Harold (1869d), the genus-group name Deltochilum is formed from the combination of the Ancient Greek nouns δέλτᾰ (‘ délta ’), the name for the fourth letter in the Ancient Greek alphabet (Δ) and, by extension, used to refer to anything shaped like that letter, and χεῖλος (‘ kheîlos ’), meaning ‘lip’, ‘mouth’, in reference to the labrum of the single species originally assigned to the genus, a structure that Eschscholtz (1822) described as being “cordiform” (i.e., heart-shaped, or an inverted letter delta). Since, in his Latinisation of the new name, Eschscholtz changed the ending of ‘ kheîlos ’ to ‘ - um ’, a neuter suffix in Latin, to render ‘ - chilum ’, the noun Deltochilum , too, is to be regarded as neuter in gender in accordance with Article 30.1.3 of the Code ( ICZN 1999). Latin or Latinised adjectival specific and subspecific names combined with it must, therefore, be declined accordingly (Article 31.2). Martínez (1947a), however, formed the binomen originally as Deltochilum abdominalis , with the two-termination New Latin adjective used as the specific name ‒ meaning ‘abdominal’ ‒ incorrectly declined in the masculine/feminine. We fix this in the heading above by declining the name in the neuter; i.e., by replacing the desinence ‘- is ’ with ‘- e ’ as grammatically required.

Deltochilum abdominale – Roze 1955: 43 (checklist, cited for Venezuela). — Havranek 1989: 61 (list). — Medina et al. 2001: 136 (checklist for Colombia). — Krajcik 2012: 88 (list).

Deltochilum (Deltohyboma) abdominale – Vulcano & Pereira 1964: 652 (catalogue). — Blanco 1987: 43 (catalogue). — González-Alvarado & Vaz-de-Mello 2021a: 62, 74 (revision, comments). — Martínez 1954: 47 (comments, cited for Colombia).

Material examined

Paratype

VENEZUELA ‒ 1 ♂; “ PARATIPO ”; “VENEZUELA / D.F. 720 mts. / C° NAIGUATÁ / R. LICHY- LEG. / Coll-Martínez. / Jul 943”; “ Deltochilum (D.) / abdominalis ♂ / sp.n. / A. Martínez-DET.19 46.”; CEMT- 00068431 .

Additional material

VENEZUELA ‒ Yaracuy • 2 specs; Bolivar , Aroa ; 10°20′22.74″ N, 68°50′5.71″ W; 1372 m a.s.l.; 19 Jul. 2009; Colmenares and H. Martínez leg.; CEMT • 1 spec.; Hacienda Guáquira ; 25 Nov. 2005; curso NM2006 leg.; faeces; 23h, 08:07; CEMT • 1 spec.; same locality data as for the preceding; 24 Nov. 2005; faeces; 23h 08:45; CEMT .

Distribution

Colombia and Venezuela.

Subregions of Venezuela

Andes mountains and Central Coast Mountain Range.

Literature records

Martínez 1947a: 269 ( Venezuela: Distrito Capital). — Roze 1955: 43 ( Venezuela). — Vulcano & Pereira 1964: 652 ( Venezuela); 1967: 557 ( Venezuela). — Blanco 1987: 43 ( Venezuela: Táchira: Río Frío, Río Negro and Chorro del Indio). — Havranek 1989: 61 ( Venezuela: Táchira: outskirts of San Cristóbal). — Krajcik 2012: 88 ( Venezuela). — González-Alvarado & Vaz-de-Mello 2021a: 62 (Pacific dominion: Venezuelan).

Figures

Fig. 28. Species distribution. A. Deltochilum abdominale Martínez, 1947. B. Deltochilum bolivariense González-Alvarado & Vaz-de-Mello, 2021. Green diamond = CEMT collection data; black circle = literature data.