Ontherus felicitae González & Medina, 2015

González, Fabio Arturo & Medina, Claudia Alejandra, 2015, The genus Ontherus Erichson 1847 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae): description of a new species, and notes on the genus in Colombia, Zootaxa 3949 (1) : -

Ontherus felicitae González & Medina new species

( Figures 1–3 , 7–8 , 10–14 , 19–24 )

Holotype. ♂, COLOMBIA: Antioquia: Jardín, Reserva Natural Mesenia, Secondary Forest, 5°29'18''N, 75°53'39''W, 2357m, ii.2012, Edwards Felicity, T.Exc.H. #1 (IAvH-E-147505)/ [handwritten] Mesenia, 2012, Colombia, Forest. Near, Trap #1/ [handwritten, yellow label] Mesenia, # 126/ [red label] Ontherus felicitae Holotype González & Medina 2014.

Paratypes. COLOMBIA: Antioquia: Jardín, PNN Tatamá, Reserva Natural Mesenia, Forest, 5°28'38''N, 75°53'49''W, 2357m, 1♂, ii.2012, Edwards Felicity, T.Exc.H. #1 (IAvH-E-147509), Jardín, PNN Tatamá, Reserva Natural Mesenia, Forest, 5°29'53''N, 75°52'13''W, 2523m, 1♀, ii.2012, Edwards Felicity, T.Exc.H. #2 (IAvH-E- 147511), Jardín, Reserva Natural Mesenia, Forest, 5°28'38''N, 75°53'49''W, 2357m, 1♂, ii.2012, Edwards Felicity, T.Exc.H. #2 (IAvH-E-147507), Jardín, Reserva Natural Mesenia, Forest, 5°29'53''N, 75°52'13''W, 2523m, 1♀, ii.2012, Edwards Felicity, T.Exc.H. #2a (IAvH-E-147513), Jardín, Reserva Natural Mesenia, Forest, 5°28'38''N, 75°53'49''W, 2357m, 1♂, ii.2012, Edwards Felicity, T.Exc.H. #3 (IAvH-E-147510), Jardín, Reserva Natural Mesenia, Secondary Forest, 5°29'18''N, 75°53'39''W, 2357m, 2♂, ii.2012, Edwards Felicity, T.Exc.H. #2 (IAvH-E- 147514, IAvH-E-147515), Jardín, Reserva Natural Mesenia, Secondary Forest, 5°29'53''N, 75°52'59''W, 2232m, 2♂, vi.2012, Edwards Felicity, T.Exc.H. (IAvH-E-147506, IAvH-E-147508), Jardín, Reserva Natural Mesenia, Secondary Forest, 5°29'26''N, 75°53'15''W, 2334m, 1♂, vi.2012, Edwards Felicity, T.Exc.H. (IAvH-E-147512).

Diagnosis. the species belongs to Mexicanus species group as defined by Génier (1996), since O. felicitae n. sp. has the anterior suture of median lobe of metasternum straight; pronotum with carina ( Figs. 1 and 2 ); head of large males with horn compressed laterally; parameres apically expanded ( Fig. 10 ), and females with 2 denticles on the head ( Fig. 7 ). The new species is closely related to O. compressicornis Luederwaldt 1931 due to: 1. large males with cephalic horn compressed laterally; 2. large males with pronotal carina with inner portion lower than lateral portion, without tubercles ( Figs. 2 and 5 ) and 3. strial punctures, simples (not ocellate), and larger, punctures more than twice as wide as connecting stria ( Figs. 3 and 6 ). But O. felicitae n. sp. can be separated by: 1. the minutely punctate pronotal disc ( Figs. 1 and 2 ), punctures not visible at 8x; 2. elytral striae punctures almost three times as wide as connecting stria ( Fig. 3 ); 3. elytral striae deeper apically; 4. eighth elytral stria with punctures longitudinally elongated and irregularly shaped (not rounded) ( Fig. 8 ); 5. plate-shape sclerite of the internal sac of the aedeagus elongated, straight and slightly bent ( Fig. 12 ); 6. internal sac of the aedeagus with small accessory sclerite

between the elongate and plate-shape sclerites ( Fig. 13 ). In O. compressicornis : 1. the pronotal disc larger punctures visible at 8x ( Figs. 4 and 5 ); 2. elytral striae punctures almost five times as wide as connecting stria ( Fig. 6 ); 3. elytral striae slightly deeper apically; 4. eighth elytral stria with punctures rounded ( Fig. 9 ); 5. plate-shape sclerite of the internal sac of the aedeagus sinuated ( Fig. 17 ); 6. internal sac of the aedeagus without accessory sclerites.

The females of O. felicitae n. sp. and O. compressicornis can be separated by: O. felicitae n. sp. elytral striae punctures almost three times as wide as connecting stria, and eighth elytral stria with punctures longitudinally elongated, irregularly shaped (not rounded) ( Fig. 8 ). In O. compressicornis the elytral striae punctures are almost five times as wide as connecting stria, and the punctures on the eighth elytral stria are rounded ( Fig. 9 ).

Description. holotype male: size, length, from pronotal anterior margin to elytral apex, 12.17 mm; humeral width, 7.30 mm. Body black with weakly reddish reflection ventrally, easier to see on meso-metafemur and metasternum, and weakly bluish reflection dorsally, easier to see on elytra. Head with a backwardly directed, laterally gradually compressed horn ( Fig. 19 ), truncate apically. Clypeus and genae transversely wrinkled; anterior edge of clypeus feebly bisinuate, edge between the sinuation and the clypeogenal junction rounded; clypeogenal junction feebly notched; clypeofrontal suture feebly noticeable; vertex with a deep depressions, on the internal side of each eye ( Fig. 1 ). Pronotum smooth with simple punctures (not ocellate); punctures in the antero-lateral areas denser and larger than in the disc, the disc is smooth, the punctures are small and not easily visible ( Figs. 1 and 2 ). Punctures separated by twice the diameter in the anterolateral areas and by more than twice the length of the diameter in the disc; disc with two oblique raised carinae ( Fig. 2 ); carina with irregular border (small denticles), except lateral and inner edges that are smooth and rounded; pronotal anterior margin wider and sinuated behind the eyes; anterior, lateral and posterior area of hypomeron with setae, setae denser anteriorly, without punctures or setae submedially; Prosternum with dense punctures, each puncture with a long seta. Mesosternum with dense punctures, each puncture separated by less than one diameter, and setae shorter than those of the prosternum, except along the mesocoxa where they are subequal in size. Metasternum smooth and glabrous on disc, shagreened and with few setae on lateral lobes; lateral lobes punctures larger posteriorly and denser anteriorly. Median lobe punctures larger and denser than discal punctures; median lobe of metasternum anteriorly with atrophied carina medially, mesometasternal suture almost straight. Elytral striae deeper apically; strial punctures simple, separated by one diameter on the disc and by less than one diameter apically; 1–7th strial punctures rounded, eighth stria with punctures longitudinally elongated, irregularly shaped (not rounded); strial punctures almost three times as wide as the connecting stria ( Fig. 3 ), except at the apex of the sixth and seventh striae where the punctures are slightly larger. Interstriae smooth, with simple punctures ( Fig. 3 ); punctures small and disperse, smaller than the line of the striae and separated by 2–3 times their diameter. Abdominal sternites weakly shagreened; sternite 1–5 reduced in width medially, sternite 6 as wide as 2–5 combined medially. Pygidium approximately 1.5 times wider than long; pygidium smooth between punctures, punctures fine and slightly larger than the punctures on the middle of the sixth abdominal sternite. Legs, anterior tibiae tridentate, basal tooth smallest, basal and medial teeth laterally projected, apical tooth projecting forward; anterior femur weakly shagreened, with large setiferous punctures on posterior half; surface of middle and posterior femur weakly shagreened, with small punctures separated by 2–3 times their diameter; hind leg unmodified.

Male genitalia: aedeagu s ( Fig. 10 ) with phallobase elongated, nearly twice as long as parameres. Parameres sinuated in lateral view, apex turned up. Internal sac well developed with four sclerites in the apical area. Basal sclerite ( Fig. 11 ) robust, well sclerotized, with a thick base and two lateral arms, one shorter, and the other elongated and bent apically. Plate-shape sclerite ( Fig. 12 ), called sigmoid sclerite in Génier (1996), is slender and elongated, with the apices bent laterally. Accessory sclerite ( Fig. 13 ) small and oval shaped. Elongate sclerite ( Fig. 14 ) with two separated filaments. Medial area of the internal sac without sclerites. Submedial area without defined raspules, but covered by homogeneous small scales.

Variation. The paratypes vary in sexual features and in the body development of the males. Female, head with two dentincles, without horn ( Fig. 7 ); clypeus and genae more wrinkled than developed males, vertex without depressions. Pronotal punctures nearly twice as large as in developed males, mainly in the antero-lateral areas; anterior third of pronotum with two straight transversal swelling, as long as the distance between the eyes ( Fig. 7 ). Sixth abdominal sternite as wide as 1–5 combined medially. Pygidium approximately three times wider than long. Anterior tibiae quadridentate, the basal tooth smallest.

Small males, head with small conical or subquadrate horn ( Figs. 21 and 23 ); clypeus and genae more wrinkled than developed males; vertex with shallower depressions. Pronotal punctures nearly twice as large as in developed males, principally in the anterolateral areas; anterior third of pronotum with two straight transversal swelling, as longs as the distance between the eyes.

In small males and females the lateral swelling of pronotum, may be the same size or larger than inner swelling, depending of the development grade of the individual.

The greater variation found in the genitalia was observed in the plate sclerite, mainly in the size of the sclerite correlated with the size of the cephalic horn and the body of the beetle ( Figs. 19–24 ).

Etymology. A patronymic after Felicity Edwards who collected all known specimens of this species.

Remarks. O. felicitae n. sp. will key out to couplet eleven and to O. compressicornis in Génier’s key (1996). However it can be separated by the six characters described in the diagnosis.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Figures 1 – 3 Ontherus felicitae n. sp. Figure 1, dorsal view (holotype); Figure 2, frontal view, head and pronotum (holotype); Figure 3, elytral sculpture (holotype). Figures 4 – 6 male of Ontherus compressicornis Luederwaldt 1931. Figure 4, dorsal view; Figure 5, frontal view head and pronotum; Figure 6, elytral sculpture.

FIGURES 7 – 9. Figures 7 – 8 Ontherus felicitae n. sp. Figure 7, female dorsal view (paratype); Figure 8, 8 th elytral stria, female (paratype). Figure 9, Ontherus compressicornis Luederwaldt 1931, 8 th elytral stria, female. Black arrow pseudoepipleuron, white arrow 8 th elytral stria.

FIGURES 10 – 18. Figures 10 – 14 male genitalia Ontherus felicitae n. sp. Figure 10, lateral view aedeagus; Figure 11, basal sclerite; Figure 12, plate-shape sclerite; Figure 13, accessory sclerite; Figure 14, elongate sclerite. Figures 15 – 18 male genitalia Ontherus compressicornis Luederwaldt 1931. Figure 15, lateral view aedeagus; Figure 16, basal sclerite; Figure 17, plate-shape sclerite; Figure 18, elongate sclerite.

FIGURES 19 – 24. Cephalic horn size variation and plate-shape sclerite in Ontherus felicitae n. sp. Figures 19 – 20 welldeveloped male (holotype). Figure 19, lateral view head and pronotum; Figure 20, plate-shape sclerite. Figures 21 – 22 moderately developed male (paratype). Figure 21, lateral view, head and pronotum; Figure 22, plate-shape sclerite. Figures 23 – 24 underdeveloped male (paratype). Figure 23, lateral view, head and pronotum; Figure 24, plate-shape sclerite.