Chalcocopris inexpectatus, Rossini, Michele & Vaz-De-Mello, Fernando Z., 2015

Rossini, Michele & Vaz-De-Mello, Fernando Z., 2015, A review of the genus Chalcocopris Burmeister, 1846 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), with description of a new species, Zootaxa 3920 (2), pp. 291-300 : 297-299

Chalcocopris inexpectatus sp. nov.

( Fig. 2, 3 , 6 )

Description. Colour. Body black to reddish-brown, bright and silky, legs black to dark brown, tarsal segments brownish to black. Antennal club bright yellow, antennal segments brownish. Length. 12–0.9 mm. Head. Clypeus evenly curved and distinctly reflexed, anterior part of the genae forward elongated with a distinct tooth apically blunt, genae clearly notched in proximity of the clypeus, genal suture usually with a small and rounded protuberance at middle, often rather difficult to see. Head without horns or tubercles. Clypeus and genae finely and shallowly wrinkled, genae slightly granulose, frontal surface with punctures very shallow and fine, sometimes frons with a transversal area completely smooth. Pronotum. Simply convex, without anterior protuberances or swellings, lateral margins nearly straight and parallel between posterior and medial angles, well curved in proximity of the anterior angles, Posterior margin not bordered, evenly and weakly curved, with a series of short and longitudinal grooves. Anterior margin of pronotum with a smooth and thin bead feebly elevated over the pronotal surface. Anterior angles pointed and forward developed, internal margins either nearly straight or barely sinuated. Pronotal surface with fine and evenly distributed punctures, anterior angles with a shallow and transverse punctuation, coarse punctures along the lateral margins. Elytrae. Silky and feebly convex, striae very fine and shallow, with punctures distinctly impressed and separated approximately by three to four diameters. Interstriae nearly flat to slightly convex, with tiny and scattered punctures, eighth interstria distinctly swollen. Legs. Foretibiae slender, with four external teeth, apical tooth either almost flat or widely curved at the apex, anterior margin of foretibiae obliquely truncated, apical-internal angles sharply obtuse (≥ 90°), apical spur bifid with both extremities sharply pointed. Dorsal-internal surface of the foretibiae largely smooth, with a few coarse and scattered punctures, medial-external surface crossed by a series of coarse and setigerous punctures. Apical margin of meso- and meta-tibiae with spines either truncate or obtusely acute at the apex, tarsal claws elongated and feebly curved. Pygidium. Smooth and shiny, completely bordered with a marked groove, strongly convex, surface with fine and scattered punctures. Abdomen. Propleuron with a fine microsculpture, lateral margins with punctures and setae, posterior margin of propleuron with short and longitudinal grooves. Prosternum completely smooth and finely microsculptured, mesosternum lacking setae, with shallow and annular points. Superior side of metasternum with evanescent punctures, much finer and scattered at middle, inferior side of metasternum not depressed. Sternites smooth and silky, with fine punctures distributed along the superior margin, completely smooth at middle, lateral portion of the sternites with a small depression. Aedeagus. In lateral view, feebly curved and rather thick at the apex, phallobase thin and slender, parameres apically wide, evenly rounded and well separated, with lateral sides concave, dorsal sclerotization of both parameres with a strong depression at middle ( Fig. 8 ).

Etymology. Owing to the abundance of specimens of this genus in field and collections, we assigned this name to the new species because of the unexpected nature of its finding, and to its so unpredictable geographical distribution.

Material examined. 16 specimens in CEMT and MNHN, as follows:

Holotype: male. BRAZIL: Mato Grosso: Chapada dos Guimarães. Cidade de Pedra. 15°18’01”S, 55°50’22”W. III-2011. R.V. Nunes ( CEMT). With F. Vaz-de-Mello’s red holotype label.

Paratypes (all with FZVM yellow paratype labels): BRAZIL: Bahia: Barreiras, XII-1991 (1 ♀ CEMT); Goiás: Mineiros, PNEmas, 17°59’48”S, 52°56’54”W, 837 mosl, Light trap, 15-III-2011, M.F. Souza (1 ♂ CEMT); Niquelândia, X-1994 (1 unsexed CEMT); Mato Grosso: Chapada dos Guimarães, PNCG Módulo, 15°19’51”S, 55°51’9”W, 14.XII.2012, GM Daniel, pitfall (1 unsexed CEMT); same but 15°19’53”S, 55°51’10”W (1 unsexed CEMT); same but 15°19’31”S, 55°51’30”W (1 unsexed CEMT); Diamantino, Vale da Solidão, 14°22’14”S, 56°07’59”W, 21-X-2000, Luminosa, E. Furtado Casa (1 ♂ CEMT); [Japurah] Faz. São Tiago, 12.35 S, 56.20 W, XI-1982 (1 ♀, CEMT); Mato Grosso do Sul: Corumbá, 20-XI-1992, Faz. Nhumirim-Embrapa, Pantanal, 18°59’S, 56°39’W, Ex. Armadilha Luminosa, A.T.M Barros col. (1 ♂ CEMT); Corumbá, Centro de pesquisa EMBRAPA, Pantanal, 26-X-1992, A.T. Barros col. (1 ♀ CEMT); Minas Gerais: Três Marias, X-1989, J.C. Zanuncio (1 ♂, 2 ♀ CEMT); same but I-1993 (1 unsexed CEMT); PARAGUAY: Paraguari: Jaguarón, Santa Clara (1 ♀ MNHN).

Distribution. Cerrado and Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goiás and central Minas Gerais in Central Brazil, one record from Southern Paraguay, so probably present in a wider range, maybe including some parts of Chaco ( Fig. 9 ).

Habitat and natural history. The limited number of specimens with data have been collected either at light or with human-dung baited pitfall traps. The habitat appears limited to the cerrado sensu stricto vegetation and planted Eucalyptus forest. This species appears not to be very abundant or widespread.

The finding of a second species of Chalcocopris , in a different Biogeographical province (the Cerrado) is a good example of how understudied are the South American scarabaeine dung beetles.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3. Genus Chalcocopris. 1. Dorsal habitus of C. hesperus (male). 2. Dorsal habitus of C. inexpectatus sp. n. (male) 3. Left elytron of C. inexpectatus, arrow points to interstrial carina.

FIGURES 4 – 9. 4 – 5. Aedeagus of C. hesperus. 6 – 7. Aedeagus of C. inexpectatus sp. n. 8 – 9. Antenna and pygidium of C. hesperus.