Aegidium reichei Preudhomme de Borre, 1886

Frolov, Andrey V., Akhmetova, Lilia A. & Vaz-de-Mello, Fernando Z., 2017, Revision of the mainland species of the Neotropical genus Aegidium Westwood (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Orphninae), Journal of Natural History 51 (19 - 20), pp. 1035-1090 : 1085-1087

Aegidium reichei Preudhomme de Borre, 1886

( Figure 19 (a–g))

Aegidium reichei Preudhomme de Borre 1886: 25

Aegidium reichei Preudhomme de Borre : Arrow 1904: 738, 1912: 31; Schmidt 1913: 70; Paulian 1984: 77

Aegidium asperatum Preudhomme de Borre : Blackwelder 1944: 217

Type locality

Colombia.

Type material examined

Lectotype, here designated. Male ( Figure 19 (a,d,e)) at IRSNB labeled ‘ Coll. R. I. Sc. N. B. Colombie N. Granad Coll. J.Thomson 8417/det. de Borre 1886 Aegidium reichei n. sp ♂ /det. AE Reichei / Holotype’ . Paralectotype, female at IRSNB labeled ‘ Coll. R. I. Sc. N. B. Colombie: 8416 Coll. J.Thomson /det. de Borre 1886 Aegidium reichei n. sp. ♀ / Allotype / ♀ ’.

Additional material examined

COLOMBIA. Tolima: four males and four females at IRSNB, Ibagué , F. Claver leg . PERU. Loreto: one male at CEMT, Iquitos, Sachamama , 100 m, FIT, 22 March 2002, Curoe leg.

Diagnosis

Aegidium reichei is similar to Ae. varians sp. nov. and Ae. onorei sp. nov. in the shape of the pronotum in larger males having relatively slender pronotal lateral processes with smaller base, and in the parameres without separate ventrobasal transverse plate. It differs in having the parameres relatively long, tapering and with feebly sclerotised apices ( Figure 19 (d,e)).

Redescription

Male ( Figure 19 (a,b,d–f)). Body length 9.0–15.0 mm. Colour uniformly brown to dark brown.

Anterior margin of frontoclypeus slightly convex in middle, slightly sinuate each side of medial convexity, rounded laterally, without border. Frontoclypeus punctate with rounded punctures separated by about 1–2 puncture diameters on anterior part and with denser and larger, somewhat elongate and irregular punctures in posterior part, between eyes.

Eyes relatively large: width about 1/7 distance between eyes in dorsal view.

Pronotum with widely rounded lateral margins, narrower than elytra, 1.6 times wider than length, 0.6 times length of elytra. Posterior angles somewhat obtuse. Anterior margin and base of pronotum not bordered, with a row of rounded close punctures. Pronotal disc slightly excavated anteromedially and slightly convex posteromedially. Lateral pronotal processes horn-shaped in lateral view, not protruding past lateral margin outline of pronotum in dorsal view. Anterior pronotal process tubercle-shaped, truncate apically. Pronotum covered with round punctures; punctation sparser on and around lateral processes.

Scutellum narrow subtriangular, about 1/11 length of elytra.

Elytra 1.2 times longer than wide, with humeral and apical umbones, widest in basal 1/3, and tapering apically in dorsal view. First elytral carina feebly distinct, second indistinct. Elytra covered with relatively dense elongated punctures on disc and along suture and becoming rounded at apices and along lateral sides.

Macropterous.

Mesotibiae without tuft of setae ventroapically. Inner apical spur of mesotibia shorter than basal mesotarsomere and not curved downwards.

Aedeagus with relatively long (0.6 times length of phallobase), tapering parameres ( Figure 19 (d)). Parameres slightly wider than apical part of phallobase in dorsal view ( Figure 19 (e)). Ventrobasal transverse plate of parameres indistinct. Lateral teeth of parameres ill defined, not protruding past paramere outline in dorsal view ( Figure 19 (e)). Endophallus without strongly sclerotised sclerites. Cranial part of spiculum gastrale narrow, parallel-sided and rounded apically ( Figure 19 (f)).

Female ( Figure 19 (c)) differs from male in having relatively smaller pronotum without armature and in absence of inner protibial tooth.

Variation

The males from Colombia have a well-developed pronotal armature but vary slightly in the shape of the lateral pronotal processes ( Figure 19 (b)). The lectotype and the smallest male from Peru have a non-excavated pronotum without lateral pronotal processes but with well-developed anterior pronotal process ( Figure 19 (a)). Body length of examined specimens varies from 10.0 to 14.5 mm.

Distribution

Aegidium reichei was described from Colombia, without a precise locality. We studied material from two rather distant localities, in the Central Colombian Andes and in the Amazonian lowland forest in Peru ( Figure 20 (g)). The record from Santo Domingo de los Colourados ( Paulian 1984) apparently pertains to Ae. onorei sp. nov., although we were unable to find this specimen in the collections.

Figures

Figure 19. Aegidium reichei, lectotype male (a, d, e), male (b), female (c). Habitus in dorsal view (a– c), aedeagus in lateral view (d), parameres in dorsal view (e), spiculum gastrale (f), locality map (g).

Figure 20. Aegidium onorei, holotype male (a–c, h), paratype male (d, e–g). Habitus in dorsal view (a, d), labels (b), apex of metatibiae (c), aedeagus in lateral view (e), parameres in dorsal view (f), parameres in ventral view (g), spiculum gastrale (h), locality map (i).