Amithao haematopus ( Schaum, 1848 )

Ratcliffe, Brett C., 2013, A Revision Of The Neotropical Genus Amithao Thomson, 1878 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Gymnetini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 67 (3), pp. 265-292 : 278-280

Amithao haematopus ( Schaum, 1848) ( Figs. 29–33 )

Stethodesma haematopus Schaum 1848: 68 (original combination). Holotype female at RMNH, examined. Type locality: “ Colombia ” although “ Mexico ” is handwritten on the back of the label that says “E. coll. Parry.” Janson (1885) also noted this.

Desicasta thomsoni Janson 1878: 302 (original combination). Holotype male at RMNH, examined. Type locality: “ Panama.” New synonymy.

Description. Length 25.4–27.2 mm; width across humeri 13.8–15.2 mm. Color entirely black, shiny, except for bright reddish brown femora and tibiae. Head: Lateral margins weakly elevated. Frons and base of clypeus longitudinally tumescent at middle. Surface densely to confluently punctate; punctures moderate to large, minutely setigerous (when not abraded away); setae moderately dense, tawny. Clypeus with apex deeply bilobed ( Fig. 29 ), reflexed. Eyes large, interocular width equals 3.0–3.5 transverse eye diameters in both sexes. Antenna with 10 antennomeres, club distinctly longer than antennomeres 2–7 in males, slightly longer than antennomeres 2–7 in females. Pronotum: Surface with punctures moderatly dense, moderate to large in size, punctures becoming larger and denser on lateral thirds. Sides with thick marginal bead. Elytra: Surface moderately densely punctate, with 2 nearly obsolete, elevated, parallel costae terminating at prominent apical umbone; punctures moderate to large, moderately dense, becoming larger and denser laterally, in distinct rows on disc. Apices behind apical umbone weakly rugopunctate. Apices at suture acutely produced. Pygidium: Surface densely, concentrically strigulose, glabrous in males, setigerous in females; setae dense, short, black. In lateral view, profile

weakly convex in both sexes. Venter: Setae black. Mesometasternal process in lateral view distinctly attenuate and protuberant ( Fig. 31 ), apex broadly rounded in ventral view. Abdominal ventrites in both sexes nearly smooth in central third; lateral thirds with moderate to large, sparse to moderately dense punctures. Legs: Protibia slender in males, with 2 lateral teeth. Protibia in females broader, strongly tridentate, apical 2 teeth closer to one another than is basal tooth to median tooth. Parameres ( Figs. 32–33 ): Form subrectangular, apices rounded and with minute spur laterally.

Distribution. Amithao haematopus is broadly distributed from Mexico to Panama. Although supposedly described from “ Colombia,” Panama was at the time of the original description part of Colombia.

Locality Records. 143 specimens from BCRC, BMNH, CASC, CNCI, EAPZ, EMEC, INBC, MAMC, MNHN, RDCC, RMNH, USNM, UVG, WBWC, WSUC, ZMHU, ZSMC. Some data from Deloya and Morón (1997) and Morón and Arce (2002). COSTA RICA (63): ALAJUELA (4): Upala. GUANACASTE (15): La Cruz (9 km S Santa Cecilia), Río San Lorenzo (Tierras Morenas), Volcán Rincón de la Vieja (4.5 km SW). HEREDIA (11): Estacion Magsasay ( Parque

Nacional Braulio Carrillo), La Selva Biological Station , San Isidro. LIMÓN (32) : Amubri, Cerro Tortuguero, Guapiles, Pococí ( 30 km N Cariari ). NO DATA (1) . GUATEMALA (14): ALTAVERAPAZ (3) : Lachuá, Panzós. HUEHUETENANGO (2):

32) Dorsal view; 33) Lateral view.

San Ramon. IZABAL (34) : Morales, SE of Morales near Negro Norte, Puerto Barrios. PETÉN (1) : El Rosario. ZACAPA (3) : La Unión . HONDURAS (24): ATLÁNTIDA (2) : Estación CURLA ( Parque Nacional Pico Bonito ) . CORTÉS (3) : Lago de Yojoa, Parque Nacional Cusuco. LEMPIRA (2) : Gracias. OLANCHO (2) : Parque Nacional La Muralla (14 km N La Unión). YORO (15) : El Portillo (Parque Nacional Pico Bonito), Linda Vista, Parque Nacional Pico Bonito, Parque Nacional Pico Pijol. MEXICO (29): CHIAPAS (7) : Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, Ocosingo, Parque Laguna Bélgica. OAXACA (1) : Sierra de Juárez ). VERACRUZ (3) : Córdoba, Motzorongo, Orizaba. DISTRITO FEDERAL (1) : Chiquihuite. NO DATA (17) . NICARAGUA (5): CHONTALES (3) : No data. JINOTEGA (1) : Cerro Kilambé. NUEVA SEGOVIA (1) : Sangsangta. PANAMA (5): PANAMÁ (4) : Cerro Jefe, El Llano-Cartí Road (km 8). NO DATA (1) . NO DATA (3) .

Temporal Distribution. January (1), March (2), April (4), May (34), June (9), July (38), August (5), September (2), October (2), November (1).

Diagnosis. Amithao haematopus has bright reddish brown femora and tibiae similar to those of A. erythropus . The two species can be separated by the mesometasternal process (in lateral view, long and attenuate in A. hamaetopus , short and blunt in A. erythropus ), the form of the clypeal apex (deeply notched in A. haematopus , broadly and shallowly emarginate in A. erythropus ), and the generally larger size of A. haematopus (25–27 mm in A. haematopus , 18–22 mm in A. erythropus ).

In overall gestalt and form of the parameres, A. haematopus resembles A. metallicus , although in A. metallicus the coxae are dark reddish brown (not black), the tibiae are black (not reddish brown), and the elytra almost always have a metallic greenish sheen (lacking in A. haematopus ).

Nomenclature. Amithao thomsoni was originally described in Desicasta , but the form of the mesometasternal process places it in Amithao . Although this was recognized by previous authors (e.g., Blackwelder 1944), the species had never been transferred to Amithao . The holotype of D. thomsoni has the same character states as those seen in A. haematopus , and so it is placed in junior synonymy with this species.

Natural History. Adults have been collected from near sea level to 1,800 m. Like most other diurnal cetoniines, they are attracted to ripe bananas and other fruits. Some specimens were collected at lights (label data). The third instar was described by Morón and Arce (2002). The larvae were found with the remnants of dead adult females in the axillary folds of leaves of an epiphyte, Acmaea sp. (Bromeliaceae) , in Chiapas, Mexico.

Figures

Figs. 29–31. Amithao haematopus. 29) Dorsal view; 30) Ventral view; 31) Lateral view.

Figs. 32–33. Amithao haematopus, parameres.