Aphengium sordidum Harold 1868

Silva, Fernando A. B. & Vaz-De-Mello, Fernando, 2015, A revision of the genus Aphengium Harold, 1868 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Ateuchini), Zootaxa 3955 (4), pp. 505-520 : 508-509

Aphengium sordidum Harold 1868

( Figs 1 , 4–12, 31, 35, 37, 41)

Aphengium sordidum Harold 1868: 82 (original description); Harold 1869: 1001 (catalogue); Gillet 1911: 49 (catalogue); Pessôa and Lane 1941: 440; Blackwelder 1944: 203 (checklist); Vaz-de-Mello 2000: 190 (checklist); Vaz-de-Mello et al. 2011: 49 (figure).

Diagnosis. Males of A. sordidum are similar to those of A. ibateguara sp. nov. in having dense and contiguous dorsal punctures on head ( Fig. 9 ). However, it can be distinguished from A. ibateguara sp. nov by the following characters of the genitalia: length of parameres approximately one-half that of phallobase ( Fig. 31 ); ventral margin of parameres almost straight; dorsal margin curved inward at its apical third ( Fig. 31 ); and fronto-lateral peripheral sclerite (FLP) as in figure 37. Females can be immediately distinguished from other Aphengium species by the following characters: dorsal interocular surface of head with two distinct rounded depressions, covered by dense and contiguous punctures ( Fig. 10 ); central and lateral portions of head with small, weakly impressed punctures, more dispersed than those on the dorsal interocular surface ( Fig. 10 ).

Description. Length. Small (7–10 mm) ( Figs. 7, 8 ). Head. Foveiform punctures dense and contiguous over dorsal surface; deeply impressed and often rounded ( Fig. 9 ). Surface around clypeal teeth rugose. Pronotum. Covered by foveiform, setose punctures; larger and contiguous on lateral and posterior portions ( Fig. 11 ). Anteromedial punctures coarse, scattered and weakly impressed. Disc of pronotum slightly convex. Anterior angle of pronotum approximately 90°. Lateral angle greater than 90°, margin explanate. Margin between lateral and posterior angles straight. Elytra. Elongate-oval shape ( Figs. 7, 8 ). Disc slightly convex, with dense and conspicuous setae. Lateral margins slightly curved outwards. Foveiform punctures separated on the elytral disc by distance equivalent to at least one puncture diameter. Secondary sexual characters. Besides the sexual dimorphism described for the genus, females differ from males in the following aspects: dorsal interocular surface of head with two distinct rounded depressions ( Fig. 10 ); central and lateral portions of head with small and weakly impressed punctures, more dispersed than those on the dorsal interocular surface ( Fig. 10 ). Clypeal teeth with rugose dorsal surface. Punctures on central portion of pronotum small and weakly impressed ( Fig. 12 ); punctures more dispersed than those in males. Margin of pronotum, close to lateral angles, not explanate ( Fig. 12 ). Aedeagus. Length of parameres with approximately one-half that of phallobase; ventral margin almost straight; dorsal margin curved inward at its apical third; apex rounded ( Fig. 31 ). Superior right peripheral sclerite (SRP) as in figure 35. Fronto-lateral peripheral sclerite (FLP) as in figure 37.

Material studied. Type material. Lectotype ( MNHN) [here designated]: ♂. 1. [old white label, handwritten]. Montevideo./ 2. [old white label, handwritten]. sordidum Harold. / 3. [old white label, printed and bordered in black]. Ex-Musaeo E. Harold./ 4. [white label, printed in black]. Muséum Paris ex Coll. R. Oberthür 1952./ 5. [red label, handwritten, printed and bordered in black]. LECTOTYPE, Aphengium sordidum Harold , des. F. Z. Vaz-de-Mello. Paralectotypes ( MNHN): 2♀. 1. [old white label, printed and bordered in black]. Ex- Musaeo E. Harold./ 2. [white label, printed in black]. Muséum Paris ex Coll. R. Oberthür 1952./ 3. PARALECTOTYPE, Aphengium sordidum Harold , des. F. Vaz-de-Mello.

Non-type material [24]. [unreadable label] (1♀ IRSN). BRAZIL: [no data] (4♂ 2♀ IRSN); RIO DE JANEIRO: [no data] (1♂ 1♀ MNHN); SANTA CATARINA: Nova Teutônia (1♂ 1♀ IRSN; doubtful locality); SÃO PAULO: Caraguatatuba, P. E. Serra do Mar, (45°25'25"W, 23°35'30"S), 13.I.2012, pitfall hum. faeces, E. Bovy (2♀ CEMT); same, (45°25'22"W, 23°35'28"S), (1♂ 1♀ CEMT); same, (45°25'17"W, 23°35'26"S), (3♂ CEMT); same, (45°25'34"W, 23°35'29"S), (1♀ CEMT); same, (45°25'37"W, 23°35'32"S), (1♀ CEMT); same, (45°25'16"W, 23°35'24"S), (1♂ CEMT); same, (44°49'52"W, 23°19'55"S), 14.I.2012, E. Bovy (1♂ 1♀ CERPE). URUGUAY: Montevideo (1♂ IRSN, doubtful locality).

Taxonomic notes. A lectotype is here designated in order to maintain nomenclatural stability by choosing the only male (presenting characters that are easier to use for distinguishing from other species) among the available syntypes as the single name-bearing type.

Distribution. This species is distributed in the southeastern parts of the Brazilian coastal Atlantic Forest, from Rio de Janeiro to São Paulo states. It is expected to also be present in southern Rio de Janeiro coastal forests (around Parati). Extensive sampling around Rio de Janeiro city has not yet resulted in Aphengium specimens. Data from Santa Catarina and from Uruguay (including the type locality) probably correspond to mislabeled specimens. Nova Teutônia in Santa Catarina is a classical locality where several specimens have been collected and sold to

various museums and collectors around the world by Fritz Plaumann. As Plaumann also collected in other regions, and only one specimen examined here was from this locality, we prefer to considered this a doubtful locality. As for Montevideo, there is at least one other case of a Scarabaeinae species endemic from the southeastern Atlantic Forest erroneously recorded from there: Oxysternon pteroderum Nevinson, 1892 ( França et al. 2012).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Hypomera of Aphengium sordidum Harold; FIGURE 2. Metatibia of A. ibateguara sp. nov.; FIGURE 3. Male abdominal ventrites of A. ibateguara sp. nov.; FIGURE 4. Pygidium of A. sordidum; FIGURE. 5. Male protibial spur of A. sordidum; FIGURE 6. Female protibial spur of A. sordidum.

FIGURES 7 – 12. Aphengium sordidum Harold; 7. Male (dorsal view); 8. Female (dorsal view); 9. Male head (arrow shows foveiform punctures along midline); 10. Female head (arrow shows foveiform punctures along midline); 11. Male pronotum (arrow shows punctures on central portion); 12. Female pronotum (arrow shows punctures on central portion).

FIGURES 31 – 34. Aedeagus of Aphengium; 31. A. sordidum (arrow shows dorsal margin of parameres curved inward at its apical third); 32. A. cupreum; 33. A. ibateguara sp. nov.; 34. A. curtum sp. nov.