Chacocopris hesperus ( Olivier, 1789 )

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 : 293-297

Chacocopris hesperus ( Olivier, 1789)

( Fig. 1 , 4, 5, 7, 8 )

Scarabaeus hesperus Olivier, 1789: 158 ; Olivier, 1808: pl 14 (original description and plate).

Copris hesperus: Olivier, 1790: 173 ; Castelnau, 1840: 79 (redescriptions).

Copris (Chalcocopris) hespera: Burmeister, 1846 : (unpaginated).

Chalcocopris hesperus (sometimes as hespera ): Harold, 1869a: 124 (taxonomy); Harold in Gemminger & Harold, 1869b: 1008 (catalogue); Gillet, 1911: 63 (catalogue); Pessôa & Lane, 1941: 437, 465 (taxonomy, redescription, distribution); Blackwelder, 1944: 208 (checklist); Lange, 1947: 313 (distribution); Martínez, 1959: 93 (catalogue); Halffter & Matthews, 1966: 37, 174 (Natural History); Louzada & Lopes, 1997: 118 (Ecology); Louzada, 1998: 125, 126 (perching behavior); Vaz-de-Mello, 2000: 192 (checklist); Schiffler et al., 2003: 208, 210 (species list and distribution); Falqueto et al., 2005: 20 (species list); Almeida & Louzada, 2009: 38 –39 (Ecology); Louzada & Silva, 2009: 48 (presence in pasture); Vaz-de- Mello et al. 2011: 44 (identification); Culot et al., 2013: 80 (species list).

Description. Colour. Upper side of body either completely emerald green or red (one entirely black specimen known), dull to bright, lateral sides of the body with cupreous iridescences, seldom completely black with cupreous reflections on the pronotum and greenish on the elytra, with ventral side and legs cupreous-bronzy to purplish with metallic reflections, head emerald green, clypeus always dark-brown to reddish. Antennal club tan to light yellow, antennal segments brownish. Length. 18– 11 mm. Head. Both clypeal and genal margins continuous, slightly notched in proximity of the clypeo-genal suture, margins slightly reflexed in female, completely flat to weakly reflexed in male, clypeus sinuated at middle, with two teeth obtuse and forward developed, clypeus of the male wider, that of the female more elongated. Genal suture very shallow, both sexes with two small pointed tubercles and a central conical horn on the fronto-clypeal suture, horn either with rounded or acuminate tip. Clypeus with transverse and shallow wrinkles, surface in front of the horn with shallow wrinkles and scattered punctures, lateral parts of the frons with coarse punctures, smooth at middle, genae with similar punctuation, horn and tubercles completely smooth. Pronotum. Simply convex and lacking anterior protuberances, posterior margin without bead. Lateral margins of pronotum evenly curved to obtusely angulated at middle, margins often denticulate, much more in proximity of the anterior angles, inferior side of the lateral margins with short and yellowish-orange setae, female with median angles obtusely angulated. Anterior angles acute with inner margin straight and sinuate behind the eyes, anterior margin of pronotum with a thin and smooth bead slightly elevated over the pronotal surface and sometimes pointed backward at middle. Pronotum with round punctures, distinctly impressed and evenly distributed, punctuation deeper on the anterior angles where they can occasionally form wrinkles. Elytrae. Elytral striae black-greyish, clearly marked with rounded and shallow punctures separated by three to four diameters, striae and punctures much more impressed at the base of the elytra. Male with seventh stria much wider, female with seventh stria either wider or normal. Interstriae distinctly convex, with very fine and scattered punctures, both sexes with the eighth interstria clearly swollen. Legs. Foretibiae with four external teeth, anterior margin obliquely truncated and apically curved, internal-apical angle with a tuft of short, erected and yellowish-orange setae, tibial spur distinctly curved at middle and sharp at the apex. Dorsal side of the foretibiae longitudinally crossed by a series of deep and coarse punctures that bear semi-erected setae light-yellow, external teeth bordered by fine and slightly granulose punctures bearing setae light-yellow. Apical part of mesotibiae with two spines of different length, apically sinuated and ventrally feebly depressed. Hind tibiae with a spine either truncated or pointed at the apex, ventrally depressed. Pygidium. Nearly flat or weakly convex and not completely bordered, basal and lateral margins with a distinct border, evanescent at the apex, pygidial surface with deep punctures, apex either completely smooth or with scattered and fine punctures. Abdomen. Propleuron with both smooth and punctate areas, punctures annulate with short to long and semi-erect setae. Prosternum completely smooth and shining, margins not bordered. Lateral sides of mesosternum with annular and coarse punctures, smooth and slightly swollen at middle, basal margin of mesosternum with a smooth bead slightly elevated. Mesepimeron with a coarse punctuation and granules. Metasternum lacking setae, with shallow and evanescent punctures near the superior side. Sternites shining, superior margin of sternites with a series of coarse punctures which become finer at middle. Aedeagus. Stout, phallobase with a thick border, parameres with apex obtusely angulated and downward bent, apically much narrower, lateral sides distinctly concave, dorsal-inner margin of each paramere widely depressed ( Fig. 6, 7 ).

Material examined. 317 specimens in CEMT, MNRJ, MNHN, ZFMK, IRSN and NHML, as follows:

Neotype. male, here designated. labels: (1). Rio. C. Darwin. 87–42; (2). 568; (3. red). NEOTYPE ♂. Scarabaeus hesperus Oliv. F.Z. Vaz-de-Mello 2014 ( NHML).

The neotype is here designated in order to maintain nomenclature stability by choosing a single extant namebearing type-specimen that is available for consulting in a public institution. The original description refers to Banks collection, now in NHML, where specimens of the type series could not be located, nor where in Olivier's collection in MNHN. However, no doubt exists on species identification (thanks to illustration presented in the plates of the original work - Olivier, 1808), even if the originally given type locality (Madras) is erroneous. A specimen already pertaining to NHML was chosen as the neotype. This specimen was chosen because it is a very well conserved male (just one antennal club lacking), collected by a very good observer and field naturalist, and has an exact known locality of collecting. Although original labels have quite few information, it is known that Darwin collected only around the city of Rio de Janeiro, with one trip to Cabo Frio ( Darwin, 1845). However, its notebook number (568) refers only to Rio de Janeiro ( Smith, 1987: 57; Keynes, 2000: 376), and several other specimens in the same notebook have other more specific indications such as "Corcovado". This implies the probable locality of capture would be Rio de Janeiro itself, probably around Botafogo Bay where Darwin resided during part of the Brazilian trip (April 23rd –June, 1832) ( Darwin, 1845). It is interesting to note that one of the sources ( Smith, 1987) lists date as May 1832, while the other ( Keynes, 2000) lists June of the same year. This specimen, along with many other collected in various localities by C. Darwin in his Voyage of the Beagle, was presented and sold by G. R. Waterhouse in a lot of 2000 insects (1887–42) to the British Museum ( Smith, 1987). Chalcocopris hesperus is (or was until 20 years ago) a very common species in the higher forests of the Tijuca complex in Rio de Janeiro city (e.g. around the Corcovado), being however rare in the lower altitude parts, which include Botafogo ( FZVM, pers. obs.).

Non-type specimens. ARGENTINA: Corrientes: Alto Paraná, Puerto Bemberg, XII–1933 (1 unsexed NHML); Misiones: Puerto Iguazú (1 ♂, 1 ♀ CEMT). BRAZIL: no other data (2 ♂, 1 ♀ ZFMK;, 18 unsexed MNHN;, 12 unsexed NHML). Bahia: no more data (2 unsexed NHML); Cachimbo (3 unsexed MNHN); Porto Seguro (5 ♂, 5 ♀ CEMT); Eunápolis (10 ♂, 10 ♀ CEMT). Espírito Santo: no more data (2 unsexed NHML); Barra de São Francisco, Corrégo do Itá (1 ♀ MNRJ); Linhares, Reserva Biológica de Sooretama ("Parque Sooretama") (5 ♀, 5♂ MNRJ); Linhares (2 unsexed MNHN); Santa Teresa, Parque Municipal São Lourenço (1 ♂ MNRJ); Rio Guandu (2 ♂ MNRJ); no exact locality (1 ♀ ZFMK); no locality (2 unsexed MNHN); Minas Gerais: Caraça (6 unsexed MNHN); Manhuaçu (1 ♂ MNRJ); Mar de Espanha (1 ♀ MNRJ); Mar de Espanha (3 ♀ ZFMK); Rio Novo? (1 ♂ MNRJ); Santana do Riacho, Serra do Cipó (1 ♀ MNRJ); Viçosa (2 ♀, 1 ♂ MNRJ); Rio José Pedro (1 ♂ MNRJ); Diamantina, Parque do Rio Preto (2 ♂, CEMT); Viçosa (3 ♀, 1♂ CEMT); Paraguaçu (1 ♀ CEMT); Araponga, Pico do Boné (1 ♀ CEMT); Conceição Dos Ouros, Rio Sapucai (1 ♂ CEMT); Parque Nacional de Ibitipoca, Conceição de Ibitipoca (1 ♀ CEMT); Paula Cândido (1 ♂ CEMT); no locality (5 unsexed MNHN). Paraná: Foz do Iguazú (1 ♂ CEMT). Rio de Janeiro: no more data (3 unsexed NHML); Cantagalo (1 unsexed MNHN); Engenheiro Paulo de Frontin (1 ♀ MNRJ); Itaguaí, Serra da Caveira (1 ♂ MNRJ); Itaguaí, Serra do Marapicu (1 ♀ MNRJ); Itatiaia (2 ♀, 2 ♂ MNRJ); Itatiaia, Estação Biológica (1 ♂ MNRJ); Itatiaia, Parque Nacional do Itatiaia (28 ♀, 23 ♂ MNRJ); Mangaratiba, Reserva Ecológica Rio das Pedras (1 ♂ MNRJ); Mendes, Centro Marista São José das Paineras (4 ♀ MNRJ); Miguel Pereira (1 ♀ MNRJ); Nova Friburgo (1 ♀, 2 ♂ MNRJ); Nova Friburgo (2 unsexed MNHN); Petrópolis (1 unsexed NHML); Petrópolis, Araras (1 ♂ MNRJ); Petrópolis, La Mosela - La Vallon (1 ♀ MNRJ); Petrópolis (1 ♀ MNRJ); Rio de Janeiro, Alto da Boa Vista, Vista Chinesa (1 ♀ MNRJ); Rio de Janeiro, Bom Retiro (1 ♂ MNRJ); Rio de Janeiro, Corcovado (2 ♀ MNRJ); Rio de Janeiro, same data as neotype (1 ♀ NHML); Rio de Janeiro, Floresta da Tijuca (4 ♀, 2 ♂ MNRJ); Rio de Janeiro (4 unsexed MNHN); Santa Maria Madalena, PARES do Desengano, Morumbeca (1 ♀ MNRJ); São Fidélis (6 unsexed MNHN); Serra dos Orgãos (1 unsexed MNHN); Teresópolis (1 unsexed MNHN). Santa Catarina: Corupá (1 ♀ MNRJ); Mafra (6 unsexed MNHN); Hansa (2 unsexed MNHN). São Paulo: no more data (1 unsexed NHML); São Miguel Arcanjo. PE Carlos Botelho. 24º03'32''S, 47º5842"W. 800 m. 11-IV-2012. Brachyteles faec29. Marion Boutefeu (2 ♂, 3 ♀ CEMT); same but 24º03'35''S, 47º58'43"W. 807 m (1 ♂, 1 ♀ CEMT); same but 24º03'34"S, 47º58'42"W. 805 m (1 ♂ CEMT); same but 24º03'35''S, 47º58'43"W. 805 m. 20-XI-2011. Brachyteles faec3. E Bovy (1 ♂ CEMT); same but 24º03'50''S, 47º59'31"W. 768 m. 20-XI-2012. Brachyteles faec4. E Bovy (1 ♂ CEMT); same but 24º03'40''S, 47º58'44"W. 806 m. 18-X-2011. Brachyteles faec5. E Bovy (1 ♂, 1 ♀ CEMT); same but 24º03'35''S, 47º58'43"W. 795 m. 29–I–2012. Human faec19. E Bovy (3 ♂, 1 ♀ CEMT); same but 24º03'32''S, 47º58'42"W. 786 m. 29-I-2012. Human faec19. E Bovy (1 ♀ CEMT); same but 24º03'57''S, 47º58'49"W. 817m. 29- I-2012. Human faec2. E Bovy (7 ♂, 5 ♀ CEMT); 50Km SE Mogi das Cruzes, Serra do Mar Est, Biol. Boracéia (1 ♀ CEMT); Angatuba (1 ♀ MNRJ); Biritiba Mirim, Estação Biológica de Boracéia (1 ♂ MNRJ); Cananéia (“Cananéa”) (1 ♀ MNRJ); Peruíbe (1 ♀ MNRJ); São Paulo (1 ♀ MNRJ). COLOMBIA: Bogotá? (1 unsexed NHML) [believed to be erroneous data]. ECUADOR: no more data (1 unsexed MNHN) [believed to be erroneous data]. No locality data: (3 ♀, 1 ♂ MNRJ; 19 unsexed MNHN; 16 unsexed, 1 ♀ IRSN; 1 unsexed NHML).

Distribution. Southern Bahia, all Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo, Southeastern Minas Gerais, Eastern São Paulo, Northwestern Paraná and Eastern Santa Catarina in Brazil, Misiones in Argentina, probably also present in Northeastern Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil and in Southeastern Paraguay ( Fig. 9 ).

Habitat and natural history. Species associated to Atlantic forest from sea level to about 1300 m, also present in borders and small open areas surrounded by forest. A primarily coprophagous species, but with records from carcasses and rotten fruits. Diurnal, commonly found perching along forest trails. Very abundant species in all its range even in small forest patches.

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.