Dichotomius (Luederwaldtinia) alvarengai, Maldaner, Maria E., Nunes, Rafael V. & Vaz-De-Mello, Fernando Z., 2015

Maldaner, Maria E., Nunes, Rafael V. & Vaz-De-Mello, Fernando Z., 2015, Taxonomic revision of the Dichotomius speciosus (Waterhouse, 1891) species group (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), Zootaxa 3986 (5), pp. 549-560 : 555-556

Dichotomius (Luederwaldtinia) alvarengai , new species

( Fig. 4 )

Specimens studied. Holotype: ♂ BRASIL: São Paulo: São José do Barreiro. Serra da Bocaina. 1500m. 4.XI.1965. F. M. Oliveira. [DZUP]. Paratypes: BRASIL: São Paulo: São José do Barreiro. Serra da Bocaina. 1500m. 4.XI.1965. F. M. Oliveira. [17♂ 8 ♀ DZUP; 6♂ 4♀ CEMT].

Diagnosis. Within the group, D. alvarengai n. sp. is unique in having the following combination of characters: body surface green to blue; males with cephalic carina straight, bearing one tubercle at each end, pronotum bearing a centrally projected lobe which is feebly bifurcated longitudinally.

Holotype. Male: Length: 14mm. Maximum width (pronotum): 9mm. Surface metallic, bluish-green. Head: Clypeo-genal junction rounded. Cephalic carina straight, bearing one horn on each end. Clypeal surface covered by ocellate punctures. Pronotum: Bearing an anterior central lobe which is weakly bifurcated longitudinally with two weak knobs. Pronotal disc, posterior and lateral borders with ocellate punctures evenly spaced. Anterior angles rounded. Hypomeron: with dense lateral setae similar to that on metasternum and femora, some of setae dorsally visible. Mesosternum: Covered by ocellate punctures with dense setae. Metasternum: Bearing dense setae at the sides and near the borders of the anterior lobe. Setae the same kind and length as those found on hypomeron, femora, and mesepisternum. Mesometasternal suture distinct. Elytra: Striae deeply impressed and bearing ocellate punctures spaced one and a half times their diameter. Interstriae bearing fine punctures (30x). Legs: Ventral surface of fore femur with strong ocellate punctures all over surface. Middle and hind femora with few setose points. Anterior and posterior borders of all femora bearing dense dark brown setae, the same type as those on hypomeron and metasternum. Middle tibiae with green and blue sheen. Abdomen: 6th ventrite strongly shortened medially in relation to the other ventrites. setae restricted to the sides of the abdominal ventrites. Ventrites with ocellate punctures along anterior margin. Pygidium: As long as wide, covered by fine punctures (30x) equally spaced, with weak purple/violet sheen. Paramera: apex, in dorsal view rounded and slightly curved inward; in lateral view, apex with abrupt end, almost truncated ( Fig. 4 C, D)

Variation. Total length varying from 11 to 16 mm. Small males may have cephalic carina and pronotal central lobe reduced. Females differ from males in the following respects: Head: Clypeo-frontal carina lower than on males, straight and lacking tubercles at each end, sometimes almost lacking. Pronotum: Simply convex, lacking anterior lobed projection or strong declivities. Legs: Fore calcar straight, not curved downward apically. Abdomen: Sixth ventrite with the same medial width of the others.

Distribution. Apparently restricted to the Bocaina mountain range , known only from the type locality in São Paulo state, Brazil ( Fig. 7 ).

Etymology. Named after Moacyr Alvarenga (1915–2010), one of the great Brazilian Coleopterists, who has six genera and more than one hundred species named after him and from whose collection the type series originally came.

Figures

FIGURE 4. (A) dorsal habitus of a male Dichotomius alvarengai n. sp. (B) Dorsal habitus of a female D. alvarengai n. sp. (C) Ventral view of a male paramera. (D) Lateral view of a male paramera.

FIGURE 7. distribution map of the Dichotomius speciosus (Waterhouse) species group, except for D. malyi, with uncertain locality. (A) Distribution of D. speciosus, D. opalescens (Felsche) and D. alvarengai n. sp. (B) detailed map of the distribution of D. speciosus and D. alvarengai n. sp. showing Serra da Mantiqueira and Serra da Boqueira Ranges. (C) Detailed distribution of D. opalescens showing the Serra Geral range.