Dichotomius (Luederwaldtinia) opalescens ( Felsche, 1910 )

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 : 553-555

Dichotomius (Luederwaldtinia) opalescens ( Felsche, 1910)

( Fig. 3 )

Pinotus speciosus Waterhouse pro part: Felsche 1901: 145 (misidentification);

Pinotus opalescens Felsche 1910: 342 (original description); Gillet 1911: 61 (catalog); Blackwelder 1944: 207 (checklist);

Dichotomius (Luederwaldtinia) bucki Pereira 1953: 290 –293 (original description); Vaz-de-Mello 2000: 193 (checklist); new synonym;

Dichotomius (Luederwaldtinia) opalescens ; Vaz-de-Mello 2000: 193 (citation)

Specimens studied. Types: of P. opalescens : Lectotype here designated: ♂ Coll. Nonfried. BRASILIA / Typus / Coll. C. Felsche Kauf 20, 1918 / opalescens Felsche Brasilien [SMTD]. Paralectotypes: 3 ♂ 1 ♀: same as lectotype but without identification label (♂1, ♂2 and ♀); Brasilien St. Catharina (♂3). See remarks below.

Of D. bucki : Holotype: S. F. Paula 1.35 / HOLÓTIPO / Dichotomius ♂ bucki sp. n. P. Pereira det.953 [MZSP]. Allotype and paratypes: same locality (20 specimens MZSP; 1♂ 1 ♀ NHML; 1♂ 1 ♀ IRSN).

Non-type material. BRASIL: Rio Grande do Sul: São Francisco de Paula. FLONA, floresta ombrófila mista. Hum. faec. 13.I.2008. L. Audino [6♂ 8♀ CEMT]; same locality but FLONA, eucalipto. 13.I.2008 [♂ ♀ CEMT]; same locality but FLONA, PROMATA. 10–13.XII.2009. P. C. Grossi [♀ CEMT]; Taimbezinho. Parque Nacional dos Aparados da Serra. II.1960 [♀ CEMT]; Cambará do Sul. 06.I.1985 [♂ CEMT]; Santa Catarina: Bom Jardim da Serra. Mantiqueira. 03.I.2002. C. Arioli [13♂; 6♀ CEMT]; same locality XII.2001 [♂ 2♀ CEMT]; Urubici. P. N. São Joaquim. 16–19.III.2012. - 28.1206S /- 49.4943W. Grossi, Parizotto & Leivas. [♂ 3♀ CEMT].

Diagnosis. Within the group, D. opalescens is the only species bearing the following combination of characters: body surface blue to bluish green with some individuals having reddish brown elytra ( Fig. 3 A–B, 6); males cephalic carina bearing one acute tubercle at each end; male pronotum bearing a centrally projected lobe, with a longitudinal sulcus producing a pair of tubercles ( Fig. 3 A). This species has a detailed published description made by Pereira (1953) under D. bucki .

Remarks. Felsche (1901) cited that his specimens of P. speciosus had colors different from those described by Waterhouse (1891): Those of Felsche were entirely grayish blue or blue with brown elytra ( Fig. 6 ), and he first considered this as a color variation within D. speciosus . Nine years later, Felsche (1910) reinterpreted these variations considering these specimens to be the types of the new species P. opalescens . Pereira (1953), considered that maybe D. speciosus and D. opalescens were synonymous, because the specimens he analyzed came from the same location, and he thus described D. bucki as a new species. Examination of the types of D. opalescens allowed us to resolve the correct application of this last name, relegating D. bucki to synonymy. The syntype ♂1 (here considered as paralectotype) of P. opalescens is in fact a specimen of D. alvarengai new species. Paralectotype ♂2 is blue with red/brown elytra, a color variation that may be characteristic of younger/teneral individuals ( Fig. 6 ).

Distribution. Above 1000 meters in the Serra Geral mountain range, known from the south of the state of Santa Catarina and north of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, but could be present also in northern areas of Santa Catarina and Southern Paraná states ( Fig. 7 A, C).

Figures

FIGURE 3. (A) dorsal habitus of a male Dichotomius opalescens (Felsche). (B) Dorsal habitus of a female D. opalescens. (C) Ventral view of a male paramera. (D) Lateral view of a male paramera.

FIGURE 6. color variation of Dichotomius speciosus and D. opalescens. (A) green-to-red female D. speciosus. (B) green female D. speciosus. (C) red female D. speciosus. (D) dark blue female D. opalescens. (E) female D. opalescens with light brown elytra. All specimens of D. speciosus are from Campos do Jordão and all specimens of D. opalescens are from São Francisco de Paula.

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.