Gracilaclopus nigroscutatus Ocampo & Mondaca

Ocampo, Federico C. & Mondaca, José, 2012, Revision of the scarab subfamily Aclopinae Blanchard (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in Argentina and Chile, Zootaxa 3409, pp. 1-29 : 14-15

Gracilaclopus nigroscutatus Ocampo & Mondaca , new species

( Figs. 19, 20 , 29 , 32 )

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished from the other species of Gracilaclopus by the following combination of characters: labral apex indented at middle; body bicolored with scutellum dark brown or black (darker than elytra); size <5 mm; male genitalia as Fig. 29 .

Description. Holotype male. Length 4.66 mm, width 2.30 mm. Color: Head, pronotum, scutellum black; elytra brown; legs, antennae, and mouthparts brown; ventral surface dark brown to black. Head ( Fig. 19 ): Frons flat on apical half, convex at base; surface punctate, glabrous. Clypeus strongly transverse; lateral margins oblique; anterior margin straight, slightly reflexed, frontal area of anterior margin oblique; frontoclypeal suture obsolete, surface densely punctate. Labral shape subrectangular in dorsal view apex slightly indented at middle, reflexed, glabrous. Antennae with eight antennomeres. Pronotum ( Fig. 20 ): Surface sparsely punctate, with few setae; setae long, slender. Marginal bead present in all margins, reduced on posterior margin at middle. Anterior angle rightangled; posterior angles broadly rounded. Scutellum: Triangular , apex rounded, surface punctate at base, smooth at apex. Elytra: Surface punctate, punctures sparse; sparsely setose, setae short. Legs: Mesotibiae and metatibiae with two transverse carinae. Mesotibial and metatibial apex with fringe of spine-like setae. Male genitalia ( Fig. 29 ): Parameres longer than phallobase, broadly curved; apex rounded.

Remarks. The paratype is missing the left elytron, otherwise it does not differ from the holotype.

Type material. Holotype male at IAZA labeled: “ ARGENTINA, prov. Córdoba, depto. / Calamuchita / Salsacate, Ene 1979 / leg. M. Viana”; “Colección J. E Barriga / CHILE 115742”; “ Gracilaclopus / nigroscutatus / Ocampo & Mondaca / HOLOTYPE ” (red label). Paratype (male). One paratype at JEBC labeled as holotype: “Colección J. E Barriga / CHILE 118009”; “ Gracilaclopus / nigroscutatus / Ocampo & Mondaca / PARATYPE ” (yellow label).

Type Locality. Argentina, Córdoba, Salsacate.

Etymology. From the Latin “ nigro” and “ scutatus”, meaning black scutellum , refering to the color of the scutellum of this species.

Distribution ( Fig. 32 ). ARGENTINA. Córdoba: Salsacate (2).

Temporal distribution. January (2).

Figures

FIGURE 32. Distribution map of Gracilaclopus electricus, G. m o ro c h u s, G. nigroscutatus, and G. parvulus.

FIGURES 19 – 20. Gracilaclopus nigroscutatus, male.

FIGURES 23 – 30. 23) Male genitalia of G. bidentulus, aedeagus lateral view; 24) G. c a c e re s i, aedeagus lateral view; 25) G. candelariae, aedeagus lateral view; 26 a – b) G. crepuscularis, aedeagus lateral and frontal views respectively; 27 a – c) G. electricus, a – b) aedeagus lateral and frontal views, c) ventral plate of the genital segment; 28) G. m o ro c h u s, aedeagus lateral view; 29) G. nigroscutatus, aedeagus lateral view; 30) G. parvulus, aedeagus lateral view.