Xyloryctes guatemalensis Bitar and Delgado

Bitar, Alberto & Delgado, Leonardo, 2009, A New Species of Xyloryctes Hope (Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) from Guatemala, with a Key to the Species, The Coleopterists Bulletin 63 (2), pp. 213-217 : 213-215

Xyloryctes guatemalensis Bitar and Delgado , new species

(Figs. 1, 3–4)

Type Material. Holotype male labeled: ‘‘ GUATEMALA, Guatemala, San José Pinula , 27-IX-93. F. Jiménez, col.’’ . Allotype female labeled: ‘‘ GUATEMALA, Guatemala, Ciudad Capital , Zona 18, Alameda 1, 13-V-1989, alumbrado público 9: 30 p. m. E. Cano col’ ’. Paratypes labeled: Same data as allotype (2 OiOi ); ‘‘ GUATEMALA: Guatemala, Ciudad de Guatemala. 17-IX-1985, M. Zepeda col.’’ (1♀) ; same data except: ‘‘ V-1986, L. Rodriguez col.’’ (1 Oi) ; same data except: ‘‘ 15-Jun-1983, R. Pérez col.’’ (1♀) ; ‘‘ GUATEMALA, Sacatepéquez, San Lucas , 12-IX-1985, C. Granados col.’’ (1 Oi, 1♀) .

The holotype and allotype are deposited in the entomological collection of the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala. Paratypes are deposited in the following collections: University of Nebraska State Museum (Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.A.), M. A. Morón (Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico), L. Delgado (Mexico City), and A. Bitar (Mexico City) .

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Description. Holotype male. Total body length: 25.8 mm; maximum elytral width 13.8 mm. Head and pronotum shiny black; elytra, legs and ventral region reddish black. Head: Apex of clypeus bilobed and reflexed, lateral margins slightly concave, frons with a short, vertical, upright horn, horn flattened anteroposteriorly. Pronotum: Pronotal declivity vertical, not excavated, occupying apical third; pronotal process absent (Fig. 1); pronotum completely margined, anterior corners at right angles, lateral margins almost equally curved; pronotal cavity densely punctate, punctures becoming sparser towards posterior half, disc of pronotum with micropunctures. Elytra: Sutural stria impressed for entire length; surface smooth, with only some small, scarcely punctuate furrows. Venter: Prosternal process moderately short and with dense setae, projected backward. Pygidium: Surface regularly convex, basal region and sides finely rugose, remaining surface with small, sparse punctures. Legs: Apex of metatibia with three rounded teeth, without incisions between them. Genitalia: Parameres moderately large, apex slightly widened, with large and dense setae along sides and at apex (Figs. 3–4).

Allotype female. Total body length 24.6 mm; maximum elytral width 13.4 mm. Similar to holotype except for the following characters: Head with small tubercule between eyes. Pronotum regularly convex, disc with micropunctures, anterior angles rugopunctate. Elytra with furrows more pronounced. Pygidium wider, convex, with small punctures; last visible sternite not emarginate at apex. Protibial teeth acute. Metatibia with teeth smaller, shorter spur preapically widened.

Variation (4 males, 3 females). Male paratypes with lengths of 23.0– 24.3 mm; females with lengths of 22.1–23.1 mm. Males with maximum elytral widths of 13.6–13.7 mm; maximum female elytral widths 12.2–13.9 mm. The variation in male punctation is minimal, and in the smallest female specimen (from the region of Guatemala City) the elytral striae and punctation are more marked .

Type Locality. San José Pinula, Guatemala, Guatemala.

Etymology. Named for Guatemala, the country where this species was discovered, combined with the suffix ‘‘-ensis’’, indicating ‘‘belonging to’’.

Taxonomic Remarks. Xyloryctes guatemalensis can be distinguished from other species of the genus by the following combination of characters: elytra with distinct sutural striae; apex of metatibiae with three rounded teeth, without incisions between them; males with cephalic horn flattened anteroposteriorly; pronotal declivity vertical, not excavated, occupying apical third of pronotum; pronotal process absent (Fig. 1); and shape of the parameres distinctive (Figs. 3– 4). Females have the pygidium almost glabrous and convex, and the shorter spur of the metatibia is preapically widened.

Males of X. guatemalensis are similar to those of Xyloryctes howdenorum Delgado and Nájera , but they can be distinguished by the following differences: cephalic horn flattened anteroposteriorly in X. guatemalensis (cylindrical in X. howdenorum ); pronotal declivity vertical in X. guatemalensis (oblique in X. howdenorum ) (Figs. 1–2); and parameres without a lateral tooth in X. guatemalensis (with a lateral tooth in X. howdenorum ) (Figs. 3–6).

Females of X. guatemalensis are similar to those of Xyloryctes teuthras Bates , except for the following characters: body length is generally less than 24.0 mm in X. guatemalensis (longer than 24.0 mm in X. teuthras ); pygidium convex, base almost glabrous in X. guatemalensis (slightly convex to flattened and with distinct setae at the base in X. teuthras ).

Distribution. Xyloryctes guatemalensis is known from three localities situated in the southern region of Guatemala. The Guatemala City (1,520 m) and the San José Pinula (1,750 m) localities are located in the Department of Guatemala, and the San Lucas locality (2,090 m) is located in the Department of Sacatepéquez.

This new species inhabits regions with premontane and montane wet forests (such as oak and pine-oak forests) (sensu Campbell and Lamar 1989).