Dichotomius (Luederwaldtinia) inachoides ( Felsche, 1901 )

Montoya-Molina, Santiago & Vaz-De, Fernando Z., 2021, Taxonomic review of the Dichotomius (Luederwaldtinia) agenor species group (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), European Journal of Taxonomy 734, pp. 1-64 : 33-36

Dichotomius (Luederwaldtinia) inachoides ( Felsche, 1901) Fig. 11 , Map 8

Pinotus inachoides Felsche, 1901: 144 (original description).

Pinotus inachoides – Luederwaldt 1929: 109. — Blackwelder 1944: 207.

Dichotomius inachoides – Roze 1955: 44.

Diagnosis

Dichotomius inachoides is separated from other species in the group by the following combination of characters: cephalic carina, wider than high, conical in shape. Median tubercle apex acute, higher than lateral tubercles. Lateral tubercles quadrate. Clypeal margin with tooth or protuberance before clypeogenal junction. Pronotum wider than long, anterior edge of pronotal disc with strong declivity displaying three gibbosities.

Material examined

Holotype VENEZUELA • ♂; “ Merida ” (white with black margin, hw] /“Typus” [orange, printed] / “ Coll. C. Felsche Kauf 20, 1918” [green, p] / “ inachoides Felsche Venezuela” [white with purple margins, hw] / “Museum

F̹r Tierkunde Dresden (MTD)” [white, printed] / “Holotype Pinotus inachoides Felsche F.Z. Vaz-de-

Mello 2014” [red with black margins, phw]; SMTD.

Additional material

COLOMBIA – Cundinamarca • 1 ♀; 30 Mar. 1990; Diana Cadena and Catalina Dávila leg.; CEMT • 1 spec.; San Francisco F. Lorenzo ; 1600 m a.s.l.; 4º57′23″ N, 74º17′20″ W; S. Amézquita leg.; ECC • 1 ♂; Santandercito ; light; Nov. 1961; CEMT • 2 specs; Tena Laguna Pedro Palo ; 2000 m a.s.l.; Jul. 1995; A. Camacho; ECC • 3 specs; Parque Natural Chicaque ; 2000 m a.s.l.; 26 Oct. 1996; S. Amézquita leg.; ECC • 2 specs; 2700 m a.s.l.; Oct. 1995; A. Lopera leg.; ECC . – Huila • 2 specs; Palestina Jericó ; 1980 m a.s.l.; 1º48′45″ N, 76º20′29″ W; bosque Villa Nora ; Aug. 2005; L.E. Franco leg.; ECC • 1 ♀; Rivera ; light; 15 Nov. 1993; Hector Bonilla leg.; CEMT • 2 specs; San Agustín Corregimiento La Argentina ; 2120 m a.s.l.; 1º48′45″ N, 76º20′29″ W; Aug. 2005; M. Ospina and H. Londoño leg.; ECC . – Norte de Santander • 3 specs; Cucutilla Parque Natural Sisavita , Qda. Poveda Robledal ; 2040 m a.s.l.; 7º28.11′ N, 72º50′ W; Mar. 2002; A.Pulido, E.González and A. Santamaría leg.; ECC .

VENEZUELA – Aragua • 1 ♀; Cuyagua ; 50 m a.s.l.; 6 Jul. 2004; D. García leg.; CEMT . – Barinas • 5 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀; Bolivar Barinitas, Paguey, Sector El Cacao pie de monte Andino ; 1080 m a.s.l.; 3 Sep. 2015; R. Acconcia and J. Gámez leg.; CEMT . – Táchira • 2 ♀♀; Palmira , La Flautera ; 15 Jul. 1985; B. Joffre leg.; CEMT . – Mérida • 1 ♂; M. Zerpa [ Monte Serpa ]; 2400 m a.s.l.; copro; Jul. 1995; A. de Ascencao leg.; CEMT • 1 ♂; Monte Zerpa , La Hechicera ; Nov. 1987; B. Joffre leg.; CEMT • 1 ♀; Stn Rosa , La Hechicera ; Jun. 1986; B. Joffre leg.; CEMT . – Sucre • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Jaji ; 1891 m a.s.l.; 8º40′24.05″ N, 71º24′56.30″ W; cebo heces humanas; 6 Jul. 2009; D. Mora, P. Colmenares, M. Cordova and M. Nuñez leg.; CEMT • 1 ♂; Aug. 1960; CEMT .

Redescription

Male

MEASUREMENTS. Length: 22.77 mm.

HEAD. Anterior third rugosity not extending base of the central cephalic carina. Clypeus not rounded, with strong central emargination separating two acute clypeal teeth angled upwards. Gena protruding clypeal margin. Tooth or protuberance toward clypeo-genal junction. Cephalic carina wider than high, conical in shape and distinctly apically acute. Median tubercle twice as high as lateral tubercles, apex obtuse. Lateral tubercles quadrate, not apically acute ( Fig. 11A, C ). Ventral clypeal process truncate and broadened apically (see Fig. 2B ).

PRONOTUM. Wider than long, approximately twice as wide as long and wider than elytra. Anterior edge of pronotal disc with strong declivity displaying three gibbosities ( Fig. 11A ). Pronotal medial disc shiny with fine punctures, anterolateral edges close to fossae with fine dense punctures. Hypomeron medial disc smooth and shiny, anterior edge with ocellate setigerous punctures aggregated on inner anterior portion next to procoxa; punctures separated by half width of a puncture. External margin bearing rows of disorganized setigerous punctures, setae all approximately of the same length.

ABDOMEN. Prosternum surface shagreened exhibiting longitudinal rugosity and fine setigerous punctures. Mesosternum surface heavily shagreened, with large ocellate setigerous punctures separated by twice the diameter of a puncture. Metepisternum surface shagreened and covered by ocellate-setigerous punctures separated by twice diameter of puncture. Metasternum anterior portion next to basal margin of mesosternum and margins of mesocoxa covered by shagreened microsculpture and dense long setae. Dense pilosity surrounding margins of mesocoxa joining medial edges of metasternum with lateral ( Fig. 11D ). Longitudinal sulcus distinctly sculpted, ending as shallow mid-fossa. Sternites wide, opaque, with shagreened microsculpture. Small sparse ocellate punctures restricted to anterolateral margins of each sternite, never on middle portions. Pygidium completely delimited by margin, apical part with inner median tooth; surface smooth, large punctures restricted to basal margin. Medial and apical surfaces finely punctate. Punctures simple and well-imprinted.

ELYTRA. Opaque and black, wider than long. Interstriae microsculpture shagreened. Fine shiny punctures arranged randomly and visible only on 7 th and 8 th interstriae when teneral, otherwise not visible. Striae thin, punctures as wide as line that connects punctures. Punctures separated by at least twice diameter of same on elytral disc ( Fig. 11A ).

LEGS. Metacoxa microsculpture shagreened, half of posterior portion covered by dense setigerous punctures.

PARAMERES AND LAMELLA COPULATRIX. As in Fig. 11 F–H.

Morphological variation

Females ( Fig. 11B, E )

As males except for the following characters:

HEAD. Surface rugose, becoming less dense on interocular space. Cephalic carina quadrituberculate, median tubercles higher than lateral.

PRONOTUM. Not modified, at most weak medial knob, visible laterally. Surface shagreened with firmly impressed punctures separated by diameter of a puncture, denser at anterolateral margins. Welldeveloped females exhibiting rugose surface next to antero-lateral fossae ( Fig. 11E ). Pygidium surface smooth, delimited by incomplete margin, faded apically.

Remarks

This seems to be an uncommon species as there are not many specimens in collections. The few found were unidentified. It is distributed throughout the Andes, more precisely on the east slope of the Andes mountain range. The key by Luederwaldt (1929) erroneously placed this species in the subgenus Cephagonus , section fissus. Examination of the holotype, based on the cephalic carina, suggests this species should have been placed in Luederwaldt’s concept of the subgenus Selenocopris , now subgenus Luederwaldtinia , where the Dichotomius agenor species group is placed.

Figures

Fig. 11. Dichotomius inachoides (Felsche, 1901). A–B. Dorsal habitus. A. ♂. B. ♀. C. Frontal view of the head showing the male cephalic carina. D. Sternites smooth, lacking ocellate punctation. E. Female antero-lateral edge of the pronotum rugose. F. Lateral view of the aedeagus. G. Ventral view of the aedeagus. H–I. Lamella copulatrix.

Fig. 2. General characters that help differentiate the species of the Dichotomius (Luederwaldtinia) agenor species group. A–D. Ventral clypeal process. A. Cordate as in D. agenor (Harold, 1869). B. Truncate as in D. sagittarius (Harold, 1869) stat. rev. C. Bifurcate as in D. belus (Harold, 1880). D. Cylindrical as in D. henripittieri sp. nov. E–F. Hypomeral characters. E. Medial disc smooth, lateral margin with multiple rows of setae as in D. amplicollis (Harold, 1869). F. Medial disc punctate, lateral margin with single row of setae as in D. tristis (Luederwaldt, 1923). G–H. Metasternum characters. G. Setigerous punctures from the medial and lateral edges joining throughout the margin of the mesocaxa as in D. enioi sp. nov. H. Setigerous punctures from the medial and lateral edges not joining throughout the margin of the mesocaxa as in D. centralis (Harold, 1869). I–J. Elytra interstriae. I. Smooth as in D. amplicollis. J. Shagreened as in D. agenor.