Onthophagus aeneopiceus d’Orbigny, 1902

Ziani, Stefano & Keith, Denis, 2023, Third contribution to the knowledge of Arabian Onthophagini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Onthophagus aeneopiceus d’Orbigny, 1902, a new record for Yemen and for the Palaearctic ecozone, Insecta Mundi 2023 (974), pp. 1-4 : 1-3

Onthophagus aeneopiceus d’Orbigny, 1902

( Fig. 1–4 )

Onthophagus aeneopiceus d’Orbigny 1902: 156 ; d’Orbigny 1905: 488; d’Orbigny 1913: 376; d’Orbigny, 1922: 609; Boucomont and Gillet 1927: 151; Balthasar 1963: 263; Balthasar 1969: 65; Ferreira 1972: 557; Balthasar 1972: 22; Zunino 1975: 153; Barbero et al. 1998: 243.

Type locality. “ Erythrée ” [ Eritrea].

Type material. Holotype male, fixed by original designation, at MNHN, examined through photos. Type labelling. 1 st, light yellow, handwritten in black: “ Erythrée ”; 2 nd, light blue, printed in black: “MUSEUM PARIS / Coll. H. d’Orbigny / 1915”; 3 rd, white, handwritten and printed in black: “Vidit / Zunino 1975 ”; 4 th, red, printed in black: “ HOLOTYPE ”.

Distribution. Eritrea (d’Orbigny 1902). Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya (d’Orbigny 1913). Ivory Coast ( Balthasar 1969).

Material examined. YEMEN: Ibb gov., W of Jabal Hadish , 30.iii.1976, R. Naviaux legit 1 ♂ ( DKCC) ; Ibb gov., 5 km SW Najd al Jumai - Wadi Maytam 1600 m, 13°52′28″N 44°17′45″ E, 26-27.x.2005, D. Král legit 1 ♂ ( NMPC) .

Remarks. New record for Yemen and new record for the Palaearctic ecozone (sensu Löbl and Löbl 2016). The species can be inserted in the key to the Arabian Onthophagini ( Ziani et al. 2019) as follows:

26. Pronotal punctation simple or ocellate on disc; quite glossy; major males with clypeus produced to a blunt point, which is strongly reflexed, and with vertex of the head produced in a pair of unconnected horns, very broad and directed backward at the base, with a small sharp tooth on the outer edge of each, beyond which they curve upward and are tapered, bisinuate, and sharp at the tip; female margin of clypeus is truncate at middle; blackish brown, elytra with basal and apical yellowish red spots which are usually confluent. Length 5.5 to 7.0 mm.................................................................................... Onthophagus (Onthophagus) falsus Gillet, 1925

— Pronotal punctation raspish on disc.......................................................... 26 ′

26′ Pygidial largest punctures close on disc, separated by less than one diameter; pronotum dull; head not sinuate near obviously produced genae; clypeofrontal carina with a very long backwards horn, in major males, sometimes extending beyond pronotal hind margin; pronotum without obvious gibbosities; blackish brown. Length 4.5 to 6.0 mm.............. Onthophagus aeneopiceus d’Orbigny, 1902

— Pygidial largest punctures spaced on disc, separated by one diameter, or more; pronotum glossy; head barely sinuate near obviously produced genae; clypeofrontal carina with a short backwards horn, in major males, as long as the occipital carina, or a little more, pronotum with an anteromedian bilobate gibbosity; blackish brown, elytra sometimes with apical dark red band. Length 5.0 to 6.0 mm.............................................. Onthophagus trapezicornis d’Orbigny, 1902

Figures

Figures 1–4. Onthophagus aeneopiceus d’Orbigny, 1902 [Yemen]. 1) Male dorsal habitus. 2) Parameres, lateral view.3) Parameres, dorsal view. 4) Endophallus. Photos by A. Degiovanni, edited by G. Fiumi.