Aegidium rafaeli Frolov, Akhmetova

Frolov, Andrey V., Akhmetova, Lilia A. & Vaz-de-Mello, Fernando Z., 2017, Revision of the mainland species of the Neotropical genus Aegidium Westwood (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Orphninae), Journal of Natural History 51 (19 - 20), pp. 1035-1090 : 1068-1069

Aegidium rafaeli Frolov, Akhmetova and Vaz-de-Mello, sp. nov.

( Figure 7 (a–h))

Type locality

Brazil, Amazonas, Manaus.

Type material examined

Holotype: male at CEMT labeled ‘ BR AM Manaus AM010 km 24 EMBRAPA-CPAA Projeto SHIFT// Arm. luminosa 10/II/1994 Pamplona, A.’ ( Figure 7 (b)). Paratypes: BRAZIL. Amazonas: one female at CEMT labeled ‘ BRASIL, Amazonas, Coari , rio Orucu, Ig. Marta-3, 4°50′0.73″S / 65°02′37″W 14–25/VIII/1993, P.F.Bührnheim et al. col.’; one male at CEMT labeled ‘ Brasil, Amazonas, Campus Universitario 15.IV.1984. Herbert Lima col.’; one female at CEMT labeled ‘ BRASIL AMAZONAS MANAUS Fazenda Porto Alegre (Reserva 3114) 2°23′00″S / 59°56′25″W 12–13/VIII/1996 Hutchings, R.W.H. & Hutchings, R.S.G. col// Luz mista mercúrio Luz negra BL e BLB LenÇol’; one female at CEMT labeled ‘ Brasil, Amazonas, BR 319 Km 350 5°12′56,4″S 61°50′22,6″W 30.vii.07–2 /viii/07, H. Gasca Leg.’; one male and one female at CEMT labeled ‘ Br, AM, Pres . Figueiredo Am 240 Km 24 Com . SÃo Francisco 02°01 ʹ 05 ʹ ’S/59°49 ʹ 59 ʹ ’W// 26/vii-03/viii/2005, Armadilha luz mista F.F. Xavier F, G.M.Lourido, R.Machado’.

Diagnosis

Aegidium rafaeli sp. nov. is most similar to Ae. geayi and Ae. peres fi lhoi sp. nov. but differs from them in having mesotibiae with a tuft of setae on inner side apically and by more distinct, smooth elytral carinae ( Figure 7 (a,c)).

Description

Holotype, male ( Figure 7 (a,c,e–g)). Body length 12.0 mm. Colour uniformly dark brown.

Anterior margin of frontoclypeus slightly convex in middle, slightly sinuate each side of medial convexity, rounded laterally, slightly uplifted. Frontoclypeus coarsely punctate with rounded punctures separated by about 0.5 puncture diameters basally becoming smaller and sparser towards anterior margin.

Eye width about 1/7 distance between eyes in dorsal view.

Pronotum with widely rounded lateral margins, as wide as elytra, 1.4 times wider than length, 0.6 times length of elytra. Posterior angles narrowly rounded. Anterior margin bordered, with a row of large punctures interrupted medially. Base of pronotum with a furrow and a row of large, rounded punctures. Pronotal disc feebly excavated. Lateral pronotal processes obtuse in lateral view, their apices not protruding past lateral margins of pronotum in dorsal view. Pronotum punctate with large dense rounded punctures separated by 1.0–1.5 puncture diameters; punctures along midline of pronotum somewhat elongate oval.

Scutellum narrow subtriangular, about 1/12 length of elytra.

Elytra 1.15 times longer than wide, widest in basal 1/3, slightly tapering apically in dorsal view, with humeral and apical umbones. Carina distinct, elevated, smooth. Elytra covered with rounded to elongate oval punctures separated by about 1 puncture diameter.

Macropterous.

Mesotibiae with a tuft of setae ventroapically. Inner apical spur of mesotibia shorter than basal mesotarsomere and not curved downwards ( Figure 7 (c)).

Aedeagus with relatively long (0.6 times length of phallobase), tapering parameres ( Figure 7 (e)). Parameres as wide as apical part of phallobase in dorsal view ( Figure 7 (f)). Ventrobasal transverse plate of parameres distinct. Endophallus without strongly sclerotised sclerites. Cranial part of spiculum gastrale tapering, widened and rounded at very apex ( Figure 7 (g)).

Female ( Figure 7 (d)) differs from male in having protibial spur and relatively smaller pronotum without armature.

Variation

Body length of examined males varied from 11.5 to 14.0 mm; that of females from 10.5 to 13.5 mm.

Distribution

Aegidium rafaeli sp. nov. is known from a few localities in central Amazonia ( Figure 7 (h)).

Etymology

The species is named after José Albertino Rafael of the National Institute of Amazonia Research (INPA), Manaus, Brazil.

Figures

Figure 7. Aegidium rafaeli, holotype male (a, c, e–g), paratype female (d). Habitus in dorsal view (a, d), labels (b), apex of metatibiae (c), aedeagus in lateral view (e), parameres in dorsal view (f), spiculum gastrale (g), locality map (h).