Polynoncus peruanus (Erichson, 1847)

(Figures 4c, 55–56)

Omorgus peruanus Erichson, 1847: 111 (original description); Lacordaire 1856: 152 (checklist)

Trox peruanus: Harold 1869: 1089 (checklist); Harold 1872: 141, 191 (systematics and redescription); Preudhomme de Borre 1886: 75 (checklist); Arrow 1912: 59 (catalogue); Blackwelder 1944: 219 (checklist – as ‘ peruana ’); Gutiérrez 1950: 64 (redescription); Vaurie 1962: 126 (lectotype designated and redescription)

Trox (Polynoncus) peruanus: Scholtz 1982: 16 (catalogue)

Polynoncus peruanus: Scholtz 1986a: 362 (systematics); Scholtz 1990: 1435 (redescription); Arias 2000: 70 (Coleopteran list from Chile); Diéguez 2008: 20 (redescription); Gómez 2008: 516 (key to Argentinean species); Zidek 2013: 15 (checklist); Ratcliffe et al. 2015: 189 (checklist from Peru); Zidek 2017: 106 (checklist); Costa-Silva and Diéguez 2020: 272 (records from Argentina); Mondaca 2023: 210 (checklist from Chile)

Type specimen examined (through detailed photographs). LECTOTYPE. (♂ MFNB – Figure 56) First label [white, unknown handwritten]: ‘26236’. Second label [green with black border, W.F. Erichson’s handwriting]: ‘peruanus / Er. * / Peru’. Third label [red with black border, typeset]: ‘Lektotypus / Nr’. Fourth label [white, handwritten in blue colour]: ‘ LECTOTYPE / Trox peruanus / Erich. / Vaurie ’ 61 ♂ ’ [Patricia Vaurie’s handwriting] (Figure 56e). Type locality: ‘ Peru’, without specific locality. The number ‘26236’ refers to the historical collection catalogue of MFNB. According to this catalogue, the type series was collected in Peru by the Prussian naturalist and doctor Franz Julius Ferdinand Meyen (1804–1840), who participated in the circumnavigation to South America and China aboard the Prinzessin Luise between 1830 and 1832 (Meyen 1834; also see Mlíkovský and Frahnert 2017).

Differential diagnosis. Polynoncus peruanus is similar to P. aricensis, sharing the absence of distinctly tubercles and medial ridges in pronotum and markable punctation, usually being represented together in dichotomous keys (eg Vaurie 1962; Scholtz 1990; Gómez 2008). Polynoncus peruanus can be distinguished from P. aricensis by having the lateral margin of elytral and pronotum serrate; a clypeal deflexed part truncated, concave and larger (almost twice wider than long); the clypeal deflexed portion in P. aricensis is curved, not concave and smaller (4 times wider than long); and by having prominent teeth in the apex of mesotibia in P. peruanus (Figure 4c), which are absent in P. aricensis (as in Figure 4d).

Geographic distribution. Polynoncus peruanus is widely distributed in western South America, in the Andean regions of Peru, west of Bolivia, northern Chile and northern Argentina (Figure 55). It is usually collected at high elevations, between 1500 and 4500 m above sea level.

Examined non-type material (168 specimens). ARGENTINA: Catamarca, Aconquija, La Ollada, 3000 m, 9 February 1915, P. Jorgensen and Joel Blamey leg. (2 OUMNH); Andalgalá, no date or collector (1 MLPA). Jujuy, Iturbe, La Cueva, 3700 m, 10 November 1919, [Bruch’s collection], Weiser leg. (2 MACN);Santa Catalina, 29 December 1919,[Bruch’s collection] leg. (1 MACN); Tumbaya, Cuesta de Lipán, Ruta 52, km 22, 3500 m, 23.682°S, 65.600°W, 17 January 2008,L.R. Faria Jr. leg. (1♀ CEMT);Tumbaya, Ruta 52, km 38, 4100 m, 17 January 2008,light, K.S. Ramos leg. (1♀ CEMT); without specific locality, date or collector (14 MLPA). Salta, Cachi, Cuesta del Obispo, 3400 m, 26 January 1983, M. Viana leg. (1 CVMD); without specific locality, date or collector (14 MLPA). Tucumán, Amaicha del Valle, February 1927,no collector (1 IFML); Tafí del Valle, Calchaquí Valleys, 2000 m, February 1905, no collector (1 IFML). BOLIVIA: Cochabamba, Chapare, Colomi, 3400 m, December 1948, Kuschel leg. (2 MNNC). La Paz, Achacachi, Belén, 3850 m, December 1948, Kuschel leg. (4 MNNC); Charaña, 4060 m, 17.601°S, 69.440°W, 9 November 2005, Gorky Valencia leg. (10 CVMD); Charaña, 4060 m, 17.601°S, 69.440°W, 9 November 2005, Gorky Valencia leg. (1 MUSM); Charaña, 4060 m, 17.601°S, 69.440°W, 9 November 2005, William Paredes leg. (1 MUSM). Oruro, Carahuara de Carangas, ‘Grand plateau des Cordillières’ [sic!], 5–11 April 1833, d’Orbygni leg. (2 MNHN); Challapata, 3700 m, no date or collector, Wet season (7 BMNH); Cosapa, 4300 m, 15 March 2009,G. Castillo leg. (1 CVMD); El Choro, no date or collector (1 BMNH); Lequepalca, 3850 m, January 1949, Kuschel leg. (2 MNNC); without specific locality, 3700 m, 11 January 1940, W. Wittmer leg. (1 MACN); without specific locality, 3700 m, 11 January 1940, W. Wittmer leg. (3 BMNH); without specific locality, date or collector (1 MZSP). Without specific locality, no date or collector (1 BMNH); without specific locality, date or collector (1 MNHN). CHILE: Arica y Parinacota (XV Region), Arica, 4550 m, December 1946, Kuschel leg. (2 MNNC); Arica, Aduana, 6 March 1996, G. Castillo leg. (5 CVMD); General Lagos, 4200 m, December 1948, Kuschel leg. (2 MNNC); Parinacota, 4400 m, 29 November 1948, R. Gutiérrez leg. (2 BMNH); Parinacota, Cotacotani Lake, 4450 m, February 1998, A. Ugarte leg. (1 CVMD); Parinacota, Salar de Surire, 4300 m, 2 February 1998,A. Ugarte leg. (1 CVMD);Parinacota,Surire, 4400 m, January 1998, A.Ugarte leg. (1 JZPC); Parinacota, Volcano Tacora, October 1997, José Mondaga leg. (1 CVMD); without specific locality, 4392 m, no date, E. Arias leg. (2 MNNC); without specific locality, 4400 m, 2 March 1948,Kuschel leg.(1 MNNC). Tarapacá (I Region),Iquique,Caraguano, 4200 m, January 1998, A. Ugarte leg. (1♂ JZPC); Iquique, Colchane, ‘Pampa Caraguano’, 3900 m, 28–30 January 1998, H. Larraín leg. (8 MNNC); Iquique, Colchane, ‘Pampa Caraguano’, 4000 m, 1 February 1998, Horacio Larraín leg. (1♂ and 9 unsexed CVMD); Iquique, Colchane, ‘Pampa Caraguano’, 4000 m, 30 January 1998, no collector (1♂ and 3♀ CEMT); Iquique, Colchane, ‘Pampa Caraguano’, 4200 m, 19.563°S, 68.740°W, 3 March 1998, A. Ugarte leg. (6 CEMT); Iquique, Colchane,‘Pampa Caraguano’, 4200 m, 3 February 1998,A.Ugarte leg. (6 CVMD);Iquique,Salar de Huasco, 6 November–16 December 1993, V. Tello leg. (2 CVMD); Lauca National Park, Chungará Lake, 7 December 1997, J. Mondaca leg. (3 MNNC). Without specific locality, no date, E.C. Reed leg. (1♂ BMNH). PERU: Apurímac, Aymaraes, Cotaruse, 4198 m, 14.512°S, 73.273°W, 3 May 2013, L. Figueroa leg. (1 CVMD); Aymaraes, Cotaruse, 4137 m, 14.526°S, 73.310°W, 2 May 2013,L. Figueroa leg. (1 CVMD). Arequipa, Arequipa, 1922, Dr E. Escomel leg. (1♀ MNHN). Ayacucho, Lucanas, Chaviña, 4164 m, 14.907°S, 73.899°W, 7–10 April 2010, Bosque de Polylepis, Carlos Carranza leg. (2 MUSM); Lucanas, Chaviña, 14.907°S, 73.899°W, 10 April 2010,pitfall trap with faeces, I. Galindo leg. (1 EMAC); Lucanas, Chaviña, 14.907°S, 73.899° W, 10 April2010,pitfall trap with faeces,Galindo leg.(1♂, 3♀ and4 unsexed CEMT);Lucanas, 21 January 1983, Sergio Roig leg. (1 CVMD); Lucanas, Chaviña, 4164 m, 7–10 April 2010, C. Carranza leg. (1 CVMD). Cusco, Cusco, 1839, J.B. Pentland leg. (1 MNHN); Espinar, Cerro Choco Choco, 4326 m, 14.974°S, 71.298°W, 18 March 2011, Roquedal de Puya [ Puya raimondii], Mabel Alvarado leg. (2 MUSM); Espinar, Cerro Choco Choco, 4326 m, 18 March 2011, Mabel Alvarado leg. (1 CVMD); Lucre, 3000 m, 5 February 1965, no collector (1♀ CEMT); NE of Sacsayhuamán, 31 March 2000, Gorky Valencia leg. (1 CVMD); without specific locality, 1849, C. Gay leg. (5 MNHN). Huanuco, Pacchayoc, 2–9 October 2005, Fish gut trap, Gorky Valencia leg. (1 CVMD). Junín, Acolla, near Jauja, 3460 m, 4 December 1953, F. Blancas leg. (1 MUSM). Lima, Lima, 1847, De Castelnau leg. (1 MNHN). Puno, Chucuito, Desaguadero, Lago Titicaca, 3913 m, 22 November 1952, F. Blancas leg. (1 MUSM); Juliaca, Coiquejahau, 4047 m, 1 April 2005, Gorky Valencia leg. (1 CVMD).