Bothynus laevipennis Arrow, 1937

(Figures 2 (f), 3(h), 9(e, f), 10(a), 11(h), 12(e), 13(h), 14(h), 15(i), 23)

Bothynus laevipennis

Arrow 1937a: 46 (original description); Blackwelder 1944: 255 (checklist, distribution); Endrödi 1969: 12 (identification key), 116 (illustration of the copulatory apparatus [figs. 156–157]), 130 (remarks, redescription, and distribution). Endrödi 1985: 273 (identification key, distribution), 274 (illustration of the aedeagus [figs. 1120–1121]; Krajcik 2005: 38 (checklist); Abadie et al. 2008: 108 (appendix I–distribution); Ratcliffe 2010: 107 (identification key); López-García et al. 2016: 296 (checklist, distribution).

Diagnosis

Bothynus laevipennis resembles B. nyx in the inner protarsal claw of male bearing a ventromedial process and tarsomere 5 without process on ventral area. However, B. laevipennis differs by the following characters: Pronotal cavity of male rounded in dorsal view (similar to those of B. ascanius [Figure 8 (a)]), not transversely arranged; elytra nearly smooth in both sexes, bearing minute or shallow punctures (Figure 10 (a)); lateroventral area of parameres constricted just above the apical lobes in caudal view (Figure 13 (h)), combined with a rounded apex in lateral view (Figure 14 (h)). Bothynus laevipennis is unique in exhibiting the elytra with a nearly smooth aspect, with fine punctures (sometimes shallow), along barely marked striae, which promptly distinguishes the species from others within the ascanius group.

Type material

Lectotype male, here designated, labelled: (a) ‘NHMUK014400144’ [label with QR code printed]; (b) ‘ SYN- /TYPE’ [rounded label bordered in blue]; (c) ‘Type’ [rounded label bordered in red]; (d) ‘ Brazil:/Sabara-Bello Horizonte./Rio das Velhao./A.G.N.Chalmers./B.M.1932–11’. [first line subscribed in golden ink]; (e) ‘ Bothynus / laevipennis,/type arrow’ [handwritten] (NHM) (Figure 2 (f)). Paralectotype male, here designated, labelled: (a) ‘NHMUK014400141’ [label with QR code printed]; (b) ‘ SYN- /TYPE’ [rounded label bordered in blue]; (c) ‘56,380’; (d) ‘S.Paulo’ [handwritten]; C) ‘Fry Coll./1905-100’. (NHM).

Additional material

BRAZIL: Minas Gerais: Barbacena, 26.xii.2006, A. Assis leg. – 1 male (CEMT); Belo Horizonte, x.1945, A. Penna leg. – 1 male (CERPE); Lambari, ix.1935 – 1 male (CERPE); Lavras, 10.x.2003, F.C. Santos leg. – 1 male (CERPE), 19.iv.2006, A. Costa leg. – 1 male (CERPE), 14.x.2007, C.C. Moreira leg. – 1 male (CEMT), 04.iii.2008, R. Stockmann leg. – 1 male (CEMT), 23.iii.2008, S. M. Borba leg. – 1 female (CERPE); PoÇos de Caldas, xi.1995 – 1 male, 1 female (FDPC); Resende Costa, viii.2002, L. Fernandes leg. – 1 female (CEMT); São João del Rei, iv. 2007, F. Fernandes leg. – 1 male (CEMT) . São Paulo: Holambra, 20.iii.2008, T. Reijers leg. – 1 male (CEMT); Sorocaba, 03.xi.2000, Izaura leg. – 1 male (CERPE) .

Male redescription (Figure 3 (h))

Length: 24.0– 30.5 mm. Width: 13.0– 17.1 mm. Colour: Head, pronotum and venter dark; elytra reddish brown. Head: Clypeus subtrapezoidal (posterior width about 3.0 times wider than anterior); lateral margins regularly convergent; anterior teeth transverse, from subtriangular to lobed; surface strongly rugopunctate, setae scarce, arranged on sides. Frontoclypeal carina weakly marked. Frontal surface strongly rugose; setae scarce, confined on sides, separated at middle by a glabrous, longitudinal area. Interocular width equals 3.1 transverse eye diameters. Ocular canthus transverse, slightly arched. Mouthparts: Mandible with apical tooth subtriangular, diagonally truncated on apex; medial tooth broadly rounded at apex; basal tooth triangular, smaller. Labium subtriangular, usually flattened, discal area sometimes slightly concave. Antennae: Club elongated, about 2 times longer than antennomeres 2–7 combined. Prothorax: Pronotum with tubercle strong, conical; cavity deep, broad, rounded, usually limited posteriorly by 2 small tubercles (Figure 9 (e)). Pronotal surface on anterior corners with dense, large, deep, coalescent punctures; sides nearly entirely covered with minute punctures (Figure 9 (f)), except for an area close to lateral margins with small, deep, dense punctures; punctures on disc minute; posterior margin from rugose to strongly rugopunctate; cavity transversely rugose. Pterothorax: Elytral surface nearly smooth, bearing barely marked striae, and shallow or minute punctures (Figure 10 (a)). Legs: Inner protarsal claw bearing a small, lobed or triangular ventromedial process (Figure 11 (h)). Mesotibia with middle carina strongly projected diagonally on outer surface. Metafemora with no punctures on ventral disc. Abdomen: Tergite 7 with stridulatory apparatus formed by 1 band of finely marked striae. Tergite 8 entirely covered by strong rugosity transversely arranged, bearing moderate yellowish setae. Sternites 4–7 with setae and rugopunctures dense on sides, disc glabrous and with small, scarce punctures; sternite 8 strongly rugopunctate on sides; disc with scarce, small, shallow punctures. Spiculum gastrale: Y-shaped; branches subequal in length (Figure 12 (e)). Hemisternite formed by 2 contiguous, oval plates; each plate covered with setae on apical margin. Aedeagus: Parameres, in dorsal view, elongate and rhomboid in shape, covered with shallow, scarce punctures; lateroventral outer margins gradually convergent towards an apical half strongly constricted above apical lobes (Figure 13 (h)); apical lobes elongate, oval. Parameres, in lateral view, provided with a small, basal process on ventral area; apex rounded (Figure 14 (h)).

Female redescription (Figure 15 (i))

Length: 27.0– 29.2 mm. Width: 15.0–17.0 mm. Similar to male, except in the following: Prothorax: Pronotal tubercle small; cavity shallow. Legs: Inner protarsal claw usually with no ventroapical process. Abdomen: Tergite 8 weakly convex to flattened in lateral view, with dense setae. Sternite 8 transversely rugose, bearing scarce setae arranged on corners and transversely on anterior half.

Distribution

Brazil (Minas Gerais and São Paulo) (Figure 23). Bothynus laevipennis also was recorded from Paraguay (Polesel and Dambronsky 2018), Argentina and Bolivia (Endrödi 1969, 1985).