Megaceras jason ( Fabricius, 1775 )

Hielkema, Auke J. & Hielkema, Meindert A., 2019, An annotated checklist of the Scarabaeoidea (Insecta: Coleoptera) of the Guianas, Insecta Mundi 732 (732), pp. 1-306 : 201

Megaceras jason ( Fabricius, 1775)

Scarabaeus iason Fabricius 1775: 6

Note. Two presently recognized subspecies of Megaceras jason have been described, both of which occur in the research area.

Subspecies Megaceras jason jason ( Fabricius, 1775)

Scarabaeus iason Fabricius 1775: 6 ( China)

= Scarabaeus chorinaeus Olivier 1789: 15 ( French Guiana - LECTOTYPE)

= Scarabaeus militaris Olivier 1789: 35 ( French Guiana - LECTOTYPE)

Distribution. Guyana: Erichson 1848: 561 (as M. chorinaeus ); RMNH. Suriname: Olivier 1789: 15 (as Scarabaeus chorinaeus ); Gasca-Álvarez and Ratcliffe 2011: 30; NZCS; RMNH. French Guiana: Olivier 1789: 35 (as Scarabaeus militaris ); Endrödi 1976: 36, 1985a: 568, 571; Dechambre 1979c: 168; Lachaume 1992: 47; Brûlé et al. 2011a: 191; Duranton 2011: 21; Gasca-Álvarez and Ratcliffe 2011: 30; Ponchel 2011: 61; Dupuis and Mantilleri 2012: 176, 177 (designation LECTOTYPE Scarabaeus chorinaeus ; designation LECTOTYPE Scarabaeus militaris ); Dupuis 2016b: 110; RMNH. “Guianas”: Arrow 1937b: 64; Blackwelder 1944: 256. Brazil: Lachaume 1992: 47. Venezuela: Endrödi 1976: 36, 1985a: 568, 571; Dechambre 1979c: 168; Lachaume 1992: 47; Gasca-Álvarez and Ratcliffe 2011: 30. Other: Fabricius 1775: 6 (China); Endrödi 1976: 36 (Bolivia, Ecuador), 1985a: 568, 571 (Ecuador); Dechambre 1979c: 168 (Bolivia, Ecuador); Lachaume 1992: 47 (Ecuador); Gasca-Álvarez and Ratcliffe 2011: 30 (Bolivia, Ecuador).

Note. Fabricius (1775: 6) records Megaceras jason from China. This is likely caused by a mislabeled specimen, as the species is restricted to northern South America. Endrödi (1976: 36), Dechambre (1979c: 168) and Gasca-Álvarez and Ratcliffe (2011: 30) also mention this species for Bolivia, but given the distance with the rest of its area of distribution, we consider this in need of confirmation.

§ Subspecies Megaceras jason stuebelii Kirsch, 1885

Megacerus [sic] stübelii Kirsch 1885: 223 ( Brazil)

Distribution. Brazil (NA): Kirsch 1885: 223 (as Megacerus [sic] stübelii); Arrow 1937b: 64 (as M. stübeli ); Blackwelder 1944: 256 (as M. stübeli ); Endrödi 1976: 34 (as M. stuebeli ) (NA), 1985a: 567, 570 (as M. stuebeli ); Lachaume 1992: 47 (as M. stuebeli ); Andreazze and Fonseca 1998: 62 (as M. stuebeli ) (NA); Gasca-Álvarez et al. 2008: 35 (as M. stuebeli ) (NA); Gasca-Álvarez and Fonseca 2009: 721 (as M. stuebeli ) (NA); Gasca-Álvarez and Ratcliffe 2011: 31 (as M. stuebeli ).

Note. Kirsch (1885: 223) describes the species Megacerus [sic] stübelii. The misspelling of the genus name has no further consequences as it is clear to which genus the species belongs. The name is spelled correctly by subsequent authors. The “ü” in the specific name is, to our knowledge, first altered to “ue” in Endrödi (1976: 34) in accordance with ICZN (1964: 35) Article 32(c)(i). The double “i” specific suffix is replaced by a single “i” in Arrow (1937b: 64) and all subsequent publications, but we have found no rationale for this, as the double “i” seems to be in accordance with ICZN (1999) Article 31.1.1. As we have also found no publications formally altering the original suffix, we use the original spelling here.