Coelotrachelus kuntzeni ( Schmidt, 1913 )

Dellacasa, Marco, Dellacasa, Giovanni & Gordon, Robert D., 2009, Systematic revision of the genus Coelotrachelus Schmidt, 1913 (Scarabaeoidea: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae), Insecta Mundi 2009 (86), pp. 1-13 : 6

Coelotrachelus kuntzeni ( Schmidt, 1913)

( Fig. 12-17 )

Aphodius (Coelotrachelus) kuntzeni Schmidt, 1913: 175 ; Dellacasa and Gordon 1994: 153.

Coelotrachelus kuntzeni ; Dellacasa et al. 2001: 123 (new combination); Skelley et al. 2007: 3.

Aphodius amplinotum Gordon and Howden, 1973: 436 ; Skelley et al. 2007: 3 (as synonym of C. kuntzeni ). Aphodius (Coelotrachelus) michiliensis Deloya, 1991: 200 ; Skelley et al. 2007: 3 (as synonym of C. kuntzeni ).

Type locality. Sierra de Durango [Durango, Mexico].

Type repository. Naturhistoriska Rìksmuseet. Stockholm (holotype examined).

Redescription. Length 7.0- 8.5 mm, elongate, strongly shiny, moderately convex, glabrous. Black; head and pronotum shadily piceous-reddish; antennae brown-reddish with blackish club; legs piceous, tarsi paler. Head transverse, arcuately narrowed anteriorly; epistome barely gibbous, finely regularly punctured; clypeus feebly sinuate at middle, obtusely denticulate and elongately sparsely ciliate at sides; genae obtusely rounded, rather densely and elongately bristled, protruding more strongly than eyes; frontal suture faintly impressed, not at all tuberculate. Pronotum strongly transverse, rather widely flattened on sides, faintly and finely punctured on disc, with large superficial punctures irregularly scattered laterally; sides thickly bordered, rounded, feebly depressed, S-shaped before hind angles and strongly narrowed to level of fourth elytral stria; hind angles distinctly obtusely dentiform; base distinctly bisinuate, thinly bordered. Scutellum elongate, feebly impressed basally, nearly smooth. Elytra oval-elongate; shoulder not at all denticulate, elongately bristled; striae fine, indistinctly punctured, faintly crenulate; intervals flat, apically slightly convex, faintly punctured. First segment of hind tarsi nearly two times longer than upper spur and nearly as long as following three segments combined. Male fore tibiae stout, spur hooked apically; pronotum less convex and more transverse; aedeagus Fig. 13-14 . Female fore tibiae relatively stout and short, spur regularly acuminate apically; pronotum more convex and less transverse.

Material examined. MEXICO, Durango: Reserva La Michilia , 03.VI.1979, leg. M. Zunino, nido de tuza (1 ex., DCGC) ; México: Amecameca , 16.IX.1964, leg. G. Halffter (2 exx., DCGC) ; 2 Km S [San Nicolas] Coatepec , 19 o 7.5’N- 99 o 25.5’W, m 2730, 16.II.2001, leg. D. J. Hafner, M. S. Hafner & J. E. Light, sifted from Cratogeomys merriami nest material (1 ex., LSAM) .

Distribution. Mexico (Durango, México).

Bionomics. Sometimes found in the main tunnel just below the active push-ups of Thomomys Wied- Neuwied ( Rodentia : Geomyidae ) and not in the fecal chambers, or in the dung into the nest of the Southern pocket gopher Thomomys umbrinus (Richardson) ( Deloya 1991: 206) . They have also been collected in the nest of the pocket gopher Cratogeomys merrimani . The specimens examined were collected in November, February and June.

Figures

Figures 12-17. Coelotrachelus kuntzeni (Schmidt, 1913), holotype. 12) Habitus (morphological details). 13-14) Aedeagus (dorsal and lateral view). 15) Habitus. 16) Left fore tibia of male (dorsal view). 17) Epipharynx.