Parachorius fukiensis (Balthasar, 1960)

Tarasov, Sergei, 2018, Two new synonyms in the dung beetle genus Parachorius (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) from the Oriental Region, Zootaxa 4462 (1), pp. 139-140 : 139

Parachorius fukiensis (Balthasar, 1960)

Cassolus fukiensis Balthasar, 1960: 90 (type locality: Kuatun , Fújiàn Province, China); Balthasar 1963: 261

Parachorius fukiensis: Tarasov 2017: 119

Cassolus laosensis Ochi, Kon & Higurashi, 2017: 73 (type locality: Nong Phet , Xieng Khouang, Laos), new synonymy

In the original description, the authors compare C. laosensis only with P. nudus (Sharp, 1875) from Cambodia [ Cassolus is a junior synonym of Parachorius ( Tarasov 2017) ] and do not assess the species identity of C. laosensis against many other Parachorius species occurring in Indochina. However, the authors provide the detailed illustrations and description of C. laosensis that allow comparing this species to the other representatives of Parachorius . The main diagnostic characters listed for C. laosensis are: (1) first tooth notably modified in males, approximately twice as wide as second tooth (Fig. 3 in Ochi et al. 2017b), (2) metafemoral posterior margin in males not serrate, simple, or dilated in apical third of metafemur and produced in angle (Fig. 7 in Ochi et al. 2017b), (3) metatibia slightly sinuate, inner margin not denticulate, produced in small angle apically (Fig. 6 in Ochi et al. 2017b), (4) aedeagus with symmetrical parameres which emarginate superiorly, their apex rounded (Figs. 11–12 in Ochi et al. 2017b). These characters clearly indicate that C. laosensis is conspecific with the earlier described species P. fukiensis (see Fig. 8 in Tarasov 2017) that occurs in southeast China, Laos, and Vietnam, and is also known from the similar geographic locality as that of C. laosensis (namely, Xieng Khouang prov., Laos). Thus, I can confidently conclude that C. laosensis is a junior synonym of P. fukiensis .