Bolbelasmus vaulogeri ( Abeille de Perrin, 1898 )

Hillert, Oliver, Arnone, Marcello, Král, David & Massa, Bruno, 2016, The genusBolbelasmus in the western and southern regions of the Mediterranean Basin (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae: Bolboceratinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 56 (1), pp. 211-254 : 234-241

Bolbelasmus vaulogeri ( Abeille de Perrin, 1898) stat. restit.

( Figs 6, 7 , 13 , 19, 20 , 26 , 32 , 38, 44 , 52–56 , 58 , 59, 65)

Bolboceras Vaulogeri Abeille de Perrin, 1898: 254 (original description).

Bolbelasmus Vaulogeri: BOUCOMONT (1912) : 17 (catalogue, as synonym of B. bocchus ); WINKLER (1927): 1035 (catalogue, synonym of B. bocchus ).

Bolbelasmus romanorum Arnone & Massa, 2010: 403 , figs 1–5, 8 (original description). Type locality: ‘ Sicily, Balestrate, foce Calatubo (Palermo)’. New synonym.

Bolbelasmus unicornis: BALLERIO (2008) : 32 (distribution).

Type locality. Tunisia, ‘Bizerte’.

Type material examined (20 specimens). Bolbelasmus vaulogeri : TUNISIA: BIZERTE prov.: LECTOTYPE (present designation): ♂ ( MNHN), ‘Bizerte, de Vauloger, Bolboceras Vaulogeri ab., Museum Paris 1919, coll A de Perrin, Bolboceras Vaulogeri ab., Museum Paris, 1942 coll. Dr.A Chobaut’. PARALECTOTYPES: No. 1, ♀ ( MNHN), ‘Bizerte, de Vauloger, Vaulogeri Ab. , Type’; No. 2, ♀ ( MNHN), ‘Bizerte de Vauloger sp. nov??, tuniseus Vaul. (sp. litteus), Museum Paris 1942, coll. Dr. A Chobaut, Bolbocerus Vaulogeri ab’; Nos 3–4, ♀♀ ( MNHN), ‘Bizerte, de Vauloger, Vaulogeri Ab. , Type’; No. 5, ♀ ( ZSMC), ‘Bizerte [18]93 Vaulog[er].’; No. 6, ♀ ( BMNH), ‘Bizerte, de Vauloger, Nevinson Coll., 1918-14., Cotype’; No. 7, ♀ ( BMNH), ‘Bizerte, de Vauloger, Nevinson Coll., 1918-14., Cotype’; see Figs 52–56 .

Bolbelasmus romanorum : ITALY: SICILY PROV.: HOLOTYPE: 1♂ ( MSNG), ‘Italy, Sicily, Balestrate , foce Calatubo ( Palermo ), 17.iii.1974, B. Massa lgt.’. ALLOTYPE: 1♀ ( MSNG), ‘ Sicily, Pedalino ( Ragusa ) 1.v.1972, A.Monastra lgt.’. PARATYPES: 1 ♂ 5 ♀♀ ( MAPC), ‘ Menfi (Agrigento), loc. Cinquanta , 13.xi.2010, 4.iv.2010, 28.iii.2010, 20.iii.2010, 14.xi.2009, 6.xi.2009, A. Carapezza lgt.’; 1 ♂ ( MACP), ‘ Vendicari Nature Reserve ( Siracusa ) 18.iv.2009, B. Massa lgt.’; 1♂ ( VACP), ‘ Marausa ( Trapani ) 18.xii.1983, V.Aliquò lgt.’; 1♀ ( OHCB), ‘ Bosco Santo Pietro Nature Reserve (Catania), M. Zafarana lgt.’; 1 ♂ 1 ♀ ( MZUC) ‘ Sicily’ .

Additional material examined (77 specimens). ALGERIA: No further locality specified: Algerie, Dr. Thièbault, 1 ♂ ( MNHN) . ITALY: SICILY PROV.: Menfi ( Agrigento ), loc. Cinquanta, 19.iii.[20]13, 1 ♂, M. Arnone lgt. ( MAPC) ; Terrasini, Capo Rama Nature Reserve 27.iii.[20]12, 1 ♀, R. Lo Duca lgt. ( MAPC) ; Menfi, loc. Cinquanta , 10.iv.2011, 1 ♂, A. Carapezza lgt. ( DJCP) ; Niscemi ( Caltanissetta ), 1 ♂, M. Zafarana lgt. ( MSNM) ; Palermo , 1 ♀ ( MZUC) ; Piazza Armerina ( Enna ), 1 ♂ ( MZUC) ; Termini Imerese ( Palermo ), 1 ♀ ( MZUC) . TUNISIA: BIZERTE PROV.: SW env. of Edahra , 31.iii.2014, 37°12′N 09°20′E, 3 ♂♂ 5 ♀♀, O. Hillert lgt. ( OHCB) ; SW env. of Edahra , 37°12′N 09°20′E, ca. 65 m, 31.iii.2014, 4♂♂ 3♀♀, David Král lgt. ( DKCP), 3♂♂ 2♀♀ ( CUPC). JENDOUBA PROV.: Tabarka, Zone touristique, 2.v.2005, 1 ♂, M. Liebscher lgt. ( MLCD). NABEUL PROV.: Cap Bon peninsula, 6 km W of El Hawarith, sea coast, 23.iii.2014, 37°03′N 10°57′E, 3 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀, O. Hillert lgt. ( OHCB) ; Cap Bon peninsula, 6 km W of El Hawariah, sea coast, 37°03′N 10°57′E, ca. 3 m, 23.iii.2014, 3 ♂♂ 6 ♀♀, David Král lgt. ( DKCP) ; Cap Bon peninsula, 2 km NW of Douela by road, 23.–24.iii.2014, 36°50′N 10°35′E, 13 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀, O. Hillert lgt. ( OHCB) ; Cap Bon peninsula, 2 km NW of Douela by road, 36°49′N 10°35′E, ca. 130 m, 23.–24.iii.2014, 4 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀, David Král lgt. ( DKCP), 1 ♂ [partially damaged, in pure alcohol] ( CUPC) ; Cap Bon peninsula, 6 km SW of Zouiet el Mgaiez by road, 23.iii.2014, 36°58′N 10°55′E, 3 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀, O. Hillert lgt. ( OHCB) ; Cap Bon peninsula, 6 km SW of Zaouiet El Mgaiez by road, 36°49′N 10°55′E, ca. 45 m, 23.iii.2014, 1 ♂ 2 ♀♀, David Král lgt. ( DKCP) ; Cap Bon , 1960, 1 ♀, G. Frey [lgt.] ( NHMB) ; Cap Bon, 1894, Museum Paris, 1919, 1 ♀, coll. A. de Perin ( MNHN). No further locality specified: Tunisia , Salt Lake , Kveten [May] 2005, 1♀, Volcano lgt. ( OBCB) ; Tunisia, Solunan, Museum Paris 1993, 1 ♂, coll J. Baraud ( MNHN).

Redescription. Male (lectotype) ( Figs 52–54 ). Distinctly convex, surface black, shiny, pronotum covered with double punctation, elytron glabrous.

Head ( Figs 52–54 ). Clypeus broadly rounded, nearly semicircular, anterior angles vague. Posterior angles of clypeal margin elevated. Frontal horn weakly developed, short, simple, conical. Punctation of clypeal disc simple, distinct. Oblique keels above eyes reaching to approximately posterior part of eyes. Punctation of front and vertex same as on clypeus; fronto-clypeal suture present. Eyes weakly elliptic and well developed; genae evenly rounded, distinctly extending eyes laterally.

Pronotum ( Figs 52–54 ) distinctly transverse; broadest just at basal quarter, entirely bordered; lateral margin evenly rounded, marginal carina not crenate, distinctly widened and elevated; lateral fovea almost missing. Pronotal punctation distinct, double, consisting of well and deeply impressed punctures, separated by less than their diameter, intermixed with very fine, pinned punctures. Lateral hornlike apophyses weakly tuberculate. Apical hornlike apophyses weakly elevated, joined in keel-like seam.

Scutellar shield triangular, finely punctate, shiny.

Elytra approximately as long as wide, surface shiny, glabrous; between suture and humerus 7 distinct striae along entire elytral length, all striae with distinctly confluent punctures; intervals convex; humeral umbone weak.

Aedeagus. Parameres as in Fig. 65 .

Variability in males. Surface black to brownish; pronotal hornlike apophyses in medium developed and underdeveloped (hypothelic) specimens short, more or less straight, only simply rounded to almost acute apically.

Female (Paralectotype No. 1). Head: Clypeus broadly rounded, nearly semicircular, anterior angles vague. Posterior angles of clypeal margin very weakly elevated. Frontal carina well developed, not interrupted, in middle and on each side tuberculate. Punctation of clypeus, frons, vertex and occiput simple, distinct; oblique keels above eyes distinct, elongated to posterior part of eyes; eyes well developed, nearly rounded, genae well developed, evenly rounded and distinct, extending eyes laterally.

Pronotum distinctly transverse, lateral margin weakly widened, broadest just basally, surface distinctly deeply punctate, doubly except of basal part, punctures consisting of well and deeply impressed punctures, separated by less than their diameter, intermixed with very fine, pinned punctures. Anterior transverse protrusion distinct, sharply semicircular, in middle emarginated, lateral apophyses present, but almost invisible.

Elytron surface shiny, glabrous; humeral umbone weak.

Measurements. Total body length 10.5–12.2 mm (lectotype, ♂: 11.5 mm; paralectotype No.1, ♀: 12.0 mm).

Differential diagnosis. Refer to species key.

Collection circumstances. Prefers sandy soils.

Distribution. Algeria (with no locality specified), northernmost Tunisia and Sicily ( Italy) (Fig. 59).

Remarks. ABEILLE DE PERRIN (1898) described Bolboceras vaulogeri based on a series of male and female specimens (‘plusieurs sujets’) from Bizerte ( Tunisia). He did not establish a holotype; thus in this study, we here designate a lectotype (♂) ( Fig. 55 ) and seven paralectotypes for fixation of this taxon ( Fig. 56 ). BOUCOMONT (1902: 6) listed this species as valid, while BOUCOMONT (1912: 17) as a synonym to Bolbelasmus bocchus . PIC (1924) disagreed with BOUCOMONT (1902) and considered that the character given to differentiate B. vaulogeri (horn bifid vs. simple horn) was not valid: ‘(à corne simple) avec bocchus Er. (à corne entaillee) ♂, inscrite au Catalogus 46, ne me parait pas justifiée’. KRIKKEN (1977) studied a series of ten males and six females from Tunisia (from Biserta, Hammamet, Maktar and Sousse, however, no types were included), and resurrected the taxon as a subspecies of B. bocchus . BRANCO (2005) believes Krikken was mistaken as ABEILLE DE PERRIN (1898) gave a body size of 5 mm for B. vaulogeri . However, the description by ABEILLE DE PERRIN (1898) certainly refers to a Bolbelasmus , the type series exists, and males are 7.5–9.5 mm long; thus the name B. vaulogeri is available, but the measure recorded by ABEILLE DE PERRIN (1898) was just smaller than the actual ones.

Concerning the status in Sicily, the story is intricate. RAGUSA (1893) was the first entomologist to collect a species of Bolbelasmus in Sicily. He sent the specimen, a female, to E. Reitter, who tentatively identified it as Bolboceras gallicus , and wrote on a label that a study of the male was needed to confirm his identification ( ARNONE & MASSA 2010). When Ragusa obtained a male, he was convinced that it belonged to B. gallicus and decided to publish the record without re-consulting with Reitter. Thus, this species was reported in different catalogues, without checking the specimens preserved in the Ragusa collection. In 1974, B. Massa collected another male on the sandy coast of Balestrate (Palermo), finding that characters of the scutellar shield and the head pattern did not match with the characteristics of B. gallicus . That specimen was examined and identified by Jacques Baraud as B. unicornis ( BARAUD 1977) . Since 1974, a few specimens of Bolbelasmus were found (cf. ALIQUÒ 1988, who recorded it as B. gallicus ; AGOGLITTA et al. 2006, who identified two specimens as B. unicornis ). In 2009–2010, it was possible to have access to some males and females to compare them with the two species previously reported from Sicily and the other known species in the Mediterranean area; thus, ARNONE & MASSA (2010) described it as Bolbelasmus romanorum , following KRIKKEN (1977) in considering B. vaulogeri a species related to B. bocchus .

Altogether, for a very long time the taxonomic status of the species B. vaulogeri was confused and the taxonomic status changed many times. Remarkably, no one possesses the type material examined in the description of 1898 for the taxonomic status to be clarified. The fact that this species is with simple tubercle on frons and not bifurcate ‘…corne frontale du ♂ en forme de tubercule conique émoussé, très courte…’ was not considered by all authors.

Thus, we examined the series of specimens of B. romanorum and compared them with B. vaulogeri and are now able to establish the following synonymy: Bolbelasmus romanorum Arnone & Massa, 2010 , syn. nov. = Bolbelasmus vaulogeri ( Abeille de Perrin, 1898) .

Figures

Figs 5–7.Male habitus in dorsal aspect.5 – Bolbelasmus nikolajevi Hillert,Arnone, Král & Massa sp. nov. (holotype); 6 – B. vaulogeri (Abeille de Perrin, 1898) (Tunisia: Cap Bon peninsula, 6 km W of El Hawariah, 11.8 mm, DKCP); 7 – B. vaulogeri (Italy: Sicily, Menfi (Agrigento), Cinquanta, body length: 11.6 mm, MAPC).

Figs 12–13. Female habitus in dorsal aspect. 12 – B. nikolajevi Hillert, Arnone, Král & Massa sp. nov. (allotype); 13 – B. vaulogeri (Abeille de Perrin, 1898) (Tunisia: Cap Bon peninsula, 6 km W of El Hawariah, 12.0 mm, DKCP).

Figs 14–20. Male habitus in lateral aspect. 14 – Bolbelasmus bocchus (Erichson, 1841) (Morocco: Azrou, Foret de Cedres, body length:14.0 mm, NMPC); 15 – B. brancoi Hillert & Král sp.nov.(holotype); 16 – B. gallicus (Mulsant, 1842) (France: Bouches-du-Rhône,Barbentane, 13.8 mm, DJCP); 17 – B. howdeni Hillert & Král sp. nov.(holotype); 18 – B. nikolajevi Hillert, Arnone, Král & Massa sp. nov. (holotype); 19 – B. vaulogeri (Abeille de Perrin, 1898) (Tunisia: Cap Bon peninsula, 6 km W of El Hawariah, body length: 11.8 mm, DKCP); 20 – B. vaulogeri (Italy: Sicily, Menfi (Agrigento), Cinquanta, body length: 11.6 mm, MAPC).

Figs 21–26. Pronotum of male in dorsal aspect.21 – Bolbelasmus bocchus (Erichson, 1841) (Morocco:Azrou, Foret de Cedres, NMPC); 22 – B. brancoi Hillert & Král sp. nov. (holotype); 23 – B. gallicus (Mulsant, 1842) (France: Bouches-du-Rhône, Barbentane, DJCP); 24 – B. howdeni Hillert & Král sp. nov. (holotype); 25 – B. nikolajevi Hillert, Arnone, Král & Massa sp. nov. (holotype); 26 – B. vaulogeri (Abeille de Perrin, 1898) (Tunisia: Cap Bon peninsula, 6 km W of El Hawariah, DKCP).

Figs 27–32.Pronotum of male in frontal aspect. 27 – Bolbelasmus bocchus (Erichson, 1841) (Morocco:Azrou, Foret de Cedres, NMPC); 28 – B. brancoi Hillert & Král sp. nov. (holotype); 29 – B. gallicus (Mulsant, 1842) (France: Bouches-du-Rhône, Barbentane, DJCP); 30 – B. howdeni Hillert & Král sp. nov. (holotype); 31 – B. nikolajevi Hillert, Arnone, Král & Massa sp. nov. (holotype); 32 – B. vaulogeri (Abeille de Perrin, 1898) (Tunisia: Cap Bon peninsula, 6 km W of El Hawariah, DKCP).

Figs 33–44. Head in dorsal aspect, 33–38 –♂♂; 39–44 – ♀♀. 33 – Bolbelasmus bocchus (Erichson, 1841) (Morocco: Azrou, Foret de Cedres, NMPC); 34 – B. brancoi Hillert & Král sp. nov. (holotype); 35 – B. gallicus (Mulsant, 1842) (France: Bouches-du-Rhône, Barbentane, DJCP); 36 – B. howdeni Hillert & Král sp. nov. (holotype); 37 – B. nikolajevi Hillert, Arnone, Král & Massa sp. nov. (holotype); 38 – B. vaulogeri (Abeille de Perrin, 1898) (Tunisia: Cap Bon peninsula, 6 km W of El Hawariah, DKCP); 39 – B. bocchus (Morocco: Gaada de Debdou plateau., E of Rchida, DKCP); 40 – B. brancoi (allotype); 41 – B. gallicus (Spain: Andalusia, Aljaraque vill. env., JSCP); 42 – B. howdeni (allotype); 43 – B. nikolajevi (allotype); 44 – B. vaulogeri (Tunisia: Cap Bon peninsula, 6 km W of El Hawariah, DKCP).

Figs 52–56. Lectoptype and labels of Bolbelasmus vaulogeri (Abeille de Perrin, 1898), male, deposited in MNHN. 52 – habitus in dorsal aspect, 53 – same but frontal aspect, 54 – same but lateral aspect, 55 – labels of lectotype, 56 – labels of paralectotype No1.

Figs 57–58. Living specimens. 57 – Bolbelasmus nikolajevi Hillert, Arnone, Král & Massa sp. nov. (paratype, ♂, Tunisia, Cap Bon peninsula, 6 km W of El Hawariah); 58 – B. vaulogeri (Abeille de Perrin, 1898) (♂, Tunisia, Cap Bon peninsula, 2 km NW of Douela). Photos by Petr Šípek.

Figs 60–65. Aedeagus of Bolbelasmus species, ventral aspect, schematically. 60 – B. bocchus (Erichson, 1841), 61 – B. brancoi Hillert & Král sp. nov., 62 – B. gallicus (Mulsant, 1842), 63 – B. howdeni Hillert & Král sp. nov., 64 – B. nikolajevi Hillert, Arnone, Král & Massa sp. nov., 65 – B. vaulogeri (Abeille de Perrin, 1898).