Coprophanaeus, Olsoufieff, 1924

Edmonds, W. D. & Zidek, J., 2010, A taxonomic review of the neotropical genus Coprophanaeus Olsoufieff, 1924 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae), Insecta Mundi 2010 (129), pp. 1-111 : 102

Coprophanaeus (C.) caroliae Edmonds, 2008

Fig. 291 , 297-301

Coprophanaeus caroliae Edmonds, 2008: 43

Type. Holotype male, Colección Boliviana de Fauna, La Paz (examined; on loan to Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado , Santa Cruz).

Diagnosis. General – Dorsum largely black, red metallic color restricted to posterior portion of head and anterior portion and margin of pronotum and pygidium; venter with scattered reflections of same tone as dorsum. Frons long, length at least one and half times that of clypeus. Anterior (declivitous) face of metasternum with setigerous punctures widely distributed over most of surface. Length 17-22 mm.

Male – Apical processes of parameres attenuated, tips barely visible in profile. Pronotal prominence of larger individuals consisting of two conical bumps separated by small concavity.

Female – Pronotal carina a distinctly raised, medially bidentate crest followed by very weak depression.

Specimen examined – 23.

Distribution. Yungas province in Bolivia.

Collection Records. BOLIVIA: Cochabamba -- Cordillera Mosetenes, Isiboro-Securé National Park, 16 14’10”S 66 24’46”W, 1350 m (Sep).

Comments. Coprophanaeus caroliae is known only from the low yungas of Cordillera Mosetenes, whose dung beetle community received close scrutiny from Hamel-Leigue et al. (2008). This species is similar to C. strandi ( Balthasar, 1939) and apparently also to C. lecromi Arnaud, 2002a , and it may later be judged a synonym of either or both. These two species were based on single male specimens. We have examined the holotype and only known specimen of Balthasar’s species deposited at the National Museum of Natural History in Prague, which we illustrate here for the record ( Fig. 302 ). But we have not seen that of C. lecromi , which is housed in the private collection of its describer. Until more specimens (including females) and information on C. strandi and C. lecromi become available, a thorough comparison and analysis of the three taxa will not be possible (see Edmonds 2008, for further observations).

Figures

Figure 291. Approximate geographic distribution of Coprophanaeus (s. str.) species in the ohausi species group.

Figure 297-302. Coprophanaeus spp. 297-301) C. caroliae. 297-298) Female habitus. 299-300) Male habitus. 301) Aedeagus (lateral view above, dorsal view below). 302) C. strandi, holotype male habitus.