Amithao lafertei ( Thomson, 1860 )

Ratcliffe, Brett C., 2013, A Revision Of The Neotropical Genus Amithao Thomson, 1878 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Gymnetini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 67 (3), pp. 265-292 : 281-282

Amithao lafertei ( Thomson, 1860) ( Figs. 39–43 )

Cotinis lafertei Thomson 1860: 31 (original combination). Holotype female at MNHN, examined. Type locality: “ Venezuela.”

Amithao niveosparsus Moser 1913: 157 (original combination). Male holotype not seen. Type locality: “Medellín, Colombia.” New synonymy.

Amithao sparsus Casey 1915: 295 (original combination). Male holotype at USNM, examined. Type locality: “Culebra Cut, Panama.” New synonymy.

Description. Length 22.6–23.8 mm; width across humeri 11.7–13.1 mm. Color dark reddish brown to black except for small, abundant, yellowish white punctures on both dorsal and ventral surfaces and legs; punctures variably coalesced into narrow bands on anterior margin either side of middle on abdominal ventrites 2–5 and on posterolateral corners of abdominal ventrites 1–4. Dorsal surface velutinous (occasionally head and pronotum shiny; possibly preservative-induced), ventral surface shiny. Head: Lateral margins distinctly elevated, especially mesad of each eye. Frons and clypeus longitudinally concave, with short, median, transverse tubercle on base of clypeus. Surface varies from moderately to densely to confluently punctate; punctures mostly large, setigerous (when not abraded away); setae long, moderately dense, black. Clypeus with apex broadly, shallowly bilobed ( Fig. 39 ), strongly

40) Ventral view.

reflexed. Eyes moderate in size, interocular width equals 4.0–4.5 transverse eye diameters. Antenna with 10 antennomeres, club distinctly longer than antennomeres 2–7 in both sexes. Pronotum: Surface with punctures moderately dense, mostly large, punctures becoming slightly larger near lateral margins; some females entirely, densely punctate. Sides with thick marginal bead. Elytra: Surface with 2 weakly elevated, parallel costae terminating at weak apical umbone; punctures moderate to large, sparse to moderately dense, some coalescing into short, transverse marks. Apices behind apical umbone rugulose. Apices at suture subacute. Pygidium: Surface densely, concentrically strigulopunctate, setigerous in both sexes; setae dense, short, black. In lateral view, profile weakly convex. Venter: Setae black. Mesometasternal process bluntly rounded and weakly protuberant in lateral view ( Fig. 41 ), apex broadly rounded in ventral view. Abdominal ventrites nearly smooth in central third, lateral thirds sparsely rugopunctate. Legs: Protibia slender in males, with single, apical tooth. Protibia in females broader, strongly tridentate. Parameres ( Figs. 42–43 ): Form short, apices divergent, bluntly rounded, and curved inwards.

Distribution. Amithao lafertei is known from Panama and Colombia.

Locality Records. 136 specimens from BCRC, BMNH, CNCI, DCCC, EGRC, FSCA, JNNC, MGFT, MNHN, PKLC, TAMU, UPN, USNM, WBWC, ZSMC. COLOMBIA (9): ANTIOQUIA (2): Medellín. CAUCA (2): No data. CHOCÓ (2): Río Sucio, No data. CUNDINAMARCA (2): Anapoima, No data. NO DATA (1). PANAMA (123): COCLÉ (3): Cerro Gaítal, El Valle. COLÓN (26): Gatun, Gatun (5 mi. SW), Margarita, Melia Panama Canal Hotel, Santa Rita Arriba. DARIEN (1): Rio Tacarcuna. PANAMÁ (92): Altos de Campana National Park , Altos de Cerro Azul , Altos (Isla) de Majé, Ancón, Barro Colorado Island , Cerro Campana, Cerro Jefe, La Chorrera, Lake Cerro Azul , Parque Nacional Cerro Azul, Pozo Azul near Las Nubes. NO DATA (4) .

Temporal Distribution. April (32), May (70), June (1), July (1), August (1), October (1), November (1).

Diagnosis. Amithao lafertei is easily distinguished from other Amithao species by its distintive dark reddish brown to black, velutinous dorsal surface with numerous, small, yellowish white speckles (punctures) on the pronotum and elytra.

Nomenclature. Aside from Thompson’ s holotype female at Paris, I have never seen another specimen identified as A. lafertei in any of the many museums I visited, especially those in Europe. The identity of this species seems to have been lost through time. Conversely, Moser’ s A. niveosparsus , described 53 years after A. lafertei , is represented by many specimens in several museum collections. The broader application of the epithet niveosparsus may possibly have to do with the greater ease of visiting collections, exchanging specimens, or acquiring literature in the early 20 th century when A. niveosparsus was described. This meant that Moser’ s newer name came into use while Thomson’ s older name, perhaps based on a single specimen hidden away in a large collection, was not recognized nor applied to any subsequent specimens. The characters of the holotype of A. lafertei , the older name, are congruent with the description of A. niveosparsus , and so I place the junior name into synonymy. Similarly, Casey’ s A. sparsus is identical with A. lafertei , and it, too, is placed in junior synonymy.

Natural History. Nothing is known of the life history of A. lafertei other than adults have been collected in ripe-fruit traps and at lights at elevations from near sea level to 800 m and on the flowers of Clethra lanata M. Martens and Galeotti (Clethraceae) (label data).

Figures

Figs. 39–40. Amithao lafertei. 39) Dorsal view;

Figs. 41–43. Amithao lafertei. 41) Form of mesometasternal process, lateral view; 42) Parameres, dorsal view; 43) Parameres, lateral view.