Canthidium (Neocanthidium) kelleri ( Martínez et al., 1964 )

Carvalho De Santana, Edrielly C., Pacheco, Thaynara L. & Vaz-De, Fernando Z., 2019, Taxonomic revision of the Canthidium Erichson, 1847 species of the gigas group (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae), European Journal of Taxonomy 530, pp. 1-24 : 9-11

Canthidium (Neocanthidium) kelleri ( Martínez et al., 1964)

Figs 1B , 5 , 8

Neocanthidium kelleri Martínez et al., 1964: 172–177 (original description). Dichotomius (Luederwaldtinia) paraguayanus Gandini & Aguilar, 2009: 139 , figs 1–8 (original description) (synonymized by Nunes & Vaz-de-Mello 2013: 416).

Canthidium (Canthidium) kelleri – Martínez & Halffter 1986: 28 (new combination). — Vaz-de-Mello 2000: 191 (checklist). — Nunes & Vaz-de-Mello 2013: 416 (senior synonymy). Canthidium (Neocanthidium) kelleri – Cupello 2018: 470 (new subgeneric assignment).

Diagnosis

Canthidium kelleri differs from other species of the gigas group by the presence of a conical projection on the head which varies in development according to the size of the specimen.

Type specimens examined

Neocanthidium kelleri

Holotype

ARGENTINA • ♂; handwritten label; “ ARGENTINA / MISSIONES/ LORETO/ En mongas him./ Coll. Martínez // Enc: 958”; “ HOLOTYPUS ”; “ Neocanthidium / kelleri sp. n. ♂ / M., H y P./ A. MARTÍNEZ DET.1963”; “MACN-En 1223”; MACN.

Dichotomius paraguayanus

Holotype PARAGUAY • ♂; “ PARAGUAY: Concepcion, Zanja Moroti. 2.xi.2004 ”; originally in Gandini’s collection, now deposited in CEMT; CEMT.

Paratypes PARAGUAY • 1 ♀; Cordillera, Cerro Naranjo ; 25°30 ′ S, 57°04 ′ 59 ″ W; 15 May 2005; J. Rivas leg.; CEMT .

Other specimens examined

BRAZIL • 1 ♀; Distrito Federal, Brasília ; 15°47 ′ 39.22 ″ S, 47°52 ′ 55.81 ″ W; R.F. IBGE; Dec.1997; I. Diniz leg.; CEMT • 1 ♀; Brasília, Fazenda Água Limpa ; 15°57 ′ 11.05 ″ S, 47°58 ′ 23.76 ″ W; 16 Sep. 1979; Amadur leg.; CEMT • 1 ♂ [paratype of N. kelleri ]; Goiás, Rio Verde ; 17°47 ′ 33.79 ″ S, 50°55 ′ 10.77 ″ E; Dr. Nick leg.; CEMT • 1 ♀; Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Fazenda [“Faz.”] Mutuca , Eucalipto-5; 15°18 ′ 51 ″ S, 55°58 ′ 18 ″ W; 6 Mar. 2009; CEMT • 1 ♀; same locality as preceding, Cerrado-1; 3 Feb. 2009; CEMT • 1 ♂; Chapada dos Guimarães, Cachoeira da Geladeira ; FIT; 15°25 ′ 25 ″ S, 55°42 ′ 58 ″ W; 6,200 m a.s.l.; 9–30 Jan. 2013; D. Gimo leg.; CEMT • 1 ♀; same locality as for preceding, Comunidade João Carro ; 15°02 ′ 01 ″ S, 55°43 ′ 00 ″ W; 300 m a.s.l., 3 May 2016; M. Serrano leg.; CEMT • 1 ♂; Mato Grosso do Sul; Selvíria , UNESP farm, Brachiaria decumbens pasture; black light trap; 20°25 ′ 6.82 ″ S, 51°20 ′ 51.87 ″ W; 21 Sep. 2000; C.A.H. Flechtmann leg.; CEMT • 1 ♀; Minas Gerais, Cordisburgo, Fazenda [“Faz”] Pontinha ; 19°5 ′ 42.30 ″ S, 44°17 ′ 3.58 ″ W; Jan. 1994; F.Z. Vaz-de-Mello leg.; CEMT • 1 ♂; same locality as for preceding; Jan. 1999; Falqueto and Vaz-de-Mello leg.; BMNH • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; CEMT • 1 ♀; Uberaba ; 19°44 ′ 50.52 ″ S, 47°56 ′ 20.95 ″ W; CEMT • 1 ♀; Lavras ; 21°18 ′ 50.15 ″ S, 44°59 ′ 36.95 ″ W; 20 Jan. 2008; M.R. Rocha and D.H.T. Takahashi leg.; CEMT • 1 ♀; Arinos, Rio Urucuia ; 16°14 ′ 34.15 ″ S, 45°32 ′ 44.46 ″ W; 20 Apr. 1994; N. Degallier leg.; BMNH • 1 ♂; Buritis, Fazenda [“Faz”] Querência ; FIT; 15°10 ′ 23,5 ″ S, 46°32 ′ 43,1 ″ W; 978 m a.s.l.; 10 Jul. 2013 – 4 Feb. 2014; C.M. Oliveira leg.; CEMT .

Redescription

HEAD. Surface densely and distinctly punctated, especially on the clypeus. Frontoclypeal suture with conical projection.

PRONOTUM. Regularly convex, without projections, sometimes excavated anteriorly. Anterior edge slightly curved, sides arched.

HYPOMERON. Hypomeral carina incomplete.

METAVENTRITE. With simple and shallow punctation, laterobasal region with stronger punctation, lateral region with microsculpture obscurely variolate, almost semicircular.

MESEPIMERON AND MESEPISTERNUM. With shallow punctation, stronger microsculpture obscurely variolate, almost semicircular.

HIND LEG. Metafemora with a carina along posterior edge, anterior edge with setal fringe, surface with fine punctuation. Metatibiae elongated and gradually dilated towards the apex; external margin serrated.

AEDEAGUS. Parameres, in lateral view, with dorsal angulation at basal two-fifths.

Variation and sexual dimorphism

Length ranging from 8.95 to 11.54 mm. Smaller specimens have the frontal horn reduced in size, appearing as a transverse gibbosity. Pronotum with the anteromedial depression less visible and shallower in some specimens. Pygidium slightly less convex if compared with C. bokermanni . Males present a small tooth in the upper ventral part of their metatibiae. Males with ventrite VI wider medially, female ventrite VI with the same length throughout. Males also have protibial spur flattened, while in females the protibial spur is narrowed and pointed.

Geographical distribution

The specimens examined were collected in Paraguay (Cordillera) and Brazil (Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goiás, Distrito Federal and Minas Gerais). It is present in the Cerrado and the Chaco biomes, which lie in the Chacoan dominion.

Comments

The holotype and one paratype originally identified as male of D. paraguayanus were examined by us and were shown to be C. kelleri , thus confirming the name’s synonymy with C. kelleri as firstly proposed by Nunes & Vaz-de-Mello (2013). However, two paratypes originally said to be females by Gandini & Aguilar (2009) are actually males, and belong to C. bokermanni . See comments below.

Figures

Fig. 1. A. Canthidium gigas Balthasar, 1939, hypomerum with complete hypomeral carina. B. Canthidium kelleri (Martínez et al., 1964), hypomerum with incomplete hypomeral carina. C. Disc of pronotum completely punctated. D. Disc of pronotum with indefinite punctation. Not to scale.

Fig. 5. Canthidium kelleri (Martínez et al., 1964). A. Dorsal view. B. Lateral view of aedeagus. C. Dorsal view of aedeagus. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Fig. 8. Geographical distribution of Canthidium kelleri (Martínez et al., 1964) (circles) and Canthidium ayri sp. nov. (triangles).