Tomarus colombianus López-García & Gasca-Álvarez, 2014

López-García, Margarita M., Gasca-Álvarez, Héctor J. & Amat-García, Germán, 2015, The scarab beetle tribe Pentodontini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) of Colombia: taxonomy, natural history, and distribution, Zootaxa 4048 (4), pp. 451-492 : 480

Tomarus colombianus López-García & Gasca-Álvarez, 2014

( Figs. 109 – 116 )

Tomarus colombianus López-García & Gasca-Álvarez , in López-García et al. 2014: 579 .

Description. Habitus as in Fig. 109 . Length 18.0– 19.1 mm (♂), 19.5–21.0 mm (♀). Humeral width 8.5–9.5 mm (♂), 9.5–10.5 mm (♀). Color dark reddish brown, venter light red, except sternites. Head: Frons coarsely rugose and grooved. Frontoclypeal region with two triangular to transverse tubercles separated by about 7.5 tubercle diameters. Clypeus subtriangular, narrowed; apex with 2 triangular teeth separated by less than a tooth diameter ( Fig. 111 ). Mandibles with 2 teeth and a basal lobe, dorsal surface concave. Antenna with 10 antennomeres, club subequal in length to antennomeres 2–7. Pronotum: Surface nearly smooth with punctation over apical and lateral margins. Apical margin with a small tubercle, not visible in lateral view; pronotal fovea very shallow, rugopunctate and about a half as wide as distance between eyes. Scutellum: Surface with deep punctures forming 2 parallel lines to lateral margins. Elytra: Elytral punctation dense and strong, punctures mainly ocellate, 3 pairs of distinct double rows. Sutural stria present and complete. Pygidium: Slightly convex, nearly flat in lateral view; basal third deeply punctate, rugose and with sparse, round punctures. Legs: Protibia tridentate with an additional small basal teeth ( Fig. 115 ), sometimes basal tooth too inconspicuous to be seen, possibly worn by use. Male protarsus simple, not enlarged. Apex of metatibia with small crenulation and 9 spinules (11 in females). Venter: Prosternal process long, thick, apex transversely oval to rounded, and bordered with long yellow setae. Parameres: Base broad, apex nearly truncate; with 2 lateral projections, basal projection long and upwardly arched, apical projection shorter and acute ( Figs.112–113 ). Spiculum gastrale: Symmetric with basal part straight and as long as the lateral branches ( Fig. 114 ).

Diagnosis. Both T. colombianus and T. laevicollis ( Bates 1888) have the protibia with a fourth, small basal tooth, and similar parameres. But T. laevicollis has the first elytral interval smooth and the sutural stria incomplete, the scutellum without parallel lines of punctures, and pronotal tubercle visible in lateral view. Tomarus colombianus is also similar to T. maternus but the latter differs in: clypeal teeth separated by more than a tooth diameter; protibia without a basal fourth tooth; apex of metatibia with 14 to 17 spinules; and parameres shorter and without acute, lateral projections.

Locality records. ( Fig. 116 ) 5 specimens, 2♂, 3♀. Specimens were seen from CIUQ, ICN. Huila (1): Neiva (1). Valle del Cauca (4): Buenaventura, La Bocana (4).

Temporal distribution. March (1), April (4).

Distribution. This species is known from Bazan Bocana, which is a coastal town from Buenaventura (Valle del Cauca) located about 0–7 m in elevation; and Neiva (Huila) which is about 425 m ( López-García et al. 2014).

Natural history. Specimens were collected by hand and light traps. The area where most individuals were collected is characterized as tropical humid forest. Mangrove swamp, secondary forest and, Guandal forest are predominant in this coastal region ( López-García et al. 2014).

Figures

FIGURES 109 – 116. Tomarus colombianus. 109) habitus in dorsal view, 110) habitus in lateral view, 111) parameres in frontal view, 112) parameres in lateral view, 113) spiculum gastrale, 114) locality records in Colombia.