Coprophanaeus (Coprophanaeus) cyanescens ( Olsoufieff, 1924 )

Gillett, Conrad P. D. T., Gillett, P. T., E. D. T, James & Vaz-de-Mello, Fernando Z., 2010, Diversity and distribution of the scarab beetle tribe Phanaeini in the northern states of the Brazilian Northeast (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), Insecta Mundi 2010 (118), pp. 1-19 : 6-7

Coprophanaeus (Coprophanaeus) cyanescens ( Olsoufieff, 1924)

Figure 7

Collection data. Ceará: Maranguape, São Benedito, Sanctuario da Nossa Senhora de Penha , 38 o 40’53"W ; 03 o 52’18"S, 160 m Atlantic forest , carrion traps, 26. iii. 2008: 2m + 1f ; idem, 09. iv. 2008: 1m + 1f ; Maranguape, Tabatinga, 38 o 43’48"W ; 04 o 00’42"S, 126 m Caatinga , carrion traps, 31. iii. 2008: 1m + 1f ; idem, open area dung traps, 26. iii. 2008: 1 f ; Same as before except, carrion traps, 31. iii. 2008: 1f ; Serra de Baturité , Uirapuru, 38 o 54’22"W ; 04 o 17’27"S, 620 m Atlantic forest , carrion traps, 06. iii. 2008: 2m + 5f ; idem, carrion traps near house, 27. iii. 2008: 1f ; idem, forest carrion traps, 09-10. v. 2008: 7m + 4f ; idem, dung traps, 07. iii. 2008: 1 f ; Same as before except, carrion traps, 29. iii. 2008: 3m + 1f ; Same as before except, 07. iii. 2008: 3m + 1f ; Same as before except, forest dung traps, 29. iii. 2008: 1 f ; Same as before except, carrion traps, 28. iii. 2008: 2m + 1f ; Same as before except, forest carrion traps, 27. iii. 2008: 5m + 1f ; Piraponga, 38 o 41’59"W ; 03 o 53’26"S, 200 m Atlantic forest , carrion traps, 14. ii. 2008: 4m + 5f ; idem, 03. iii. 2008: 2m + 2f ; Maranguape, São Benedito, Sanc. Nossa Senhora de Penha , 38 o 40’48"W ; 03 o 52’29"S, 96 m open scrubland / caatinga, carrion traps, 26. iii. 2008: 2m + 1f. NEW STATE RECORDS .

Maranhão: Santa Quiteria de Maranhão, Fazenda Rodiador, 42 o 40’46"W ; 03 o 24’50"S, 47 m Restinga , under forest cover, dung traps, 12. v. 2008: 1m + 1f ; idem, forest carrion traps, 23. ii. 2008: 1m + 2f ; idem, forest carrion traps, 22. ii. 2008: 1m + 2f ; idem, 18. v. 2008: 1m + 2f ; idem, 24. ii. 2008: 1m + 1f ; idem, 17. v. 2008: 2m + 6f. idem, palm forest, sandy soil, 07. i. 2010: 1m. Pedrinhas, São Luís , 24.vii.1984, I.P. Garcia ( FVMC). NEW STATE RECORDS .

Pernambuco: Recife, Dois Irmãos, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, No dates: 1m + 1f ; Caruaru, Brejo Novo , 23. iv. 2004, D. Cabral-de-Melo ( FVMC) ; idem, 27. iii. 2004, F. Silva ( FVMC) ; Várzea , 11. ix. 1995 ( FVMC) .

Piauí: Baixa Grande do Ribeiro, Riozinho , approx. 45 o 25' W ; 8 o 50' S, gallery forest in cerrado, v. 2005: remains of a male specimen (pronotum). NEW STATE RECORD .

Results. 2008 data: 84 specimens; 41 males, 43 females. Male: Female sex ratio 0.95. Bait preference (2008 data): Carrion (79), Dung (4). Temporal distribution (all data): January (1) February (9), March (44), April (1), May (32), September, November (1)

Distribution. Widespread in cerrado and similar open habitats through most of Brazil (not in the Amazon basin). Also present in Paraguay ( Arnaud 2002a), Bolivia (D. Mann pers. comm.), Argentina (specimens in MGCB) and in areas of Atlantic forest in Brazil. Costa et al. (2009) first correctly recorded the species from the NE when they collected it in the Atlantic forest and open areas in PE.

Remarks. Coprophanaeus cyanescens is the most abundant and widespread species of Phanaeini found in the area. It is most common in Atlantic forest enclaves but can also occur less abundantly in open caatinga and cerrado areas at all elevations sampled. It is preferentially necrophagous but can be attracted in small numbers to dung baited traps both in forest and open habitats. The species is sympatric with C. dardanus (Macleay) and Diabroctis mimas (Linnaeus) in Atlantic forest, with C. pertyi and D. mimas in caatinga, and with C. acrisius and Phanaeus melibaeus Blanchard in cerrado habitat.

All previous records for C. jasius (Olivier) from NE Brazil ( Pessôa 1934, Hernández 2003; Silva et al. 2007, Lopes et al. 2006 and Filgueiras et al. 2009) should actually be attributed to C. cyanescens . The two species are closely related, but the authentic C. jasius is a widely distributed insect in Amazonian forest habitats and is replaced by C. cyanecens in the Atlantic forest, cerrado and caatinga habitats of Brazil (W.D. Edmonds pers. comm.). In the NE, C. cyanescens appears to always have the anterior and lateral margins of the pronotum, femora and pygidium of a predominantly bright green, sometimes blue-green color. No completely blue individuals (as illustrated in Arnaud 2002a) have been seen by the authors from the area. There may be a geographic correlation in coloration, as several blue specimens are known to us from SW Brazil and Paraguay, and some from Atlantic forest patches in SE Brazil (where green specimens appear to be confined to open habitats) (F.Z. Vaz-de-Mello personal observation).

Figures

Figure 7-13. Habitus images. 7) Coprophanaeus cyanescens (Olsoufieff, 1924) male specimen from Maranguape, São Benedito, Sanctuario da Nossa Senhora de Penha (CE). 8) Coprophanaeus acrisius (Macleay, 1819) male specimen from Santa Quiteria de Maranhão, Fazenda Rodiador (MA). 9) Coprophanaeus dardanus (Macleay, 1819) male specimen from Baturité, Uirapuru (CE). 10) Coprophanaeus (Metallophanaeus) pertyi (Olsoufieff, 1924) male specimen from Maranguape, Tabatinga (CE). 11) Diabroctis mimas (Linnaeus, 1767) male specimen from Maranguape, Piraponga (CE). 12-13) Phanaeus melibaeus Blanchard, 1843 male specimen from Santa Quiteria de Maranhão, Fazenda Rodiador (MA). Photographs by M.P.T. Gillett.