Ancognatha aymara Mondaca, 2016

Mondaca, José, 2020, First records of Ancognatha aymara Mondaca, 2016 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Cyclocephalini) in Argentina, Insecta Mundi 2020 (776), pp. 1-4 : 2

Ancognatha aymara Mondaca, 2016

( Fig. 1a–1c )

Examined material. Two male specimens from: Argentina, Jujuy, Puerta , XII-1943, leg. H. Rossi (1 male) ; Argentina, Salta, Chicoana , II-1989, col. M. Viana (1 male) (JEBC-UCCC, ex Viana collection) .

Other examined material. Ancognatha aymara . Holotype male at MNNC, labeled: “ Chile, Socoroma , Prov. Parinacota, I Reg. 3.000 m, 22-III-2007, Leg. F. Ramírez. ” Paratypes at JMEC, labeled: Socoroma , Prov. Parinacota, I Reg. 3000 m, 18-III-2006, Leg. A. Ramírez (1 male) ; Chile, Parinacota , Socoroma 3000 m, 16-IV-2007, col. F. Ramírez (1 male) .

Diagnosis. Male and female of small body size (length 13–20 mm), body dorsally and ventrally castaneus to reddish brown, shiny; elytra slightly darker than pronotum; head, scutellum, and legs brown ( Fig. 1 ). Clypeus semicircular or broadly rounded, apex narrowly rounded and slightly reflexed. Frontoclypeal suture sinuous, obsolete medially, posteriorly with a low tubercle at middle situated between suture and frons. The female of A. aymara lacks dark spots or dark lines on the midline of the pronotum, and the widest point of the elytral is the epipleura adjacent to the base of ventrite 2. Aedeagus: Parameres short, basally widened, apex obtuse, lateral excavation with deep, semicircular notch ( Fig. 1b, 1c ). Phallobase 1.3 times longer than parameres ( Fig. 1b ).

Distribution. Ancognatha aymara is now known from northern Chile (Parinacota Province, Arica and Parinacota Region) and northern Argentina (Jujuy and Salta provinces) (new record) ( Fig. 2 ).

Remarks. This contribution increases the number of Ancognatha species registered for Argentina to three. Ancognatha aymara is an indigenous species that is found at high elevations on both sides of the Andes mountain range, following the trend shown by other Scarabaeidae associated with highland environments (e.g., Eremophygus Ohaus , Microogenius Gutiérrez , Peruquime Mondaca and Valencia (all Rutelinae), Scybalophagus Blanchard (Scarabaeinae) , Leuretra Erichson (Melolonthinae) , Allidio- stoma Arrow (Allidiostomatinae) and Paranimbus Schmidt (Aphodiinae) . In this way, the Andes mountain range is not a barrier that limits the distribution of this and other species of Scarabaeidae , but instead acts as a natural corridor that has allowed these taxa to diversify in South America. It is possible that the absence of records in Argentina is due to the scarcity of collections focused on this family of beetles.

Figures

Figure 1. Ancognatha aymara Mondaca from Salta, Argentina. a) Male, dorsal habitus. Scale bar: 0.5 mm. b–c) Parameres, caudal and lateral views. Scale bar: 1.0 mm.

Figure 2. Distribution of Ancognatha aymara in Chile (white stars) and Argentina (yellow circles).