Cotinis mutabilis (Gory and Percheron, 1833)

Gasca-Álvarez, Héctor Jaime, Deloya, Cuauhtémoc & Reyes-Castillo, Pedro, 2017, Teratological Cases in Five Species of Cotinis Burmeister (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Gymnetini), with a Compilation of Teratologies in Scarabaeoidea, The Coleopterists Bulletin 71 (2), pp. 329-338 : 330-333

Cotinis mutabilis (Gory and Percheron, 1833)

Teratologies. Case 1. Multiple pygidial tumors. Female with abnormal protuberances on the surface of the pygidium ( Figs. 5 and 6 ). This type of anomaly in the pygidium had not been observed in Coleoptera . Devecis (2004) described a case of bipartition of the pygidium in Mycterophallus dichropus Lansberge ( Scarabaeidae : Cetoniinae) as a “biconical” pygidium (formation of two lobes separated by a deep incision).

Material Studied. Mexico, Guerrero, Cuetzala del Progreso , 22.iv.2014 [ IEXA] .

Case 2. Morphological asymmetry (sensu Balazuc 1948). One male and three females with clear deformation of the clypeal projection. The abnormalities are variable. In one of the specimens, the clypeal projection is strongly directed backward ( Figs. 7–10 ).

Material Studied. Mexico, Morelos, Cuernavaca. 4.vii.1976 [ MHNCM] ; Mexico, Guerrero, Cuetzala del Progreso. 22.iv.2014 [ IEXA] ; Mexico, Chiapas. No more data [ IBUNAM] ; Guatemala, Escuintla, El Salto. 12.viii.1988 [ UVG] .

Case 3. Morphological asymmetry (sensu Balazuc 1948). Female with deformation of frontal projection, strongly expanded apically, apex deformed ( Fig. 11 ).

Material Studied. Mexico, Guerrero, Cuetzala del Progreso. 22.iv.2014 [ IEXA] .

Case 4. Brachelytry, unilateral reduction of the elytron or hemibrachelytry. Female with deformation of the elytra with incomplete development in the apex of the right elytron ( Fig. 12 ).

Material Studied. Guatemala, Baja Verapaz, Salamá , Los Cerritos. 5.viii.2011 [ UVG] .

Case 5. Pronotal schistothoracy or partial pronotoschisis ( Balazuc 1948). Female with evident bipartition of the pronotum in the anterior margin, and bifurcation of the basomedian lobe, showing traces of a medial longitudinal furrow ( Fig. 13 ).

Material Studied. Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Jacaltenango, La Laguna. vii.2006 [ JMSC] .

Case 6. Bilateral trematelytry ( Balazuc 1948). Female with an irregular perforation on disc of each elytron, apparently symmetrical ( Fig. 14 ).

Material Studied. Mexico, Querétaro, Jalpan de Serra , Reserva de la Biosfera Sierra Gorda. 21. vii.2007 [ IEXA] .

Figures

Figs. 1–6. Teratological cases in Cotinis species. 1) Pedunculate tumor (arrow) on the head of C. barthelemyi; 2) Malformation in the frontal projection (arrow) of C. fuscopicea; 3) Hemibrachelytry (arrow) in C. lebasi; 4) Asymmetrical teratology in the clypeal projection of C. nitida; 5) Malformation in the pygidial surface of C. mutabilis chromatic form “atrata” (lateral view); 6) Malformation in the pygidial surface of C. mutabilis chromatic form “atrata” (dorsal view).

Figs. 7–12. Teratological cases in Cotinis species. 7) Asymmetric teratology in the clypeal projection of C. mutabilis chromatic form “goryi”; 8) Asymmetric teratology in the clypeal projection of C. mutabilis chromatic form “typica” (specimen from Guerrero, Mexico); 9) Asymmetric teratology in the clypeal projection (arrow) of C. mutabilis chromatic form “typica” (specimen from Chiapas, Mexico); 10) Asymmetric teratology in the clypeal projection of C. mutabilis chromatic form “typica” (specimen from Escuintla, Guatemala); 11) Asymmetric teratology in the frontal projection (arrow) of C. mutabilis chromatic form “typica”; 12) Hemibrachelytry (arrow) in C. mutabilis chromatic form “typica”.

Figs. 13–14. Teratological cases in Cotinis mutabilis chromatic form “typica”. 13) Partial pronotoschisis (arrow); 14) Bilateral trematelytry (arrows).