Paragymnopleurus martinezi Balthasar, 1955

Pokorný, Svatopluk & Zídek, Jiri, 2014, Review of the Gymnopleurini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae). II. The genus Paragymnopleurus Shipp, Insecta Mundi 2014 (395), pp. 1-10 : 4

Paragymnopleurus martinezi Balthasar ( Fig. 4 )

Balthasar (1955) based this species on a male from Sichuan (loc. “Nitou-Tatsienlu”) and doubted its generic (his subgeneric) assignment because of characters transitional between Paragymnopleurus and Garreta , namely a quadridentate clypeus and two mesotibial spurs. Löbl (2006: 155) placed this species in Gymnopleurus s. str. with the notation “DA” (doubtful assignment), because at that time the holotype could not be located. The holotype at NMPC has since resurfaced, and our examination confirms that it is a valid species. It remains in Paragymnopleurus because the clypeus is only weakly quadridentate (the lateral teeth are mere undulations, as in some P. sinuatus ), the clypeus – gena transition is smooth, without any excision at the suture, and the anterior margin of the profemur is carinate for about the proximal three-fourths of length. This combination of characters is unique in the genus and defines the monobasic martinezi species group.

Figures

Figures 1-9. 1) Paragymnopleurus ambiguus Janssens, female, 23 mm. 2) P. stipes japonicus Balthasar [= P. ambiguus], male holotype, 21 mm. 3) P. brahminus (Waterhouse), female, 21 mm. 4) P. martinezi Balthasar, male holotype, 14 mm. 5) P. maurus maurus (Sharp), male, 16.5 mm. 6) P. maurus malayanus Ochi and Kon, female, 15.5 mm. 7) Paragymnopleurus maurus pauliani Janssens, female, 15.5 mm. 8) P. melanarius (Harold), male, 19.5 mm. 9) P. planus (Sharp), male, 17 mm.