A taxonomic review of the neotropical genus Coprophanaeus Olsoufieff, 1924 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae)
Author
Edmonds, W. D.
Author
Zidek, J.
Coprophanaeus bonariensis (Gory)
text
Insecta Mundi
2010
2010-07-02
2010
129
1
111
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.5352924
1942-1354
5352924
Coprophanaeus
(
C
.)
dardanus
(
MacLeay, 1819
)
Fig. 6
,
213-216
,
237
,
239-243
Phanaeus dardanus
MacLeay, 1819: 126
Phanaeus bitias
Harold, 1863: 163
(syn. by
Nevinson 1892: 3
)
Phanaeus jasion
Felsche, 1901: 153
(syn. by
Pessôa 1934: 300
)
Phanaeus arrowi
Olsoufieff, 1924: 68
(syn. by
Arnaud 2002c: 32
)
Coprophanaeus dardanus
(MacLeay)
(recomb. by
Edmonds 1972: 843
)
Type.
P. dardanus
– unknown to us (see Comments);
P. bitias
– unknown to us;
P. jasion
–
holotype
male, Staatliches Museum für Tierkunde, Dresden;
P. arrowi
–
lectotype
male (des. by Arnaud 1982: 116), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris (examined by photo).
Diagnosis.
General
– Dorsum dark, sombre, metallic reflections restricted to pronotum and head (
Fig. 239-242
). Clypeal margin distinctly angulate adjacent to median teeth. Length of clypeus about equal to that of frons. Pronotal disk lacking midlongitudinal sulcus, posterior portion smooth to very weakly punctured. Cap of anterior metasternal angle usually simple, sometimes slightly forked; anterior surface of metasternum smooth above anterior margin of disk. Elytral striae not distinctly carinulate. Length
14- 29 mm
.
Male
– Head horn (
Fig. 213-215
) erect, plate-like, gently curved posteriorly; width approaching interocular distance, sides parallel to slightly divergent; apex bidentate, teeth elongate, widely separated by deep, rounded emargination. Pronotal prominence (
Fig. 241-242
) cleat-like, strongly bilobate, lobes directed anterolaterally and flanked by deep, oval concavities, lateral margin of each concavity with weak tumosity above lateral fossa; width of prominence slightly greater than distance between outer margins of eyes. Apical processes of parameres strong, hook-like.
Female
– Cephalic carina (
Fig. 216
) widely bidentate, apical margin between teeth widely raised, weakly angulate. Transverse crest of pronotum rounded, distinctly bidentate medially, followed by weak depression with feebly bitumose summit.
Specimens examined
– 535.
Distribution.
Northern Amazonian subregion and coastal
Brazil
(
Fig. 237
).
Collection Records.
BRAZIL
:
Amapá
–
Serra do Navio
[Cava Urucum-Amapari],
00
o
53’06”N
51
o
52’53”W
(Jan, Sep).
Amazonas
–
60 km
N Manaus
[Fazenda Esteio]
Bahia
– Porto Seguro (Jan)
.
Ceará
–
Maranguape
,
Piraponga
,
38
o
41’59"W
03
o
53’26"S
,
200 m
;
Baturite
,
Uirapuru
,
38
o
54’22"W
04
o
17’27"S
,
620 m
(Mar)
.
Goiás
–
Jaraguá.
Pará
– Redenção
,
7
o
46’S
51
o
58’W
(Oct)
; Belêm (Jan-Mar); Alidos (Mar);
Monte Dourado
,
0
o
42’S
52
o
38’W
,
100 m
(Mar-Apr)
;
45 km
E Canindé
(Dec)
.
Paraíba
– João Pessoa [
Mata do Buraquinho
] (Aug)
;
Aréia
[Mata do Pau Ferro],
6
o
58’S
35
o
42’W
(Apr)
.
Paraná
– Londrina (Apr).
Pernambuco
– Cabo [Reserva Ecologica Gurjaú] (May, Oct).
Rio de Janeiro
–
Itatiaia
,
700 m
(Oct, Dec)
;
Rio de Janeiro
[Parque Lage] (Feb); Botafogo (Mar, Nov);
Floresta da Tijuca
(Dec)
; Petropolis (Sep, Dec).
Roraima
– Caracaraí (Jul).
Santa Catarina
– Corupá (Oct-Nov);
Joinville
(Apr, Jun).
CO- LOMBIA
:
Guaviaré
– San
José [Finca La Esmeralda],
2
o
33’N
72
o
38’W
,
240 m
(Oct)
.
FRENCH GUIANA
:
8.4 km
SSE
Roura
,
4
o
40’41”N
52
o
13’25”W
,
200 m
(May-Jun)
;
7 km
N Saül
[
Les Eaux Claires
],
3
o
39’46”N
53
o
13’19”W
(May-Jun)
;
Wanaboo
[Marowijne River],
4
o
43’35”N
54
o
26’36”W
,
40 m
(Jun)
;
9.7 km
NW –
4.3 km
SE Patawa
[
Kaw Mountain
],
4
o
32’40.1”N
52
o
09’08.1”W
(Dec)
;
Mana
,
5
o
39.2’N
53
o
49.9’W
(Jul)
;
100 km
S Cayenne
[
Nouragues Research Station
],
4
o
05’N
52
o
40’W
.
GUYANA
:
Mazaruni-Potaro
– Takutu Mts.
,
6
o
15’N
59
o
05’W
(
Dec
).
Potaro-Siparuni
–
Iwokrama Forest Reserve
,
4
o
40’19”N
58
o
41’04”W
,
100- 200 m
(Jun)
.
SURINAME
:
Brokopondo
–
Stoneiland
, ~ approx.
4
o
59’N
55
o
09’W
,
30 m
(Apr-May)
;
Rosebel
gold mining area, ~
5
o
07' N
;
55
o
17 W
(
May
).
Para
– ~
20 km
SSE
Joden Savanne
,
5
o
16’17”N
54
o
55’15”W
,
40 m
(Jun-Jul).
Paramaribo
– Pallisadenweg (Jul).
Sipaliwini
–
Central Suriname Nature Reserve
, environs of Voltzberg research station, 4
o
40.90”N 56
o
11.13'’ W,
100 m
(Mar)
;
Central Suriname Nature Reserve
, environs of
Lolopasi
field station,
4
o
42.91’N
56
o
12.83’W
,
80 m
(Mar)
;
Central Suriname Nature Reserve
, environs of
Conservation International
field station,
50 m
(Mar)
;
Central Suriname Nature Reserve
,
Raleighvallen
,
Fungu Island
(=
Foengoe Island
), ~
4
o
33’30"N
56
o
12’21"W
(Jul)
;
Bakhuis mountains
, ~
4
o
27’13"N
56
o
57’39"W
(Nov)
; Palumeu,~3
o
20’46.3'’N 55
o
26’30.8'’W (Jun).
Wanica
– Lelydorp (Feb);
Zanderij, Hannover (Jun).
TRINIDAD-TOBAGO
: Port-of-Spain [
Capuro Valley
]
;
16 km
N Arima
,
650 m
(Jun)
;
8 km
N
Arima
,
260 m
;
Maracas Valley
,
600 m
;
11 km
SE Arima
[
Arena Forest Reserve
],
80 m
(Jun)
.
VENEZUELA
:
Amazonas
– Puerto Ayacucho (May)
;
El
Infierno (Jun)
; Atabapo (Jun);
Camani (Jun-Jul).
Aragua
– Maracay [Rancho Grande] (Jun).
Bolívar
–
50 km
SE El Manteco
[
Río El Supamo
] (Dec)
;
Paují
,
1100 m
;
10 km
E San Francisco Yuruani
,
1300 m
(Jul)
;
20 km
S Luepa
,
1500 m
(Jul)
;
10 km
E Kavanayen
,
1500 m
(Jun)
;
22 km
SE El Dorado
(Jul)
;
10 km
S El Dorado
,
200 m
(Jul-Aug)
;
100 km
S El Dorado
,
350 m
(Jul-Aug)
;
6 km
S San Isidro
(Jun-Jul)
;
Parupa
,
1500 m
(Jun-Jul).
Miranda
–
33 km
N Altagracia de la Montaña
[Guatopo National Park, La Crucita],
400 m
(Jun).
Monagas
–
27 km
SW Caripe
,
300 m
(Jun)
;
Caripe
,
700 m
(Jul)
.
Figure 239-243.
Coprophanaeus dardanus
.
239-240)
Female habitus.
241-242)
Male habitus.
243)
Aedeagus (dorsal view on left; lateral view on right).
Comments.
We assume that the type, or a candidate for the
lectotype
of this species, will be found in the MacLeay Collection at the University of Sydney. We were unable to secure specimens from Sydney for this study. However, there is little room for doubt about the identity of
C. dardanus
even from the brief description of
MacLeay (1819: 126-127)
: “P. nigro-viridis, capitis cornubus duobus brevibus basi connatis, thorace antice carinâ bidentatâ instructo … Mas. Thorax fossulâ utrinque sub carinae dentibus unidentatâ
…”
(Free translation:
Black with green, head horn with two teeth broadly connected at the base; thorax with bidentate process … Male: Lateral concavity beneath median process with single tooth …”
). His diagnosis highlights the bidentate structure of the male head horn (
Fig. 213-214
), which is unique to the genus and seen otherwise in phanaeines only in
Diabroctis
. The length of the teeth varies, but usually amounts to at least the height of the base. In large individuals the upper margin of the base, between the lateral teeth, is slightly raised medially. In very small males (
Fig. 215
) the horn is reduced to a weakly bidentate swelling reminiscent of the small males of
Oxysternon
and certain
Phanaeus
. The cephalic carina of the female (
Fig. 216
), even in small individuals, is also unique and highly diagnostic. It bears a small denticle at each end, separated by a broad, rounded or slightly angulate elevation.
We regard
C. dardanus
as a fundamentally Amazonian species, but it has managed to spread southward via the Atlantic coast of
Brazil
into portions of the Paranaian subregion as far south as
Santa Catarina
as well as into the central highlands (via gallery forests?). Remarkably, as far as we can see, the vast occupation of its combined range has not resulted in any detectable geographic variation. We have not seen
Arnaud’s (2002a)
species,
C. terrali
, which was based on a single male from
Mato Grosso
and considered a close ally of
C. dardanus
. The single reported specimen (
holotype
) is part of a private collection that was not available for study. The shape of the cephalic carina of the
holotype
is strikingly different from that expected for
C. dardanus
, and the possibility that the shape is a teratologic form or a distinct morph in otherwise normal populations needs to be ruled out in any assessment of its validity.