Golofa Hope, 1837

Ratcliffe, Brett C., Cave, Ronald D. & Mondaca, José, 2021, The Dynastine Scarab Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) of Chile, The Coleopterists Bulletin 75 (2), pp. 279-309 : 296

Golofa Hope, 1837

Golofa Hope 1837: 42 .

Asserador Maunder 1848: 40 (synonym). Mixagenus Thomson 1859: 7 (synonym). Praogolofa Bates 1891: 34 (synonym).

There are about 30 species in the Neotropical genus Golofa , depending on the authority (Arnaud and Joly 2006; Dechambre 1983; Endrödi 1985; Lachaume 1985; Morón 1995). Golofa species are found from central Mexico to northern Argentina and Chile. About 16 species are found in South America, and two species, the smallest in the genus, occur in Chile.

Most species are crepuscular or nocturnal, and they are sometimes, but not always, attracted to lights. Howden and Campbell (1974) observed Golofa porteri Hope in Colombia during the day on bamboo or a bamboo-like grass; males were actively feeding, and some were engaged in fighting one another on the bamboo stalks. A few specimens, particularly females, were taken at lights. We know almost nothing about the biology of these beetles.

Dechambre (1983) explained that “golofa” is a Venezuelan vernacular name meaning “sawyer” and is neither masculine or feminine. When Hope (1837) created the genus, he included the species Golofa claviger (Linnaeus) and Golofa hastatus (Fabricius) (now a synonym of G. claviger ), both masculine, thus affirming the generic name as masculine. Burmeister (1847), Prell (1934), and Sternberg (1910) all used masculine names for the Golofa species they described. Later, Arrow (1911) and Endrödi (1977b) incorrectly used feminine names for the species they named. Golofa should be considered masculine since that was the clear intent of Hope (1837).