Saprositellus denticulatus Balthasar, 1967

Stebnicka, Zdzisława Teresa, 2003, The Genus Saprositellus Balthasar, with Descriptions of Three New Neotropical Species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Odontolochini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 57 (4), pp. 451-457 : 452-453

Saprositellus denticulatus Balthasar

( Figs. 1 , 5 )

Saprositellus denticulatus Balthasar 1967:138–139 , fig. 16; Dellacasa 1988:271 (catalogued).

Description. Length 2.8–3.0 mm, greatest width 1.0 mm. Body ( Fig. 1 ) elongate oval, widest at apical third of elytra; color piceus, surface microreticulate, legs dark brown. Clypeus shallowly emarginate, lateral edge with 6–7 fine denticles on each side of emargination, surface just above shining and here minutely transversely granulate; remaining surface of head with fine punctures separated by less than one diameter, punctures near eyes forming short longitudinal lines; frontal suture marked by slightly impressed line; gena small, rounded. Pronotum convex, slightly converging posteriorly, side straight, finely margined, lateral tooth small, acutely prominent; base straight, finely crenate without marginal line; pronotal disc with shallow longitudinal furrow and small fovea laterally, surface punctures everywhere close, on disc separated by about one diameter, fine punctures along anterior margin increase in size toward base, those on sides medium-sized, closer. Elytra distinctly arcuate, base as wide as pronotal base, humeral denticles small; striae deep, slightly narrower than intervals with coarse punctures crenating inner margins of intervals, punctures separate each other by about 1/3 of their diameter; intervals subcarinate, microreliculate, minute punctures scattered. Ventral sclerites alutaceous; mesosternal surface and lateral area of metasternum distinctly punctate, punctures same size as those on pronotal disc; mestasternal midline shallow, discal punctures finer than those on sides, lateral metasternal triangle marked by very shallow concavity; abdominal sternites finely fluted along sutures, punctate from side to side, punctures separated by about one diameter, finer and closer on penultimate sternite and pygidium. Profemur wide, perimarginal groove deep, surface punctures same size as those of penultimate sternite; meso- and metafemora slender, posterior femoral lines complete, posterior edge slightly lobed medially ( Fig. 5 ); meso- and metatibiae as long as femora, slightly sinuate, minutely and scarcely setigerous; metatibia with fine external spine and very thin apical spurs, tarsus short, segments quadrate; basal tarsomere of metatarsus markedly shorter than upper tibial spur and shorter than following two tarsomeres together.

Affinity. The species is most similar to Saprositellus ariquemes n. sp. (see Affinity under that species).

Type Data. Holotype (sex not determined), labelled ‘‘ Brasilien, Amazonas ,’’ ‘‘ Saprositellus denticulatus m. Dr V. Balthasar,’’ in BCP.

Material Examined. Holotype (seen in 1973) and one specimen, labelled: PERU, Prov. Loreto, 160 km NE Iquitos, Explornapo Camp, 2 km from Rio Napo on Rio Sucusari , 27–31.VIII.1992, black light trap, P. Skelley ( FSCA).

Figures

Figs. 1–4. 1) Saprositellus denticulatus Balthasar, habitus; 2–4) left half of body; 2) S. ariquemes n. sp.; 3) S. santaritae n. sp. 4) S. peruanus n. sp.

Figs. 5–8. Saprositellus denticulatus Balthasar, right posterior leg; 6–7) S. ariquemes n. sp.;