Ancognatha hyltonscottae, Martinez, 1965

Paucar-Cabrera, Aura & Ratcliffe, Brett C., 2018, The Ancognatha Erichson (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Cyclocephalini) of Ecuador, with Description of a New Species, The Coleopterists Bulletin 72 (4), pp. 665-687 : 675-676

Ancognatha hyltonscottae Mart´ınez, 1965 ( Figs. 15a , 16–18 )

Ancognatha hyltonscottae Mart´ınez 1965: 64 (original combination). Holotype male at MACN (Antonio Mart´ınez Collection) ( Moore et al. 2018).

Redescription. Length 16.0– 19.5 mm; width 8.6–9.7 mm. Color testaceous or light testaceous with piceous or black markings ( Fig. 16 ) as follows: Frons on base and margin of clypeus piceous; pronotum with or without piceous to black vitta on center (vitta small or nearly completely covering surface); elytral lateral margin with partial dark stripe; humeral and apical umbones usually with small, black spot; disc with small to large, black macula extending from 1 st interval (behind scutellum) to lateral margin (some specimens lacking macula behind scutellum); surface lustrous. Femora and tibiae black on apices, tarsi brown. Pygidium brown at base. Metathorax on venter with large, brown mark on middle; abdominal sternites 1–4 piceous or black. Head: Frons rugulopunctate, clypeus moderately rugopunctate; punctures moderate in size, dense. Clypeus narrowly parabolic, apex moderately reflexed. Interocular width equals 4.0 transverse eye diameters. Mandibles elongate, slender, projecting slightly beyond clypeal apex in both sexes. Pronotum: Surface with punctures moderate in size, dense. Elytra: Surface rugopunctate-striate, punctures shallow, moderate in size, dense. Epipleuron of female (in ventral view) slightly widened at level of metacoxa and 1 st abdominal segment ( Fig. 15a ). Pygidium: Surface punctate; punctures small, moderate in density, setigerous; setae fulvous, short. In lateral view, surface weakly convex in male, nearly flat in female. Legs: Protibia tridentate, teeth subequally spaced. Venter: Prosternal process moderately long, columnar, apex densely setose, flat, and with large, raised, round “button” covering most of apex; setae long, tawny. Parameres: Fig. 17 .

Distribution. Ancognatha hyltonscottae is known from Bolivia ( Mart´ınez 1965; Endrödi 1985) and Ecuador (New Country Record).

Locality Records ( Fig. 18 ). 5 specimens from BCRC, MEPN, QCAZ .

EL ORO (1): Reserva Biológica Buenaventura. NAPO (3): Cosanga. SUCUMBÍOS (1): El Calvario .

Temporal Distribution. April/May (1).

Diagnosis. The parameres of A. hyltonscottae ( Fig. 17 ) are, along with those of A. atacazo ( Fig. 3 ), the simplest in form and lack the deeper emargination at mid-shaft that is seen in most other species. The form of the parameres, the usually lustrous dorsal surface, and key characters should serve to identify this species. Females are distinctive because of the narrow, needle-like mandibles, the body’ s lustrous dorsal surface, and the form of the epipleuron that is expanded into a large lobe at the level of the coxa and sternite 1 ( Fig. 15a ). In A. ustulata , the epipleuron is thick from its base to the level of abdominal sternite 2, where it is then abruptly constricted ( Fig. 15b ). We have seen some individuals with 8–10 antennomeres (variable in the same individuals).

Natural History. Adults have been collected at elevations of 100–1,900 m on each side of the Andes.

Figures

Fig. 15. Epipleura of a) Ancognatha hyltonscottae and b) Ancognatha ustulata.

Figs. 16–18. Ancognatha hyltonscottae. 16) Habitus; 17) Parameres; 18) Distribution in Ecuador.

Figs. 3–5. Ancognatha atacazo. 3) Habitus; 4) Parameres; 5) Distribution in Ecuador.