Eurysternus hypocrita Balthasar, 1939

Cárdenas-Bautista, Johann Stephens, Parada-Alfonso, Jenny Andrea & Carvajal‑Cogollo, Juan E., 2020, Dung beetles (Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae) of the Foothills-Andean Forest strip of Villavicencio, Colombia, Check List 16 (4), pp. 821-839 : 833-834

Eurysternus hypocrita Balthasar, 1939

Materials examined. COLOMBIA • 1, 21.06 mm (mean); Meta, Villavicencio, Vereda Buenavista, “El Porvenir” Farm; 04°08ʹ49.33″N, 073°41ʹ05.32″W; 1187 m a.s.l.; 23

Dec. 2018; Cárdenas Johann, Parada Jenny.; Riparian forest ; Bvbrt2; UPTC-In-00078 . • 3, 21.06 mm (mean); Meta, Villavicencio, Vereda Buenavista, “El Porvenir” Farm ; 04°08ʹ41.09″N, 073°40ʹ46.38″W; 1172 m a.s.l.; 26 Apr. 2019; Cárdenas Johann and Parada Jenny leg.; high secondary forest; Bvbt2; UPTC-In-00079 . • 1, 21.06 mm (mean); Meta, Villavicencio, Vereda El Carmen, “Las Pesebreras” Farm ; 04°08ʹ21.52″N, 073°39ʹ37.54″W; 648 m a.s.l.; 17 Oct. 2018; Cárdenas Johann and Parada Jenny; open pasture; Crplt4; UPTC-In-00080 .

Identification. This species can be distinguished from other Eurysternus species by the head with small and faint punctation above, more evident towards the posterior part, vertex and the gena with simple, dense and deep punctation; lateral pronotal margin more or less sinuous near the anterior angle; smooth and shiny metaventrite ( Génier 2009).

Distribution. In Colombia, it has been recorded in the departments of Amazonas, Caquetá, Guaviare, Meta, Nariño and Vaupés, where the species is associated with primary and secondary forests and floodable forest, in al- titudes between 100 and 700 m a.s.l. ( Génier 2009; Camero-R 2010). With 410 individuals collected in the study area, this abundant and generalist species was found in the four sampled habitats and during the two seasons of precipitation. Between 700–1200 m a.s.l., the riparian forest and high secondary forest harbored the greatest abundance of individuals (239 and 144 respectively), unlike the open areas of wooded grassland (26 individuals). Only one individual was collected in the open grassland at the lowest altitude.