Coprophanaeus, Olsoufieff, 1924

Edmonds, W. D. & Zidek, J., 2010, A taxonomic review of the neotropical genus Coprophanaeus Olsoufieff, 1924 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae), Insecta Mundi 2010 (129), pp. 1-111 : 71-73

Coprophanaeus (C.) chiriquensis ( Olsoufieff, 1924)

Fig. 154-157 , 164 , 172 , 205-209

Phanaeus chiriquensis Olsoufieff, 1924: 73

Coprophanaeus chiriquensis (Olsoufieff) (recomb. by Blackwelder 1944: 209)

Coprophanaeus uhleri Malý and Pokorný, 2008: 6 New Synonymy

Type. P. chiriquensis – female lectotype (des. by Arnaud, 1982: 116), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris (examined by photo) ; C. uhleri – holotype male, National Museum , Prague (examined) .

Diagnosis. General – Black except for dark blue metallic coloring on pronotum and pygidium. Clypeal teeth normal, length about equal to width at base. Eyes normal, width of upper portion one-fourth to onefifth of interocular distance. Frons with weak, sparse puncturing behind transverse carina. Paraocular area completely sculptured, sculpturing weakening closer to eye. Posterior portion of pronotum usually smooth, at most with very weak, sparse puncturing; basal pronotal fossae distinct. Anterior angle of metasternum with rounded cap (seen in profile, as in Fig. 167 ). Elytral interstriae distinctly convex, usually shinier midlongitudinally ( Fig. 205, 208 ). Pygidium usually lacking basal groove, rarely narrow groove present. Length 15-20 mm.

Male ( Fig. 154-157 , 205-207 ) – Length of frons about one and half times that of clypeus. Teeth of cephalic carina closely set, distance between lateral teeth usually about one-half that of interocular distance. Pronotum with large, oval fovea mesial to lateral fossa (as in Fig. 210 , arrow). Pronotal prominence of large male bitumid ( Fig. 154-157 ); tumescences widely separated, usually connected by ridge, each with flattened, triangular area on dorsal surface. Parameres with acute subapical tooth ( Fig. 207, 212 ).

Female ( Fig. 208-209 ) – Distance between lateral teeth of cephalic carina clearly greater than one-half of interocular distance. Lengths of frons and clypeus about equal. Transverse pronotal carina bidentate medially, followed by transverse depression.

Specimens examined – 130.

Distribution. Central cordillera of Costa Rica between Eastern Central America and Western Isthmus provinces ( Fig. 172 ).

Collection Records. COSTA RICA: Alajuela – 3.5 km E Bijagua [ Heliconas Lodge ], 10 o 42’45.2”N 85 o 02’28.5”W (May-Jun) ; Parque Nacional Guanacaste [Estación San Ramón], 620 m (Jun) ; Reserva Biológica Alberto Brenes, Río San Lorencito , 850 m (Jun) . Cartago – Río Grande de Orosi , 1150-1600 m (Dec) ; 19.3 km NE San José , 1010 m (May) . Guanacaste – 9 km S Santa Cecilia [Estación Pitilla], 700 m (Jun-Jul) ; Tierras Morenas, 700 m (Mar); Rincón de la Vieja National Park , 775 m (Jun) . Heredia – 16 km SSE La Virgen, 10 o 16’N 84 o 05’W, 1100 m ( Mar ) . Puntarenas – San Vito [ OTS Las Cruces Field Station], 1200 m ( May-Jul ) ; 6 km S San Vito , 1000 m (Apr-May) ; Monteverde, 1400m (May-Aug); 1 km NE Sitio Portones [Zona Protectora Las Tablas], 1530m (May) ; 1 km SW Cerro Biolley, Buenos Aires [Estación Altamira], 9 o 01’58”N 83 o 00’39”W, 1300-1450 m (Feb, Mar, Jul, Nov) ; 1.4 km NE La Tigra [Avenida El Pizote], 1300 m (Jul) ; Estación La Casona, Monte Verde , 10 o 18.5’N 84 o 47.8’W, 1520 m (Jun) . PANAMA: Chiriquí – 4km N Santa Clara [ Hartmann’s Finca ], 8 o 51’N 82 o 46’W, 1500 m (Jun-Aug) ; La Fortuna Dam, 1000m (Jul); 15km NE Gualaca [ Cerro Hornito], 1200 m (Jul-Sep) ; 33.1 km S Chiriquí Grande, 800 m (Dec) ; Boquete (Jun). Veraguas – 8 km W Santa Fe [ Cerro Tute], 8 o 30’26”N 81 o 06’49”W, 900 m.

Comments. Coprophanaeus uhleri is based on smaller specimens that fit well within the observed variation of C. chiriquensis . Pereira and Martínez (1956; see also 1960) erroneously synonymized this species with C. corythus . The posterior portion of the pronotum (as well as the frons) is smooth and usually devoid of any distinct punctures; rare individuals (usually large females) can show distinct, sparse puncturing (x10) (see C. gilli ). Coprophanaeus chiriquensis has been collected along with C. pecki in the Chiriquí region of Panama; but otherwise its distribution follows the cloud forests of the central Costa Rican cordillera that separates the Western Isthmus province from Eastern Central America province.

Figures

Figure 172. Approximate geographic distribution of Coprophanaeus (s. str.) species in the pluto species group.

Figure 151-161. Characters of the Coprophanaeus (s. str.) pluto species group. 151-153) Anterior views of male cephalic process of C. pluto. 154-157) Dorsal views of male pronotal prominence of C. chiriquensis. 158-159) Same, C. gilli. 160) Clypeal margin of C. boucardi. 161) Same, C. pluto.

Figure 162-170. Characters of the Coprophanaeus (s. str.) pluto species group. 162-163) Posterior view of pygidium of C. morenoi. 164) Same, C. chiriquensis. 165) Dorsal view left of elytron of C. solisi. 166) Same, C. pluto. 167) Metasternal prominence of C. pluto. 168) Same, C. pecki. 169) Dorsal view of parameres of C. pluto. 170) Lateral view, same.

Figure 205-212. Coprophanaeus spp. 205-209) C. chiriquensis. 205-206) Male habitus. 207) Aedeagus (lateral view on left; dorsal view on right). 208-209) Female habitus. 210-212) C. gilli. 210-211) Male habitus. 212) Aedeagus (dorsal view above; lateral view below).