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 : 52-54

Coprophanaeus (C.) gamezi Arnaud, 2002

Fig. 99 , 106, 111 , 113 , 140-144

Coprophanaeus gamezi Arnaud, 2002a: 8

Type. Holotype male, private collection of Patrick Arnaud , Saintry sur Seine, France (examined by photo).

Diagnosis. General – Metallic coloration dark green, blue or yellowish green, confined to posterior areas of head and pronotal sides and margins; elytra black or tinged with highlights of same tone as pronotum. Clypeal margin clearly explanate/angulate lateral to median teeth ( Fig. 140, 143 ). Posteromedian portion of pronotum granulate, granules often coalescing as transverse, squamose ridging. Sulcus paralleling carinate posterior margin of pronotum ( Fig. 111 ) distinctly sculptured (x25); carina usually broken up by dense puncturing, often crenulate. Posterior pronotal fossae and surrounding area densely, finely granulate. Length 18-28 mm.

Male ( Fig. 142-144 ) – Tip of head horn almost reaching level of prothoracic carina; anterior surface of base usually punctate; length of central process equal to that of base. Pronotal prominence with strongly developed rounded, tab-like projection, itself often weakly bitumose; median process flanked on each side by small, acute tubercle. Length of parameres about one-half that of phallobase.

Female ( Fig. 99 , 106 , 140-141 ) – Cephalic carina bowed anteriorly, trituberculate, median tooth raised, much larger than lateral tubercles ( Fig. 99 ). Vertex coarsely, densely punctured. Pronotal ridge quadrate, summit scarcely trituberculate, if at all ( Fig. 106 ). Anteromedian concavity shallow, posterior (upper) margin simple, not bitumose.

Specimens examined – 201.

Distribution. Mesoamerica – Maracaibo, Venezuelan Coast and Venezuelan Llanos provinces and adjacent Amazonia ( Fig. 113 ).

Collection Records. BRAZIL: Roraima – Serra da Moça (Jul) . COLOMBIA: Bolívar – Mompox, 9 o 14’N 74 o 25’W (Jun) ; Zambrano, Hacienda Monterrey , 9 o 37’48"N 74 o 54’44"W, 135 m (Feb). Boyacá – El Mortiño (Aug). Cundinamarca – Tocaima (Mar). Magdalena – Onaca, 770 m (Dec) ; Bonda (Jun) . GUYANA: Rupununi – Parara Ranch , 3 o 37.3’N 59 o 44.2’W (Apr). Vichada – Municipio Cumaribo, PNN El Tuparro, 5 o 21’03"N 67 o 52’15"W, 135 m (Feb) ; Puerto Correrio (Nov) . VENEZUELA: Amazonas – Puerto Ayacucho (May) ; 32 km S Puerto Ayacucho [ Cataniapo River ] (May). Aragua – Maracay, 450 m

(Nov). Barinas – Maravillas (Sep) ; Saboneta [Mpio. Alberto Torrealba], 200 m ( Jun ). Bolívar – 48 km ESE Cd. Bolívar [Rancho Santa Rita], 7 o 55’N 63 o 10’W (Jul) ; Suapuré River (Jul) ; Sipao , 110 km E Caicara del Orinoco (Jun, Aug) ; 70 km W. Caicara del Orinoco ; 70 km W Cd. Bolívar, Puente Cocuizas (Jun-Aug) ; 35 km SW Puerto Ordaz (Jul-Aug) ; Guri (Jul) ; Caura River, Jabillal , Orinoco, 200 m (Aug) ; El Dorado [Minas de Payapal] (May). Carabobo – San Esteban [near Puerto Cabello] (Dec) ; Saman Mocho, Flor Amarillo ( Feb , Jul ). Delta Amacuro – 11 km W Piacoa ( Jul ). Guárico – Tucupido ( Jul ) Mérida – Mpio. Padre Noguera , Sector Cuenca del Río Capara , 7 o 50’32”N 71 o 30’34”W, 280 m (Apr). Sucre – Cumanacoa (Dec). Zulia – Santa Ana [Mpio. Colón Hacienda], 8 o 54’30”N 71 o 52’17”W, 175 m (Aug) ; El Caracolí [ Mpio. Colón], 70 m (May) ; Mpio. Colón, Sector Bancada de Limones , Finca El Recreo (Apr) .

Comments. This species most closely resembles C. cyanescens (q.v.) from which it differs, among other characters, by the coarse sculpturing of the posterior margin of the pronotum ( Fig. 111 ) and female pronotal ridge ( Fig. 99 ). Gámez (2004) and Gámez and Acconcia (2009) studied this species in the Maracaibo district of Mérida, where it prefers open habitats and readily invades induced pasture lands, and presented detailed information on its activity.

Figures

Figure 113. Approximate geographic distribution of Coprophanaeus (s. str.) species in the jasius species group.

Figure 95-101. Characters of the Coprophanaeus (s. str.) jasius species group. 95) Dorsal view of pronotum of male C. cerberus. 96) Same, C. jasius. 97) Same, C. spitzi. 98) Same, C. cyanescens. 99) Dorsal view of cephalic process of female C. gamezi. 100) Detail of elytral surface of C. acrisius. 101) Same, C. spitzi.

Figure 102-112. Characters of the Coprophanaeus (s. str.) jasius species group. 102) Anterior view of head of male C. abas. 103) Same, C. jasius. 104) Same, C. cerberus. 105) Pronotal crest of female C. abas. 106) Same, C. gamezi. 107) Same, C. jasius. 108) Same, C. spitzi. 109) Section of posterior pronotal margin of C. jasius. 110) Same, C. abas. 111) Same, C. gamezi. 112) Prosternal spine of C. spitzi.

Figure 140-144. Coprophanaeus gamezi. 140-141) Female habitus. 142-143) Male habitus. 144) Aedeagus (dorsal view on left; lateral view on right).