Onitis punctatostriatus Janssens, 1937

Karimbumkara, Seena Narayanan & Priyadarsanan, Dharma Rajan, 2024, Study on the genus Onitis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) of the Indian Subcontinent, with three new species from India, European Journal of Taxonomy 956, pp. 1-61 : 39-42

Onitis punctatostriatus Janssens, 1937

Figs 6M–P , 9B , 10F , 14B , 15B , 16B , 19

Onitispunctatostriatus Janssens 1937: 19 (original description).

Onitis punctatostriatus – Balthasar 1963: 35 (monograph). — Bezděk & Krell 2006: 159 (distribution). — Siddiqui et. al. 2014: 300 (distribution). — Gupta et al. 2015: 1037 (list). — Bezděk 2016: 179 (distribution). — Schoolmeesters 2022 (online catalogue).

Differential diagnosis

Onitispunctatostriatus is similar to O. subopacus in having frontal carina broadly interrupted and the metasternum smooth and shining behind with scattered punctures. It differs from the latter in having deep and broad elytral striae and the pronotum being strongly ocellate punctured. This species is reported for the first time from the state of Assam in northeastern India.

Type material examined

Holotype

INDIA • ♂; “Darjeeling 1904, R.P. Verschraeghen, cf. Mem. Mus. Hist. Nat. Belg., 2: Serie, fasc. 11, 1937, p. 48, Ex. Typis, A. Janssens rev., 1936: Onitis punctatostriatus Janss., J. J. Gillet det., vend.”; IRSNB.

Paratype

INDIA • ♀; “ Onitisspinipes Drury R.M.H.N. Belg. 10. 640, spinipes Drury; J. Gillet det. 1923, Ex-Typis”; label data same as for male; IRSNB.

Additional material studied (10 specimens)

INDIA • 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Assam, Majuli Island ; hand-picked, cow dung; Rajkamal Goswami leg.; AIMB / Co/Sc1000492 to 1000495 • ♂; Arunachal Pradesh, Pasighat, community forest, Rani Village ; 27°58ʹ8.8644ʺ N, 95°19ʹ17.1804ʺ E; elev. 127 m a.s.l.; 30 Sep. 2018; cow dung baited pitfall trap; AIMB / Co/Sc1000496 • ♀; community forest, Rani Village ; 27°58ʹ10.6068ʺ N, 95°19ʹ26.1156ʺ E; elev. 131 m a.s.l.; 30 Sep. 2018; cow dung; baited pitfall trap; AIMB / Co/ Sc1000497 • ♂, 2 ♀♀; community forest, Rani Village ; 27°58ʹ8.8644ʺ N, 95°19ʹ17.1804ʺ E; elev. 127 m a.s.l.; 29 Sep. 2018; hand-picked from cow dung, Harsha Malhotra and team leg.; AIMB / Co/ Sc1000498 to 1000500 • ♀; Tripura, Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary, South Tripura; 23°16ʹ39.9216ʺ N, 91°24ʹ16.3152ʺ E; Forest, 18 Feb. 2019; cow dung baited pitfall trap; Harsha Malhotra and team leg.; AIMB / Co/Sc1000501 .

Description

MEASUREMENTS (in mm). TL=17.5–23; BW= 9–12.5.

Male

Black or reddish black, moderately shining; clypeal margin slightly reflexed; frontal carina broadly interrupted in the middle with an anterior short curved clypeal carina and transverse tubercle behind; pronotum strongly punctate anteriorly, basal foveae rounded, closer, lateral borders of pronotum slightly concave before anterior angles; elytral striae broad, shallow, interval imperceptibly punctured; pygidium flat, opaque; metasternum flat in the middle with an anterior weak longitudinal groove, metasternal shield smooth with scattered punctures, sides of the metasternum punctured with long rusty hairs. Clypeus evenly rugulose, pronotum with a broad smooth longitudinal median line, mid legs toothed, trochanters of mid leg long while that of hind legs serrated.

AEDEAGUS (in mm) ( Fig. 6M–P ). LP=3, Lp= 2.5; BP=1.25, BpB=0.5, BpT =0.4.Parameres longer than the phallobase, symmetrical, straight above, rounded beneath and curved at the tip.

Female

Clypeus parabolic, closely rugose, pronotal punctures stronger and closer than in male, protibia with four strong teeth.

Distribution

India: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Tripura, West Bengal. Other countries: Pakistan ( Bezděk & Krell 2006; Siddiqui et al. 2014; Gupta et al. 2015; Bezděk 2016; Schoolmeesters 2022).

Figures

Fig 16. A. Protibia of Onitis bhomorensis sp. nov. showing the position of spur, NIM/NBAIR/COL/ONIT/ H-271023A. B. Anterior tip of protibia of O. punctatostriatus Janssens, 1937, AIMB/Co/Sc1000492. C. Mid-leg of O. kethai sp. nov, NIM/NBAIR/COL/ONIT/H-271023B. D. Mid-leg of O. philemon Fabricius, 1801, AIMB/Co/Sc1000317. E. Mid-leg of O. visthara sp. nov, NIM/NBAIR/COL/ONIT/H- 271023C. F. Mid-leg of O. singhalensis Lansberge, AIMB/Co/Sc1000684. (Images: AIMB).

Fig. 6. Aedeagus, lateral, dorsal, ventral and apical views. A–D. Onitisexcavatus Arrow, 1931, AIMB/Co/Sc1000037. E–H. O. falcatus (Wulfen, 1786), AIMB/Co/Sc1000070. I–L. O. bhomorensis sp. nov., NIM/NBAIR/COL/ONIT/H-271023A. M–P. O. punctatostriatus Janssens, 1937, AIMB/ Co/Sc1000492. (Images: AIMB).

Fig. 9. Head of male specimens. A. Onitisbhomorensis sp. nov., holotype, NIM/NBAIR/COL/ONIT/H- 271023A. B. O. punctatostriatus Janssens, 1937, AIMB/Co/Sc1000492. C. O. kethai sp. nov., holotype, NIM/NBAIR/COL/ONIT/H-271023B. D. O. philemon Fabricius, 1801, AIMB/Co/Sc1000317. E. O. visthara sp. nov., holotype, NIM/NBAIR/COL/ONIT/H-271023C. F. O. singhalensis Lansberge, 1875, AIMB/Co/Sc1000684. (Images: AIMB).

Fig. 10. A. Onitisfeae Felsche, 1907, cotype, (image: Olaf Jäger, SNSD). B. O. humerosus (Pallas, 1771), BMNH (E) 1237143, (image: BMNH). C. O. lama Lansberge, 1875, syntype, ♂, MNHN EC4810, (image: Antoine Mantilleri, MNHN). D. O. naviauxi Cambefort, 1988, holotype, ♂, MNHN EC4807, (image: Antoine Mantilleri, MNHN). E. O. philemon Fabricius, 1801, lectotype, ZMUK Fabricius 003706, (image: Alexey Solodovnikov, ZMUC). F. O. punctatostriatus Janssens, 1937, holotype, ♂, (image: Jonathan Brecko, IRSNB).

Fig. 14. Pronotum of male specimens. A. Onitis bhomorensis sp. nov., holotype, NIM/NBAIR/ COL/ONIT/H-271023A. B. O. punctatostriatus Janssens, 1937, AIMB/Co/Sc1000492. C. O. kethai sp. nov., holotype, NIM/NBAIR/COL/ONIT/H-271023B. D. O. philemon Fabricius, 1801, AIMB/Co/ Sc1000317. E. O.visthara sp. nov., holotype, NIM/NBAIR/COL/ONIT/H-271023C. F. O. singhalensis Lansberge, 1875, AIMB/Co/Sc1000684. (Images: AIMB).

Fig. 15. Pronotal basal foveae of male specimens. A. Onitisbhomorensis sp. nov., holotype, NIM/ NBAIR/COL/ONIT/H-271023A. B. O. punctatostriatus Janssens, 1937, AIMB/Co/Sc1000492. C. O. kethai sp. nov., holotype, NIM/NBAIR/COL/ONIT/H-271023B. D. O. philemon Fabricius, 1801, AIMB/Co/Sc1000317. E. O. visthara sp. nov., holotype, NIM/NBAIR/COL/ONIT/H-271023C. F. O. singhalensis Lansberge, 1875, AIMB/Co/Sc1000684. (Images: AIMB).

Fig. 19. Map showing the distribution of Onitislama Lansberge, 1875; O. naviauxi Cambefort, 1988; O. philemon Fabricius, 1801; O. punctatostriatus Janssens, 1937 and O. singhalensis Lansberge, 1875 in the Indian Subcontinent.