Triodontus copridoides Paulian, 1977

Frolov, Andrey V., Montreuil, Olivier & Akhmetova, Lilia A., 2016, Review of the Madagascan Orphninae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) with a revision of the genus Triodontus Westwood, Zootaxa 4207 (1), pp. 1-93 : 86-88

Triodontus copridoides Paulian, 1977

( Figs. 44 A–F)

Triodontus copridoides Paulian, 1977: 1211 .

Type material examined. Holotype ( Figs. 44 A–B, D–E), male, “ Madagascar Cowans [= Ankafina Tsarafidy, according to Paulian (1977)] / Ex Musaeo D. Sharp 1890 / MUSÉUM PARIS 1952 COLL R OBERTHUR / Triodontus copridoides n. sp. R. Paulian det. / TYPE ” ( MNHN) .

Additional material examined. MADAGASCAR: Antsiranana: two males, “ Amber geb. [ Amber Mountains ]” ( SMTFD).

Diagnosis. Triodontus copridoides is most similar to T. itremoi in general appearance and in the shape of the parameres but it can be separated from it by having the abdominal sternite 8 with a shallow but distinct, somewhat transversal fossa, larger tubercles laterad of each eye, and somewhat shorter and less oblique notches on the lateral sides of the outer lobes of the parameres.

Description. Male. Color of head, pronotum, and elytra dark brown; legs, antennae, and underside of the body paler, castaneous ( Figs. 44 A, C).

Frontoclypeus slightly convex anteriorly, rounded laterally, anterior margin crenulate and setose in dorsal view. Eyes relatively small (diameter slightly smaller than the distance between eye and gula in ventral view), incompletely divided by canthus into small, dorsal and large, ventral parts. Frontoclypeus with tubercles mediad of each eye and with long horn in center of frontoclypeus. The horn is longer than width of the head, acutely rounded apically, somewhat curved caudally, slightly rugose on posterior side.

Pronotum with a bulge medially in distal 1/3, with large excavations aside the bulge, and with 2 ridge-shaped tubercles laterally of each excavation. The median bulge is rounded and somewhat depressed on the top, without distinct tubercles but with a longitudinal depression receiving frontoclypeal horn. Lateral margins with wide border appearing somewhat crenulate on the hind angles (in dorsal view), with a row of brown setae. Anterior margin with wide, smooth border. Posterior margin with fine border; not crenulate; punctate with small, narrow, longitudinal punctures. Surface of pronotum mainly smooth, anterior and posterior angles with sparse and coarse punctation.

Scutellum rounded apically, visible part is about 1/15 length of elytra.

Elytra convex, with distinct humeral humps. Maximum width approximately at the middle. Elytra with 10 feebly visible striae on disc and with oblique line from base of 6th stria to approximately middle of 8th stria. Stria with small punctures. Intervals with minute punctures, almost smooth. Base of elytra with an irregular row of coarse punctures each bearing small, yellow seta.

Protibiae with 3 outer teeth, not crenulate basad of the teeth. Apices with 3 robust, spur-like setae and a few small setae. Anterior tarsi about 3/4 length of protibiae. Claws 1/3 length of apical tarsomere. Apical protarsomere as long as tarsomere 3 and 4 combined, as thick as other tarsomeres. Ventral surface of protibiae with a longitudinal keel.

Mesothoracic and metathoracic legs similar in shape; metafemora and metatibiae slightly longer than mesofemora and mesotibiae, respectively. Tibiae somewhat triangular, with 2 apical spurs, with inner margin only slightly concave. Longer tibial spur as long as or slightly longer than 2 basal tarsomeres. Claws about 1/3 length of apical tarsomere. Ventral sides of femora almost impunctate; with sparse, long setae.

Sternite 8 medially about 1.5 as short as other sternites combined; with distinct, elongate, transverse fossa in the middle.

Parameres with outer lobes somewhat depressed, feebly sclerotized wide apices, and deep oblique fossae on lateral sides ( Fig. 44 D, arrow). Internal sac of aedeagus with sclerotized and long sclerites.

Female. Unknown.

Variation. Body length of examined specimens varied from 15.5–16.0 mm, otherwise the three specimens are rather similar.

Distribution. This species is known from two rather distant localities in central Madagascar, Ankafina Tsarafidy (as suggested by Paulian (1977)) and northern Madagascar (Amber Mountains) ( Fig. 44 F).

Figures

FIGURE 44. Triodontus copridoides, holotype male (A, B, D, E), male (C). Habitus in dorsal view (A, C), labels (D), aedeagus in lateral view and parameres in dorsal and ventral view (D), abdomen (E), distributional records (F).