Rhinaspis hypocrita ( Mannerheim, 1829 ) Smith, 2016

Smith, Andrew B. T., 2016, Corrections to Neotropical Rhinaspis Perty and Plectris LePeletier and Audinet-Serville (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) classification and nomenclature, Insecta Mundi 2016 (463), pp. 1-6 : 2

Rhinaspis hypocrita ( Mannerheim, 1829) new combination

Original combination. Melolontha hypocrita Mannerheim, 1829: 65 .

Type series. Lectotype male ( Fig. 1–9 ) at the Finnish Museum of Natural History , Helsinki, Finland labeled ( Fig. 9 ) a) “Brasilia / Minas Gerais” (handwritten), b) “Ménétr.” (typeset), c) “ MELOLONTHA / HYPOCRITA / MANNERHEIM, 1829 / LECTOTYPE ♂ / A.B. T. SMITH ” (handwritten and typeset on red paper), d) “ RHINASPIS / HYPOCRITA / (MANNERHEIM) ♂ / Det:A.B. T.Smith 2015” (handwritten and typeset) . Lectotype here designated. Based on Mannerheim’s (1829) description there were more specimens in the type series (he states “frequentissima”). The current whereabouts of any paralectotypes is unknown.

Distribution. Brazil: Minas Gerais, Congonhas do Norte (“Serra da Lapa”). According to the label and Mannerheim (1829), the lectotype was collected in Serra da Lapa by Eduard Ménétriés. Papavero (1971: 53) noted that Ménétriés was in Serra da Lapa from 16 October–4 December 1824 and 3 January 1825 (return trip) with Baron Georg Heinrich von Langsdorff, which was undoubtedly when the lectotype was collected.

Remarks. The species is placed in the genus Rhinaspis based on the key to Macrodactylini genera in Katovich (2008), and by comparison with other Rhinaspis species in the Canadian Museum of Nature collection. The characters supporting the placement in Rhinaspis are: length 12 mm; clypeus reflexed with apex straight (not rounded, bilobed, or dentate) ( Fig. 3–5 ); mentum flat, rectangular, with bilobed apex, without medial furrow ( Fig. 5 ); pronotum with apical margin distinctly bordered ( Fig. 4 ); pronotum with basal margin evenly rounded, not interlocking with scutellum ( Fig. 1–2 ); scutellum with basal margin straight, not interlocking with pronotum ( Fig. 1–2 ); sternites evenly rounded ( Fig. 6 ); all claws dentate ( Fig. 1–2 ); parameres laterally with long tufts of setae ( Fig. 7–8 ). It is noteworthy that the unmodified clypeus of the male of this species is unusual for Rhinaspis .

Figures

Figures 1–6. Rhinaspis hypocrita lectotype male. 1) Dorsal habitus. 2) Lateral habitus. 3) Lateral head and pronotum. 4) Dorsal head and pronotum. 5) Ventral head. 6) Ventral habitus.

Figures 7–9. Rhinaspis hypocrita lectotype male. 7) Lateral genitalia. 8) Parameres. 9) Labels.