Hoplopyga ocellata ( Gory and Percheron, 1833 )

Shaughney, Jennifer Marie & Ratcliffe, Brett C., 2015, A Monographic Revision of the Genus Hoplopyga Thomson, 1880 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Gymnetini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 69 (4), pp. 579-638 : 619-622

Hoplopyga ocellata ( Gory and Percheron, 1833)

( Figs. 83–90 )

Gymnetis ocellata Gory and Percheron 1833: 72 and 368 (original combination).

Holotype female at MHNG, labeled “Gory/TYPE//Coll. Melly//ocellata/G. & P. B./Cayenn”, examined. Type locality: “ Cayenne .”

Description. Length 10.3–14.3 mm; width across humeri 6.6–8.8 mm. Dorsal surface opaque. Color and pattern highly complex: head, most of pronotum, mesepimeron, and pygidium brownish yellow to olive to fuscous, ground color of elytra creamcolored. Pronotum with fuscous scalloping between darkened middle and lighter lateral margins, with fuscous, M-shaped mark (sometimes obscured by ground color) anterior to fuscous spot on midline, with narrow, longitudinal, beige band posterior to spot on midline. Elytra at base mesad of mesepimera and suture in various shades of dark brown or olive green. Elytra with fuscous to piceous markings as follows: each elytron with 1–2 spots on mediodiscal area, J-shaped or reversed J-shaped mark on apical umbone, and with fuscous clouding from apical umbone to suture. Ventral surface opaque, with ground color as on dorsum. Metasternum of males with reddish brown, shiny spot at middle, females with middle entirely reddish brown, shiny. Mesometasternal process reddish brown, shiny at apex on males, entirely reddish brown, shiny on females, process sometimes with 2 yellowish spots at base. Abdominal sternites on males with reddish brown, shiny portions on middle of last 2–3 sternites or not, females with sternites entirely reddish brown, shiny, except on lateral margins. Setae tawny. Head: Surface with mixture of minute, small, and large, dense, round and n-shaped punctures. Clypeal apex weakly reflexed, weakly emarginate, weakly angulate either side of emargination. Antennal club slightly longer than antennomeres 2–7 combined. Pronotum: Lateral margins obtusely angulate, appearing broadly rounded. Surface with small, sparse to moderately dense, round or n-shaped punctures, punctures becoming larger and denser laterally. Lateral margins with bead starting at apical angle and ending before basal angle. Elytra: Surface of each elytron with 2 distinctly elevated, discal costae, lateral costa on each elytron interrupted and depressed on mediodiscal area. Depressions between costae with n-shaped punctures; punctures large, dense, arranged longitudinally in striae, not extending to base near scutellum. Apical declivity with cluster of large, dense, n-shaped punctures. Lateral margins densely punctate. Sutural costae each elevated into longitudinal keel on posterior half. Apices at suture distinctly spinose. Pygidium: Surface distinctly convex in both sexes. Males with large, dense, concentric, elongate n- or m-shaped punctures. Females with large, dense, transversely vermiform punctures obscuring surface. Punctures with minute setae. Venter: Metasternum with large, moderately dense to dense, n-shaped punctures either side of middle, each puncture with a minute to short seta. Mesometasternal process, in lateral view, subparallel to horizontal axis of body or at a slight oblique angle to horizontal axis of body, weakly protuberant beyond mesocoxae; in ventral view ( Fig. 85 ), apex broadly rounded. Abdominal sternites with large, dense, n-shaped punctures either side of middle in males and on lateral, opaque margins in females, punctures each with a minute seta. Legs: Protibia short, broad, tridentate in both sexes. Parameres: Shaft divergent between midpoint and apex ( Figs. 86–87 ). Lateral margins with small bulge just after midpoint. Apices each with distinct, lateral spur.

Distribution. Hoplopyga ocellata is widely distributed from southern Mexico to Paraguay ( Fig. 88 ).

Locality Records. 657 specimens from the following collections: ADMC, AMNH, BCRC, BMNH, CASC, CMNH, CMNC, CNCI, CNHM, CUIC, DEIC, FMNH, HAHC, INBC, JEWC, JMMC, KSUC, LACM, MCZC, MIZA, MNHN, MPEG, MZSP, NMPC, QCAZ, RMNH, SEMC, SLTC, TAMU, UAAM, UFRJ, UMSP, UNSM, USNM, WBWC, and ZMHU. Some data from Reyes Novelo and Morón (2005), Neita et al. (2006), Suárez-G. and Amat-Garcia (2007), and Touroult and Dalens (2010). BELIZE (7): BELIZE (2): Manatee, No date. CAYO (4): Chiquibul Forest Reserve, Las Cuevas Research Station. NO DATA (1). BOLIVIA (12): SANTA CRUZ (11): Buena Vista, Cuatro Ojos, Hotel Fauna y Flora (4–6 km SSE Buena Vista), Ichilo, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, No data. NO DATA (1). BRAZIL (149): AMAPÁ (3): Limão, Serra do Navio. AMAZONAS (46): Borba, Benjamin Constant, Cametá, Manicoré, São Paulo de Olivença, Tefé, No data. BAHIA (6): No data. ESPÍRITO SANTO (3): Vitoria, No data. GOIÁS (1): Mineiros. MATO GROSSO (1): Humboldt. MINAS GERAIS (5): Ipatinga, No data. PARÁ (40): Alenquer, Altamira (60 km S), Anajás, Belém, Bujaru, Conceição do Araguaia, Mocajuba, Mocambo Forest, Óbidos, Santarém, Serra dos Carajás, Rio Tapajós, No data. PARANA (2): Cambé. RIO DE JANEIRO (4): Itatiaia, Rio de Janeiro, No data. RONDÔNIA (20): Fazenda Rancho Grande (62 km S. Ariquemes). NO DATA (18). COLOMBIA (36): ANTIOQUIA (2): Chigorodó. BOYACÁ (1): Muzo. CHOCÓ (7): No data. CUNDINAMARCA (7): Bogotá, No data. MAGDALENA (3): Aracataca, Santa Marta. META (2): Villavicencio. PUTUMAYO (1): Mocoa. VALLE DEL CAUCA (6): Anchicaya Dam (70 km E. Buenaventura), Dagua, No data. NO DATA (7). COSTA RICA (127): ALAJUELA (1): San Carlos. CARTAGO (1): Turrialba. GUANACASTE (4): Estación Pitilla (9 km S Santa Cecilia). HEREDIA (6): Estación Biológica La Selva (3 km S Sarapiquí), Estación Magsasay (Parque Nacional Braulio Carrilo). LIMÓN (39): Amubri, Cariari (30 km N), Guápiles, Hamburg Farm, Puerto Viejo, Reserva Biológica Hitoy Cerere, Reserva Vida Silvestre Gandoca Manzanillo, San Miguel, Zent. PUNTARENAS (76): Estación Biológica Sirena (Parque Nacional Corcovado), Estación Quebrada Bonita (Reserva Biológica Carara), Golfito, Jiménez, Osa Peninsula (2.5 mi. SW Rincon), Sierpe. ECUADOR (37): BOLÍVAR (20): Chimbo, La Chima. LOS RÍOS (6): Rio Palenque. PICHINCHA (8): Tinlandia Resort (12 km E Santo Domingo de los Colorados). NO DATA (3). FRENCH GUIANA (99): CAYENNE (64): Mirande, Montabo, Montagne des Chevaux, Montagne des Pères, Mont du Tigre, Montsinéry-Tonnegrande (RD 5, km 3.2), Patawa (36 km SE Roura), Pied Saut (Oyapock River), Rémire-Montjoly, Roura (RD 6, km 15.7–39.5), Vidal, No data. SAINT LAURENT DU MARONI (16): Nouveau Chantier, No data. NO DATA (8). GUATEMALA (3): IZABAL (2): Cayuga. PETÉN (1): Tikal National Park. GUYANA (16): CUYUNI-MAZARUNI (1): Kartabo. DEMERARA- MAHAICA (6): Hyde Park, No data. EAST BERBICE-CORENTYNE (1): Blairmont. NO DATA (8). HONDURAS (7): COMAYAGUA (2): Siguatepeque, Taulabé. CORTÉS (2): San Pedro Sula. GRACIAS A DIOS (1): Krausirpi. LA PAZ (1): No data. NO DATA (1). MEXICO (11): QUINTANA ROO (8): Tigre Grande. TABASCO (1): Frontera. YUCATÁN (2): Mérida. NICARAGUA (5): CHONTALES (3): No data. RÍO SAN JUAN (2): Refugio Bartola. PANAMA (71): BOCAS DEL TORO (1): Bocas del Toro. COLÓN (24): Coco Solo Hospital, Gatun Lake, Mojinga Swamp. CHIRIQUÍ (17): Finca la Suiza, Hornito, Lino, No data. PANAMA (22): Altos (Isla) de Majé, Barro Colorado Island, Fort Clayton (Albrook Forest). NO DATA (7). PARAGUAY (1): MISIONES (1): San Ignacio. PERU (36): AMAZONAS (1): Condorcanqui (Río Santiago). HUÁNUCO (3): Leonpampa, Tingo María. JUNÍN (8): Chanchamayo, Sani Beni (8 km. E Satipo). LIMA (1): Upper Rio Marañón. LORETO (14): Caballococha, Iquitos, Pebas, Yurimaguas. MADRE DE DIOS (1): Tambopata National Reserve (30 km SW Puerto Maldonado). PASCO (5): Pozuzo. SAN MARTÍN (2): Tarapoto. UCAYALI (1): Upper Río Tapiche. SURINAME (12): MAROWIJNE (1): Langaman Kondre. SIPALIWINI (2): Kayser Gebergte, No data. NO DATA (9). TRINIDAD (2): ARIMA (2) : Arima Valley , Asa Wright Nature Center (7.5 mi. N Arima). VENEZUELA (10): BARINAS (2) : Reserva Forestal de Ticoporo. BOLÍVAR (6) : Río Caura , Salto Para, Suapure. MIRANDA (1): No data. MONAGAS (1): Maturín (42 km SE). NO DATA (16).

Temporal Distribution. January (14), February (33), March (31), April (43), May (47), June (29), July (34), August (35), September (38), October (36), November (45), December (14).

Diagnosis. Hoplopyga ocellata is distinguished by the fuscous scalloping on the pronotum and the cream-colored mediodiscal area with a distinct, brown or black spot on each elytron. When the elytra are viewed together, there appears to be a fuscous hourglass shape on most individuals ( Figs. 83–84 ). In addition to the distinct markings, H. ocellata has an oval, smaller, more robust body than other Hoplopyga species . This species is most similar to H. liturata but can be distinguished by the lateral edges of the fuscous area at the middle of the pronotum. In H. ocellata , the lateral edges are indistinct or scalloped, and in H. liturata , the lateral edges are distinct and straight.

Natural History. Adults have been collected from sea level to 840 m elevation in biotopes ranging from tropical dry forests to lower montane wet forests ( Fig. 89 ) to tropical rainforests. Individuals have been collected in banana traps, on cacao, on flowers of Varronia sp. (Boraginaceae) , resting on vegetation ( Fig. 90 ), and at lights in the early hours of the morning between 0530 and 0630 (observed by P. H. Dalens and F. Lavalette, personal communication to BCR, October 2014). Larvae and pupae have been found in termite nests ( Nasutitermes sp. , Isoptera) in Costa Rica and Ecuador between April and June (label data).

Figures

Figs. 83–88. Hoplopyga ocellata. 83–84) Habitus; 85) Mesometasternal process, ventral view; 86–87) Parameres; 88) Distribution.

Figs. 89–90. Hoplopyga ocellata. 89) Habitat of lower montane wet forest in Bocas del Toro, Panama. Photograph by BCR; 90) Adult in French Guiana. Photograph courtesy of J. Touroult.