Hoplopyga brasiliensis ( 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 : 595-597

Hoplopyga brasiliensis ( Gory and Percheron, 1833)

( Figs. 24–29 )

Gymnetis brasiliensis Gory and Percheron 1833: 73 and 370 (original combination).

Lectotype male at MHNG, here designated, labeled “Gory/ TYPE ” (Gory is handwritten on red label with black border)// “brasiliensis/ G. & P. B./Brasilia” (hand-written green label with black border)// BCR and JMS lectotype label. Single paralectotype male labeled “Gory/ TYPE ” (Gory is handwritten on red label with black border)// Coll. Melly// BCR and JMS paralectotype label. Type locality: “ Brésil.”

Gymnetis prothoracica Thomson 1878: 13 (synonym).

Holotype female at MNHN, labeled “prothoracica/Thoms. Type/T.C. 12 Bras.//ex Musaeo James Thomson//Th. Type//Type// Museum Paris 1952/Coll. R. Oberthur// H. prothoracica /J. Thomson Type female symbol/ G. Ruter det. 1965// Hoplopyga brasiliensis G&P/G. Ruter det. 1965 female symbol”, examined. Thomson (1878) described only a single specimen, and we have no idea why or who placed a “co-type” label on a specimen at RMNH in Leiden. Type locality: “Brasilia.”

Description. Length 12.1–17.1 mm; width across humeri 6.9–10.0 mm. Dorsal surface velutinous or opaque, with head and pronotum shiny in females. Ground color of dorsum brownish yellow to olive brown to fuscous. Some specimens entirely black. Head of females with anterior third of clypeus reddish brown, both sexes with fuscous clouding either side of middle at base. Pronotum with fuscous clouding on middle and M-shaped mark (sometimes obscured by clouding or dense punctation). Each elytron with fuscous clouding as follows: at base near scutellum; an oblique line from humeral umbone to mediodiscal area; on costae at apical umbone, giving appearance of J-shaped mark or reversed J-shaped mark. Ventral surface opaque, ground color as on dorsum. Metasternum reddish brown, shiny at middle. Mesometasternal process entirely reddish brown, shiny. Abdominal sternites on males reddish brown, shiny on middle third, females with sternites mostly reddish brown, shiny. Setae tawny. Head: Surface with large, dense, round and n-shaped punctures, clypeal punctures each with a minute seta in females. Clypeal apex weakly to distinctly reflexed, subtruncate. Antennal club slightly longer than antennomeres 2–7 combined in both sexes. Pronotum: Lateral margins obtusely angulate. Surface in males with minute, sparse, round punctures, punctures becoming larger, denser, and n-shaped laterally; females with small to large, dense, n-shaped punctures either side of midline. Lateral margins with bead from anterior to basal angles. 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 in males, becoming smaller and extending to base in 2 columns in females. Apical declivity with large, dense, n-shaped punctures. Lateral margins densely punctate. Sutural costae each elevated into longitudinal keel on posterior half. Apices at suture strongly spinose. Pygidium: Surface distinctly convex in both sexes, with large, dense, n-shaped and transversely elongate, vermiform punctures, each puncture with minute setae. Venter: Metasternum with large, dense, transversely vermiform punctures either side of middle, punctures with long setae. Mesometasternal process, in lateral view, subparallel to horizontal axis of body or at a slight oblique angle to horiztonal axis of body, moderately protuberant beyond mesocoxae; in ventral view ( Fig. 26 ), lateral margins expanding just before apex, apex broadly rounded. Abdominal sternites with large, dense, n-shaped punctures on lateral thirds. Legs: Protibia with distinct apical tooth and 2 subsequent, nearly obsolete teeth. Metacoxa with dense fringe of setae at middle. Parameres: Subrectangular ( Figs. 27–28 ). Shaft not divergent or very weakly so. Lateral margins tapering gradually to midpoint of shaft, then widening towards apex. Apices each with minute, lateral spur.

Distribution. Hoplopyga brasiliensis is broadly distributed in South America but most records are from Brazil ( Fig. 29 ).

Locality Records. 782 specimens from ADMC, BCRC, BMNH, CASC, CMNH, CMNC, CUIC, DEIC, FMNH, HNHM, INPA, JDGC, JMMC, LACM, MCZC, MHNG, MLPA, MLUH, MNHN, MZSP, NMPC, RMNH, RMYC, SLTC, TAMU, UCCC, UFRJ, WBWC, and ZMHU. Some data from Di Iorio (2013). ARGENTINA (18): CORRIENTES (1): Santo Tomé. MISIONES (16): Campo Viera, Estación Experimental Loreto, Garuhapé, Loreto, Pindapoy, No data. SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO (1): Loreto. BOLIVIA (1): LA PAZ (1): Caranavi. BRAZIL (708): BAHIA (32): Entre Rios, Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina, No data. DISTRITO FEDERAL (1): No data. ESPIRÍTO SANTO (37): Santa Maria de Jetibá, Trinidade, No data. GOIÁS (5): Anápolis, Aragarças, Leopoldo de Bulhões. MATO GROSSO (6): Cuiabá, No data. MATO GROSSO DO SUL (12): Córrego Itá. MINAS GERAIS (25): Carmo do Rio Claro, Conceição da Aparecida, Ipatinga, Mar de Espanha, Pocinhos do Rio Verde, Rio Sapucaí, Santa Rita de Caldas, Viçosa, No data. PARÁ (11): Mocajuba, Óbidos, No data. PARAÍBA (3): Lucena. PARANÁ (33): Araucária, Curitiba, Guarapuava, Ponta Grossa, Rio Negro, Rolândia. RIO DE JANEIRO (135): Corcovado, Deodoro, Guanabara, Itatiaia, Mendes, Petrópolis, Novo Friburgo, Parque Nacional da Tijuca, Serra da Carioca , Serra dos Órgãos, Tijuca Forest, Vista Chinesa, No data. RIO GRANDE DO NORTE (8): Natal, No data. RIO GRANDE DO SUL (25): Pinhal, Santo Augusto, Salvador do Sul, No data. SANTA CATARINA (97): Caúna, Corupá, Ilha de Santa Catarina (Vargem Pequena), Lages, Mafra, Nova Teutônia, Rio Vermelho, São Bento do Sul, No data. SÃO PAULO (138): Barueri, Campinas, Caviúna, Ibiúna, Instituto Butantan, Ipiranga, Itatiba, Jacareí, Jundiaí, Pinheiros, Piracicaba, Proença, Rio Pardo, São Paulo, São Roque, Vila Olímpia, No data. NO DATA (136). ECUADOR (2): NO DATA (2). FRENCH GUIANA (3): CAYENNE (3): No data. PARAGUAY (8): ALTO PARANÁ (1): No data. CONCEPCIÓN (1): Tacuatí (7 km N). ITAPÚA (6): Hohenau. PERU (4): JUNÍN (3): Chanchamayo. NO DATA (1). VENEZUELA (4): BOLÍVAR (3): Caura River. NO DATA (1). NO DATA (34).

Temporal Distribution. January (47), February (34), March (21), April (7), May (2), July (1), August (2), September (1), October (16), November (35), December (61).

Diagnosis. Hoplopyga brasiliensis has a relatively monocolored discal area and a distinct, oblique, fuscous line extending from the humeral umbone to the mediodiscal area on each elytron. It also has the elytral apices at the suture produced into the longest spines of any species in the genus. The form of the mesometasternal process is also distinct, with the lateral margins expanding laterally just before the apex in ventral view.

Nomenclature. The holotype of G. brasiliensis seems to have been lost, but two specimens were found at MHNG that appear to match the original description by Gory and Percheron (1833). These specimens were in the collection of A. Melly, who is known to have purchased material from Gory and Percheron ( Horn and Kahle 1935 –1937). In light of this, we here designate those two specimens as the lectotype and paralectotype for G. brasiliensis .

Schürhoff (1937) synonymized G. prothoracica with H. brasiliensis . We concur with this synonymy, because the female holotype of G. prothoracica shares the same characters that define H. brasiliensis : a distinct, oblique, fuscous line from the humeral umbone to the mediodiscal area on each elytron, the elytral apices at the suture produced into long spines, and a distinct mesometasternal process. The name G. prothoracica refers to specimens that have a densely punctate pronotum (as in Fig. 25 ), and Thomson (1878) noted the similarities with H. brasiliensis in his original description of G. prothoracica .

Natural History. Hoplopyga brasiliensis has been collected from elevations ranging from sea level to 1,100 m (label data) in fermented banana traps ( Fig. 30 ) ( Gonçalves and Louzada 2005). Larvae were described by Vanin and Costa (1984), who noted that they feed on decaying wood. Descriptions and illustrations of the larvae and adult are also included in Costa et al. (1988). Hoplopyga brasiliensis larvae have been found in the bottom of a nest of Cornitermes cumulans (Kollar) (Isoptera) and were observed constructing pupal cases out of their own feces, debris from the nest, and soil ( Puker et al. 2012).

Figures

Figs. 24–29. Hoplopyga brasiliensis. 24–25) Habitus; 26) Mesometasternal process, ventral view; 27–28) Parameres; 29) Distribution.

Fig. 30. Fermenting banana trap made from a plastic soda bottle. Photograph by Beulah Garner.