Tomarus pullus ( Prell, 1937 )

López-García, Margarita M., Gasca-Álvarez, Héctor J. & Amat-García, Germán, 2015, The scarab beetle tribe Pentodontini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) of Colombia: taxonomy, natural history, and distribution, Zootaxa 4048 (4), pp. 451-492 : 487-488

Tomarus pullus ( Prell, 1937)

( Figs. 151 – 159 )

Ligyrus pullus Prell, 1937: 89 .

Description. Habitus as in Fig. 151 . Length 16 mm (♂), 18 mm (♀). Width 9 mm (♂), 10 mm (♀). Color black to reddish brown. Head: Frons flat; surface strongly grooved. Frontoclypeal region with a transverse carina interrupted at middle ( Figs. 152–154 ). Clypeus with surface transversely rugose; shape triangular, apex strongly narrowed; apical teeth reflexed, separated by about one tooth diameter. Interocular distance equals 3.3–3.5 times the transverse ocular diameter. Antennal club longer than antennomeres 2–7. Mandibles with 2 acute apical teeth and a rounded basal lobe. Pronotum: Surface with punctures evenly dispersed, punctures dense, deep, large, weakly ocellate. Apical tubercle nearly absent ( Fig. 155 ). Fovea shallow, as a slight longitudinal depression ( Figs. 152–153 ). Scutellum: Surface with about 10 deep, sparse punctures. Elytra: Surface with deep, large, ocellate punctures, some smaller between intervals; 3 pairs of double rows of punctures distinct; elytral suture present. Pygidium: Surface completely punctate; punctures large, ocellate, minutely setigerous. Surface evenly convex in males, slightly convex in females. Legs: Protibia tridentate, basal tooth distinctly removed from others. Protarsi in males simple, not enlarged. Apex of metatibia slightly crenulate with 28 – 29 spinules on the apical margin. Apex of first metatarsomere truncate. Venter: Prosternal process short, not extending beyond procoxae; apex flat, smooth, spherical and bordered by long yellow setae. Parameres: Base broad; lateral teeth acute and as wide as base; apical third narrowed, apices broad ( Figs. 156–157 ). Spiculum gastrale: Base slightly shorter than lateral branches, apex truncate ( Fig. 158 ).

Diagnosis. This is a distinctive species because of the smaller size and inconspicous frontal and pronotal tubercles, and subapical fovea on the pronotum. The species is similar to T. nasutus (Burneister, 1847) from Central America but T. pullus has the clypeal apex strongly narrowed; the mesofemora and metafemora robust and wide; and the apex of the metatibia with more spinules (28 – 29).

Locality records. ( Fig. 159 ) 2 specimens, 1♂, 1♀. Specimens were seen from MPUJ, UPN. Meta (1): Remolinos, Cafam Llanos (1). Vichada (1): Puerto Carreño, Barrio Centro (1).

Temporal distribution. April (2).

Distribution. Venezuela ( Endrödi 1969) and Colombia. The specimens listed represent a NEW COUNTRY RECORD.

Natural history. In Colombia, specimens were found in Orinoquia at about 300 m elevation.

Figures

FIGURES 151 – 159. Tomarus pullus. 151) habitus in dorsal view, female 152) habitus in frontal view, male, 153) head and pronotum in dorsal view, male, 154) habitus in frontal view, female, 155) habitus in lateral view, female, 156) parameres in frontal view, 157) parameres in lateral view, 158) spiculum gastrale, 159) locality records in Colombia.