Phaeaphodius tauricola ( Hrubant, 1961 )

Dellacasa, Marco & Dellacasa, Giovanni, 2016, Systematic revision of the genus Phaeaphodius Reitter, 1892 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae), Zootaxa 4162 (1), pp. 143-163 : 160-161

Phaeaphodius tauricola ( Hrubant, 1961)

( Figs. 63–67 )

Aphodius (Phaeaphodius) tauricola Hrubant, 1961: 97 ; Ahrens 1997: 55; Dellacasa & Dellacasa 2006: 133.

Phaeaphodius tauricola: Ziani & Moradi Gharakhloo 2011: 61 .

Type locality. Berendi/Ereğli, 2000 m, Toros, Anatolia [ Turkey, Vilayet Konya].

Type repository. Staatlichen Museum für Naturkunde. Dresden (holotype examined).

Redescription. Length 4.5–5.0 mm; oblong elongate, moderately convex, shiny, glabrous. Dorsal surface piceous black; elytral suture paler, legs dark brown; antennal club black. Head with epistome feebly gibbous and almost smooth on disc, distally coarsely, irregularly, sparsely punctate; clypeus feebly sinuate at middle, round on sides, with thick border, edge glabrous; genae round, setose, feebly protruding from the eyes; frontal suture obsolete; front sparsely, evenly punctate. Pronotum transverse, convex, irregularly punctate; with large punctures four to five times larger than small punctures, punctures somewhat denser on sides; fine small punctures evenly scattered throughout, more superficial and sparser on disc; lateral margins subparallel, thickly bordered, edge sparsely setose; hind angles widely truncate; base with a thin border crenulated by a belt of medium-size, coarse punctures and interrupted toward hind angles. Scutellum triangular, flat, with few sparse and superficial punctures on basal third. Elytra moderately convex, feebly widened apically, rather deeply striate; striae almost superficially punctate, subcrenulate; interstriae flat, superficially microreticulate and finely, sparsely punctate. Metatibiae superior spur as long as first metatarsomere; first metatarsomere as long as following 3 metatarsomeres combined. Male: head and pronotum more transverse, more sparsely and less coarsely punctate; protibiae spur stouter, downward bent and feebly hooked apically; aedeagus Figs. 64–65 . Female: head and pronotum narrower apically, more densely and coarsely punctate; protibiae spur slender and nearly straight.

Distribution. Armenia (Sevan, Ghegarkunik region), Iran (Saqqez, Kordostan region), Turkey.

Material examined. TURKEY: Vil. Ankara, Işık Dağı Geçidi , 1600 m, 6.VI.1992, A. Ballerio leg. (1 specimen, DCG) ; Vilayet Artvin, Çam Geçidi , 2600 m, 17.VI.1992, A. Ballerio leg. (3 specimens, DCG) ; Vilayet Erzurum, Kireçli Geçidi , 3.V.1992, E., G. & M. Dellacasa leg. (1 specimen, DCG) ; Vilayet Erzurum, Kireçli Geçidi , 5.V.1992, E., G. & M. Dellacasa leg. (1 specimen, DCG) ; Vilayet Erzurum, Ovacık , 1.VI.1991, E. & G. Dellacasa leg. (1 specimen, DCG) ; Vilayet Erzurum, Toprakkale , 6.V.1992, E., G. & M. Dellacasa leg. (1 specimen, DCG) ; Vilayet Kayseri, Erciyes Dağı , m 2200, 10.VI.1992, A. Ballerio leg. (4 specimens, DCG) ; Vilayet Konya, Berendi / Ereğli , 2000 m, Toros, Anatolia, M. Muche leg. (holotype male and 7 paratypes, MTD) .

Bionomics. Rare coprophagous species; most specimens examined were collected in cow dung in spring.

Figures

FIGURES 63 – 67. Phaeaphodius tauricola (Hrubant, 1961) (Turkey, Vilayet Erzurum, Kireçli Geçidi, 2400 m). 63, epipharynx; 64 – 65, aedeagus (dorsal and lateral views); 66 – 67, habitus (scale bar and morphological details).