Phaeaphodius Reitter, 1892

Dellacasa, Marco & Dellacasa, Giovanni, 2016, Systematic revision of the genus Phaeaphodius Reitter, 1892 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae), Zootaxa 4162 (1), pp. 143-163 : 144-145

Genus Phaeaphodius Reitter, 1892

Aphodius (Phaeaphodius) Reitter, 1892: 205 ; Balthasar 1964: 281; Dellacasa 1993: 588; Dellacasa & Dellacasa 2006: 133.

Aphodius (Limaroides) Balthasar, 1932: 109 ; Stebnicka & Galante 1991: 725 (as synonym of Phaeaphodius ).

Phaeaphodius: Paulian 1942: 85 ; Dellacasa et al. 2001: 238.

Type species. Phaeaphodius : Aphodius solskyi Harold, 1871 (original designation). Limaroides : Aphodius kiulungensis Balthasar, 1932 (monotypy)

Diagnosis. Small or medium size species (length 4.0–7.0 mm), moderately convex, shiny, glabrous. Color black or brown; sometimes elytra yellow with dark spots, rarely testaceous; antennae and legs dark, latter with paler tarsi. Head with epistome gibbous, transversely subcarinate, coarsely subrugosely punctate; clypeus sinuate at middle, generally round at sides, thickly bordered, edge glabrous; genae obtusely round, densely setose, protruding from the eyes; frontal suture usually tuberculate. Pronotum transverse, moderately convex, punctate; sides feebly round; hind angles distinctly, sometimes inward-sinuately truncate; base more or less completely bordered. Scutellum small, triangularly elongate or pentagonal with subparallel sides toward base. Elytra elongate, faintly widened posteriorly; striae distinctly punctate; interstriae flat or moderately convex. Protibiae distally tridentate and proximally serrulate on outer margin; upper side very finely and sparsely punctate. Mesotibiae and metatibiae with strong, transverse carinae on outer face; apically fimbriate with elongate and irregularly unequal, exceptionally short and progressively unequal spinules. Pygidium with dense, elongate, recumbent pubescence; apical margin finely, densely setose. Sexual dimorphism in males: frontal suture with prominent tubercles; pronotum not narrowed apically; protibiae spur and mesotibiae inferior spur hooked apically. Aedeagus slender, with elongate parameres. Epipharynx feebly sinuate at anterior margin and widely round at sides; epitorma broadly conical; corypha with protruding slender apical celtes; chaetopedia entirely densely pubescent and with several subregular belts of spines, much shorter, stout, densely arranged near the base of epitorma; chaetopariae dense and moderately elongate.

Distribution. Holarctic region.

Key to species of Phaeaphodius

1. Clypeus denticulate at sides of median sinuosity ( Fig. 62 ). Shiny black. Length 5.0–6.0 mm. Kazakhstan, Russia (western Siberia).................................................................... P. ro d d i ( Koshantschikov, 1911)

- Clypeus round at sides of median sinuosity ( Figs. 3, 7 , 15, 19 , 26, 30 , 36, 40 , 47 , 67 )............................... 2

2 (1). Elytral declivity with short pubescence ( Figs. 15 , 36 )........................................................ 3

- Elytral declivity glabrous ( Figs. 3, 7 , 19 , 26, 30 , 40 , 47 , 67 )................................................... 4

3 (2). Length 6.0–7.0 mm; pronotum, in males, with small median foveola at the anterior margin ( Fig. 36 ). Dorsal color black, elytra dirty yellow with dark brown, shadowy-margined spots. China (Gansu, Shaanxi)................ P. plutenkoi ( Král, 2002)

- Length 5.5–6.0 mm; pronotum, in males, without anterior foveola ( Fig. 15 ). Dorsal color piceous. Nepal (Annapurna Mountains)............................................................ P. himalorectus ( Ahrens & Stebnicka, 1997)

4 (2). Base of pronotum not bordered; metatibiae superior spur shorter than first tarsomere; China (Fujian, Sichuan, Xizang)................................................................................ P. kiulungensis ( Balthasar, 1932)

- Base of pronotum bordered, sometimes the border interrupted on each side before hind angles; metatibiae superior spur as long as first tarsomere or longer............................................................................. 5

5 (4). Basal border of pronotum interrupted on each side before hind angles ( Figs. 47 , 67 )................................ 6

- Basal border of pronotum entire ( Figs. 3, 7 , 19 , 30 , 40 )....................................................... 7

6 (5). Basal border of pronotum thin, superficial, and crenulate by a contiguous series of moderately-large punctures; elytral striae subcrenulate. Dorsal color black. Length 4.5–5.0 mm. Armenia, Iran, Turkey................ P. tauricola ( Hrubant, 1961)

- Basal border of pronotum strongly impressed, not crenulate; elytral striae distinctly crenulate. Dorsal color black, elytra yellow or castaneous with dark longitudinal bands more or less widened; rarely entirely dirty yellow or castaneous. Length 5.0–6.0 mm. China, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia (North European Territory, Central European Territory , East Siberia, West Siberia, Far East), South Korea, Taiwan, Ukraine, United States of America (Oregon, Washington)................................................................................... P. rectus ( Motschulsky, 1866)

7 (5). Clypeus distinctly sinuate at middle ( Fig. 19 ); genae distinctly protruding from the eyes; protibiae spur, in males, stout and strongly hooked apically. Dorsal surface dull. Length 5.5–6.0 mm. Russia (Siberia, Altai, and Ural Mountains)........................................................................................ P. jouravliowi ( Reitter, 1907)

- Clypeus feebly sinuate at middle; genae feebly protruding from the eyes; protibiae spur, in males, rather slender and apically feebly hooked. Dorsal surface more or less shiny. Length 4.0–6.5 mm........................................... 8

8 (7). Epistome dually, irregularly but not rugosely punctate; elytral interstriae almost imperceptibly punctate. Length 5.0–6.5 mm. Russia, Ukraine................................................................. P. novikovi ( Kabakov, 1998)

- Epistome rugosely punctate; elytral interstriae finely but distinctly punctate. Length 4.0–6.0 mm...................... 9

9 (8). Shape moderately convex, elytra somewhat broadened posteriorly with striae feebly but distinctly crenulate. Length 5.0–6.0 mm. China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Siberia, Taiwan, Turkmenistan................... P. costalis ( Gebler, 1848)

- Shape strongly convex, subcylindrical, elytra almost subparallel-sided with striae not crenulated. Length 4.0–6.0 mm..... 10

10 (9). Length 5.0–6.0 mm, scutellum superficially punctate on basal half, first metatarsi somewhat shorter than superior spur of tibia, epipharynx with several short and rather stout celtes at apex of corypha. Dorsal color shiny black, sometimes elytra piceous, rarely dirty yellowish brown. Central and eastern Asia................................... P. dauricus ( Harold, 1863)

- Length 4.0–4.5 mm, scutellum coarsely punctate on basal half, first metatarsi somewhat longer than superior spur of tibia, epipharynx with long stout celtes among other at apex of corypha. Head and pronotum piceous, elytra reddish brown. Afghanistan, Uzbekistan............................................................... P. pupillus ( Balthasar, 1961)

Figures

FIGURES 44 – 62. Phaeaphodius rectus (Motschulsky, 1866) (Russia, Eastern Siberia, Irkutsk environs). 44, epipharynx; 45 – 46, aedeagus (dorsal and lateral views); 47 – 57, habitus (morphological details, scale bar, and color variations). Phaeaphodius roddi (Koshantschikov, 1911) (Barnaul, lectotype). 58, epipharynx; 59 – 60, aedeagus (dorsal and lateral views); 61 – 62, habitus (scale bar and morphological details).

FIGURES 1 – 12. Phaeaphodius costalis (Gebler, 1848) (Kazakhstan, Kurgaldzhino, Lake Sultan). 1, epipharynx; 2 – 3. habitus (scale bar and morphological details); 4 – 5. aedeagus (dorsal and lateral views). Phaeaphodius dauricus (Harold, 1863) (Turkmenia mer., Tedžen). 6, epipharynx; 7 – 10, habitus (morphological details, scale bar, and color variations); 11 – 12, aedeagus (dorsal and lateral views).

FIGURES 13 – 23. Phaeaphodius himalorectus (Ahrens & Stebnicka, 1997) (Nepal, Himalaya, Myagdi District, 2100 – 2300 m, paratype). 13, epipharynx; 14 – 15. habitus (scale bar and morphological details); 16 – 17, aedeagus (dorsal and lateral views). Phaeaphodius jouravliowi (Reitter, 1907) (Ural). 18, epipharynx; 19 – 21, habitus (morphological details, scale bar, and color variations); 22 – 23, aedeagus (dorsal and lateral views).

FIGURES 24 – 33. Phaeaphodius kiulungensis (Balthasar, 1932) (China, Sichuan, Baoxing, 100 km N of Yaan). 24, epipharynx; 25 – 26. habitus (scale bar and morphological details); 27 – 28. aedeagus (dorsal and lateral views). Phaeaphodius novikovi (Kabakov, 1998) (Ukraine, Donetskaya Oblasty, Telmanovskij, Samsonovo z. - k., “ Khomutovskaya Step ”, paratype). 29, epipharynx; 30 – 31, habitus (morphological details and scale bar); 32 – 33, aedeagus (dorsal and lateral views).

FIGURES 34 – 43. Phaeaphodius plutenkoi (Král, 2002) (China, Shaanxi, Taibashan Mountains, N Hoazhenzi, 2460 m). 34, epipharynx; 35 – 36, habitus (scale bar and morphological details); 37 – 38, aedeagus (dorsal and lateral views). Phaeaphodius pupillus (Balthasar, 1961) (Afghanistan, Kandahar-Kuna). 39. epipharynx; 40 – 41, habitus (morphological details and scale bar); 42 – 43, aedeagus (dorsal and lateral views).

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).