Ancognatha uncinata Paucar-Cabrera and Ratcliffe, 2018

Paucar-Cabrera, Aura & Ratcliffe, Brett C., 2018, The Ancognatha Erichson (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Cyclocephalini) of Ecuador, with Description of a New Species, The Coleopterists Bulletin 72 (4), pp. 665-687 : 682-683

Ancognatha uncinata Paucar-Cabrera and Ratcliffe , new species

( Figs. 32–34 ) Zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:5DE258AB-467F-43C6-94A0-07DB31ACD7A5

Type Material. Holotype male labeled “ ECUADOR / NAPO / Fall San Rafael / 15-Feb- 1990 / Legit: S. Sandoval // 3545 // QCAZ I / 224571” and with our red holotype label . Holotype deposited at QCAZ .

Decription. Holotype male ( Fig. 32 ). Length 24.3 mm; width across humeri 10.3 mm. Color dark testaceous with black, elongate spot on each humerus and behind scutellum either side of sutural line; tarsi, apices of femora, and tibiae black, pygidium and abdominal sternites piceous. Head: Frons and clypeus with small, moderately dense punctures. Clypeal shape parabolic, apex narrowly rounded and slightly reflexed. Interocular width equals 3.0 transverse eye diameters. Antennae with 10 antennomeres, club slightly longer than antennomeres 2–7. Mentum with apex deeply emarginated (about half length of mentum). Pronotum: Surface with small, moderately dense punctures similar to those on head. Base lacking marginal bead. Elytra: Surface weakly punctate-striate, striae shallow, indistinct; punctures moderate in size, weakly ocellate. Pygidium: Surface with moderately large, moderately dense, setigerous punctures; setae long, dense, pale. In lateral view, surface convex, especially on apical half. Legs: Protibia tridentate, teeth subequally spaced from each other. Protarsus enlarged, median large claw narrowly split at apex. Venter: Prosternal process long, apex flattened into transverse oval surrounded by fringe of long, pale setae and with raised, transversely oval “button” on anterior half; posterior margin of shaft near base with weak swelling. Parameres: With long, flange-like tooth at base [best seen in anterolateral and lateral views] ( Fig. 33 ).

Distribution. Ancognatha uncinata is known from the area of the Cascada San Rafael (the highest waterfall in Ecuador) in Napo province ( Fig. 34 ).

Etymology. The adjectival epithet uncinata is from the Latin uncus, meaning a hook, barb, or angle, in reference to the unique hook-like flange at the base of the parameres ( Fig. 33 ).

Diagnosis. Ancognatha uncinata is identical to A. vulgaris in form, color, and sculpturing (including the densely setose pygidium) except for the different parameres (compare Figs. 33 and 39 ). The large, flange-like hook at the base of the parameres of A. uncinata is unique among Ancognatha species. Like A. vulgaris and A. humeralis , the mentum is deeply cleft at its apex for at least half of its length. In Endrödi’ s (1985) key, this species will go as far as couplet 19 based upon the character of the deeply cleft mentum. The form of the parameres will then distinguish it from A. vulgaris and A. humeralis in the following couplets.

Natural History. Based upon only a single specimen, nothing is known about the natural history of this species.

Figures

Figs. 32–34. Ancognatha uncinata. 32) Habitus; 33) Parameres; 34) Distribution.

Figs. 38–40. Ancognatha vulgaris. 38) Habitus; 39) Parameres; 40) Distribution in Ecuador.