Dendropaemon (Sulcopaemon) fasces Blut, 1939

François Génier & Patrick Arnaud, 2016, Dendropaemon Perty, 1830: taxonomy, systematics and phylogeny of the morphologically most derived phanaeine genus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae, Phanaeini), Zootaxa 4099 (1) : 70-71

35. Dendropaemon (Sulcopaemon) fasces Blut, 1939

( Figs. 35 , 96–97, 130, 150, 160)

Dendropaemon fasces Blut 1939 , Arch. Naturg. (N.F.) 8: 274 (original description) Dendropemon fasces: Blackwelder 1944 , U.S. Nat . Mus. Bull. 185: 210 (checklist) Dendropaemon (D.) fasces: Edmonds 1972 , Univ. Kansas Sc. Bull. 49: 850 (comment taxonomy) Dendropaemon haroldi: Martínez & Clavijo 1990 , Bol. Ent. Ven. N.S. 5: 155 (biology) Dendropaemon (D.) fasces: Arnaud 2002 , Col. Monde 28: 15 (mention)

Dendropaemon sp. aff. fasces: Larsen et al. 2006 , Col. Bull. 60: 319 (biology)

Type locality. Sa. Trinidad [=Misión Jesuítica de la Santísima Trinidad], Paraguay.

Diagnosis. The small size combined with the three-segmented meso- and metatarsi with the second segment being subequal in length to the first segment will place the species in the quadratus species complex. The lateral pronotal fossae with the sharply carinate anterior edge will separate it from most other species in the group. The three-segmented meso- and metatarsi will separate it from D. quadratus , the rounded pronotal lateral edges and the obtuse anterior angles in dorsal view will separate it from D. nitidicollis and the elytral striae 1 going straight to the apical margin will separate it from D. similis .

Description. Male lectotype ( Fig. 35 ). Body. Body small, length 9.5 mm, maximum width 4.0 mm; body subrectangular in dorsal view; dorsum narrowly flat. Color. Dorsal surface dark brown to black, glossy, with green metallic sheen; head black along anterior edge of clypeus, metallic green on remaining surface; pronotum with green metallic sheen except on small areas along anteromedian carina and adjacent to lateral fossae; elytra with uniform green metallic sheen; ventrum black; pygidium with green metallic sheen; legs dark reddish brown to black. Head. Clypeus broadly arcuate, anterior portion slightly upturned; clypeal teeth acutely triangular; clypeal median emargination broadly u-shaped, clypeal edge emarginate on external side of each clypeal tooth, clypeal teeth ventral surface lacking carina, clypeal margin well-defined and sharply carinate posteriorly, clypeal surface with transverse blunt rugulae; clypeogenal suture well-defined, bluntly carinate internally; genal surface with illdefined rugulae and minute tubercles laterally, smooth internally, lacking distinct transverse carina, simply convex; clypeofrontal carina rather low, approximately 4 times wider than high, straight in dorsal view, simply carinate, clypeofrontal carina apical edge straight in frontal view; eyes small in dorsal view, interocular ratio 5.0. Pronotum. Pronotum transverse in dorsal view, pronotal width/length ratio 1.4; disc of pronotum minutely punctate throughout, with a fine longitudinal sulcus on posterior two-third; pronotal anterior margin wider and flat lateral to eyes; anterior portion with a tri-sinuous carina, carina produced into a tubercle medially; anterior angles surface with fine blunt longitudinal rugulae, slightly but distinctly sulcate along posterior edge of anterior margin; lateral fossae rounded and bordered anteriorly by a sharp carina; lateral portions unmodified; pronotal basal fossae very small and more or less rounded; posterior margin ill-defined on a short distance on each side of pronotal basal fossae, lacking setae. Elytra. Elytra approximately as long as wide in dorsal view, elytral combined width/length ratio 1.0; elytral base lacking distinct margin, simply convex; elytral striae 1–4 very wide basally and tapering toward apex, very deeply impressed basally, elytral striae 5 similar to 4 on disc, strial punctures ill-defined throughout, stria 1 weakly impressed apically, going straight to elytral apical margin; interstriae slightly convex, minutely punctate throughout, surface largely glossy medially with more or less defined alutaceous microsculpture along striae. Thoracic sterna. Proepisternal carina reduced, present along coxal insertion only; metasternal median lobe bluntly angularly produced anteromedially, ventral ridge well-defined, keel-shaped. Legs. Profemur posterior surface convex, glabrous and punctate internally, posterointernal margin rather thick, evenly developed, internal edge rather wide, with a contiguous row of setae along anterointernal edge, remaining surface more or less irregularly punctate. Protibia with four teeth on lateral edge; internal basal angle bluntly lobate; anterior surface lacking aligned row of setae internally, with few aligned and isolated setiferous punctures only, surface coarsely microsculptured between punctures; posterior surface with irregular rugose punctures externally to median carina, surface glossy between punctures, with a single interrupted setal row along lateral teeth. Mesofemur obtusely angular on anterointernal edge apically. Mesotibia rather short, gradually widening toward apex in anterior view; anteroapical edge slightly sinuate in anterior view, anteroapical row of setae complete; apicoanterior edge circularly indented internally; external edge more or less rounded, with several large elongate setiferous punctures. Mesotarsus similar in shape to metatarsus, 3-segmented, first segment moderately elongate, approximately two times as long as wide at apex. Metafemur internal edge nearly straight and lateral edge arcuate, lacking distinct depressed area anterointernally before apex, apicoposterior edge unmodified, anterior surface with a well-defined sulcus on apical half. Metatibia moderately slender, slightly widening toward apex in anterior view, anterior surface with distinct row of setae, surface glossy basally and slightly irregular apically, metatibial posterior surface flat between longitudinal row of setae and lateral edge, with transverse microsculpture. Metatarsus 3-segmented ( Fig. 130 ), first segment moderately elongate, approximately two times as long as wide at apex, with anterointernal carina well defined and almost reaching apical edge. Abdominal sternites. Sternites 3–6 longitudinally slightly convex; sternites 4–6 with 1–3 unaligned rows of setae laterally, glabrous medially; sternite 7 slightly longitudinally concave medially, shorter than segment 6 along midline; pygidium minutely punctate on disc. Male genitalia (Figs. 96–97). Parameres produced onto a lobe laterally; surface smooth, glossy apically.

Measurements (12 males, 15 females). Length: male 7.0–9.5 (8.8±0.8), female 7.5–10.5 (8.8±0.7) mm.

Primary type data ( Fig. 150 ). Lectotype male (ZMHB) present designation: [ Paraguay / 1913] partly handwritten; [♂]; [Typus] red card; [ Dendropaemon / fasces Blut. / Sa. Trinidad, Paraguay] handwritten; [SYNTYPUS / Dendropaemon / fasces Blut, 1939 / labelled by MNHUB 2009] red card; [WORLD/ SCARAB./ DATABASE/ WSD 00016766]; [LECTOTYPE / Dendropaemon / fasces / Blut, 1939 / dés. Génier & Arnaud] red card; [ Dendropaemon ♂/ fasces / Blut, 1939 / vid. Génier & Arnaud, 2009].

Material examined. ARGENTINA: MISIONES, [unspecified locality], [no date], coll. C. Bruch— 1 male ( IRSNB); BRAZIL: MATO GROSSO DO SUL, Guaicurus, (20°6'30''S, 56°47'46''W), xi.1934, coll. [anonymous]— 1 female ( WDEC); PARAGUAY: [unspecified locality], [no date], coll. [anonymous]— 1 female ( SMF); CENTRAL, Asunción, (25°18'17''S, 57°39'44''W), 1891, coll. Revoil— 1 female ( MNHN); same locality, ix–x.1904, coll. Anisits— 1 female ( NMPC); San Lorenzo, (25°21'S, 57°30'30''W), xi.1976, coll. N.G. Romero— 1 female ( CMNC); same locality, xi.1978, coll. N.G. Romero— 2 males ( CMNC); same locality, 9.x.1949, coll. [illegible]— 1 male ( CMNC); CONCEPCIÓN, Campo Zanja Morotí, (22°31'48''S, 57°13'48''W), 13.xi.2004, coll. C. Aguilar— 1 female ( WDEC); Cororó, (23°24'14.76''S, 56°30'47.52''W), 15.xii.1995, coll. C. Aguilar J.— 1 female ( WDEC); same locality, 27.ii.1997, coll. B. Garcete B.— 1 female ( WDEC); Horqueta, (23°19'41''S, 57°3'59''W), xii, coll. [anonymous]— 1 male ( CAS); San Salvador, (22°49'30''S, 57°47'50''W), [no date], coll. Dr. Bohls— 3 females (incl. 3 paralectotypes) ( MTD); GUAIRÁ, Villarrica, (25°47'S, 56°27'W), xii.1943, coll. Schade— 1 male ( CMNC); ITAPÚA, Sa. Trinidad [=Misión Jesuítica de la Santísima Trinidad], (27°7'56''S, 55°42'9''W), x.1914, coll. [anonymous]— 2 females (incl. 1 paralectotype) ( CPFA, ZMHB); same locality, 1913, coll. [anonymous]— 1 male (lectotype) ( ZMHB); SAN PEDRO, Cororó, Río Ypané, (23°25'38''S, 56°29'57''W), xi.1979, coll. Martínez— 2 females, 3 males ( CMNC); same locality, ii.1979, coll. Martínez— 1 male ( CMNC); URUGUAY: MONTEVIDEO, Montevideo, (34°51'29''S, 56°10'15''W), [no date], coll. [anonymous]— 1 male ( CPFA).

Natural history. Martínez & Clavijo (1990) report that D. haroldi (almost certainly a misidentification for D. fasces as D. haroldi has not been reported from Paraguay to date) “are generally found in areas of loose soils after rains and usually in the morning. Some of these were found at ground level flying or walking on the sand after a storm by one of the authors in Paraguay ”.

Remarks. Females differ in having the pronotal anterior carina simply broadly arcuate posteriorly and set very close to the anterior pronotal margin. In addition, sternite 7 is nearly flat medially.

Variation occurs mostly in the extent of the green metallic sheen on pronotum; the extent of the sculpturing on genae and the presence of microsculpture on elytral interval along striae. In most specimen the elytral intervals are completely glossy.

Nomenclature and taxonomy. In Blut’s original description it is stated that types are deposited in the Berlin and Dresden museums. Based on the remarks on type specimens, Blut had seen 1 male and 5 female specimens (1 male, 2 females from Berlin and 3 females from Dresden) for a total of 6 specimens. In the material sent for study from Berlin, a male and a female were present, and all three females were sent from Dresden. Each of the five specimens are labeled as “ Typus ” and they are referred as “ Paratypus ” in Blut’s description. Because there are no indication of a primary type designation in the description or from the labeled specimens these 5 individuals are considered part of the syntype series. Therefore, we here designate the male specimen from the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin the lectotype of Dendropaemon fasces Blut, 1939 in order to select the male specimen with the best diagnostic character which include well developed secondary sexual characters. The specimen has some damage at the abdomen apical portion of the elytra which suggest it might have been dissected to extract the aedeagus, however the aedeagus is not attached to the specimen’s pin. We did not attempt to dissect the lectotype as it might damage it further. We have dissected and illustrated the aedeagus of other specimens which fit perfectly the external morphology of the lectotype.

Figures

FIGURES 31 – 36. Dorsal habitus. 31. D. ganglbaueri, male holotype; 32. D. vazdemelloi, male holotype; 33. D. refulgens, male holotype; 34. D. fractipes, male holotype; 35. D. fasces, male lectotype; 36. D. haroldi, male lectotype.

FIGURES 126 – 133. Metatarsus, ventral view. 126. D. ganglbaueri, holotype; 127. D. vazdemelloi, holotype; 128. D. refulgens, holotype; 129. D. fractipes; 130. D. fasces; 131. D. nitidicollis; 132. D. quadratus; 133. D. denticollis.

FIGURES 134 – 154. Primary type labels. 134. D. hirticollis; 135. D. pauliani; 136. D. renatii; 137. D. ater; 138. D. piceus; 139: D. telephus; 140. D. viridis; 141. D. viridipennis. 142. D. convexus; 143. D. fredericki; 144. D. angustipennis; 145. D. bahianus; 146. D. amyntas (= D. attalus); 147. D. ganglbaueri; 148. D. refulgens; 149. D. fractipes; 150. D. fasces; 151. D. haroldi; 152. D. nitidicollis; 153. D. quadratus; 154. D. similis; 155. D. denticollis.