Dendropaemon (D.) telephus Waterhouse, 1891

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) : 34-36

18. Dendropaemon (D.) telephus Waterhouse, 1891

( Figs. 18 , 68–69, 139, 157)

Dendropemon telephus Waterhouse 1891 , Ann. Mag. Nat . Hist. 6 8: 55 (original description) Dendropemon telephus: Gillet 1911 , Col. Cat. 38: 88 (catalogue)

Dendropaemon telephus: Olsoufieff 1924 , Insecta 13: 127 (monograph)

Dendropaemon telephus: Blut 1939 , Arch. Naturg. (N.F.) 8: 291 (monograph)

Dendropemon telephum: Blackwelder 1944 , U.S. Nat . Mus. Bull. 185: 211 (checklist) Dendropaemon (D.) telaphum: Edmonds 1972 , Univ. Kansas Sc. Bull. 49: 851 (comment taxonomy) Dendropaemon telephum : Vaz-de-Mello 2000, Hac. Proy. CYTED: 192 (faunistic)

Dendropaemon telephus: Vitolo 2000 , Rev. Acad. Colomb. Cienc. 24: 599 (identification key) Dendropaemon (D.) telephus: Arnaud 2002 , Col. Monde 28: 15 (mention)

Type locality. Cayenne.

Diagnosis. The two-segmented tarsi combined with the large and glossy black and largely flat body with clypeal teeth lacking emargination laterally will place this species in the piceus complex. The rather short metatibia, which is approximately twice as long as wide will separate it from other species in the group except D. larseni which is known from Peru and has a smaller average size (9.5–12.5 mm) and D. angustulus which has smaller average size (7.5 –11.5 mm).

Description. Male holotype ( Fig. 18 ). Body. Body moderately large, length 13.5 mm, maximum width 6.5 mm; body subrectangular in dorsal view; dorsum narrowly flat. Color. Dorsal surface black, glossy, lacking metallic sheen; ventrum black; pygidium black; legs black. Head. Clypeus broadly arcuate, anterior portion slightly upturned; clypeal teeth triangular; clypeal median emargination v-shaped, clypeal edge lacking emargination on external side of each clypeal tooth, clypeal teeth ventral surface with a fine v-shaped carina, clypeal margin ill-defined, lacking sharp carina posteriorly, clypeal surface with short and blunt transverse rugulae; clypeogenal suture well-defined, bluntly carinate internally; genal surface simply punctate, with a long and acute transverse carina; clypeofrontal carina low, more than 6 times wider than high, slightly bisinuate in dorsal view, simply carinate, clypeofrontal carina apical edge straight in frontal view; eyes small in dorsal view, interocular ratio 5.4. Pronotum. Pronotum transverse in dorsal view, pronotal width/length ratio 1.4; disc of pronotum minutely punctate throughout, with a fine ill-defined longitudinal sulcus on posterior two-third; pronotal anterior margin wider and flat lateral to eyes; anterior portion with a medially sinuous sharp carina transversely tuberculate medially; anterior angles surface finely punctate, similar to lateral margin along posterior edge of anterior margin; lateral fossae simply rounded, concave; lateral portions slightly explanate; pronotal basal fossae very small and rounded; posterior margin fine, interrupted 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 moderately wide basally and gradually tapering toward apex, lacking minute carina laterally on apical declivity, evenly impressed throughout, elytral striae 5 atrophied, lacking fine carina on each side on disc, strial punctures ill-defined throughout, stria 1 well-defined apically, connecting to marginal stria; interstriae slightly convex, minutely punctate throughout, surface glossy. Thoracic sterna. Proepisternal carina reduced, present along coxal insertion only; metasternal median lobe angularly produced anteromedially, ventral ridge ill-defined, keel shaped. Legs. Profemur posterior surface slightly but distinctly convex, rather coarsely punctate and glabrous internally, posterointernal margin rather thick, evenly developed, internal edge wide, with a contiguous row of setae along anterointernal edge, remaining surface smooth. Protibia with four teeth on lateral edge; internal basal angle lobate; anterior surface with long aligned row of setae internally, surface glossy or feebly microsculptured between punctures; posterior surface with some fine punctures externally to median carina, surface finely and irregularly microsculptured between punctures, with a single interrupted setal row along lateral teeth. Mesofemur angularly produced 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, 2-segmented, first segment elongate, more than three times as long as wide at apex. Metafemur rather short, internal and lateral edges slightly but distinctly arcuate in ventral view, approximately twice as long as wide, lacking distinct depressed area anterointernally before apex, apicoposterior edge unmodified, anterior surface with a well-defined sulcus on more than half the length. Metatibia moderately slender, slightly widening toward apex in anterior view, anterior surface with distinct row of setae, surface glossy, metatibial posterior surface convex between longitudinal row of setae and lateral edge, with transverse microsculpture. Metatarsus 2-segmented, first segment elongate, more than three time as long as wide at apex, with anterointernal carina ill-defined. Abdominal sternites. Sternites 3–6 longitudinally flat; sternites 4–6 with 1–3 unaligned rows of setae laterally, glabrous medially; sternite 7 approximately longitudinally flat medially, shorter than segment 6 along midline; pygidium minutely punctate on disc. Male genitalia (Figs. 68–69). Parameres simply rounded apically in dorsal view; with minute raspy tubercles apically.

Measurements (3 males, 15 females). Length: male 13.0–13.5 (13.3±0.3), female 10.5–14.0 (12.8±0.8) mm.

Primary type data ( Fig. 139 ). Holotype male (BMNH): [Type] disc with red border; [6745]; [229] handwritten, purple paper; [ telephus / (illegible)/ cayenne] handwritten, green card; [TYPE] red card; [ Dendropaemon / telephus / (type) Waterh.] handwritten; [HOLOTYPE / Dendrop[a]emon / telephus / Waterhouse, 1891] red card; [WORLD/ SCARAB./ DATABASE/ WSD00017050]; [ Dendropaemon ♂/ telephus / Waterhouse, 1891 / vid. F. Génier, 2013].

Material examined. GUYANA: CUYUNI-MAZARUNI, Kartabo, (6°16'57''N, 58°35'8''W), 1922, coll. [anonymous]— 1 female ( BMNH); DEMERARA-MAHAICA, Demerara, (6°48'N, 58°10'W), [no date], coll. [anonymous]— 1 female ( MTD); GUYANE FRANÇAISE: Cayenne, (4°54'3''N, 52°18'12''W), [no date], coll. [anonymous]— 1 male (holotype) ( BMNH); Mont Grand Matoury, (4°51'52''N, 52°20'58''W), xii.2012, coll. [anonymous]— 6 females ( COBF); same locality, i.2013, coll. [anonymous]— 3 females, 1 male ( COBF); same locality, ii.2013, coll. [anonymous]— 3 females, 1 male ( COBF); same locality, 11.vii.1998, coll. F. Lavalette— 1 female ( CPFA).

Natural history. The only specimen with data was found during the day in a forest trail.

Remarks. Females can be separated by their less elevated frontal carina and finer and barely tuberculate pronotal anterior carina.

Variation. All non-type specimens examined have the elytral striae puncture much larger and more deeply impressed.

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 18. Dorsal habitus. 13. D. angustulus, male holotype; 14. D. ater, male neotype; 15. D. flechtmanni, male holotype; 16. D. larseni, male holotype; 17. D. piceus, male holotype; 18. D. telephus, male holotype.

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.