Gonaphodiellus opisthius ( Bates, 1887 )

Dellacasa, Marco, Dellacasa, Giovanni & Gordon, Robert D., 2012, Systematic revision of Gonaphodiellus taxa, with description of two new genera and fourteen new species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae), Insecta Mundi 2012 (230), pp. 1-41 : 11-12

Gonaphodiellus opisthius ( Bates, 1887)

( Fig. 43-50 )

Aphodius duplex Bates, 1887: 87 (nec Aphodius duplex LeConte, 1878 ).

Aphodius opisthius Bates, 1887 . 92 (nomen novum); 1889: 392; Blackwelder 1944: 213.

Aphodius (Trichaphodius) opisthinus ; Schmidt 1913: 136 (incorrect spelling); 1922: 132.

Aphodius (Gonaphodiellus) opisthius ; Dellacasa 1988: 173.

Gonaphodiellus opisthius ; Dellacasa et al. 2002: 189; Skelley et al. 2007: 4.

Type locality. Cerro de Plumas [=Cerro de Palmas], [Veracruz], Mexico.

Type repository. Natural History Museum. London, UK (type examined).

Redescription. Length 4.0-5.0 mm, oval-elongate, moderately convex, subshiny, nearly glabrous. Yellowish-brown; head anteriorly and pronotum disc brownish; elytra with juxtasutural interstria, base of fifth interstria and preapical declivity brownish, apical declivity including an oblique oval yellowish spot ( Fig. 44 ); sometimes elytra almost entirely dirty yellowish ( Fig. 46 ) or almost entirely dark-brownish ( Fig 45 ). Head with epistome somewhat convex medially, superficially microreticulate, regularly and distinctly punctured; punctation denser and coarser laterally; clypeus slightly sinuate at middle, round at sides, bordered, edge shortly bristled; genae round, slightly auriculate, shortly ciliate, feebly protruding from the eyes; frontal suture finely impressed; front regularly and rather coarsely punctured. Pronotum transverse, moderately convex, distinctly, regularly and rather densely punctured; sides slightly sinuate inwardly before hind angles, finely bordered, edge glabrous; hind angles obliquely truncate, the truncature not inwardly sinuate; base bisinuate. Scutellum elongate with curved sides, coarsely but rather sparsely punctured. Elytra almost subparallel-sided, convex, minutely denticulate at shoulder, finely striate; striae feebly crenulate; interstriae almost flat, superficially microreticulate, finely and irregularly punctured, sparsely shortly pubescent on preapical declivity. Hind tibiae upper spur shorter than first tarsal segment; latter slightly longer than following three segments combined. Male: fore tibiae spur abruptly downward curved; pronotum relatively more transverse and less convex; metasternal plate distinctly excavate; aedeagus Fig. 48-49 . Female: fore tibiae spur almost straight; pronotum relatively narrower frontward and more convex; metasternal plate almost flat.

Material examined. GUATEMALA: San Marcos, 25.0 Km NW San Marcos, 15°04’N – 91°51’W, m 3052, 25.V.1973, leg Erwin & Havel, Central American Expedition 1973 (1 ex., USNM) . MEXICO: Chiapas: 6 exx. ( DCGI) 1 ex. ( MSNT) ; Chihuahua: 4 exx. ( DCGI) ; Distrito Federal: 10 ex. ( FSCA), 1 ex. ( NYSM) ; Durango: 4 exx. ( CSCA), 61 exx. ( DCGI), 8 exx. ( MSNT) ; Guerrero: 164 exx. ( DCGI), 5 exx. ( MSNT) ; Hidalgo: 56 exx. ( DCGI), 369 exx. ( MSNT), 4 exx. ( RHTC) ; Jalisco: 4 exx. ( CSCA), 103 exx. ( DCGI), 2 exx. ( EMEB), 137 exx. ( MSNT), 4 exx. ( NYSM), 2 exx. ( RHTC) ; México: 94 exx. ( DCGI), 77 exx. ( MSNT), 6 exx. ( NYSM), 1 ex. ( USNM) ; Michoacán: 215 exx. ( DCGI), 10 exx. ( EMEB), 768 exx. ( MSNT), 1 ex. ( NYSM) ; Morelos: 57 exx. ( DCGI), 2 exx. ( NYSM) ; Nayarit: 1 ex. ( DCGI) ; Oaxaca: 392 exx. ( DCGI), 737 exx. ( MSNT) ; Puebla: 50 exx. ( DCGI), 195 exx. ( MSNT) ; Queretaro: 111 exx. ( DCGI), 307 exx. ( MSNT) ; Sinaloa: 57 exx. ( CSCA), 1 ex. ( DCGI) ; Tlaxcala: 16 exx. ( DCGI) ; Veracruz: 392 exx. ( DCGI), 46 exx. ( EMEB), 325 exx. ( MSNT) .

Distribution. Guatemala, Mexico (widely distributed almost all over).

Bionomics. All year round, coprophagous species collected in nearly all kinds of dung.

Figures

Figure 43-56. Gonaphodiellus opisthius (Bates, 1887) (Zacualtipan, Hidalgo, Mexico). 43) Epipharynx. 44- 47) Habitus (length ideogram, color variations and morphological details). 48-49) Aedeagus (dorsal and lateral view). 50) Right labial palp (dorsal view). Gonaphodiellus pacatus (Harold, 1880) (Tolima, Rovira, Colombia). 51) Labial palp. 52) Epipharynx. 53-54) Habitus (morphological details and length ideogram). 55-56) Aedeagus (dorsal and lateral view).