Aegidium minor Paulian, 1984

Frolov, Andrey V., Akhmetova, Lilia A. & Vaz-de-Mello, Fernando Z., 2017, Revision of the mainland species of the Neotropical genus Aegidium Westwood (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Orphninae), Journal of Natural History 51 (19 - 20), pp. 1035-1090 : 1080-1081

Aegidium minor Paulian, 1984

( Figure 15 (a–g))

Aegidium minor Paulian 1984: 72

Type locality

Ecuador.

Type material examined

Holotype, male at MNHN labeled ‘ Equador Balzen [III]/52559/Fry Coll. 1905.100./ Holotype/ Aegidium minor Paul. R. Paulian det./HOLOTYPE’ .

Additional material examined

ECUADOR. Bolívar : one male at MNHN, Balzapamba, M. de Mathan , 3 April 1894 leg. Cotopaxi: one male at MHNG, Chugchilán , 2600 m, February 1983, G. Onore leg. Los Ríos: one male at CMN, Patricia Pilar, 47 km S Santo Domingo, Palenque River , 230 m, FIT, May–July 1985, S. Peck leg.; two females at CMN, Patricia Pilar, 47 km S Santo Domingo, Palenque River , 250 m, malaise-FIT rainforest, 5 May–25 July 1985, S. Peck and J. Peck leg.; one male at CEMT, Provincia de Los Ríos, 16 February 1983, S. Sandoval leg .

Diagnosis

Aegidium minor is similar to Ae. cribratum and Ae. asperatum in the shape of the aedeagus but differs from them by the parameres having small sensory areas apicad of lateral teeth ( Figure 16 (b)). From the former species it also differs in having more protruding anterior angles of frontoclypeus, and from the later by sparser punctation of elytra.

Description

Male ( Figure 15 (a,b,d–f)). Body length 12.0–17.0 mm. Colour uniformly blackish brown.

Anterior margin of frontoclypeus slightly convex in middle, slightly sinuate each side of medial convexity, with strongly protruding anterior angles, without distinct border or slightly upturned. Frontoclypeus punctate with rounded punctures separated by about 1–2 puncture diameters.

Eyes relatively large: width about 1/7 distance between eyes in dorsal view.

Pronotum with widely rounded lateral margins, slightly wider than elytra, 1.6 times wider than length, 0.55 times length of elytra. Posterior angles widely rounded, indistinct. Anterior margin bordered, border interrupted medially and not reaching anterior angles. Base of pronotum without furrow, punctate with a row of rounded punctures. Pronotal disc deeply excavated, with flattened area mediobasally. Lateral pronotal processes long, horn-shaped in lateral view, not protruding past lateral margin outline of pronotum in dorsal view. Medial excavation of pronotum punctate with rounded punctures, lateral processes smooth.

Scutellum narrow subtriangular, about 1/11 length of elytra.

Elytra 1.2 times longer than wide, with humeral and apical umbones, widest in basal 1/3, and tapering apically in dorsal view. Elytral carinae feebly distinct. Elytra covered with relatively rounded punctures separated by 1–3 puncture diameters, becoming denser at apices.

Macropterous.

Mesotibiae without tuft of setae ventroapically. Inner apical spur of mesotibia shorter than basal mesotarsomere and not curved downwards.

Aedeagus with relatively long (0.55 times length of phallobase), tapering parameres ( Figure 15 (d)). Parameres almost as wide as apical part of phallobase in dorsal view ( Figure 16 (e)). Ventrobasal transverse plate of parameres distinct. Lateral teeth of parameres feebly protruding past paramere outline in dorsal view ( Figure 15 (e)). Lateral sides of parameres with small sensory areas apicad of lateral teeth ( Figure 15 (b,d), arrowed). Endophallus without strongly sclerotised sclerites. Cranial part of spiculum gastrale narrow, tapering and rounded apically ( Figure 15 (f)).

Female ( Figure 15 (c)) differs from male in having protibial spur, relatively smaller pronotum without armature and in absence of inner protibial tooth. Body length of examined specimens 13.0 mm.

Variation

Pronotum shape in males varies from fully developed as described above to ill-defined lateral pronotal processes and shallow central pronotal excavation.

Distribution

The species is known from a few localities in the western Ecuadorian Andes ( Figure 15 (g)).

Figures

Figure 15. Aegidium minor, holotype male (a, d, e), male (b, f), female (c). Habitus in dorsal view (a, c), parameres in ventral view (b), aedeagus in lateral view (d), parameres in dorsal view (e), spiculum gastrale (f), locality map (g).

Figure 16. Aegidium asperatum, holotype male (a, c, d), male (b, e). Habitus in dorsal view (a, b), aedeagus in lateral view (c), parameres in dorsal view (d), spiculum gastrale (e), locality map (f).