Pygopleurus hirsutus ( Brullé, 1832 )

Bollino, Maurizio, Uliana, Marco & Sabatinelli, Guido, 2019, The Pygopleurus Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Glaphyridae) of mainland Greece: taxonomy, faunistics and ecological notes, Zootaxa 4674 (2), pp. 151-202 : 159-161

Pygopleurus hirsutus ( Brullé, 1832)

( Figs. 10–17 , 133–134 )

Amphicoma hirsuta Brullé, 1832: 182 , Pl. XXXIX, fig. 10–11.

= Amphicoma (Pygopleurus) apicalis hirsuta f. albopilosa Petrovitz, 1972: 22 [infrasubspecific, unavailable].

Type series. Lectotype ♀ designed by Baraud (1989: 356) in MNHN.

Type locality. [ Greece, Peloponnese], Messenia, “au pied du Manglava, entre Koubeh et Gargaliano ” [at the foot of Manglava, between Koubeh and Gargaliano ( Gargaliano corresponds to the current Gargalianoi)] .

Material examined. 129 ♂♂, 122 ♀♀, detailed in supplementary material.

Type specimens examined. Lectotype of Amphicoma hirsuta Brullé : White (man.) Amphicoma / hirsuta Brullé / Exped. de Moree Ш-182 / Graecia // Red (man.): Amphicoma / hirsuta / Brullé / LECTOTYPE ♀ / J. Baraud 1988 // White (man.): Pygopleurus / hirsutus ♀ / (Brullé) / J. Baraud dét. 1988.

Verified distribution.

Greece.

Central Greece. Phtiothis: Lamia, W of Bralos. Attica. Legrena ( 45 km SE Athens ) . Peloponnese. Corinthia: Nemea (0.5 km E of Galatas), Limiko. Laconia: 2 km SW of Polovitsa ; 5 km S of Anavriti; env. Kardamili, Trachila; Moni Golas; Mystras; Gythion; 4 km NW Githion. Arcadia: Agios Petros, M. Parnon. Western Greece. Elis: 1.5 km E of Keramidia.

Diagnosis. Elytra unicolored, with long, raised setation completely light-colored and quite uniformly scattered across the whole surface, apex with a small transversal truncation and tiny sutural tooth.

Paramera and everted endophallus diagnostic ( Figs. 14–15 ).

Distribution ( Fig. 17 ). This species seems scattered in Central Greece and Peloponnese. Its presence in Messenia is only known from the type locality.

Pygopleurus hirsutus was reported for Turkey by Rozner & Rozner (2009b). The examination by Marco Uliana (MU) of part of these specimens, preserved in DZCB, revealed that they should be referred to P. mithridates ( Petrovitz, 1962) . Pygopleurus hirsutus is therefore not known from the fauna of Turkey.

Eco-ethological notes ( Fig. 17 ). Pygopleurus hirsutus is one of the most early flying species of the genus, appearing as early as 20 th March (Lakonia, env. Kardamili, Trachila, 100 m) and flying until the end of April (30 th April, Lakonia, Anavriti, 1100 m). This early phenology is in accordance with its presence mostly at low altitudes (sea level at Attica, Legrena), although it can reach 1100 m (Lakonia, Anavriti). Observations are however biased by the scarcity of records (12) scattered over a wide range. The species appears rare, although this is probably related to its early activity. The very long series (nearly 200 specimens) housed at MHNG and collected by Rudolf Petrovitz near Gythion, indicates that the species can produce abundant and locally dense swarms, as it is the case with other Glaphyridae . Based on our observations, the species was usually encountered as single specimens in Papaver , on Asteracee (yellow Tubuliflorae of genera Hyoseris , Crepis , Picris , within others), and on Cistus creticus .

Figures

FIGURE 17. Pygopleurus hirsutus (Brullé, 1832), geographical, altitudinal, and temporal distribution of records. Red curves showing the expected distribution if the species was uniformly present at all heights and all times (see Material and methods).

FIGURES 10–16. Pygopleurus hirsutus (Brullé, 1832), habitus and genitalia. 10, male (Laconia, Trachila); 11, male (Corinthia, Galatas); 12, female (Laconia, Trachila); 13, female (Corinthia, Galatas); 14, left paramere in lateral and dorsal view (Corinthia, Galatas); 15, everted endophallus in left lateral view (Laconia, Polovitsa); 16, left genital sclerites of female (Corinthia, Galatas).

FIGURES 131–136. Variability in the shape of elytra. Apex of right elytron. 131, Pygopleurus apicalis (Brullé, 1832), male; 132, Pygopleurus apicalis, female; 133, Pygopleurus hirsutus (Brullé, 1832), male; 134, Pygopleurus hirsutus, female; 135, Pygopleurus viridisuturatus (Reitter, 1903), female; 136, Pygopleurus chrysonotus (Brullé, 1832), male.