Aegidinus alexanderi Frolov, Akhmetova & Neita-Moreno, 2023

Frolov, Andrey V., Akhmetova, Lilia A. & Neita-Moreno, Jhon Cesar, 2023, Phylogenetic analysis of the Neotropical scarab beetle tribe Aegidiini (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Orphninae) with description of new taxa, ZooKeys 1166, pp. 33-47 : 33

Aegidinus alexanderi Frolov, Akhmetova & Neita-Moreno sp. nov.

Fig. 2A-H

Differential diagnosis.

Aegidinus alexanderi sp. nov. is most similar to A. teamscaraborum Colby, 2009, but differs from it in the shape of the parameres having proximal and distal lobes less separated and proximal lobes longer in lateral view (Fig. 2E-G ). It should be noted that the differences between the two species are smaller than between most other Aegidinus species, implying their close relationships. It is possible that a thorough sampling in the Yungas will provide clear evidence of their allopatric or parapatric distribution and examination of molecular markers will show that the genetic distance between them is characteristic for subspecies rather than species; in this case, their status may be changed. Until such data are available, we suggest that these taxa are considered distinct species.

Type material.

Holotype. Male at ZIN labeled “JUNÍN: Satipo Prov., 5 km NNE Puerto Ocopa, left bank of Perené River, near Canan Eden village, 1100 m a.s.l., vill. 8.III.2008. A.Petrov leg [FIDE6071]". Paratypes. One male and one female [FIDE6072, FIDE6073] at CMN and two females [FIDE6074, FIDE6075] at ZIN with the same data as the holotype; one male and three females at ZIN labeled "PERU: Junin, 16 km NW Satipo, rio Venado, 1150 m 11°11.677'S, 74°46.137'W 13.III.2010 A. Petrov leg. [FIDE6076-FIDE6079]".

Description.

Male, holotype (Fig. 2A, D, E ).

Body length 8.4 mm. Colour uniformly dark brown.

Frontoclypeus wide, with convex anterior margin, slightly angulate laterally, somewhat crenulate. Genae small, slightly protruding past eyes. Frontal suture indistinct. Frontoclypeus with short conical horn rounded apically.

Pronotum with widely rounded lateral margins, narrower than elytra, 1.6 times wider than length. Posterior angles widely rounded. Anterior margin bordered, border interrupted medially, with feeble gibbosity. Base of pronotum not bordered, with a few large rounded punctures laterally and a few small medially. Pronotal disc feebly excavated anteromedially, with two gibbosities in center. Pronotum punctate with a few large rounded punctures laterally and anteromedially and with minute, feebly visible punctures throughout.

Scutellum subtriangular, narrowly rounded posteriorly, about 1/11 length of elytra.

Elytra almost as long as wide, widest medially and rounded apically, with humeral and apical humps. First elytral stria as continuous line, connected basally with undulate line from scutellum to humeral hump. Other striae marked with rows of sparse punctures; punctures somewhat V- and comma-shaped on basal part of elytra, becoming smaller towards apices.

Macropterous.

Legs. Protibiae with 3 outer teeth, without medioapical tooth. Lateral margin basad of outer teeth not crenulate. Apical spur of protibia absent. Middle and hind legs similar in shape; metafemora and metatibiae about 1/8 longer than the mesofemora and mesotibiae. Mesotibia and metatibiae with 2 apical spurs, inner margin almost straight, outer margin with 1 transverse keel. Upper spur of hind tibiae as long as two basal tarsomeres. Claws 1/3 length of apical tarsomere. Femora almost impunctate.

Abdomen ventrally irregularly punctate, pubescent, with sparse, long setae. Abdominal sternite 8 medially slightly longer than sternites 4-7 combined. Pygidium invisible from above, with slightly truncate apex in caudal view. Plectrum triangular with rounded apex, wider than long. Stridulatory file (Fig. 2C ) with wide carinae medially becoming much narrower and denser proximally.

Aedeagus. Phallobase without ventroapical plate. Parameres short (about 0.4 length of phallobase), curved downwards (Fig. 2D, E ). Parameres with proximal lobes reasonably longer than sinuation between proximal and distal lobes in lateral view (Fig. 2E ). Endophallus with 3 groups of spinules.

Female (Fig. 2B ) differs from the male in having a relatively smaller pronotum without armature, frontoclypeus without process, and short but distinct protibial spur.

Paratypes and variability.

The body length of the examined specimens varies from 7.8-8.5 (males) and from 7.5-9.0 (females). Head and pronotal armature in one male paratype poorly developed with a small frontoclypeal tubercle and shallow pronotal fossa medially.

Distribution.

This species is known from two localities in Satipo Province in central Peru, mostly within the Peruvian Yungas ecoregion and on the border with Southwest Amazon moist forests ecoregion (Fig. 2H ). The records of the paratypes A. teamscaraborum from the Peruvian Yungas (Fig. 2H , gray squares) are based on females only therefore may belong to A. alexanderi sp. nov. The holotype and other paratypes of A. teamscaraborum originate from Bolivian Yungas.

Etymology.

The new species is named after Alexander Petrov (Moscow) who collected and kindly donated us the specimens.

Figures

Figure 2. Aegidinus alexanderi sp. nov. (A, D, E male, holotype B female, paratype) and A. teamscaraborum (G) A, B habitus C stridulatory file, SEM D parameres in dorsal view E aedeagus in lateral view F, G paramere outline in lateral view (not to scale) H distributional record map (red symbols indicate holotype localities, gray squares indicate localities of A. teamscaraborum paratypes, which may belong to A. alexanderi sp. nov.).