Dendropaemon (D.) flechtmanni Génier & Arnaud, 2016

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) : 30-31

15. Dendropaemon (D.) flechtmanni Génier & Arnaud , new species

( Figs. 15 , 62–63, 157)

Type locality. Reserva Ecológica do IBGE, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brasil.

Diagnosis. The two segmented meso- and metatarsi of which the first segment is approximately 3 times as long as wide at apex, the completely glossy black body and the clypeal teeth lacking emargination laterally will place this species in the piceus complex. From closely related species it can be separated from D. angustulus , D. larseni , D. telephus by its more slender metafemur. Differs from D. aenigmaticus , D. ater and D. piceus by its more dorsoventrally compressed body and wider elytral striae which are less finely carinate laterally. Finally, distinguishable from D. vazdemelloi by its more robust body and denser and shorter ventral pilosity.

Description. Male holotype ( Fig. 15 ). Body. Body moderately large, length 14.0 mm, maximum width 7.5 mm; body subrectangular in dorsal view; dorsum largely flat. Color. Dorsal surface black, glossy, lacking metallic sheen; ventrum black; pygidium black; legs black. Head. Clypeus broadly arcuate, anterior portion 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 on anterior half; 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 slightly sinuous medially in frontal view; eyes small in dorsal view, interocular ratio 5.0. Pronotum. Pronotum transverse in dorsal view, pronotal width/length ratio 1.5; disc of pronotum minutely punctate throughout, with a fine ill-defined longitudinal sulcus on posterior half; pronotal anterior margin wider and flat lateral to eyes; anterior portion with a broad and fine tectiform carina tuberculate medially; anterior angles surface minutely punctate, similar to lateral margin along posterior edge of anterior margin; lateral fossae simply rounded, concave; lateral portions slightly explanate; pronotal basal fossae small, more or less rounded; posterior margin well-defined, lacking crenulation and setae. Elytra. Elytra approximately as long as wide in dorsal view, elytral combined width/length ratio 1.1; 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, adjacent strial edge encroaching on interval, 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 bluntly angularly produced anteromedially, ventral ridge well-defined, keel-shaped. Legs. Profemur posterior surface flat and glabrous internally, posterointernal margin rather thick, evenly developed, internal edge rather narrow, with a contiguous row of setae along anterointernal edge and few scattered long setae on anterior half, remaining surface with irregular ill-defined punctures and glossy. 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 well-defined punctures externally to median carina, surface glossy between punctures, with a single interrupted setal row along lateral teeth. Mesofemur angularly produced on anterointernal edge apically. Mesotibia rather slender, gradually widening toward apex in anterior view; anteroapical edge straight in anterior view, anteroapical row of setae complete; apicoanterior edge obliquely truncated 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 elongate, internal and lateral edges mostly parallel in ventral view, more than 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 flat 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 more than three unaligned row of setae laterally, glabrous medially; sternite 7 approximately longitudinally flat medially, shorter than segment 6 along midline; pygidium finely punctate on disc. Male genitalia (Figs. 62–63). Parameres simply rounded apically in dorsal view; with minute raspy tubercles apically.

Measurements (9 males, 12 females). Length: male 13.0–15.0 (14.0±0.7), female 12.0–17.0 (14.3±1.5) mm.

Primary type data. Holotype male (MEFEIS): [ BRASIL: MATO GROSSO DO SUL/ UNESP Farm, Selvira/ 20°20’08”S 051°24’44”W / 14.I.2011, cerrado fragment,/ unbaited window trap/ H. Wilson coll.]; [WORLD/ SCARAB./ DATABASE/ WSD00021092]; [HOLOTYPE / Dendropaemon / flechtmanni n.sp. / Génier & Arnaud, 2014] red card.

Material examined. BRAZIL: BAHIA, Macugê, Parque Nacional Chapada Diamantina, (13°0'S, 41°22'W), 27.ii.2010, coll. T. Vasconcelos— 1 male (paratype) ( CEMT); DISTRITO FEDERAL, Estação Experimental de Biologia da Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Asa norte, Brasilia, (15°44'14''S, 47°52'55''W), 6.xi.2012, coll. M.R. Frizzas— 1 male (paratype) ( CEMT); same locality, 17.i.2013, coll. M.R. Frizzas— 1 male (paratype) ( CEMT); Reserva Ecológica do IBGE, (15°56'41''S, 47°53'7''W), i.2000, coll. M. Milhomem— 1 female (paratype) ( CEMT); MATO GROSSO DO SUL, UNESP Farm [=Fazenda Experimental da Universidade Estadual Paulista, câmpus de Ilha Solteira], Selvíria, (20°20'8''S, 51°24'44''W), 11.i.2008, coll. H. Wilson— 1 female allotype (MEFEIS); same locality, 27.xi.2010, coll. H. Wilson— 1 female (paratype) (MEFEIS); same locality, 14.i.2011, coll. H. Wilson— 1 male (holotype) (MEFEIS); same locality, 21.i.2011, coll. H. Wilson— 1 male (paratype) (MEFEIS); same locality, 28.i.2011, coll. H. Wilson— 1 female (paratype) (MEFEIS); MINAS GERAIS, Rio Novo, (21°28'29''S, 43°7'37''W), 3.xii.2012, coll. H.M.L. Advincola— 1 female (paratype) ( CEMT); same locality, 10.xii.2012, coll. H.M.L. Advincola— 1 male (paratype) ( CEMT); same locality, 17.xii.2012, coll. H.M.L. Advincola— 1 female (paratype) ( CEMT); same locality, 24.xii.2012, coll. H.M.L. Advincola— 3 females, 1 male (paratypes) ( CEMT); same locality, 7.i.2013, coll. H.M.L. Advincola— 1 female (paratype) ( CEMT); Viçosa, (20°45'S, 42°52'W), x.1998, coll. Vaz-de-Mello— 1 female (paratype) ( CEMT); RIO DE JANEIRO, Cachoeiras de Macacu, São José da Boa Morte, (22°35.66'S, 42°51.46'W), 18–22.ii.2013, coll. T. Carvalho & M. Uzêda— 1 male (paratype) ( CEMT); Cantagallo, (21°58'43''S, 42°22'1''W), [no date], coll. [anonymous]— 1 male (paratype) ( MNHN); Municipio Duque de Caxias, (22°47'S, 43°19'W), xii.1974, coll. W. Telles— 1 female (paratype) ( CEMT).

Etymology. A patronym, in honor of Carlos Flechtmann, professor at Universidade Estadual Paulista, who provided us with many specimens used in this work including the first known series of specimens of this species.

Natural history. All specimens with data were collected in cerradão fragment. Three specimens using window traps (flight interception traps), a specimen collected in pitfall trap baited with pig (Sus scrofa) excrement and another specimen in a trap baited with peccary dung ( Tayassu tajacu ).

Remarks. Females are rather difficult to separate from males using external characters. The anterior pronotal carina is less strongly tuberculate medially and straighter and the first metatarsomere is more robust.

Variation limited to body size and dorsal punctation coarseness. Individuals smaller than 14.0 mm appear more elongated, at first the two smaller specimens where collected from two localities around Rio de Janeiro and we investigated the possibility that they could belong to a different species that would have been restricted to the Atlantic forest. However, additional material recently became available which included specimens of the same length as those of Rio de Janeiro state from localities in the States of Minas Gerais and Distrito Federal. Those specimens also appeared more elongated thus supporting the variation as intraspecific. Four males were dissected and the internal sac prepared. Some minor variation in the shape of the sclerites can be observed between individuals.

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.