Scapomegas aurifer Marseul, 1887

Leivas, Fernando W. T., Bicho, Carla L., Degallier, Nicolas & Moura, Daniel P., 2012, Revision of the genus Scapomegas Lacordaire, 1854 (Coleoptera: Histeridae: Omalodini), Zootaxa 3482, pp. 33-46 : 45

Scapomegas aurifer Marseul, 1887

Scapomegas aurifer Marseul, 1887 : CXXV (new species description); Santos et al., 2010 (ecological data); Mazur, 2011: 75 (catalogue).

Diagnosis. Pronotum with lateral stria complete, anterior margin straight behind the head; elytra with outer subhumeral stria complete; propygidium with strong punctuation on the whole surface, without elevation; 8th sternite in ventral view with two bristles on lateral-posterior region.

Redescription. Length (pronotum+elytra): 3.88–4.2 mm; elytral width: 3.4–3.92 mm.

Color dark or dark-brown. Basal segment of the antennal club without a concave region. Anterior margin of the pronotum straight behind the head ( Figs. 1 E; 5C); lateral stria complete ( Fig. 5 C). Prosternal lobe with strong punctuation laterally. Elytra with outer subhumeral stria complete, inner subhumeral stria absent; 1st–2nd dorsal stria complete, 3rd dorsal stria present at the posterior margin, sutural stria interrupted at the base ( Fig. 1 E). Mesosternum with marginal stria usually slightly interrupted at the middle ( Fig. 1 F). Metasternum with lateral stria complete; postmesocoxal stria present. Middle and hind tibiae with the submarginal stria interrupted next to the apex on the inner margin. Third visible abdominal sternite with strong punctuation without sulcus ( Fig. 1 F). Propygidium and pygidium with strong punctuation on the whole surface, without elevation ( Fig. 10 B).

Male terminalia. Eighth sternite in ventral view with two bristle on lateral-posterior region ( Fig. 6 C). Basal margin of the parameres in ventral view with an acuminated emargination, dorsally without or with a weak emargination ( Fig. 7 C).

Remarks. The presence of a weak foveae at the frons was noted by Marseul (1887), but this character can be represented in all species of the genus and with different levels of intensity. The lateral pronotal stria may vary from truncated to rounded behind the head. Marseul also characterized the inner subhumeral stria as “...subhumérale interne, sulciforme, entière, rapprochée de l'externe, qui est beaucoup plus fine...”. We believe that Marseul made a misinterpretation of this character and that possibly the author was referring to the outer subhumeral stria, because the inner subhumeral stria is absent in this species. The third dorsal stria can be weakly indicated at the anterior margin. The populations of São Paulo State and North of Paraná State can have the mesosternal marginal stria complete

Distribution and ecological data. Currently known from elevations of 130–160 meters in Argentina and Paraguay, and 386–1600 meters in Brazil. For Brazil the species is known from Araucaria Forest, Montane Rain Forest and Seasonal Semideciduous Tropical Forest, all components from the Atlantic Forest biome. The holotype is from Caraça (Minas Gerais, Brazil), an area composed of Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes where this species occurs at higher elevation.

Type material. A female specimen labeled: " Type " (red-bordered printed, circular, Museum label) / "Caraca (Minas Geraez) Bresil E. Gounelle I.2.1885" (printed)/ "G. Lewis Coll. B.M. 1926-369"(printed) / " Scapomegas aurifer Ƥ. n. sp."(handwritten) / "s [or 5]" (handwritten on small rectangle) / "Marseul's Type " (Lewis's handwriting) is considered as the HOLOTYPE of the species, as Marseul cited “1 Ƥ” specimen at the beginning of the description. L = 4.0 mm; l = 3.6 mm ( BMNH).

Additional examined material. BRAZIL: Rio de Janeiro, Teresópolis, X/1991, A. Bello col. 1 ex.; Itatiaia, II/1999, J. Carlos col. 1 ex. ( CPAB); São Paulo, Parque Estadual da Cantareira, 1/XI/1994, Exp. MZUSP col. 4 ex. ( MZUSP); Paraná, Londrina (Parque Mata dos Godoy), XII/1998, J. Lopes col., 1 ex. ( CPAB); Paraná, Ibiporã (Fazenda Doralice, B-1D), 30/XII/2005, A. A. Santos col., 1 ex.; (Fazenda Doralice, B-1D), 14/I/2006, A. A. Santos col. 1 ex.; (Fazenda Doralice, I-1 D), 25/II/2006, A. A. Santos col. 1 ex.; (Fazenda Doralice, B-1D) 08/IV/ 2006, A. A. Santos col., 1 ex.; (Fazenda Doralice, M-2D) 08/IV/2006, A. A. Santos col., 1 ex.; Paraná, Curitiba ( Mata Capão do Tigre, UFPR), 12/IV/2005, Grossi & Caron col. 1 ex.; Piraquara (Sanepar), 18/VII/2001, Grossi col., 1 ex.; Piraquara, 03-10/IX/2007, Grossi col., 1 ex. ( DZUP). PARAGUAY: Caazapa (Estero Cristal), 20-25/ XI/1999, J. Jensen col., 1 ex. ( SBMN). ARGENTINA: Misiones: Concepción (Santa Maria) V/1960, M. Viana col. 1 ex. ( GASC); Territoire des Missions, no date (Desbordes det.), 1 ex. ( MNHN); San Ignacio, Donckier vend t, no date (Desbordes det.), 1 ex. ( MNHN).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Dorsal and ventral habitus. A – B. Scapomegas auritus Marseul; C – D. Scapomegas gibbus Marseul; E – F. Scapomegas aurifer Marseul. Scale 1 mm.

FIGURE 5. Pronotum. A. Scapomegas auritus Marseul; B. Scapomegas gibbus Marseul; C. Scapomegas aurifer Marseul. Scale 1 mm.

FIGURE 6. Eighth sternite of the male terminalia with detail of the bristles on the sides of the posterior margin (A – C, scale 0.5 mm and 0.125 mm, respectively) and ninth sternite and tergite (D – F, scale 0.5 mm). A, D. Scapomegas auritus Marseul; B, E. Scapomegas gibbus Marseul; C, F. Scapomegas aurifer Marseul.

FIGURE 7. Aedeagus in ventral and dorsal view, respectively. A. Scapomegas auritus Marseul; B. Scapomegas gibbus Marseul; C. Scapomegas aurifer Marseul. Scale 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 10. Propygidium and pygidium in posterior view. A. Scapomegas gibbus Marseul; B. Scapomegas aurifer Marseul. Scale 0.5 mm.