Bothynus scutellopunctatus Duarte, Dupuis and Grossi 2025, sp. n.
Creators: name: Duarte, Paulo R. M.
name: Dupuis, Fabien
name: Grossi, Paschoal C.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Scarabaeidae
Bothynus
Bothynus scutellopunctatus

description: Bothynus scutellopunctatus Duarte, Dupuis and Grossi sp. n.
(Figures 4 (d), 6(e,f), 13(p), 14(p), 16(e), 17(k,l), 23)
Diagnosis
Bothynus scutellopunctatus sp. n. is a large species (27–31 mm in length) that resembles major specimens of B. ascanius in the pronotal sides bearing minute punctures and inner protarsal incised in male, besides the similar configuration of the parameres. However, the new species is distinguished by the following characters: Presence of a longitudinal carina produced on the basis of each clypeal tooth (Figure 6 (e,f)); apical plates of parameres with outer margins slightly divergent, nearly parallel at basis and inner margin convergent at apex (Figure 14 (p)); female pronotum with a shallow cavity entirely covered with strong rugosity (Figure 17 (k). Bothynus ascanius instead has the clypeal teeth without basal carina (Figure 6 (a,b)); apical plate of parameres with outer margins strongly divergent at basis and inner margins convergent at basis (Figure 13 (b)); female pronotum declivous anteriorly, without apparent cavity (Figure 17 (a)).
Holotype
Male, dissected, labelled: ‘ BRASIL: Distrito Federal: Brasília, UnB, 16.x.1970, Kunz leg’. (CERPE).
Paratypes
Three males and three females with the same data as holotype, except for: ‘coleÇão didática UnB, no date’. – 1 male (CERPE); ‘ ii.1985, L. Matos leg’. – 1 female (CERPE); ‘ 17. x.1971, B. Dias leg’. – 1 male (CERPE); ‘ 5.x.1973’ – 1 female (CERPE); ‘ Fazenda Água Limpa, 25.xii.1985’ – 1 female (CERPE); ‘ Fazenda Água Limpa, 18.ix.1986’ – 1 male (CERPE); ‘ Fazenda Água Limpa, 28.x.1985’ – 1 male, 1 female (CEMT). ‘ BRASIL: Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, 14.xii.1987, Diana de Lima leg’. – 2 males (CEMT). ‘ BRASIL: Mato Grosso, Diamantino, Alto Rio Arinos, 12.ix.2001, E. Furtado leg’. – 1 male (CEMT).
Holotype description (Figure 4 (d))
Length: 30.1 mm. Width: 17.0 mm. Colour: Head, pronotum and legs dark reddish brown; elytra and venter reddish brown. Head: Clypeus subtrapezoidal (posterior width 2.9 times wider than anterior); lateral margins convergent at anterior half, parallel at posterior half; anterior teeth triangular, small (abrased); surface coarsely rugopunctate, glabrous. Frontoclypeal carina finely marked. Frons coarsely rugopunctate, glabrous. Interocular width equals 2.8 transverse eye diameters. Ocular canthus subtriangular; anterior margin arched, slightly crenulated. Mouthparts: Mandibles bearing 3 lobed teeth on outer margin (probably abrased). Labium subtriangular, flattened, densely covered with setigerous punctures on sides; disc weakly punctate; setae on basis shorter those on sides. Antennae: Club broad, 2.0 times longer than antennomeres 2–7 combined; lamellae flattened. Prothorax: Pronotum with strong, conical tubercle, slightly backward produced in lateral view; cavity rounded, transverse, wide (occupying 2/3 of anterior pronotal area), posteriorly limited by a transverse declivity; lateral borders visible in dorsal view. Pronotal surface with dense, deep, contiguous punctures on anterior corners; sides nearly smooth, except for areas close to lateral margins bearing small, dense punctures; posterior disc smooth; transverse area close to posterior margin strongly rugopunctate; cavity entirely, transversely rugose, limited laterally by deep, wide, ocellate punctures. Pterothorax: Scutellar plate bearing 2 dense punctate areas on sides, separated by a smooth middle area longitudinally; punctures C-shaped, large, ocellate, contiguous to separated by 1 puncture diameter. Elytral surface with well-marked striae, covered with ocellated, small punctures; punctures on sutural stria contiguous, other striae with punctures scattered about 2–3 puncture diameters; punctures on interstriae small, scarce, denser on juxtasutural one. Legs: Inner protarsal claw deeply incised; inner branch broader than outer one. Protarsomere 5 bearing a small, ventral, subapical, triangular process. Meso- and metatibia with 2 carinae projected on outer surface. Abdomen: Tergite 7 with stridulatory apparatus formed by 2 bands of well-marked striae on anterior area, merged to 1 band of finely marked striae towards posterior area. Tergite 8 nearly entire glabrous, except for an area close to anterior margin with scarce setae; surface surrounded with strongly rugosity; discal area covered with minute punctures. Sternites 4–7 moderately rugopunctate and weakly setose on sides, discal region glabrous, with weak and shallow punctures; sternite 8 bearing weak punctures on sides, disc smooth. Aedeagus: Parameres, in caudal view, bearing weak, shallow punctures; outer margins gradually becoming convergent towards apical half; apical lobes oval, elongate, with inner margins convergent at apex, outer margins weakly nearly subparallel at basis (Figure 13 (p)). Parameres, in lateral view, arched dorsally, ventrally with a basal carina, apex slightly deflexed (Figure 14 (p)).
Variation in the paratypes
Males. Length: 28.0– 31.7 mm. Width: 15.5–17.5 mm. Head: Clypeus bearing a longitudinal carina produced at basis of each tooth (abrased in the holotype) (Figure 6 (e,f)). Frontal surface scarcely setose (possibly dropped from holotype). Mouthparts: Mandible with subtriangular apical and basal teeth; apical tooth wider than medial, diagonally truncated on apex, sometimes emarginate; basal tooth broadly rounded, shorter than previous ones. Pterothorax: Scutellar plate with punctures irregularly scattered, sometimes setigerous. Abdomen: Sternite 8 densely punctate on sides.
Females (Figure 16 (e)). Length: 27.5–28.0 mm. Width: 15.5–15.8 mm. Prothorax: Pronotal tubercle small; cavity shallow, entirely, transversely rugose (Figure 17 (k)); punctures on pronotal sides dense, large, deep, from coalescent to contiguous, except for a smooth spot on each pronotal side (Figure 18 (l)); posterior disc with minute punctures; transversal area close to posterior margin strongly rugopunctate. Legs: Inner protarsal claw simple, similar to outer claw. Tarsomere 5 with no ventroapical process. Abdomen: Tergite 8 completely setose, entirely covered with dense rugosity. Sternite 8 entirely rugopunctate, covered with scarce setae.
Distribution
Known only from Brazilian central plateau (Distrito Federal and Mato Grosso) (Figure 23).
Etymology
The epithet derives from the Latin ‘ scutello ’ meaning ‘shield’, plus ‘ punctatus ’ meaning ‘punctuated’, in reference to the surface of the scutellar plate being covered in punctures. The name is an adjective in the nominative singular.
Remarks
Bothynus scutellopunctatus shares with B. moroni the presence of a longitudinal carina produced on each tooth of the clypeus. This character has not been observed or described in any Bothynus species until now and is present only in these two species, which immediately distinguishes them from others within the ascanius group.
description: Published as part of Duarte, Paulo R. M., Dupuis, Fabien & Grossi, Paschoal C., 2025, Taxonomic revision of the Bothynus ascanius (Kirby, 1819) (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae: Dynastinae) species group, pp. 663-737 in Journal of Natural History 59 (9 - 12) on pages 725-727, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2025.2456579, http://zenodo.org/record/14971553