Ochodaeus polypollicatus Paulsen 2019, new species
Creators: name: Paulsen, M. J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Ochodaeidae
Ochodaeus
Ochodaeus polypollicatus

description: Ochodaeus polypollicatus Paulsen, new species
Type material. Holotype male (CASC; Fig. 2), labeled: a) “ MADAGASCAR, Fianarantsoa / Province, Ranomafana National / Park, Talatakely area, 900 m, / mixed tropical forest 2–22 January / 2001, 21.25041° S | 47.41945° E, / COL-DHK-2001-001V”; b) “ D.H. & K.M. Kavanaugh, / R. L. Brett, E. Elsom, F. Vargas, / R. Ranaivosolo, E.F. Randrianirina, / N. Rasoamananana / T. J. Ravelomanana and / H.C. Raveloson collectors”; c) “CASENT / 5002509”.
Two male, two female paratypes labeled: a, b as holotype; c) “CASENT / #” (# = 5002518, 5002522, 5002535, 5002584). One male paratype labeled: a) “ MADAGASCAR, Province / Fianarantsoa, Ranomafana / National Park, Talatakely / area, 900 m, mixed tropical / forest 4–16 January 2001 ” b) “ 21.25041° S 47.41945° E / D.H. & K.M. Kavanaugh, / R. L. Brett, E. Elsom, and / F. Vargas colls. pitfall traps / COL-DHK-2001-001TN”; c) “CASENT / 8003738”. One male, two female paratypes labeled: a) “MADA- GASCAR: Province / Fianarantsoa, Parc National / Ranomafana, Belle Vue at / Talatakely, elev 1020 m / 12–19 February 2002 ”; b) “ 21° 15.99′ S, 47° 25.21′ E / coll: M. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala / California Acad of Sciences / malaise, secondary tropical / forest MA-02-09C-16”; c) “CASENT / #” (# = 8055451, 8055453, 8055454). One female paratype labeled: a) “ MADAGASCAR: Province / Fianarantsoa, Parc National / Ranomafana, Belle Vue at / Talatakely, elev 1020 m / 26 February–4 March 2002 ”; b) “ 21° 15.99′ S, 47° 25.21′ E / coll: M. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala / California Acad of Sciences / malaise, secondary tropical / forest MA-02-09C-18”; c) “CASENT / 8055994”. One female paratype labeled: a) “ MADAGASCAR: Province / Fianarantsoa, Parc National / Ranomafana, Belle Vue at / Talatakely, elev 1020 m / 10–21 March 2003 ”; b) “ 21° 15.99′ S, 47° 25.21′ E / coll: M. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala / California Acad of Sciences / malaise, secondary tropical / forest MA-02-09C-56”. Two female paratypes labeled: a) “MADAGAS- CAR: Province / Fianarantsoa, Parc National / Ranomafana, Vohiparara, / at broken bridge, el 1110 m / 2–10 January 2002 / 21° 13.57′ S, 47° 22.19′ E ”; b) “coll: M. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala / California Acad of Sciences / malaise trap in high altitude / rainforest, MA-02-09A-10”. Two female paratypes labeled: a) “ MADAGASCAR: Province / Fianarantsoa, Parc National / Ranomafana, Vohiparara, / at broken bridge, el 1110 m / 19–26 February 2002 / 21° 13.57′ S, 47° 22.19′ E ”; b) “coll: M. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala / California Acad of Sciences / malaise trap in high altitude / rainforest, MA-02-09A-17”. One female paratype labeled: a) “ MADAGASCAR: Province / Fianarantsoa, Parc National / Ranomafana, radio tower / at forest edge, elev 1130 m / 28 Nov–6 Dec 2001 ”; b) “ 21° 15.05′ S, 47° 24.43′ E / coll: M. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala / California Acad of Sciences / malaise, mixed tropical / forest MA-02-09B-05”; c) “CASENT / 8055993”. One male, two female paratypes labeled: a) “ MADAGASCAR: Province / Fianarantsoa, Parc National / Ranomafana, radio tower / at forest edge, elev 1130 m / 14–21 January 2002 ”; b) “ 21° 15.05′ S, 47° 24.43′ E / coll: M. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala / California Acad of Sciences / malaise, mixed tropical / forest MA-02-09B-12”; c) “CASENT / #” (# = 8055768, 8055770, 8055771). One male paratype labeled: a) “ MADAGASCAR: Province / Fianarantsoa, Parc National / Ranomafana, radio tower / at forest edge, elev 1130 m / 24 May–4 June 2002 ”; b) “ 21° 15.05′ S, 47° 24.43′ E / coll: M. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala / California Acad of Sciences / malaise, mixed tropical / forest MA-02-09B-30”; c) “CASENT / 8055873”. One male paratype labeled: a) “ MADAGASCAR: Province / Fianarantsoa, Parc National / Ranomafana, radio tower / at forest edge, elev 1130 m / 22 July–8 August 2004 ”; b) “ 21° 15.05′ S, 47° 24.43′ E / coll: M. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala / California Acad of Sciences / malaise, mixed tropical / forest MA-02-09B-97”. One female paratype labeled: a) “ MADAGASCAR: Province / Fianarantsoa, Ranomafana / JIRAMA water works / 28 Jan–4 Feb 2002 / 21° 14.91′ S, 47° 27.13′ E ”; b) “coll: M. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala / California Acad of Sciences / malaise trap near river / elev 690 m, MA-02-09D-14”. One male paratype labeled: a) “ MADAGASCAR: Toamasina / Corridor Forestier Analamay-Mantadia, Ambatoharanana / el 995 m 12–19 Dec 2012 / 18° 48′ 08″ S 048° 24′ 21″ E ”; b) “California Acad of Sciences / coll. B.L. Fisher et al. / malaise trap rainforest / collection code: BLF30260”. One male paratype labeled: a) “ MADAGASCAR: Toamasina / Réserve Nationale Intégrale / Betampona, Betampona / 35.1 km NW Toamasina / 27 July–3 Aug 2008 / 17°54′58″ S 049°12′07″ E ”; b) “ California Acad of Sciences / coll. B.L. Fisher rainforest / malaise trap elev 550 m / coll. code: BLF19593_32”. One female paratype labeled: a) “ MADAGASCAR: Toamasina / Réserve Nationale Intégrale / Betampona, Betampona / 35.1 km NW Toamasina / 20–27 January 2008 / 17°55′11″ S 049°12′01″ E ”; b) “ California Acad of Sciences / coll. B.L. Fisher rainforest / malaise trap elev 525 m / coll. code: BLF19594_05”. One female paratype labeled: a) “ MADAGASCAR: Toliara / Parc National Andohahela, / Col de Tanatana, 33.3 km / NW Tolagnaro, elev 275 m / 22–24 November 2006 / 24˚ 45′ 31″ S 046˚ 51′ 13″ E”; b) “California Acad of Sciences / coll. B.L. Fisher et al. / malaise trap rainforest / collection code: BLF15102”. One female paratype labeled: a) “ MADAGASCAR: Toamasina / Prov., Mobot site, Analalava / 7 km SW of Foulpointe / 17° 41′ 36″ S, 49° 27′ 37″ E / 28 Dec 2007 – 3 Jan 2008 ”; b) “ California Acad of Sciences / coll: M. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala / malaise trap on sand in low / altitude dense humid forest, / elev 60 ft MG-37B-16”. One female paratype labeled: a) “MADA- GASCAR: Toamasina / Prov., Mobot site, Analalava / 7 km SW of Foulpointe / 17° 41′ 36″ S, 49° 27′ 37″ E / 15–22 February 2008 ”; b) “ California Acad of Sciences / coll: M. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala / malaise trap on sand in low / altitude dense humid forest, / elev 60 ft MG-37B-23”. One female paratype labeled: a) “ MADAGASCAR: Toamasina / Prov., Mobot site, Analalava / 7 km SW of Foulpointe / 17° 41′ 36″ S, 49° 27′ 37″ E / 25 July–1 Aug 2008 ”; b) “ California Acad of Sciences / coll: M. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala / malaise trap on sand in low / altitude dense humid forest, / elev 60 ft MG-37B-46”. Two male, four female paratypes labeled: a) “ MADAGASCAR: Province / d’Antsiranana, Montaigne / Francais, elev 150 m / 30 Jan–15 Feb 2001 / 12° 19.5′ S, 49° 20′ E ”; b) California Acad. of Sciences / coll: M. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala / malaise, forested limestone / ridge MA-01-06-05”; c) “CASENT / #” (# = 8032521, 8032522, 8032523, 8032528, 8032529, 8032537). One male, two female paratypes labeled: a) “ MADAGASCAR: Province / d’Antsiranana, Montaigne / Francais, elev 150 m / 6–20 March 2001 / 12° 19.5′ S, 49° 20′ E ”; b) California Acad. of Sciences / coll: M. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala / malaise, forested limestone / ridge MA-01-06-07”; c) “CASENT / #” (# = 8014195, 8014196, 8014197).
All paratypes (n = 12 male, 25 female) with label: on yellow paper, “ Ochodaeus / polypollicatus / Paulsen / PARATYPE ”.
Description. Holotype male (Fig. 2a). Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Ochodaeidae. Length: 8.4 mm. Width: 4.1 mm. Color: Everywhere uniformly dark reddish brown; surface nitid. Head: Surface lacking tubercles, irregularly punctate; punctures mixed, moderately large and setose or smaller and lacking setae, separated by ~ 4 puncture diameters. Eyes large, globose; lacking ventral projection of canthus. Antennal club large, subequal in size to eye. Mandibles broadly scooped, basal angle rounded, apices falcate; left mandible with large triangular internal tooth; right mandible with complimenting tooth obtuse, second tooth larger, bicusped. Frons weakly convex; surface impunctate behind frontoclypeal suture. Clypeus flat with disc short (at most 1/10 as long medially as wide), anterior margin strongly beaded; bead thick (at least 2× as thick as clypeal disc), anterior margin of bead subtrapezoidal, posterior margin of bead bisinuate. Mentum (Fig. 5) with strongly excavated rounded furrow on nearly entire length, lateral margins of furrow roughly thickened. Pronotum: Form convex. Surface densely punctate, appearing smooth between punctures laterally, disc with slight indication of tiled granules; punctation mixed, predominantly large setose punctures with few smaller naked punctures interspersed. Elytra: Form convex, relatively elongate, elytra together longer than wide. Surface with striae moderately impressed, punctate, surface smooth between punctures (except sutural stria with connecting groove); strial punctures large, separated by 1 diameter, lacking setae. Intervals irregularly punctate; punctures small, setose, with tubercle anteriorly. Legs: Protibia tridentate externally, internal side with strong, acute pollex ½ length of apical spur, with second triangularly acute pollex proximally (Fig. 2b). Profemur lacking apical tooth. Mesofemur and metafemur with strong subapical tooth connected by fin-like extension to apex. Venter/Abdomen: Metasternum and abdominal segments 1 to 5 sparsely punctate; punctures large with long, erect, golden setae; abdominal segment 6 with dense, small punctures resulting in setal patch. Pygidium roughly punctate. Stridulatory peg long, arcuate (Fig. 11). Male genitalia: Internal sac with elongate-oval patch of sclerites between parameres (Fig. 8).
Paratype variation. In males the second pollex becomes less distinct as body size decreases, with only the smallest of the 13 males lacking any sort of angulation. Females lack the second pollex, and also lack the setal patch on the last abdominal segment, instead displaying only sparse setation.
Remarks. The double pollex on male protibiae is diagnostic and not seen in other species. The widely separated localities represented by such males suggested either that multiple species possessed this character or they comprised a single species with a large distribution and elevational range. The genitalia of all male specimens were dissected and found to possess a diagnostic elongate-oval sclerotized patch on the internal sac just between the parameres, confirming that they constituted a single species. For females and the smallest males, the first pollex is longer than in other species and the mentum deeply and entirely furrowed (Fig. 5).
Etymology. The name is an adjective from Latin meaning ‘multiple thumbs’. Males of the species have two ‘thumbs’ on the internal margin of the protibia, which is unique among Madagascan Ochodaeus species.
Distribution. This species is widely distributed along the eastern, forested edge of Madagascar (Fig. 19).
description: Published as part of Paulsen, M. J., 2019, Three new Madagascan species of Ochodaeus Dejean (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Ochodaeidae), pp. 1-14 in Insecta Mundi 684 on pages 5-8, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3662832