Gibboryctes Endrodi
Creators: name: Costa, Leidiane O.
name: Duarte, Paulo R. M.
name: Iannuzzi, Luciana
name: Grossi, Paschoal C.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Dynastidae
Gibboryctes

description: Identification key to adults of Gibboryctes Endrödi
1. Body with dark reddish-brown or reddish-brown colouration (Figures 1; 3). Frons rugopunctate in female (Figure 11 (a,b)). Juxtasutural interstriae with large and dense punctures scattered from anterior to posterior elytral area (Figure 12 (b,f))................. 2
- Body with black colour (Figure 2a). Frons punctate in female (Figure 11 (b)). Juxtasutural interstriae with large punctures scarce and confined to anterior elytral area (Figure 12 (d)). Male unknown.. Gibboryctes ebeninus Duarte and Grossi sp. nov.
2. Labrum subtrapezoidal, with broadly rounded apex (Figure 6 (c)). Galea broadly rounded at apex (Figure 8 (c)). Punctures on the anterior pronotal corners predominantly coalescent (Figure 12 (e))......... Gibboyctes endroedii Duarte and Grossi sp. nov.
- Labrum subtriangular (Figure 6 (a)). Galea triangular (Figure 8 (a)). Punctures on the pronotal corners predominantly contiguous (Figure 12 (a))...................................................... ............................................................................................................... Gibboryctes szelenyii Endrödi
Notes on natural history of Gibboryctes
Specimes of Gibboryctes szelenyii and G. endroedii sp. nov. were collected inside of epigeous termite nests (Blattodea:Isoptera: Termitidae). Gibboryctes szelenyii was found to be associated with many termite species (see remarks under G. szelenyii). Termites were not collected from the nests where specimens of G. endroedii were found. The localities of nests are marked by shrub vegetation and rocky outcrops characteristic of open areas of savannah and rupestrian grasslands (Figure 15 (a,b)). Adults, pupae and larvae of G. szelenyii and G. endroedii sp. nov. were found occupying the central portion of nests (Figure 16 (a–d)). When handled, the larvae emitted a stridulation sound produced by friction among the mandibles and maxillae. Furthermore, the larvae were observed building rigid galleries structured with faeces and saliva.The pupal chamber is also quite rigid,perhaps to avoid termite attacks (Figure 16 (c)).The larval excrement, when dried, acquires a peculiar aspect similar to ‘pellets’, flattened and subrectangular, with almost straight corners (90-degree angles),and which can be considered a diagnostic character for generic identification. This discovery represents the first record of an Oryctini associated with a termite nest. Regarding G. ebeninus sp. nov., only adults were collected, in an area under a Eucalyptus crop where a Pennsylvania light trap was installed, which perhaps attracted the specimens.
description: Published as part of Costa, Leidiane O., Duarte, Paulo R. M., Iannuzzi, Luciana & Grossi, Paschoal C., 2022, Taxonomic revision and notes on natural history of the enigmatic beetle genus Gibboryctes Endrödi (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae: Dynastinae), pp. 191-225 in Journal of Natural History 56 (1 - 4) on page 214, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2021.2017499, http://zenodo.org/record/6758313