Athyreus gulesseriani Kohlmann & Solis, new species
Creators: name: Kohlmann, Bert
name: Solís, Ángel
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Bolboceratidae
Athyreus
Athyreus gulesseriani

description: Athyreus gulesseriani Kohlmann & Solís, new species   
Figs. 1–3, 13  
 Diagnosis. This species is distinguished from other Athyreus species by the following combination of characters: body extremely pilose (Fig. 1–2); males have a central pronotal horn nearly vertical, tapering to a slender, slightly tricuspid apex (Figs. 1, 3a); anterior and posterior base of horn impunctate; posterior to horn a shallow depression is present, with a mid-line of sparse setae running from the pronotal base to the mid-depression. Clypeal horn nearly vertical, slender, and longer than pronotal horn, with distinct anterior and lateral carinae (Figs. 1, 3a), posterior carina running from base to horn mid-height. Females almost impossible to separate from related species: pronotum as in figure 2, with the carina beside the median swelling forming an inverted “U”; lateral margin posterior to median angle slightly arcuate, curving lightly inward anterior to elytral humerus.   
 Athyreus gulesseriani would key out to A. championi in Howden & Martínez’s (1978) key. The males of A. gulesseriani can be easily separated from the males of A. championi, a very similar species, by the form of the pronotal horn (Fig. 3), which is very fine and slender in A. gulesseriani (Fig. 3a), whereas it is shorter and broader (Fig. 3 b) in A. championi. Females of both species are indistinguishable.   
 Description. Holotype. Male (Figs. 1, 3a): Length 17.5 mm. Humeral width 10.2 mm. Body oblong and convex, color dorsally black, dorsal surface shagreened. Labrum and mandibles reddish brown.   
Head with erect clypeal horn; anterior edge of horn arising from anterior clypeal margin; horn triangular in shape, sharp in front and bifurcating near anterior base into two carinae; carinae extending into proximate anterior angles. Posterior surface of clypeal horn flattened and faintly carinate from base to horn mid-height; basally, on each side of horn, a carina extending to gena (Figs, 1, 3a). Surface of frons concave, centrally impunctate with scattered punctures laterally. Vertex concave and impunctate.  
Disc of pronotum with conspicuous, long, central, horn, tapering to a slender, almost trifurcate point; posterior projection of horn higher than two anterior projections (Figs. 1, 3a). Surface of pronotum concave, smooth, and impunctate in anterior and posterior area of horn; finely setose-granulate laterally. Carina on either side of central horn small but evident. Lateral pronotal margin in front of median angle slightly sinuate.  
Elytra with striae indicated by seven shallow, biserially to quatriserially punctate-setose longitudinal depressions; intervals between depressions glabrous, smooth, and weakly shiny; granular punctures only at elytral lateral borders; majority of setae arising from the strial punctures short and semierect, but occasionally long, erect setae (flying setae) intermixed.  
Pygidium wider than long with a notch at its apex. Metasternum in front of mesocoxae forming a sharply pointed spine. Protibia with five teeth; ventrally rough and with distinct carina running down onto base of apical tooth.  
 Allotype. Female (Fig. 2). Length 16 mm. Humeral width 10.5 mm. Similar to male, but unarmed, clypeus with sharp, arcuately raised, transverse carina anteriorly, clypeal surface in front of carina with some large, setose punctures; surface behind carina distinctly, irregularly rugose or punctate. Clypeus transversally divided by tridentate carina; middle tubercle of carina more anterior than lateral ones, normally more elongate than lateral tubercles.   
Posterior clypeal area distinctly punctate-serrate, punctures with small granules at anterior margins. Frons anteriorly setose-granulate and setose-punctate posteriorly. Pronotum with central, shiny, shallowly bifurcate protrusion (Fig. 2); on either side of central protrusion, and joining anterior pronotal margin, a distinct carina forms an inverted “U” around median projection; distinct oval depression present medially, just behind anterior margin; midline shallowly, distinctly depressed near posterior margin; on each side posteriorly, between U-shaped carina and posterior lateral pronotal margin, an indistinct, short, slightly elevated carina occupying the same position as in the male. Pronotum dull, except for shiny median swelling and carinae. Elytra similar to those described in the male. Pygidium broadly arcuate and much shorter than the male. Protibia as in male, except for additional very small sixth tooth evident basally.  
 Variation. Fifty-two specimens examined, 43 males and nine females. Length 14–19 mm. Humeral width 8.5– 11 mm. Less developed males tend to have the central head area, as well as the anterior and posterior depressed pronotal horn area covered with setae, not smooth as in developed males, thus resembling females of the species in this characteristic. Size variation is evident by observing the differences in male horn length, going from individuals with just a slight bump, to individuals with very well developed horns (Fig. 3a). There is a wide variety of horn sizes, but preliminary analysis indicates no allometric horn size-body length variation exists.   
 Examined material (52 specimens). Holotype, male: COSTA RICA. Prov. Limón. R. B. Hitoy Cerere. Est. Hitoy Cerere, Send Espavel. 300 m. 21–30 JUN 2000. W. Arana. Intersección L_S_401500_570200 #57105. Allotype, female: COSTA RICA Prov. Limón. Valle de la Estrella. R.B. Hitoy Cerere, Sendero Espavel. 300 m. 24 MAY 2000. A. López. Intersección L_S_401500_570200 #57556. Paratypes. COSTA RICA. Same as allotype, 1– 16 NOV 1999, W. Arana, #57439, 11 males, 1 female; Prov. Limón, R.B. Hitoy Cerere, Send. Espavel, 300m. 26 JUL-05 AGO 2000. W. Arana. Intersección. L_S_570200_401500 #58216, 2 females; 22 JUN–8 JUL 2003, B. Gamboa, E. Rojas, W. Arana, L_S_401200_569800 #74455, 1 female; 16 SEPT –03 OCT 2000, W. Arana, L_N_184100_643350 #63405, 1 male; 26 May 2000, A. López, L_N_184400_643300 #62659, 1 male; COSTA RICA, Prov. Limón, R.B. Hitoy Cerere. Sendero Espavel. 220m. JUL 1998. E. Rojas. Tp. Intersección. L_S_401558_570460 #51620, 1 male; COSTA RICA, Prov. Limón, Res Biol. Hitoy Cerere, Est. Hitoy Cerere, Send Espavel. 220m. 6–13 ABR 2000. W. Arana. Intersección L_S_401558_570460 #56362, 1 male; COSTA RICA, Prov. Limón, R. B. Hitoy Cerere, Est. Hitoy Cerere, Send Espavel. 300m. 21–30 JUN 2000. W. Arana. Intersección L_S_401500_570200 #57105, 1 male; COSTA RICA. Prov. Limón, R.B. Hitoy Cerere. Sendero Espavel. 300m. 26 MAY 2000. A. López. Intersección. L_N_184400_643300 #62659, 1 male; COSTA RICA. Prov. Limón, R.B. Hitoy Cerere, Send. Espavel, 560m, 22 JUN – 8 JUL 2003, B. Gamboa, E. Rojas, W. Arana,Tp. Intersección, L_S_401200_569800 #74455, 4 males; COSTA RICA, Prov. Limón, Est. Hitoy Cerere, 100m. 20 MAR –7 ABR 1998. E. Rojas. Tp. Intersección. L_N_184600_643400 #49937, 1 male; Valle la Estrella, R.B. Hitoy Cerere, A. C. Amistad, Prov. Limón, COSTA RICA. 100 m. Jun 1994, G. Carballo, L N 184600_643400 # 3014, 1 female; COSTA RICA, Prov. Limón, Res Biol. Hitoy Cerere, Est. Hitoy Cerere, Send Bobócara. 300m. 16 ABR 2000. W. Arana. Intersección L_N_184250_641800 #56363, 1 male; Río Sardinas, R.N.F. S. Barra del Colorado, A.C.A.C. Tortuguero, Prov. Limón, 50m. Jun 1994, F. Araya L N 291900_565900 #2998, 5 males, 1 female, same collecting information as above, but with collecting date May 1994, #2916, 1 female; Sardinas, Barra del Colorado, Prov. Limón, COSTA RICA. 15 m. 29 JUL–20 AGO 1994, F. V. Araya, L N 291500_564700 # 3159, 1 male; 06– 10 DIC 1994. F. Araya, L_N_291900_565900 #4363; Talamanca, Bratsi, Watsi (Volio), 80m. 29 AGO 2002. C. Cubillo. Manual, L_S_397500_587000 #79750, 1 male; Katsi, 2.3 Km. ESE de Amubri, Prov. Limón, COSTA RICA. 70m. 13 ABR 1995. G. Gallardo, L_S_384350_581400 #4813, 2 males; Amubri, Prov. Limón, COSTA RICA. 70m. 1–22 JUN 1995. G. Gallardo, L_S_385000_578100 #5333, 2 males, 1 female; Costa Rica. Prov. Cartago, Turrialba, P.N. Barbilla, 2Km después del Río Dantas. 400m. 17–28 NOV 2000. W. Arana. Intersección. L_N_596500_ 217700 #60959, 1 male; Prov. Alajuela. San Carlos. Pital. Boca Tapada. Finca Sergio Murillo. 50– 400m. 24 JUL 2004. B. Hernández. Tp. Intersección L_N_293857 514072 #77924, 1 male; COSTA RICA, Prov. Alajuela, Sector Colonia Palmarena, 9 Km. SO. de Bajo Rodríguez. 700m. MAR 1997. G. Carballo. L_N_245900_475900 #45517, 1 male; COSTA RICA. Prov. Alajuela. P.N. Volcán Tenorio. Albergue Heliconias, Sendero Heliconias. 700m. 17 al 28 JUN 2001. A. López. Intersección. L_N_299100_422600 #63475, 2 males; COSTA RICA. Prov. Alajuela. Upala. P.N. Volcán Tenorio. Alb. Heliconias. Send. Puentes Colgantes. 800– 900m. 6–9 JUN 2006. B. Gamboa, M. Moraga. Tp. Intersección. L_N_299800_423800 #86392, 1 male; Costa Rica. Prov. Alajuela, Upala, Alb Heliconias, Send Heliconias. 700m. 23 JUN–02 JUL 2000. A. López. Intersección. L_N_422600_299100 #58553, 1 male; COSTA RICA. Prov. Alajuela. Guatuso. Est. Pilón, Send. Atta, suampo. 600– 700m. 27 JUL–2 AGO 2009. J. A. Azofeifa. Tp. Intersección. L_N_299670_428001 #97678, 1 male.   
 Habitat. The species has been collected with flight interception traps at night, inside primary tropical rain forest at altitudes varying from 15–900 m, from April to November.   
 Geographical distribution (Fig. 13). This species is known from the Caribbean slope of Costa Rica and probably also occurs under similar conditions in Nicaragua and Panama. Athyreus gulesseriani and Athyreus championi are the only two species in this genus known to occur in Central America, all other species occur in South America (Howden 1964).   
 Chorological affinities. Athyreus gulesseriani seems to show a geographic vicariant pattern in relation to the similar species A. championi Bates (Fig. 13); the former species being distributed along the Caribbean slope and the latter species along the Pacific slope of Costa Rica and Panama (Howden 1964).   
 Etymology. This species is dedicated to Haig Gulesserian, brother in law of one of the authors (B.K.), and a very genteel and supportive person. The name is a patronymic, a Latinized noun in the masculine genitive case, originating from his Armenian surname, derived from “gul” (rose) and “esser” (breeze).
description: Published as part of Kohlmann, Bert & Solís, Ángel, 2012, New species and revalidations of scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae: Athyreini and Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) from Costa Rica and Panama, pp. 28-52 in Zootaxa 3193 on pages 28-32, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.211122