Onitis singhalensis Lansberge, AIMB 1875
Creators: name: Karimbumkara, Seena Narayanan
name: Priyadarsanan, Dharma Rajan
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Scarabaeidae
Onitis
Onitis singhalensis

description: Onitis singhalensis Lansberge, 1875
Figs 8I–L, 9F, 12A, 14F, 15F, 16F, 19
Onitissinghalensis Lansberge, 1875: 140 (original description).
Onitis singhalensis – Arrow 1931: 394 (key, description). — Janssens 1937: 53 (revision). — Balthasar 1963: 40 (monograph). — Biswas & Chatterjee 1986b: 94 (distribution). — Chandra 2009a: 81 (distribution). — Sewak 2009b: 59 (key, diagnosis, distribution). — Sabu et al. 2011: 34 (list). — Karimbumkara & Rajan 2013: 175 (distribution). — Siddiqui et al. 2014: 300 (distribution). — Gupta et al. 2015: 1037 (list, distribution). — Schoolmeesters 2022 (online catalogue).
Differential diagnosis
The clypeus and vertex of Onitis singhalensis have close granules, giving the clypeus a rugose appearance. Onitis singhalensis is closer to O. philemon, O. kethai sp. nov. and O. visthara sp. nov. but differs in the nature of the granules on the head and also the size. See remarks under O. philemon, O. kethai and O. visthara.
Type material examined
Holotype
SRI LANKA • ♂; “Ceylon, singhalensis typ. Lansbrg., ex-Musaeo E Harold, A. Janssens vid., 1936 Onitissinghalensis Lansb., Type,” MNHN EC4812.
Additional material examined (204 specimens)
INDIA • ♂; “ Nilgiri Hills., H. L. Andrewes., Andrewes Bequest., B.M. 1922–221]”; (BMNH (E) 1237145 • ♀; South India ”; (BMNH (E) 1237146) • 20 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀; Karnataka, Biligiri Rangaswamy Tiger Reserve, Budipadaga Scrub; 11°50ʹ16.8″ N, 77°4ʹ39.18″ E; 14 May 1999; AIMB / Co/Sc1000502 to 1000526 • 2♂♂, 1♀♀; Gombegallu evergreen forest; 11°55ʹ54.6″ N, 77°11ʹ3.48″ E; 30 March 2000; AIMB / Co/Sc1000527 to 1000558 • 17 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀; Kanneri moist deciduous forest; 11°53ʹ43.62″ N, 77°8ʹ9.48″ E; 22 Dec. 1999; AIMB / Co/Sc1000559 to 1000585 • 19 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀; Purani dry deciduous forest; 12°1ʹ55.2″ N, 77°7ʹ52.68″ E; 11 May 1999; AIMB / Co/Sc1000586 to 1000611 • 22 ♂♂, 15 ♀♀; Honnametti Shola; 11°53ʹ26.52″ N, 77°12ʹ4.98″ E; Apr. 1998; AIMB / Co/Sc1000612 to 1000648 • 16 ♂♂, 9 ♀♀; Gummane Shola 12°1ʹ10.2″ N, 77°10ʹ30.66″ E; May 1998; open cow dung baited trap; Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan leg.; AIMB / Co/Sc1000649 to 1000673 • ♂, ♀; Karnataka, Nagarhole National Park, Core moist deciduous forest; 12°1ʹ13.8″ N, 76°6ʹ14.76″ E; AIMB / Co/Sc1000674 to 1000675 • 2 ♂♂, ♀; Hebbala moist deciduous forest; 12°9ʹ22.68″ N, 76°6ʹ51.84″ E; AIMB / Co/ Sc1000676 to 1000678 • ♂, 2 ♀♀; Sungathakatte dry deciduous forest; 11°58ʹ27.12″ N, 76°11ʹ8.16″ E; open cow dung baited trap; Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan leg.; AIMB / Co/Sc1000679 to 1000681 • 5 ♂♂, 8 ♀♀; Kerala, Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, Rockwood grassland; 08°51ʹ41.8ʺ N, 77°08ʹ00.5ʺ E; elev. 839 m a.s.l.; 8 May 2009; AIMB / Co/Sc1000682 to 1000694 • 2 ♂♂; Kattilappara moist deciduous forest; 08°54ʹ54.7ʺ N, 77°06ʹ28.7ʺ E; elev. 185 m a.s.l.; 3 Dec. 2009; AIMB / Co/Sc1000695 to 1000696 • 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Kattilapara degraded forest; 08°55ʹ05.6ʺ N, 77°05ʹ44.7ʺ E; elev. 207 m a.s.l.; 3 Dec. 2009; open cow dung baited trap; AIMB / Co/Sc1000696 to 1000699 • 2 ♂♂, ♀; Kattilappara teak plantation; 08°55ʹ22.9ʺ N, 77°05ʹ39.2ʺ E; elev. 144 m a.s.l.; 3 Dec. 2009; open cow dung bait trap; Seena Narayanan Karimbumkara leg.; AIMB / Co/Sc1000700 to 1000702.
Description
MEASUREMENTS (in mm). TL=16–23, BW= 9–12.
Male
Coppery or greenish coppery, not very shining, elongate oval; head closely granular, clypeal margin slightly bidentate in the middle, clypeofrontal carina interrupted in the middle with an anterior short clypeal carina and a conical tubercle immediately behind; pronotum fairly strongly and unevenly punctured and with a smooth median line, lateral margin feebly curved anteriorly, bisinuate behind, front angle blunt, hind angle obsolete, base strongly rounded; elytra moderately strongly striate with intervals very minutely punctured; pygidium scarcely perceptibly punctured; metasternal shield strongly longitudinally grooved in the middle anteriorly, smooth below, granular and hairy at the sides, sides of the metasternum closely granular and hairy. Profemur with a sharp tooth towards the end of its anterior edge, mid femur and hind trochanter also toothed.
AEDEAGUS (in mm) (Fig. 8I–L). LP=3.5, Lp= 2.75; BP= 1.25, BpB =0.75, BpT= 0.5. Phallobase longer than the parameres. The base of the parameres is straight near the phallobase, forms an angle at one third of its length, is straight anteriorly and curves at the tip.
Female
Clypeus longer, rugulose; protibia broad and armed with four external teeth and an articulated spur.
Distribution
India: Gujarat, Karnataka; Kerala, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu. Other countries: Sri Lanka; Pakistan, Nepal (Biswas & Chatterjee 1986; Chandra 2009a; Sewak 2009a, 2009b; Sabu et al. 2011; Karimbumkara & Rajan 2013; Siddiqui et al. 2014; Gupta et al. 2015; Schoolmeesters 2022).
description: Published as part of Karimbumkara, Seena Narayanan & Priyadarsanan, Dharma Rajan, 2024, Study on the genus Onitis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) of the Indian Subcontinent, with three new species from India, pp. 1-61 in European Journal of Taxonomy 956 on pages 42-43, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2024.956.2657, http://zenodo.org/record/13742850