Dichotomius (Cephagonus) fissiceps
Creators: name: Nunes, Rafael V.
name: Vaz-de-Mello, Fernando Z.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Scarabaeidae
Dichotomius
Dichotomius fissiceps

description: 3.2.: Dichotomius (Cephagonus) fissiceps (Felsche 1901) (Figure 28)
Pinotus fissiceps Felsche 1901 ı p. 142
Pinotus fissiceps ı Luederwaldt 1929 ı p. 111
Pinotus fissiceps ı Blackwelder 1944 ı p. 208
Diagnosis. this species is separated from other in the group by the following combined characters: clypeo-genal angulation in larger males acute and forming a teeth (like D. edmondsi, D. paschoali, D. frizzasae); males pronotal disc with a central pair of lobes on anterior portion; males cephalic horn or tubercle rounded apically and paramera in dorsal and ventral view with sub-apical spine and abruptly narrowed towards apex. Externallyı this species is very similar to D. reichei, D. frizzasae, D. barbarae and D. furtadoi and is differentiated by type locality and paramera characters (key and diagnosis).
● LECTOTYPE of Pinotus fissiceps (maleı here designated) (Figure 28 (c)): Sanga {white with black marginsı handwritten}/ fissiceps Felsche Bolivia {white with purple marginsı handwritten}/Typus {organgeı printed}/Coll. C. Felsche Kauf 20ı 1918 {greenı printed}/Museum für Tierkunde Dresden (MTD) {whiteı printed}/ LECTOTYPE Pinotus fissiceps Felsche des. F.Z. Vaz-de-Melloı 2014 {red with black marginsı partially handwritten} [SNSD];
● PARALECTOTYPE (female): Sanga {white with black margins}/Coll. C. Felsche {greenı printed}/Museum für Tierkunde Dresden (MTD) {whiteı printed}/ PARALECTOTYPE Pinotus fissiceps Felsche des. F.Z. Vaz-de-Melloı 2014 {red with black marginsı partially handwritten} [SNSD].
Non type material examined. BOLIVIA: Chuquisaca: Monteagudo. 1400 m. 18-x-2001. P Schmidt [5 ƋƋı 3 ♀♀ at CEMT]; La Paz: Nor Yungas. Caranavi. x-1990. P Arnaud [2 ƋƋ at CEMT]; Santa Cruz: Chiquitos. Serrania Santiago. Fezes. 30.xi-2000. T Guitierrez [1 ♀ at CEMT]; same municipality but prox. Santiago. 18 ³20 ʹ 10 ” S; 59 ³35 ʹ 00 ” W. Bosque Chiquitano. Fezes. WD Edmonds & T Vidaurre [1 Ƌı 2 ♀♀ at CEMT]; Florida. Prox. Samaitapa. 18³08 ’ Sı 63 ³48 ʹ W. WD Edmonds & P Reyes [2 ƋƋ at CEMT]; San Jose. 17³06 ’ Sı 60 ³47 ʹ W. Bosque Chiquitano. Human Faeces. T Vidaurre [3 ♀♀ at CEMT]; Velasco/Huanchaca. Parque Nacional Noel Kempf Mercado. 13³54 ʹ 12 ” Sı 60 ³48 ʹ 57 ” W. 780 m. S Spector[1 Ƌ at CEMT]; Tarija. Quebrada del Abra. 25-ii-1998. Ayzama & F Guerra [1 Ƌ. 2 ♀♀ at CEMT].
Redescription. colour: blackı shiny. Head: fronto-clypealı genal and inter-ocular surfaces smooth. Gena borders slightly curved inward. Cephalic carina longer than wideı conical rounded at apex. Pronotum: borders smoothı not serrated. Pronotal disc shinyı lacking punctures and a central pair of rounded lobes on anterior portion. Region adjacent to eyes with coarse deeply impressed punctures. Posterior margin with a row of ocellate punctures. Metasternum: sides and margins of anterior lobe covered by long hair. Anterior portion of anterior lobe glabrous but bearing coarse and ocellate punctures. Setigerous punctures equally spaced by their diameter at sides. Elytra: striae deeply impressed having fine punctures spaced by twice their diameter. First interstriae (near elytral suture) convex in relation to other interstriae which are almost flat (mainly near basis). Interstriae disc with dark brown colourı lacking microsculptureı with very fine punctures (20x magnification). Abdomen: sides of each ventrite excavated. 1st ventrite having 1 – 2 setae on sides. Puncture of each ventrite interrupted medially as well as groove along the posterior margin of sixth ventrite. Aedeagus (Figure 28 (d-f)): dorsallyı paramere apexes roundedı parallel; longitudinal excavation present taking the whole paramera length; basal-rounded excavation present; sub-apical spine present – paramera abruptly narrowing towards apex after sub-apical spine. Laterallyı abrupt declivity from basis towards apex; lacking central excavation. Ventrallyı basis with three tuberclesı one central and two on each side. Subgenital plate basis and apex emarginated.
Morphological variation. males BL: 15 – 22 mmı PW: 8 – 14 mm. Male genitalia comparison allow us to identify three phenotypes. Larger males (redescribed above) bear pronotal lobes and cephalic horns well developed. Lobes of anterior portion of pronotal disc of smaller males are replaced by a single subtle protuberance and cephalic horn is produced in a single conical tubercle. Howeverı both males phenotypes have the same genitalia and the three phenotypes have similar puncture and hair distribution pattern. Females BL: 16 – 17 mmı PW: 9 mm. Distinguished from males as follows: Head: fronto-clypeal surface striated. Coarse puncture present posterior to cephalic carina near both eyes. Cephalic carina transversalı forming a weak pair of tubercles. Pronotum: simply convexı lacking lobes. Elytra: striae deeply impressedı punctures separated by twice their diameter. Blue sheen present near basis. Abdomen: sixth ventrite bearing a pair of weak tubercles at central portion.
Distribution. forest habitats at Bolivian Chaco and Yungas (Figure 29).
Remarks. chosen Lectotype of Pinotus fissiceps is the most developed male of Felsche ’ s syntype series.
description: Published as part of Nunes, Rafael V. & Vaz-de-Mello, Fernando Z., 2019, Taxonomic revision of Dichotomius (Cephagonus) Luederwaldt 1929 and the taxonomic status of remaining Dichotomius Hope 1838 subgenera (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Dichotomiini), pp. 2231-2351 in Journal of Natural History 53 (37) on pages 2304-2306, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2019.1692088, http://zenodo.org/record/3665519