Bothynus thrix Hardy 2017
Creators: name: Duarte, Paulo R. M.
name: Dupuis, Fabien
name: Grossi, Paschoal C.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Scarabaeidae
Bothynus
Bothynus thrix

description: Bothynus thrix Hardy, 2017
(Figures 2k, 10c, 13 (r), 14(r), 16(g), 24)
Bothynus thrix. Hardy 2017: 141 (original description).
Diagnosis
Bothynus thrix is easily recognised among the species of the ascanius group by the following characters: Dorsal surface of the elytra distinctly covered with yellowish setae in both sexes (Figures 10 (c)). The species resembles B. fabius, but is distinguished by the following characters: Interocular width about 5.5–6.0 times the transverse eye diameter; presence of dorsal setae on body and parameres with elongated and narrow apical plates (Figure 13 (r)) and presence of a ventrobasal carina (Figure 14 (r)).
Type material
Holotype male, at Canadian Museun of Ottawa (CMNC), not examined. Paratype male, labelled: (a) ‘ BOLIVIA: Santa Cruz /5 K ESE Warnes, HOTEL/ Rio Selva, 20–21/X/00/ Morris / Wapes’; (b) ‘R.F.Morris/collection’ [blue label]; (c) ‘ PARATYPE ♂ / Bothynus /thryx n.sp./dés. M. Hardy 2017 ’ [yellow label] (CERPE) (Figure 2 (k)). Paratypes, one male and one female, labelled: (a) ‘ BOLIVIA: Santa Cruz / Buena Vista / Flora & Fauna Hotel /17-20.x.00. R. Morris’ (FDPC). Paratype female, labelled: ‘ BOLIVIA Santa Cruz /4-6k SSE Buena Vista / F & F Hotel 14–16 Oct./2000 Wappes & Morris’; (b) ‘ACMT/J. Wappes’; (c) ‘PARATYPE ♀ / Bothynus /thryx n.sp./dés. M. Hardy 2017 ’ [yellow label] (CERPE). Holotype not examined.
Additional material
BRAZIL: Mato Grosso, Tangará de Serra, 3–9.xii.2012, F.V. Mello Leg. – 1 female (CEMT).
Male redescription (Figure 2 (k))
Length: 19.2 mm. Width: 11.1 mm. Colour: Predominantly reddish brown; protibia blackbordered. Head: Clypeus subtriangular (posterior width about 3.6 times wider than anterior), slightly narrow laterally at anterior half; surface weakly rugose, glabrous; anterior teeth small, triangular, pointed. Frontoclypeal carina finely marked. Frontal surface transversely, densely rugose; setae scarce, scattered on sides, separated by a glabrous middle area. Interocular width equals 5.5 transverse eye diameters. Ocular canthus subtriangular, arched on anterior margin. Mouthparts: Mandible bearing apical tooth truncate apically; medial tooth subtriangular, rounded on apex; basal tooth lobed, smaller than previous ones. Maxilla bearing 4 subequal, small teeth arranged on apex of galea. Labium suboval, setose laterally. Antennae: Club subequal in length to antennomeres 2–7 combined. Prothorax: Pronotal anterior tubercle strong, conical; anterior area bearing a wide, rounded, strong declivity, prolonged towards posterior pronotal area. Surface of anterior corners with dense, large, contiguous, setigerous punctures; declivity with large, transverse, oval, setigerous punctures, becoming smaller close to posterior limit of declivity; sides and posterior area close to margins bearing deep, large, setigerous punctures, becoming smaller towards posterior disc. Pterothorax: Scutellar plate parabolic, smooth. Elytral surface bearing yellowish, erect setae (Figure 10 (c)); striae well marked, covered with small, ocellate punctures, spaced about 2–4 puncture diameters apart. Legs: Inner protarsal claw simple, similar to outer claw. Protibia bearing dorsal surface densely rugopunctate. Mesotibia only with a middle carina produced on outer surface; apex slightly emarginate. Metatibia with 2 carinae on outer surface; apex truncate. Abdomen: Tergite 7 bearing 2 bands of transverse, well-marked striae. Tergite 8 with coarsely rugose, scarcely setose sides; discal area punctate, glabrous; discal punctures large, oval, contiguous. Sternites 4–7 rugopunctate on sides, finely punctate on disc; sternites 5–6 bearing on each side a transverse row of setigerous punctures, disc glabrous; sternite 7 with a complete, transverse row of setigerous punctures; sternite 8 nearly entirely covered with scarce, small punctures, except for the corners with denser punctures; setae confined on posterior margin. Aedeagus: Parameres, in dorsal view, bearing rounded sides at basal half, gradually becoming constricted lateroventrally towards apical half; apical half with elongated, oval lobes (Figure 13 (r)). Parameres, in lateral view, with convex dorsal surface and apex rounded; ventral surface slightly sinuous, bearing a ventrobasal process (Figure 14 (r)).
Female redescription (Figure 16 (g))
Length: 19.0 mm. Width: 10.9 mm. As for the male in overall aspect, except for: Prothorax: Pronotum weakly convex in lateral view; tubercle absent; declivity poorly accentuated; surface nearly completely covered with large, deep, ocellated punctures. Abdomen: Tergite 8 entirely setose. Sternites 4–7 with large, deep, dense punctures; sternite 8 with scarce setae scattered over entire surface, presence of dense, deep, large punctures.
Distribution
Brazil (Mato Grosso) (NEW COUNTRY RECORD) and Bolivia (Figure 24).
The species was described from eastern areas of Andean and sub-Andean regions of Argentina and Bolivia (Hardy 2017). The species was collected in Brazil in a transition area among Cerrado and Amazon.
Remarks
The specific epithet was spelled ‘ thryx ’ on the yellow label of the paratypes, instead of ‘thrix’ according to the etymology presented by Hardy (2017). Moreover, the paratypes examined here had labels identifying them as B. striatellus.
description: Published as part of Duarte, Paulo R. M., Dupuis, Fabien & Grossi, Paschoal C., 2025, Taxonomic revision of the Bothynus ascanius (Kirby, 1819) (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae: Dynastinae) species group, pp. 663-737 in Journal of Natural History 59 (9 - 12) on pages 731-732, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2025.2456579, http://zenodo.org/record/14971553