Phanaeus moroni Arnaud 2001, stat. rev.
Creators: name: Moctezuma, Victor
name: Halffter, Gonzalo
name: Lizardo, Viridiana
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Scarabaeidae
Phanaeus
Phanaeus moroni

description: Phanaeus moroni Arnaud, 2001 stat. rev.
(Figs 6–7, 33, 44)
Phanaeus tridens moroni Arnaud, 2001: 7. Type locality: Mexico, Veracruz, Catemaco, Dos Amates.
Type material examined. MEXICO: V ERACRUZ: HOLOTYPE (originally designated by ARNAUD 2001, examined from photographs; Fig.7):♂ Dos Amates, Catemaco (PFASF).
Non-type material examined. MEXICO: V ERACRUZ: 2 ♂♂, Dos Amates, Catemaco (GHVM, VMPM); 1 ♂ (CMNC).
Diagnosis. Sides of pronotal disc metallic green-yellow, becoming bright red to wine-garnet red towards medial portion of pronotum; postero-medial portion of pronotal disc almost completely black (Figs 6–7, 44). Sides of pronotal disc finely granulate and becoming granulorugose on outer margin of disc (Figs 6–7, 44). Pronotal disc weakly but coarsely rugose (Figs 6–7). Posteromedial process of pronotum produced into denticle, strongly widened laterally (almost reaching anteromedial carina), elongate and apically bifurcated (Figs 33, 44). Anteromedial portion of pronotal disc with two denticles, usually joined by strongly developed, medial carina (Fig. 44). Anterolateral margins of disc with strongly developed ridge of tubercles (Fig. 44). Posterolateral angles shorter than posteromedial process of pronotum (Fig. 33). Tri-coloured elytra, metallic green-red-yellow (Figs 6–7). Elytral striae scabriculous, distinctly impressed, superficially punctate (Figs 6–7). Elytral interstriae scabriculous, smooth, superficially punctate, convex (Figs 6–7).
Variability. Minor male. Similar to major males, except for reduction of secondary sexual characters (i.e., cephalic horn, pronotal process and posterolateral angles). Female. Similar to male, except for head showing trituberculate carina; pronotal sculpture granulate; and anteromedial carina of pronotum followed by posterior concavity. Apparently, this species is not variable in colour (Figs 6–7, 44).
Comments. Phanaeus moroni was originally considered a subspecies of P. tridens due to the Veracruz populations being distinct from the rest of the species in colour (Figs 6–7, 44) and in the shape of the posteromedian process of the pronotum (Figs 33, 44). Subsequently, EDMONDS & ZÍDEK (2012) regarded P. moroni as a “colour variant” and a junior subjective synonym of P. tridens (Figs 1–5, 32, 43). The unique combination of characters of P. moroni demonstrates that it deserves a full species status. The posteromedial process of pronotum in major males of P. moroni is distinctly narrowed medially in posterior view (Fig. 33; not narrowed in P. tridens Fig. 32), while the ridge of tubercles of anterolateral margins of pronotal disc are more raised in P. moroni (Fig. 44) than in P. tridens (Fig. 43). Along its distribution, Phanaeus tridens indeed has a bright green-red chromatic phase (Fig. 2). This fact likely led EDMONDS & ZÍDEK (2012) to consider P. tridens and P. moroni synonyms. Nevertheless, the bright green-red chromatic phase of P. tridens (Fig. 2) never shows the wine-garnet red to black pronotal disc and the widened posteromedial process of pronotum of P. moroni (Figs 6–7, 44).
Distribution. Mexico: Los Tuxtlas region, Veracruz (Fig. 64).
description: Published as part of Moctezuma, Victor, Halffter, Gonzalo & Lizardo, Viridiana, 2021, The Phanaeus tridens species group (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea): a dung beetle group with genital morphological stasis but a changing ecological niche, pp. 447-482 in Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 61 (2) on page 453, DOI: 10.37520/aemnp.2021.025, http://zenodo.org/record/5821143