Dichotomius (Selenocopris) periotoi Nunes & Vaz-De-Mello, 2016, new species
Creators: name: Nunes, Rafael V.
name: Vaz-De-Mello, Fernando Z.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Scarabaeidae
Dichotomius
Dichotomius periotoi

description: Dichotomius (Selenocopris) periotoi, new species
(Fig. 7)
Material studied. Holotype: Ƌ BRASIL: São Paulo: Descalvado. Fazenda Itaúnas. 21°54’09”S; 47°43’55”W. Mata-Citrus. Pitfall. 17-XI-2007. NWPerioto (leg.). / Dichotomius periotoi n. sp., holotype. RVNunes & FZVazde-Mello, 2011 [CEMT]. Paratypes: same data as holotype [3 Ƌ 2 ♀, CEMT]; same but 2.XI-2004 [6 Ƌ 5 ♀, IBSP]; same but 3-I-2005 [4 Ƌ 3 ♀, IBSP]; same but 16-XII-2004 [3 Ƌ 2 ♀, IBSP]; same but 23-III-2008 [4 Ƌ 5 ♀, CEMT]; same but 23-II-2006 [4 Ƌ, CEMT]; same but 27-II-2008 [2 Ƌ 1 ♀, CEMT]; same but 27-XI-2006 [1 ♀, CEMT]; same but 22-I-2007 [4 Ƌ 8 ♀, CEMT]; same but 6-IV-2006 [5 Ƌ 2 ♀, CEMT]; same but 7-IV-2005 [1 Ƌ 1 ♀, CEMT]; same but 13-I-2005 [1 Ƌ 2 ♀, CEMT]; 2 ♀, same but 13-XI-2006 [2 ♀, CEMT]; same but 13-II-2008 [1 Ƌ, CEMT]; same but 24-III-2 0 0 5 [4 Ƌ 1 ♀, CEMT]; same data but 15-XII-2005 [3 Ƌ 1 ♀, CEMT]; same but 9- II-2006 [3 Ƌ, CEMT]; same but 9-II-2007 [1 ♀, CEMT]; same but 9-I-2007 [1 Ƌ 2 ♀, CEMT]; same but 11-XII- 2006 [3 ♀, CEMT]; same but 16-I-2008 [2 Ƌ, CEMT]; same but 1-XII-2005 [1 Ƌ, 2 ♀, CEMT]; same but 20-IV- 2005 [1 Ƌ 3 ♀, CEMT]; same but 4-II-2007 [4 Ƌ 5 ♀, CEMT]; same but 5-I-2006 [1 Ƌ, CEMT]; same but 19-X- 2006 [1 Ƌ, CEMT]; same but 4- II-2 0 0 7 [1 Ƌ, CEMT]; same but 3-XI-2005 [1 Ƌ, CEMT]; same but 10-II-2005 [1 ♀, CEMT]; same but 2-II-2009 [1 ♀, CEMT]; same but 18-V-2006 [1 ♀, CEMT]; same but 11-XII-2006 [1 ♀, CEMT]; same but 25-II-2005 [1 ♀, CEMT].
Diagnosis. In the group, D. periotoi n. sp. is separated of the other brachypterous species in the group by the following combined characters: dorsal surface shinny and usually with brown or blue reflections; cephalic carina taller than wide, with two tubercles at apex (Fig. 7 A); dorsal surface of head smooth (Fig. 7 A); surface of pronotal anterior excavation smooth, bearing few and sparse fine punctures (Figs. 7 A, E) and anterior portion of pronotal disc having two lobes.
Holotype. Male: length: 19.5 mm. Maximum width (pronotum): 13 mm. Dorsal surface black, strongly shinny. Head: dorsally smooth, with few ocellate punctures around the internal border of the eyes. Clypeogenal junction with obtuse angle. Margin of clypeal teeth bearing a single row of short scattered setae. Ventral clypeal process strongly bifurcated. Clypeo-frontal carina smooth, higher than wide, emarginated medially forming two tubercles at each apex. Clypeo-genal suture distinct, producing a posterior knob. Antennal club with light brown tumescence. Pronotum: wider than long and wider than elytra. Pronotal excavation anterior to the declivity bearing at most simple punctures (20x). Ocellate punctures present along around pronotal margin (except near the anterior excavation) and anterior angles. Pronotal disc delimited by the anterior declivity by a bilobed projection. Anterior angles acute. Hypomeron: anterior portion with a lateral external band of ocellate setose punctures. Posterior portion almost glabrous with few sparse ocellate setose punctures. Prosternum: with ocellate setose punctures: setae do not reach one quarter the length of hypomeron setae. Mesosternum: narrowed, glabrous and chagrinated medially. Mesepisternum: having ocellate setose punctures, more abundant on the anterior portion. Posterior portion of upper margin ending in an acute angle and almost reaching the pseudoepipleuron (Figs. 1 C– D). Metasternum: mesometasternal suture indistinct. Anterior lobe strong narrowed medially. Ocellate setose punctures present along the margins of the metasternal lobe and being denser near the anterior portion of the lobe. Mestasternal disc bearing a longitudinal sulcus that produces a feeble posterior concavity. Elytra: shinny, lacking humeral callus. Striae with feeble punctures separated by twice its diameter. Elytral interstriae convex. Hind wings: length: 11mm. Having folding articulation. Basal sclerites glabrous. Subcostal vein intersecting costal axis at its basal quarter. Medial vein extending to the folding region. Distinct setae present on the basal third of costal axis and on folding region. Cubital vein present, anal vein absent. Small developed membranous portion apical to folding articulation with incomplete or weakly-marked venations. Legs: anterior tibial spur strongly bent downward at the apical quarter. Anterior tibiae bearing four teeth. Ventral surface of the anterior femur glabrous. Length of the 5th hind tarsomere twice the length of the 4th hind tarsomere. Abdomen: sternites 1 to 6 glabrous and having ocellate punctures on the upper margin. Pygidium: wider than long. Shinning, glabrous and lacking distinct punctures. Paramera: (as in Figs. 7 C–D) having rounded/circular excavations near the basis (dorsal view) and longitudinal excavation toward the apex (lateral and dorsal view). Longitudinal excavation taking more then half the length of paramera. Apex divergent, curved outward (dorsal view).
Morphological variation. length varies from 15–21.5 mm on males and from 17–21.5 mm on females. Pronotum width varies from 7.5–13 mm on males and from 9.5–12.5 mm on females. Both males and females have variations on the following characters: Head: variations on the height, emargination and tubercles of the clypeofrontal carina. On the smallest male examined, a simple rounded horn with rounded apeex replaces the transversal carina. Pronotum: on smaller males and females, the bilobed projection delimiting the pronotal disc from the anterior declivity is feebly indicated. Elytra: both males and females have variations on the shiny of elytra basis, which can also have brown or blue reflections. Abdomen: females have the sixth abdominal sternite witth a pair of central tubercles (Fig. 1 A).
Distribution. Known only from the Descalvado municipality, state of São Paulo, Brazil. Despite this locality is close to the Estação Ecológica de Itirapina (a research station at Itirapina municipality, 30 km south), there is no record for this species there (Fig. 8).
Etymology. named after Nelson W. Perioto, who collected the whole type series and sent most of it to CEMT.
Remarks. in general, the sexual dimosrphism of D. periotoi n. sp. is less pronounced then on other species and smaller males seems to be more usual. Paramera is very similar to those o D. darwini. Externally, is very close to D. manni and larger individuals of D. transiens from central Brazil. The whole type series was collected with pitfall lacking attratctive baits, however we think that the dead insects in the pitfall might have attracted such a huge series of individuals. This species is associated to open habitats (cerrado sensu strictu), including those with Citrus plantations.
description: Published as part of Nunes, Rafael V. & Vaz-De-Mello, Fernando Z., 2016, New brachypterous species of Dichotomius (Selenocopris) Burmeister (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) with the definition of species groups and taxonomic notes in the subgenus in Zootaxa 4139 (1), DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4139.1.4, http://zenodo.org/record/271999