Phanaeus daphnis Harold 1863
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 daphnis

description: Phanaeus daphnis Harold, 1863
(Figs 11–13, 35, 46, 57)
Phanaeus daphnis Harold, 1863: 165. Type locality: Mexico.
Type material examined. MEXICO: L ECTOTYPE (designated by ARNAUD 1982a, examined from photographs; Fig. 12): ♂, without specific locality (MNHN: MNHN EC10558). P ARALECTOTYPE (examined from photographs): ♂, without specific locality (MNHN: MNHN EC10559). Non-type material examined. MEXICO: E STADO DE M ÉX I CO: 1 ♂ 7 ♀♀, Chalma (GHVM: 1 ♂ 6 ♀♀; VMPM: 1 ♀); 11 ♀♀, Zona arqueológica Malinalco (GHVM: 10 ♀♀; VMPM: 1 ♀). G UERRERO: 2 ♀♀, Acahuizotla (IEXA); 1♀, Coapango (VMPM); 5♂♂ 2♀♀, Hueyecantenango, Chilapa (GHVM); 11♂♂ 30♀♀, Mochitlán,Acahuizotla (IEXA); 2 ♂♂, Taxco (GHVM:1♂; VMPM: 1♂); 1♀, 2 mi. W Taxco (GHVM); 2 ♂♂ 1 ♀, Tetipac (IEXA). M ORELOS: 3 ♂♂, Alpuyeca (GHVM); 3 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀, Cuautla (GHVM); 8 ♂♂ 12 ♀♀, Cuernavaca (IEXA: 5 ♂♂ 8 ♀♀; GHVM: 3 ♂♂ 4 ♀♀); 1 ♀, 9 mi. S Cuernavaca (GHVM); 2 ♂♂ 1 ♀, Huautla (IEXA); 1 ♂, Jojutla, Cerro del Higuerón (IEXA); 1 ♂ 1 ♀, Oaxtepec (GHVM); 1♂, Palmiras, Cuernavaca (GHVM); 1 ♀, Progreso (GHVM); 2 ♂♂ 1 ♀, Puente de Ixtla (GHVM: 1 ♂; VMPM: 1 ♂ 1 ♀); 1 ♂, Real del Puente (GHVM); 26 ♂♂ 7 ♀♀, Tepoztlán (GHVM: 21 ♂♂ 6 ♀♀; VMPM: 5 ♂♂ 1 ♀); 1 ♀, Tequesquitengo (GHVM); 3 ♂♂ 5 ♀♀, Xochitepec (GHVM: 3 ♂♂ 4 ♀♀, VMPM: 1 ♀). OAXACA: 1 ♂, Oaxaca (IEXA). P UEBLA: 2 ♀♀, 9 mi. N Amatitlán (GHVM); 1 ♂, Matamoros (VMPM). U NKNOWN LOCAL I TY: 2 ♂♂ (GHVM).
Diagnosis. Typically metallic green (Figs 10, 12, 46, 57), rarely deep blue-green (Fig. 11). Sides of pronotal disc granulate anteriorly, becoming punctate with effaced granules posteriorly (Figs 10–11, 46). Pronotal disc coarsely rugose (Figs 10–11, 46). Posteromedial process of pronotum produced into fairly short denticle, not bifurcated apically (Figs 35, 46). Anteromedial portion of pronotal disc with line of denticles or carina (Fig. 46). Anterolateral margins of pronotal disc without ridge or line of tubercles (Fig. 46). Posterolateral angles of pronotum much longer than posteromedial process of pronotum (Figs 35, 46). Elytral striae scabriculous, distinctly impressed, superficially punctate (Figs 10–12). Elytral interstriae scabriculous, superficially punctate, flat; I, III, V, VI and VII frequently with lightly roughened integument (Figs 10–12).
Variation. Minor male. Similar to major males, except for reduction of secondary sexual characters (i.e., cephalic horn, pronotal processes and posterolateral angles). Particularly, posterolateral angles of pronotum are reduced into a couple of pronotal keels, while posteromedial process is obsolete. Female. Similar to male, except for head showing trituberculate carina; pronotal sculpture granulate, becoming coarsely punctate posteriorly; pronotum with anteromedial black macula, and anteromedial trapezoidal carina, followed by posterior concavity (Fig. 57).
Comments. EDMONDS (1994) and EDMONDS & ZÍDEK (2012) proposed that P. coeruleus (Figs 13, 47) and P. herbeus (Figs 16–18, 37, 49, 59) were junior subjective synonyms of P. daphnis (Figs 11–13, 35, 46, 57). In turn, ARNAUD (2002) considered both subspecies of P. daphnis. According to the findings of the present study, both P. coeruleus and P. herbeus merit full species status. Major males of P. daphnis never show the posteromedial process of pronotum produced into a distinctly elongate denticle (Figs 35, 46), while those of P. coeruleus (Fig. 47) and P. herbeus (Figs 18, 37, 49) do.
Less than 3% of the examined specimens of P. daphnis are deep blue-green (Fig. 11), but their colouration is not similar to that of P. coeruleus (Figs 13, 47). This fact likely led EDMONDS (1994) and EDMONDS & ZÍDEK (2012) to consider P. coeruleus and P. daphnis synonyms. Nevertheless, the deep blue-green chromatic phase of P. daphnis (Fig. 11) never shows the distinctly smooth elytral interstriae seen in P. coeruleus (Fig. 13). The typical green specimens of P. daphnis (Figs 10, 12, 46, 57) and P. herbeus (Figs 16–17, 59) are similar in colour. Nevertheless, P. daphnis never shows a green-red chromatic phase like in P. herbeus (Fig. 49). Phanaeus daphnis and P. herbeus are sympatric in an area between Estado de México and Morelos (Fig. 65).
Distribution. Mexico: Estado de México, Guerrero, Morelos, Puebla, Oaxaca (Fig. 65).
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 pages 455-457, DOI: 10.37520/aemnp.2021.025, http://zenodo.org/record/5821143