Dichotomius (Dichotomius) agesilaus ( Waterhouse, 1891 )

Dichotomius (Dichotomius) agesilaus ( Waterhouse, 1891) View in CoL

( Figs. 23 View Figure 23 a-m, 24a)

Pinotus agesilaus Waterhouse, 1891: 362 View in CoL (original description)

Pinotus agesilaus View in CoL : Blackwelder (1944): 206 (citation); Gillet 1911: 59 (citation); Luederwaldt (1929): 32 (key), 37 (diagnosis) 171 (citation), Fig. No 20 (ilustration); Pessôa and Lane (1941): 462 (diagnosis).

Dichotomius agesilaus View in CoL : Vaz-de-Mello (2000): 193 (citation).

Material examined: Holotype [♂]: Labels: 1: {handwritten text on white label} Brasilia St Paul / 2: {handwritten text on white label} agesilaus Reiche. Brazil. / 3: {printed text on white label} 6745 / 4: {handwritten text on ligth blue label} 38 / 5: {handwritten text on green label} r / 6: {printed text on rounded white label with red margins} Type / 7: {printed text on red label with black margins} HOLOTYPE [ BMNH] . Additional specimens: BRAZIL: Paraná: Curitiba. 1♂ 2 unsexed. [ UFPR]. Palmeiras Trav. & PEARSON COL. 19-XII-1952. 1♂. [ CEMT]. C[ampina] Grande do Sul BR 116 km 68 I-1990 Grossi EJ . 1♀. [ CEMT]. Curitiba X-[1]941 Hats. 1♀. [ CEMT]. Curitiba 11-V-1938 Claret. 4♂, 1♀. [ CEMT]. Ponta Grossa , Parque Estadual de Vila Velha , 27.i.2011, voando ao amanhecer, P. C. Grossi & F.W. T . Leivas. 1 Unsexed. [ CERPE]. Curitiba , Cidade Industrial , área de campo limpo, v.2008, 1000m, Grossi, Parizotto & Melo. 1 Unsexed. [ CERPE]. Curitiba 5.[19]39 Coleção F. Justus Jor. 1♂. [ DZUP]. Curitiba 22-9-[19]67 O.C. Mangili. 1♂. [ DZUP]. Jaguaraiva 30-XII-[19] 71 F. Ciacomel. 1♂. [ DZUP].P[onta] Grossa 2.[19]42 Coleção F. Justus Jor. 1♂. [ DZUP] . Santa Catarina: Campos Novos 27º 23′S 51°12′W 8-II-2013 Lira D. 1♀. [ CEMT]. Mafra 800m 4.[19]66. 2♀. [ DZUP]. R GoogleMaps [io] Vermelho 800m 12.[19]62. 1♂. [ DZUP]. São Bento 800m 2.[19]59. 1♂. [ DZUP] . São Paulo: Cruzália 11-V-2004 IGO. 1♀. [ CEMT] .

Diagnosis: This species can be distinguished by the following combination of characters: (1) Hypomeron with anterior excavation ( Fig. 23c View Figure 23 ). (2) Male clypeus with lamellar process directed upward, female with two-pointed process in frons. ( Fig. 23a, b View Figure 23 ). (3) Ventral clypeal process with bicuspid tip ( Fig. 23d View Figure 23 ). (4) Border of gena acute ( Fig. 23a, b View Figure 23 ). (5) Anterior-medial region of pronotum with a longitudinal depression and 4 lobes on the upper side ( Fig. 23a, b View Figure 23 ). (6) Lateral fovea of pronotum larger and deeper with carina on outer margin. (7) Males with spine-shaped process over the lateral foveae of pronotum and two descending carina from lateral lobes of pronotal process. (8) Elytral striae bicarinate with shagreened surface. (9) Pygidium with incomplete apical margin and evident punctures ( Fig. 23f View Figure 23 ). (10) Male genital organ in lateral view with subtriangular and widened parameres and acute apex ( Fig. 23g View Figure 23 ). (11) Subgenital plate present with widened sclerites protruding above parameres ( Fig. 23h View Figure 23 ). (12) ME is large, and subquadrangular with two well sclerotized processes on the right lateral side, the surface covered with bristles along its entire length, and on the left side it presents membranous process with long bristles ( Fig. 23m View Figure 23 ).

Redescription: Males: Length 28.4‒30.1 mm; width 15.9‒17.6 mm. Black and shiny color.

Head: Wider than long with s ubtriangular shape. Clypeal margin without teeth. Ventral clypeal process with bicuspid tip. Dorsal surface with well-defined margin leading to the genae ( Fig. 23a View Figure 23 ). Clypeal surface strongly wrinkled and with lamellar process directed upward with bicuspid blunt tip ( Fig. 23a View Figure 23 ). Clypeo-genal suture evident in the base with small process. Genae margin acute with surface with wrinkled surface. Frons and posterior area of head with strong wrinkles.

Thorax: Pronotum wider than long. Anterior angles short and curved, surface with wrinkles giving corrugated appearance.Anteriormedial region with a longitudinal depression with surface, covered with strong wrinkles giving small spines appearance, upper side with pronotal process with 4 lobes ( Fig. 23a View Figure 23 ). Lateral fovea of pronotum larger and deeper with carina on outer margin and over with spine-shaped process. Superio-posterior area of pronotum with large and shallow punctures separated by three to four times their diameter. Posterior margin of pronotum with shagreneed surface and small wrinkles. Hypomeron with anterior excavation glabrous, rest of hypomeron surface shagreened, with dense setigerous punctures ( Fig. 23c View Figure 23 ). Prosternum with denser setigerous punctures, setae long. Elytral striae bicarinate with ondulate margin and shagreened surface. Elytral interstriae with shiny surface, with shallow and larger punctures separated by three to four times their diameter. Mesoventrite shagreened, with short setae. Central area with smooth surface. Meso-metaesternal suture evident.Mesanepisternum shagreened with large setigerous punctures separated by less than once their diameter. Metaventrite anterior lobe with glabrous, shiny surface. Anterior area with a concavity. Central area with longitudinal fovea that goes to the posterior margin, bearing wrinkles in lateral margins near to the insertion of coxa. Metaventrite lateral sides with shagreened surface and denser setigerous punctures. Metanepisternum with similar surface to mesanepisternum.

Abdomen: Shiny ventrites with microsculpture and ocellate punctures with scarce setae in the lateral sides. Sixth ventrite strongly narrowed medially. Pygidium shiny with microsculpture; with small and shallow punctures spaced by more than three times their diameter ( Fig. 23f View Figure 23 ). Pygidium with incomplete apical margin ( Fig. 23f View Figure 23 ).

Legs: Protibia with four lateral teeth. Protibial spur not angled or slightly angled near the apex, going to the middle of the fifth tarsomere ( Fig.23e View Figure 23 ). Meso- and metatibia gradually widened towards apex, outer margin with eight to ten lateral spines, each with long erect setae; dorsal surface with two longitudinal rows of setae, apical side with setae throughout. Mesotibia with two spurs, unequal in length and acute apically. Metatibial spur apically truncate going to the base of the third tarsomere. Meso and metatibia with five tarsomeres, from first to fourth sub-triangular flattened dorsoventrally, inner edge with long continuous erect setae, outer edge with three to four setae, and the apices with tufts of setae. Basitarsomere of meso and metalegs as long as the 2nd and 3rd joined.

Male genital organ: Lateral view of aedeagus with subquadrangular phallobase, basal area with a medium bulge on both sides, apex with a constriction of approximately 115°and a notch on the lower edge. Male genital organ in lateral view with subtriangular and widened parameres, with acute apex ( Fig. 23g View Figure 23 ). Dorsal view with symmetrical, subtriangular parameres. Central area constricted, and widening apically. Apex of parameres curved ( Fig. 23h View Figure 23 ). Ventral view with symmetrical parameres. Subgenital plate present with widened sclerites protruding between parameres ( Fig. 23i View Figure 23 ). Endophallites: ME is large, and subquadrangular with two well sclerotized processes on the right lateral side, the surface covered with bristles along its entire length, and on the left side it presents a membranous process with long bristles ( Fig. 23m View Figure 23 ). A+SA complex with undefined shape, more sclerotized in the central area surrounded by a semi-sclerotized membrane ( Fig. 23k View Figure 23 ). SRP C-shaped, widened and with undefined edges ( Fig. 23j View Figure 23 ). FLP N-shaped very membranous and only a small area on the right margin ( Fig. 23l View Figure 23 ).

Female: Length 28‒32.1 mm; width 15.4‒18.6 mm. Differs from male by presenting a cephalic bicuspid process on fronto-clypeal area ( Fig. 23b View Figure 23 ). Pronotal process located in the first third region similar in shape to males, without spine process over the lateral fovea, with curved process in internal margin of fovea instead ( Fig. 23b View Figure 23 ). Pronotal punctures more evident than in males. Sixth abdominal ventrite not shortened medially.

Distribution and ecology: Parana dominion (Araucaria forest and Paraná provinces). Known only from southern Brazil (São Paulo, Paraná, and Santa Catarina states) ( Fig. 24a View Figure 24 ). It is an uncommon species in entomological collections. Most specimens are old (1990s or earlier), the most recent was collected in 2013. This species is under evaluation for its conservation status by the IUCN Scarabaeinae group (Maldaner et al., in prep).

Taxonomic comments: Based on the external morphology, the shape of the ventral clypeal process and the endophallites, this species is included in Dichotomius (Dichotomius) . The structure of the male genitalia and the excavation in anterior area of hypomeron are similar to that of the D. cotopaxi species group, but the external morphology (head, pronotum and elytra lacking calluses) does not allow it to be included in this group. Furthermore, the Medial endophallite found in this species has a unique structure in the subgenus, and does not allow it to be assigned to any Dichotomius (Dichotomius) species group. It is, therefore, considered an incertae sedis species. It may be later be elevated to a monospecific subgenus withinDichotomius, or described as an independent genus.