Bothynus laevipennis Arrow, 1937

Bothynus laevipennis Arrow, 1937 View in CoL

( Figures 2 View Figure 2 (f), 3(h), 9(e, f), 10(a), 11(h), 12(e), 13(h), 14(h), 15(i), 23)

Bothynus laevipennis

Arrow 1937a: 46 (original description); Blackwelder 1944: 255 (checklist, distribution); Endrödi 1969: 12 (identification key), 116 (illustration of the copulatory apparatus [figs. 156–157]), 130 (remarks, redescription, and distribution). Endrödi 1985: 273 (identification key, distribution), 274 (illustration of the aedeagus [figs. 1120–1121]; Krajcik 2005: 38 (checklist); Abadie et al. 2008: 108 (appendix I–distribution); Ratcliffe 2010: 107 (identification key); López-García et al. 2016: 296 (checklist, distribution).

Diagnosis

Bothynus laevipennis resembles B. nyx in the inner protarsal claw of male bearing a ventromedial process and tarsomere 5 without process on ventral area. However, B. laevipennis differs by the following characters: Pronotal cavity of male rounded in dorsal view (similar to those of B. ascanius [ Figure 8 View Figure 8 (a)]), not transversely arranged; elytra nearly smooth in both sexes, bearing minute or shallow punctures ( Figure 10 View Figure 10 (a)); lateroventral area of parameres constricted just above the apical lobes in caudal view ( Figure 13 View Figure 13 (h)), combined with a rounded apex in lateral view ( Figure 14 View Figure 14 (h)). Bothynus laevipennis is unique in exhibiting the elytra with a nearly smooth aspect, with fine punctures (sometimes shallow), along barely marked striae, which promptly distinguishes the species from others within the ascanius group.

Type material

Lectotype male, here designated, labelled: (a) ‘NHMUK014400144’ [label with QR code printed]; (b) ‘ SYN- /TYPE’ [rounded label bordered in blue]; (c) ‘Type’ [rounded label bordered in red]; (d) ‘ Brazil:/Sabara-Bello Horizonte./Rio das Velhao./A.G.N.Chalmers./B.M.1932–11’. [first line subscribed in golden ink]; (e) ‘ Bothynus / laevipennis ,/type arrow’ [handwritten] ( NHM) ( Figure 2 View Figure 2 (f)). Paralectotype male, here designated, labelled: (a) ‘NHMUK014400141’ [label with QR code printed]; (b) ‘ SYN- /TYPE’ [rounded label bordered in blue]; (c) ‘56,380’; (d) ‘S.Paulo’ [handwritten]; C) ‘Fry Coll./1905-100’. ( NHM).

Additional material

BRAZIL: Minas Gerais: Barbacena, 26.xii.2006, A. Assis leg. – 1 male ( CEMT); Belo Horizonte , x.1945, A. Penna leg. – 1 male ( CERPE); Lambari , ix.1935 – 1 male ( CERPE); Lavras , 10.x.2003, F.C. Santos leg. – 1 male ( CERPE), 19.iv.2006, A. Costa leg. – 1 male ( CERPE), 14.x.2007, C.C. Moreira leg. – 1 male ( CEMT), 04.iii.2008, R. Stockmann leg. – 1 male ( CEMT), 23.iii.2008, S. M. Borba leg. – 1 female ( CERPE); PoÇos de Caldas , xi.1995 – 1 male, 1 female ( FDPC); Resende Costa , viii.2002, L. Fernandes leg. – 1 female ( CEMT); São João del Rei , iv. 2007, F. Fernandes leg. – 1 male ( CEMT) . São Paulo: Holambra, 20.iii.2008, T. Reijers leg. – 1 male ( CEMT); Sorocaba , 03.xi.2000, Izaura leg. – 1 male ( CERPE) .

Male redescription ( Figure 3 View Figure 3 (h))

Length: 24.0– 30.5 mm. Width: 13.0– 17.1 mm. Colour: Head, pronotum and venter dark; elytra reddish brown. Head: Clypeus subtrapezoidal (posterior width about 3.0 times wider than anterior); lateral margins regularly convergent; anterior teeth transverse, from subtriangular to lobed; surface strongly rugopunctate, setae scarce, arranged on sides. Frontoclypeal carina weakly marked. Frontal surface strongly rugose; setae scarce, confined on sides, separated at middle by a glabrous, longitudinal area. Interocular width equals 3.1 transverse eye diameters. Ocular canthus transverse, slightly arched. Mouthparts: Mandible with apical tooth subtriangular, diagonally truncated on apex; medial tooth broadly rounded at apex; basal tooth triangular, smaller. Labium subtriangular, usually flattened, discal area sometimes slightly concave. Antennae: Club elongated, about 2 times longer than antennomeres 2–7 combined. Prothorax: Pronotum with tubercle strong, conical; cavity deep, broad, rounded, usually limited posteriorly by 2 small tubercles ( Figure 9 View Figure 9 (e)). Pronotal surface on anterior corners with dense, large, deep, coalescent punctures; sides nearly entirely covered with minute punctures ( Figure 9 View Figure 9 (f)), except for an area close to lateral margins with small, deep, dense punctures; punctures on disc minute; posterior margin from rugose to strongly rugopunctate; cavity transversely rugose. Pterothorax: Elytral surface nearly smooth, bearing barely marked striae, and shallow or minute punctures ( Figure 10 View Figure 10 (a)). Legs: Inner protarsal claw bearing a small, lobed or triangular ventromedial process ( Figure 11 View Figure 11 (h)). Mesotibia with middle carina strongly projected diagonally on outer surface. Metafemora with no punctures on ventral disc. Abdomen: Tergite 7 with stridulatory apparatus formed by 1 band of finely marked striae. Tergite 8 entirely covered by strong rugosity transversely arranged, bearing moderate yellowish setae. Sternites 4–7 with setae and rugopunctures dense on sides, disc glabrous and with small, scarce punctures; sternite 8 strongly rugopunctate on sides; disc with scarce, small, shallow punctures. Spiculum gastrale : Y-shaped; branches subequal in length ( Figure 12 View Figure 12 (e)). Hemisternite formed by 2 contiguous, oval plates; each plate covered with setae on apical margin. Aedeagus: Parameres, in dorsal view, elongate and rhomboid in shape, covered with shallow, scarce punctures; lateroventral outer margins gradually convergent towards an apical half strongly constricted above apical lobes ( Figure 13 View Figure 13 (h)); apical lobes elongate, oval. Parameres, in lateral view, provided with a small, basal process on ventral area; apex rounded ( Figure 14 View Figure 14 (h)).

Female redescription ( Figure 15 View Figure 15 (i))

Length: 27.0– 29.2 mm. Width: 15.0–17.0 mm. Similar to male, except in the following: Prothorax: Pronotal tubercle small; cavity shallow. Legs: Inner protarsal claw usually with no ventroapical process. Abdomen: Tergite 8 weakly convex to flattened in lateral view, with dense setae. Sternite 8 transversely rugose, bearing scarce setae arranged on corners and transversely on anterior half.

Distribution

Brazil (Minas Gerais and São Paulo) ( Figure 23 View Figure 23 ). Bothynus laevipennis also was recorded from Paraguay ( Polesel and Dambronsky 2018), Argentina and Bolivia ( Endrödi 1969, 1985).