Neoathyreus julietae, Howden, Henry F., 2006

Howden, Henry F., 2006, New species and a new subgenus of South American Neoathyreus Howden and Martínez (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae: Athyreini), Zootaxa 1137, pp. 37-52 : 38-41

Neoathyreus julietae , new species ( Figs. 1–3 )

Holotype. Male, length 10.9 mm, greatest width 7.4 mm. Dorsally with labrum, clypeus, and lateral edges of pronotum near foveae reddish brown, remainder of pronotum black tinged with brown; elytra black; ventral surfaces varying from reddish brown to dark brown. Labrum coarsely rugose, particularly across basal third. Clypeus coarsely rugose, transverse carina defined by row of irregular transverse tubercles; anterior oblique carinae absent; posterior transverse clypeal carinae distinct on each side of median tubercle, tubercle only slightly higher and anterior to lateral tubercle on each side. Vertex very slightly depressed between eyes, surface coarsely, contiguously granulate; between granules surface with numerous erect, pale tan setae. Gena with outer margins elevated, outer anterior angle slightly acute, surface of gena granulate. Pronotum ( Fig. 1 ) with small fossa on each side contiguous with anterior marginal bead posterior to eye; width of fossa approximately equal to width of adjacent bead; between fossae margin gradually elevated to midline, midline with indistinct tubercle on bead; tubercle extending posteriorly as low, narrow, glabrous ridge for approximately 0.7 mm. Pronotum with inner and outer carinae well­defined, inner carinae moderately thick with anterior ends separated by distance approximately equal to distance between outer edges of eyes; inner pronotal carinae from anterior ends almost straight, gradually converging, becoming parallel at posterior end of pronotal concavity, terminating 0.5 mm before posterior margin. Pronotal concavity deepest medially between anterior ends of inner carinae, surface granulate­punctate anteriorly, becoming smooth in posterior fourth of concavity; setose in anterior third between granules and near inner edge of carinae. Outer pronotal carina on each side in posterior half 1.7 mm long, curved, slightly closer to pronotal margin than to inner carina. Lateral pronotal fovea on each side shallow, elongate, surface mostly smooth; pronotal marginal bead absent in indentation below fovea. Pronotal surface laterad to inner carinae closely, coarsely granulate, posteriorly granules contiguous; many long, erect, pale tan setae arising from bases of granules. Elytron with several vague strial indentations near base of disc, surface of disc coarsely, contiguously granulate, granules near base transversely oval, becoming elongate in apical third; numerous tan or black, almost­erect setae arising between granules. Pygidium brown, apex broadly rounded. Metasternum between middle coxae slightly convex, anterior edge near midline obliquely angulate, midline represented by narrow, depressed line, surface on either side relatively uniformly setose­punctate. Foretibia ( Fig.1 ) with five teeth on outer edge. Genital capsule with apex of ventral lobe rounded, fringed with setae, flattened surface of lobe glabrous. Genitalia as in Figs. 2, 3 .

Allotype. Female, length 10.5 mm, greatest width 6.7 mm. Dorsally lacking reddish brown areas on head and pronotum, these areas black tinged with brown, elytra black. Similar to holotype except as follows: clypeus with irregular transverse carina very close to apical margin; median tubercle on clypeus less developed, no higher than lateral tubercles; pronotal concavity reduced in depth, posterior smooth area no more than half length of that of male.

Type Series. Holotype, male, Bolivia, Dep. Sta Cruz, Buena Vista, 1922, R. C. Robert, Howden coll. ex A. Martínez coll. ( CMNC). Allotype, female, Bolivia, D Sta. Cruz, Pica Ichilo, Buena Vista, Tacu, III.[19]51, Martínez, Howden coll. ex A. Martínez coll. ( CMNC). Paratypes, 8 males, 13 females. Bolivia: Cochabamba, 2 males, 1 female, 67.5 km E Villa Tunari, Est. Biol. Valle Sajta, Univ. San Simon, 300 m, 17 0 6' 19" S 64 46' 57" W, 9–13.II.1999, F. Génier, lowland rain forest, ex FIT, 99­068,9; Dpto. Sta. Cruz: 4 males, 9 females, 5 km SSE Buena Vista, Hotel Flora y Fauna, 440 m, 17 29.925' S 63 39.128' W, 6–15, 15–24, 24–31.XII.2003, S. & J. Peck, forest FIT; 2 females, 3.7 km SSE Buena Vista, Hotel Flora y Fauna, 17 29' S 63 33' W, 28.IV–2.V, 7–12.V.2004. A. R. Cline, FIT; 1 male, Ichilo, P[arque] N[acional] A[mboró] (Saguayo), 500 m, 8– 12.III.1991, Pablo Bettella; 1 female, San Pedro, 26.VI.1990, C. J. Pruett. Peru: 1 male, near Satipo, Junin,> 1000 m (Yungas), XII.2004, flying at dusk.

Paratypes are in: ABTS, CMNC, HAHC, NKMC WBWC.

Remarks. Variation in the type series is moderate. Length varies from 9.5 to 11.0 mm, and greatest width from 5.5 to 7.0 mm. The transverse anterior clypeal carina may be vague or distinct; the posterior clypeal carina and associated tubercles are reduced in height in small specimens. The inner pronotal carina and concavity are both reduced in small specimens; the height and thickness of the carinae are less and the depth and posterior smooth area of the concavity are similarly reduced; in one specimen the smooth area is almost absent. In one specimen the lateral marginal bead of the pronotum is complete. The reddish brown color on the head and sides of the pronotum is lacking in more than half of the series, these being brownish black to black. The number of teeth, five, on the foretibia is quite constant, but there are six teeth in one female. There are also slight differences in the shape of the apical lobes of the male genitalia but this is, at least partly, because of distortion when dry or differences caused by positioning.

Neoathyreus julietae will usually key to couplet 44 in Howden (1985). In that couplet most specimens would key to N. inermis Howden , but differ from that species by having fewer teeth on the foretibia, 7 or 8 for N. inermis ; also the male genitalia are radically different. The other species in couplet 44, N. lanuginosus (Klug) , is close to N. julietae in key characters, but differs in dorsal color and in the shape of the male genitalia. Both N. lanuginosus and N. julietae occur in the Buena Vista region of Bolivia.

While the two species that key out to couplet 44 may be somewhat related to N. julietae , the most closely related species is probably N. obscurus Howden , described from four specimens from Brazil. In my 1985 key, N. obscurus will key to couplet 30; this includes species with four teeth on the foretibia. This species should also have been keyed to species with five teeth on the foretibia as one paratype has a very small fifth tooth. A small series of N. obscurus , recently collected in Mato Grosso, Brazil, by F. Génier, all have a small fifth tooth on the foretibia, as do most N. julietae . Externally the two species are not always separable because of variation in the teeth of the foretibia and in the marginal pronotal bead. The bead is usually complete in N. obscurus and broken in N. julietae ; however, in the series at hand, the reverse is true for one specimen of each species. The only certain way to distinguish the two species is by the differences in the male genitalia and, as far as is known, by the different ranges of the two species. This complex is a good example of the desirability of having a good series when dealing with closely related species.

Etymology. This species, N. julietae , is named for Julieta Ledezma, Curator, Entomology, NKMC, Santa Cruz, Bolivia, who was extremely helpful to my wife and me during our visit to Bolivia. She has shown the same consideration to other entomologists visiting Bolivia.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Neoathyreus spp. Figs. 1 – 3. N. julietae, n. sp.: 1, Head and pronotum; 2, Male genitalia, dorsal view; 3, Male genitalia, lateral view. Figs. 4 – 6, N. moraguesi, n. sp.: 4, Head and pronotum; 5, Male genitalia, dorsal view; 6, Male genitalia, lateral view. Scale lines for genitalia = 0.2 mm.