Aphotaenius, Cartwright, Martineziana Chalumeau and Ozdikmen, 1952

Skelley, Paul E. & Vaz-de-Mello, Fernando Z., 2020, Review of Aphotaenius Cartwright, 1952 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Eupariini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 74 (2), pp. 389-403 : 392-393

KEY TO THE SPECIES OF APHOTAENIUS

1. Metaventrite with distinct, large punctures medially, becoming foveate laterally ( Figs. 21 , 45 ); clypeus always sharply toothed on each side ( Figs. 6–7 , 20 , 44 ); Nearctic ( Mexico-USA) ................................................. 2

1ʹ. Metaventrite lacking distinct punctures, when present fine to minute ( Figs. 15 , 27 , 33 ); clypeus angulate or broadly rounded on each side ( Figs. 8–13 ); South America ............ 3

2. Elytral striae with smaller punctures, punctures near base weakly encroach upon intervals, similar in size to coarse pronotal punctures ( Figs. 4 , 6, 20 ); elytra with lateral and apical intervals distinctly convex, but not cariniform; eastern USA.......................... ......................... A. carolinus (Van Dyke)

2ʹ. Elytral striae with larger punctures, punctures near base encroach upon interval, larger than coarse pronotal punctures ( Figs. 7 , 44 ); elytra with lateral and apical intervals nearly cariniform between striae; Mexico ( Nuevo León, Tamaulipas) .......... A. howdeni Cartwright

3. Head posteriorly with band of punctures distinctly larger than on upper clypeus ( Figs. 8–10 ) ................................................. 4

3ʹ. Head posteriorly with punctures similar in size and distribution as on upper clypeus ( Figs. 11–13 ) ............................................... 6

4. Clypeal margin broadly to narrowly rounded on each side ( Figs. 9–10 ); elytral intervals with scattered punctures, lacking carinate appearance ( Figs. 14 , 26 ), rarely appearing carinate on declivity ............................................... 5

4ʹ. Clypeal margin with distinct angulation or tooth on each side ( Figs. 8 , 32 ); elytral intervals on most of disc and declivity with row of punctures on each side of middle, eroding sides, giving a carinate appearance ( Figs. 5 , 32 ); Bolivia ( Santa Cruz), Brazil ( Minas Gerais) ...................................... A.elegans Skelley and Vaz-de-Mello,new species

5. Larger, length> 3 mm; posterior margin of pronotum more angular, weakly lobe-like ( Fig. 26 ); clypeus smooth, glossy ( Fig. 9 ); Colombia (Antioquia, Boyacá, Cundinamarca, Magdalena, Norte de Santander), Venezuela ( Táchira) ................. A. convexus (Harold)

5ʹ. Smaller, length < 3 mm; posterior margin of pronotum bluntly rounded, not lobe-like ( Fig. 14 ); clypeus alutaceous, dull ( Fig. 10 ); Bolivia ( Santa Cruz) ................... A. cambeforti Chalumeau

6. Coarse pronotal punctation restricted to posterior third of disc ( Figs. 11 , 50); Brazil ( Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina) ................. ....................... A. plaumanni Cartwright

6ʹ. Coarse pronotal punctation evenly distributed over disc ( Figs. 12–13 ) ......................... 7

7. Clypeal margin angulate on each side ( Figs. 12 , 41 ); Bolivia ( Santa Cruz) .................... .......................... A. hamelae Skelley and Vaz-de-Mello , new species

7ʹ. Clypeal margin rounded on each side ( Figs. 13 , 38); Brazil ( Rio Grande do Sul) ........... ........................... A. gaucho Skelley and Vaz-de-Mello , new species

Figures

Figs. 20–25. Aphotaenius carolinus. 20) Dorsal habitus; 21) Ventral habitus; 22) Lateral habitus; 23) Epipharynx; 24–25) Male genitalia, lateral and dorsal views, respectively, scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Figs. 44–49. Aphotaenius howdeni. 44) Dorsal habitus; 45) Ventral habitus; 46) Lateral habitus; 47) Epipharynx; 48–49) Male genitalia, lateral and dorsal views, respectively, scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Figs. 6–9. Aphotaenius species, head to elytral base, oblique frontal view. 6) A. carolinus; 7) A. howdeni; 8) A. elegans, new species; 9) A. convexus.

Figs. 14–19. Aphotaenius cambeforti. 14) Dorsal habitus; 15) Ventral habitus; 16) Lateral habitus; 17) Epipharynx; 18–19) Male genitalia, lateral and dorsal views, respectively, scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Figs. 26–31. Aphotaenius convexus. 26) Dorsal habitus; 27) Ventral habitus; 28) Lateral habitus; 29) Epipharynx; 30–31) Male genitalia, lateral and dorsal views, respectively, scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Figs. 32–37. Aphotaenius elegans, new species. 32) Dorsal habitus; 33) Ventral habitus; 34) Lateral habitus; 35) Epipharynx; 36–37) Male genitalia, lateral and dorsal views, respectively, scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Figs. 1–5. Representative mesotibiae and elytra. 1) Ataenius erratus Fall; 2) Ataenius strigicauda Bates; 3–4) Aphotaenius carolinus; 5) Aphotaenius elegans, new species. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

Figs. 10–13. Aphotaenius species, head to elytral base, oblique frontal view. 10) A. cambeforti; 11) A. plaumanni; 12) A. hamelae, new species; 13) A. gaucho, new species.

Figs. 41–43. Aphotaenius hamelae, new species. 41) Dorsal habitus; 42) Ventral habitus; 43) Lateral habitus.