Homocopris Burmeister, 1846

Génier, François & Darling, James D. G., 2024, Revision of the South American genera Andinocopris new genus and Homocopris Burmeister, 1846 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Homocoprini new tribe), European Journal of Taxonomy 925, pp. 220-267 : 233

Genus Homocopris Burmeister, 1846

[ Copris ] ( Homocopris ) Burmeister, 1846: [3] (original description).

[ Copris ] ( Homocopris ) – Lacordaire 1855: 97 (synonymy).

Homocopris – Harold 1869b: 1009 (synonym). — Heyne 1900: 62 (synonym). — Gillet 1911: 59 (synonym). — Lucas 1920: 333 (catalogue, synonym). — Blackwelder 1944: 206 (synonym). — Martínez 1959: 80 (synonym); 1987: 64 (synonym).— Woodruff 1973: 53 (synonym). — Ratcliffe 2002: 15 (synonym). — Smith 2003: 28 (synonym). — Vaz-de-Mello et al. 2010: 192 (new rank); 2011: 13 (identification key). — Sarmiento-Garcés & Amat-García 2014: 25 (synonym). — Chamorro et al. 2018: 77 (identification key); 2019: 158 (catalogue, faunistic).

Type species

Copris torulosus Eschscholtz, 1822 , by original monotypy.

Differential diagnosis

Dorsal ocular width subequal to one-sixth interocular distance. Lateral pronotal carina anteriorly joined with pronotal edge only anteriorly. Eighth elytral stria always absent. Meso-metasternal suture straight ( Fig. 61 ). Posteromedial surface of metasternum deeply impressed. ♂ pronotal armament forming bilaterally paired tubercles along an inclined ridge in large individuals. FLP endophallite elongate and curved or reduced and rounded.

Description

Body length 12–22 mm. Anteroventral clypeal tooth rather broad. Dorsal ocular width subequal to one-sixth interocular distance. Anterior pronotal membrane rather wide, transition between membrane and anterior edge of pronotum well-defined throughout. Anterior pronotal edge sinuous medially. Anteromedial pronotal surface chagrined or rugose. Lateral pronotal carina and pronotal edge distinct anteriorly only. Anterior apex of prosternum acutely tipped. Underside of elytron with long semi-erected setae. Eighth elytral stria always absent. Hindwing AP entire, converging with J. Meso-metasternal suture straight. Surface of median metasternal lobe lacking setae, deeply impressed, with uneven texture. Pygidial surface coarsely punctate. ♂ pronotal armament forming bilaterally paired tubercles along inclined ridge in large individuals. Paramere in one of two forms: (1) sharply tapered and acutely tipped, with length equivalent to or greater than 2 mm, or (2) gently tapered and apically rounded, with length never exceeding 2 mm. FLP endophallite elongate and curved or reduced and rounded.

Distribution

Chilean and Argentinean Andes, and montane Atlantic Forest in southeast and south Brazil.

Remarks

The description of Homocopris was published by Burmeister in Genera quaedam insectorum. Iconibus illustravit et descripsit. Volumen I. Continet tabulas XL. This work was issued in 10 fascicules from 1838 to 1846 ( Bousquet 2016). The genus Copris in which Homocopris was described as a subgenus was treated on an unnumbered page in the last fascicule published (Hefte 10). Some authors have cited the date of publication of the genus as 1838–1846 ( Martínez 1959) or as 1842 ( Woodruff 1973; Smith 2003; Sarmiento-Garcés & Amat-García 2014). However, all evidence supports a publication date between July and December 1846 ( Bousquet 2016).

Figures

Figs 58–64. 58. Copris victorini Boheman, 1857, pronotum oblique view. 59. Sulcophanaeus carnifex (Linnaeus, 1758), pronotum oblique view. 60. Andinocopris achamas (Harold, 1867) gen. et comb. nov., meso-metasternal suture, ventral view.61. Homocopris torulosus(Eschscholtz, 1822), mesometasternal suture, ventral view. 62. A. achamas, left elytron, oblique view. 63. H. torulosus, elytron underside. 64. Sulcophanaeus carnifex, hindwing.