Isocopris xacriaba, Rossini & Vaz-de-Mello, 2017

Rossini, Michele & Vaz-de-Mello, Fernando Z., 2017, A taxonomic review of the genus Isocopris Pereira and Martínez, 1960 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), with description of a new Brazilian species, Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) 51 (19 - 20), pp. 1091-1117 : 1112-1113

Isocopris xacriaba sp. nov.

( Figures 7 and 8 (a))

Description

Small-sized species, body length 18 – 13 mm, pronotum black and shining, elytra opaque, basal half often sericeous with strong bluish and whitish iridescence, antennal club orange, antennal segments and mouthparts brownish. Head: antennae with eight segments, clypeus acuminated and emarginated at middle, with two obtuse teeth, sides of the clypeus evenly and barely curved towards the apex (almost straight), head margin distinctly notched at the clypeo-genal junction, genal margin wider than clypeus. Fronto-clypeal horn conical and low, flanked by two smaller and acuminated tubercles slightly backward, clypeal and genal surface finely wrinkled, frons with shallow and tiny punctures. Thorax: pronotum weakly convex, lateral margins evenly curved, posterior margin obtusely angulated at middle, anteromedial protuberance absent. Pronotal punctures very fine, shallow and evenly distributed, punctuation stronger near lateral margins, anterior margin of pronotum finely beaded. Elytra evenly convex, striae thin and shallow, interstriae feebly convex and polished, elytral surface with a very fine microsculpture (visible at high magnitude). Anterior side of propleuron with small and almost granulose punctures associated with long setae, inferior side with longitudinal and elongated granules, propleural surface finely microsculptured. Prosternum shallowly but coarsely punctuated, prosternal surface with a fine microsculpture, mesosternum with large punctures evenly distributed, central region smooth and swollen. Metasternum weakly convex, longitudinally crossed by a shallow sulcus, punctures distributed mostly on the superior side and along the inner margin of the mesocoxae, punctures evanescent, metasternal disc finely punctuated. Abdomen: pygidium fairly wide and entirely bordered, surface shining with a very fine punctuation. Legs: fore tibiae slender with four external teeth acuminated, apical margin of fore tibiae obliquely truncated, apical and internal angle either flat or faintly toothed, tooth small, acuminated and directed inward. Apical spur of protibiae acuminated and dorso-ventrally flattened, hind tibiae with apical spur truncated at the apex. Tarsal claws unmodified and weakly curved downward. Male genitalia: parameres as illustrated in Figure 7 (c – d).

Females are morphologically very similar to major male specimens, but differ by the shape of the clypeus, which is more elongated forward and acuminated at the apex, central emargination of the clypeal margin weaker and last abdominal sternite not distinctly narrower at middle.

Distribution

Brazil (north of Minas Gerais) ( Figure 8 (a)) . Isocopris xacriaba is today only known from two localities of north of Minas Gerais dominated by dry habitat (Caatinga). It is normally collected in dry and riparian forest (mata seca).

Etymology

This newly described species is named after the Xakriabá community that survives north of Minas Gerais, along the western bank of Rio São Francisco.

Remarks

The detailed examination of the parameres and endophallic lamellae of I. xacriaba seems to support the hypothesis of close relationships with I. foveolatus . In particular, we have observed the same morphological pattern in the shape of the parameres of both species (distinctly wider and shorter in dorsal view), which is quite different to the parameres of other species here assigned to the genus Isocopris . Differences have also been noted in the shape of the lamella copulatrix, which is more elongated and compressed laterally than in other Isocopris . Furthermore, within the genus, I. xacriaba and I. foveolatus are the only species to show the clypeus acuminated and with two distinct and obtuse teeth at middle.

Type specimens examined

Holotype (1 ♂ CEMT): 1: BRAZIL: Minas Gerais: Januária , APA Pandeiros. Cerrado s.str. fezes humanas. 15°30 ʹ 34 ” S, 44°45 ʹ 28 ’ W. XI-2008. J.G. Mota Souza. H (printed on white label). 2 : HOLOTYPE, Isocopris xacriaba , des. Rossini & Vaz-de-Mello 2015 (printed and handwritten on red label with black border). Paratypes (31 ♂♂, 53 ♀♀ CEMT): BRAZIL: Minas Gerais: Januária . APA Pandeiros. 15°30 ʹ 36 ” S, 44°45 ʹ 29 ’ W. 347m. XI – 2008. Cerrado s. str. humfaec. J.G. Mota-Souza (1 ♂, 4 ♀♀ CEMT) . Same locality. 15°30 ʹ 37 ” S, 44°45 ʹ 32 ’ W. 446m. XI – 2008. Cerrado s. str. humfaec. J.G. Mota-Souza (1 ♂, 2 ♀♀ CEMT) . Same locality. 15°30 ʹ 39 ” S, 44°45 ʹ 07 ’ W. 430m. XI – 2008. Mata seca. Baço bovino. J.G. Mota-Souza (3 ♀♀ CEMT) . Same locality. 15°30 ʹ 38 ” S, 44°45 ʹ 32 ’ W. XI – 2008. Cerrado s. str. humfaec. J.G. Mota- Souza (3 ♀♀ CEMT) . Same locality. 15°30 ʹ 29 ” S, 44°45 ʹ 14 ’ W. 136m. IX – 2008. Mata ciliar. Baço bovino. J.G. Mota-Souza (2 ♀♀ CEMT) . Same locality. 15°31 ʹ 10 ” S, 44°45 ʹ 14 ’ W. 463m. Mata ciliar. 11 – 24 – II – 2008. Hum. fec. J.G.M. Souza, V.H.F. Oliveira (3 ♀♀ CEMT) . Same locality. 15°30 ʹ 38 ” S, 44°45 ʹ 09 ’ W. 360m. XI – 2008. Mata seca. Baço bovino. J.G. Mota-Souza (1 ♂, 1 ♀ CEMT) . Same locality. 15°30 ʹ 31 ” S, 44°45.29 ʹ W. 314m. IX – 2008. Cerrado s. str. humfaec. J.G. Mota-Souza (2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ CEMT) . Same locality. 15°30 ʹ 27 ’ S, 44°45 ʹ 38 ” W. 314m. IX – 2008. Cerrado s. str. humfaec. J.G. Mota-Souza (1 ♂ CEMT) . Same locality. 15° 30 ʹ 37 ’ S, 44°45 ʹ 09 ” W. 345m. IX – 2008. Mata ciliar. Baço bovino. J.G. Mota-Souza (3 ♂♂, 1 ♀ CEMT) . Same locality. 15°30 ʹ 33 ’ S, 44°45 ʹ 09 ” W. 297m. IX – 2008. Mata ciliar. Baço bovino. J. G. Mota-Souza (2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ CEMT) . Same locality. 15°30 ʹ 36 ’ S, 44°45 ʹ 08 ” W. 343m. IX – 2008. Mata ciliar. Baço bovino. J.G. Mota-Souza (2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ CEMT) . Same locality. 15° 30 ʹ 38 ’ S, 44°45 ʹ 08 ” W. 397m. IX – 2008. Mata seca. Baço bovino. J.G. Mota-Souza (2 ♀♀ CEMT) . Same locality. 15°30 ʹ 35 ’ S, 44°45 ʹ 08 ” W. 324m. IX – 2008. Mata seca. Baço bovino. J. G. Mota-Souza (2 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀ CEMT) . Same locality. 15°30 ʹ 40 ’ S, 44°45 ʹ 08 ” W. 423m. XI – 2008. Mata seca. Baço bovino. J.G. Mota-Souza (1 ♂, 3 ♀♀ CEMT) . Same locality. 15° 30 ʹ 28 ’ S, 44°45 ʹ 36 ” W. 530m. IX – 2008. Cerrado s. str. humfaec J.G. Mota-Souza (1 ♀ CEMT) . Same locality. 15°30 ʹ 39 ’ S, 44°45 ʹ 08 ” W. 404m. IX – 2008. Mata seca. Baço bovino. J.G. Mota- Souza (1 ♀ CEMT) . Same locality. 15°30 ʹ 19 ’ S, 44°45 ʹ 27 ” W. 431m. XI – 2008. Mata seca. Baço bovino. J.G. Mota-Souza (1 ♂ CEMT) . Same locality. 15°30 ʹ 39 ’ S, 44°45 ʹ 09 ” W. 386m. XI – 2008. Mata seca. Baço bovino. J.G. Mota-Souza (1 ♀ CEMT) . Municipio Matias Cardoso. Parque Estadual Lagoa do Cajueiro . 14°58 ʹ 11 ’ S, 43°53 ʹ 11.1 ” W. II – 2012 (14 ♂♂, 15 ♀♀ CEMT) No locality data: MP32 . MS15F (1 ♀ CEMT) .

Figures

Figure 7. Isocopris xacriaba. (a–b) Dorsal habitus of male and female. (c–d) Dorsal and lateral side of the parameres.

Figure 8. Distribution maps of the genus Isocopris. (a) I. foveaolatus and I. xacriaba. (b) I. imitator and I. tarsalis. (c) I. hypocrita and I. nitidus. (d) I. inhiatus.