Gonaphodioides ratcliffei, Dellacasa & Dellacasa & Gordon, 2012

Dellacasa, Marco, Dellacasa, Giovanni & Gordon, Robert D., 2012, Systematic revision of Gonaphodiellus taxa, with description of two new genera and fourteen new species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae), Insecta Mundi 2012 (230), pp. 1-41 : 20

Gonaphodioides ratcliffei new species

( Fig. 89-93 )

Type locality. 20 mi S. Juchatango, Rt 131, 6000’, Oaxaca, Mexico.

Type repository. Canadian Museum of Nature (Howden Collection), Ottawa, Canada.

Description. Length 3.5-4.0 mm; elongate, moderately convex, rather shiny glabrous. Dark chestnut brown; clypeal margin, anterior angles of pronotum and elytral apex paler; legs reddish brown; antennal club brownish-red. Head with epistome feebly convex medially, evenly, rather coarsely, densely punctured throughout; clypeus slightly sinuate at middle, subangulose at sides, rather thickly bordered, edge faintly upturned, glabrous; genae obtuse, almost imperceptibly ciliate, protruding from the eyes; frontal suture finely impressed; front identically punctured as epistome. Pronotum transverse, moderately convex, densely, simply, evenly punctured; punctation somewhat denser on sides; lateral margins subparallel, faintly inwardly sinuate before hind angles; rather thickly bordered, edge glabrous; hind angles obliquely truncate, truncation feebly inwardly sinuate; base slightly bisinuate. Scutellum somewhat elongate, coarsely, not closely punctured on basal two thirds. Elytra moderately elongate, almost parallel-sided, minutely denticulate at shoulder, finely striate; striae rather superficially punctured, not crenulate; interstriae almost flat, distinctly, rather coarsely, not closely punctured. Hind tibiae upper spur shorter than first tarsal segment; first tarsal segment longer than following three segments combined. Male: fore tibiae relatively slender and more elongate; head and pronotum more transverse and less convex; metasternal plate with median longitudinal groove deeper; aedeagus Fig. 92-93 . Female: fore tibiae relatively shorter and stouter; head and pronotum less transverse and more convex; metasternal plate with median longitudinal groove superficial.

Type material. MEXICO: Oaxaca: 20 mi. S Juchatango , Rt 131, 6000’, 27-30.V.1971, leg. Newton A. (male holotype , allotype and 5 paratypes, CMNO ; 2 paratypes, DCGI) .

Distribution. Known from the type locality only.

Etymology. Named in honor of professor Brett Ratcliffe, curator of insects at the University of Nebraska State Museum, Lincoln, Nebraska.

Bionomics. All specimens of the type series were collected in May.

Figures

Figure 89-98. Gonaphodioides ratcliffei, new species (20 mi. S Juchatango, Oaxaca, Mexico). 89) Epipharynx. 90-91) Habitus (length ideogram and morphological details). 92-93) Aedeagus (dorsal and lateral view). Gonaphodioides sincerus (Petrovitz, 1973) (Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil). 94) Epipharynx. 95-96) Habitus (morphological details and length ideogram). 97-98) Aedeagus (dorsal and lateral view).