Bothynus moroni Duarte, Dupuis and Grossi, 2025

Duarte, Paulo R. M., Dupuis, Fabien & Grossi, Paschoal C., 2025, Taxonomic revision of the Bothynus ascanius (Kirby, 1819) (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae: Dynastinae) species group, Journal of Natural History 59 (9 - 12), pp. 663-737 : 711-715

Bothynus moroni Duarte, Dupuis and Grossi sp. n.

( Figures 6 (c,d), 15(l), 17(e,f), 23)

Diagnosis

Only the female of B. moroni sp. n. is known and presents the following combination of characters that differs them from other females of the ascanius group: Large species (29.0–30.0 mm), with elongate body aspect ( Figure 15 (l)); presence of a longitudinal carina produced on the basis of each clypeal tooth ( Figure 6 (c, d)); antenna with broad and elongate club (2.5 times longer than antennomeres 2–7 combined); pronotal cavity broad, deep and strongly rugose ( Figure 17 (e)).

Holotype Female, labelled: ‘ BRASIL: MATO GROSSO: Chapada dos Guimarães, Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Guimarães, vale do eco, 17.i.2013, luz, M. Savaris and S. Lampert legs’. ( CERPE).

Paratype One female at CEMT with same data as holotype .

Holotype description ( Figure 15 (l)

Length: 30.0 mm. Width: 16.1 mm. Colour: Head, pronotum, pro-, meso- and metatibiae dark reddish brown; elytra reddish brown. Head: Clypeus subtrapezoidal, posterior width 2.3 times wider than anterior ( Figure 6 (c)); lateral margins at posterior half short, parallel, becoming convergent towards anterior half; anterior teeth triangular, pointed, separated by a deep, wide gap, with each tooth bearing a longitudinal, small carina at basis ( Figure 6 (d)); surface transversely covered with strongly rugosity rugose, glabrous, slightly convex on discal region. Frontoclypeal carina finely marked. Frontal surface glabrous, strongly marked by transverse, arched rugosity; posterior area between eyes smooth. Interocular width equals 3.3 transverse eye diameters. Ocular canthus slightly arched. Mouthparts: Mandible bearing 3 subtriangular teeth produced on outer margin; apical tooth diagonally truncate on apex; medial tooth rounded on apex; basal tooth smaller than previous ones. Labium subtriangular, coarsely rugopunctate, surrounded with long setae, disc glabrous. Antennae: Club broad, longer (2.5 times longer than antennomeres 2–7 combined). Prothorax: Pronotum strongly convex posteriorly in lateral view; anterior tubercle small, triangular, raised on a wide, transverse edge; cavity transverse, deep, broad (occupying 2/ 3 of anterior pronotal area), bearing a weak, longitudinal edge raised at middle ( Figure 17 (e)); anterior corners of pronotum strongly rugose; surface close to lateral margins strongly rugose, becoming covered with large, dense ocellated punctures towards posterior disc ( Figure 17 (f)); punctures on posterior disc minute; posterior area close to margin strongly rugopunctate; cavity entirely covered with strong, transverse rugosity, bearing small, rounded punctures between wrinkles. Pterothorax: Scutellar plate subtriangular, smooth. Elytral striae well marked; each stria covered with large, deep, ocellated punctures; predominance of contiguous punctures on sutural striae; punctures on other striae separated from 1–2 puncture diameters; punctures on interstria irregular. Legs: Inner protarsal claws simple, equal to outer claw. Meso- and metafemora bearing large, C-shaped punctures scattered on ventral area. Mesotibia only with a medial carina produced on outer surface. Metatibia with 2 carinae on outer surface. Abdomen: Tergite 7 with stridulatory apparatus formed by 1 band of transverse, well-marked striae. Tergite 8 strongly convex in lateral view, entirely covered with strong rugosity, setae dense. Sternites 4–7 densely rugopunctate laterally, bearing a transverse, incomplete row of small, setigerous punctures; sternite 8 completely rugose, bearing scarce setae.

Variation in the paratype

Length: 29.0 mm. Width: 15.8 mm. The paratype does not vary significantly from holotype, except in size.

Distribution

Brazil (Mato Grosso) ( Figure 23 ). Bothynus moroni sp. n. was collected in a gallery forest area characterised by the high humidity and dense vegetation inserted within Cerrado biome, encompassed by the dry diagonal of South America.

Etymology

The specific epithet ‘ moroni ’ is a patronym to Dr Miguel Ángel Morón Ríos, one of the most prolific researchers on the study of Scarabaeoidea in Latin America, who passed away in 2017.

Figures

Figure 6. Dorsal view of clypeus (a, c, e), detail of the anterior teeth of clypeus (b, d, f): (a, b) Bothynus ascanius; (c, d) Bothynus Moroni sp. n; (e, f) Bothynus scutellopunctatus sp. n. Red arrows point to presence of longitudinal carina.

Figure 15. Female dorsal habitus: (a) Bothynus arriagadae sp. n.; (b) Bothynus ascanius; (c) Bothynus bentoi sp. n.; (d) Bothynus cribrarius; (e) Bothynus cyclops; (f) Bothynus cylindricus; (g) Bothynus deiphobus; (h) Bothynus gisae sp. n.; (i) Bothynus laevipennis; (j) Bothynus laticifex; (k) Bothynus minor; (l) Bothynus Moroni sp. n.

Figure 17. Laterodorsal view of female pronotum (a, c, e, g, i, k), detail of the posterior sides (b, d, e, g, I, k): (a, b) Bothynus ascanius; (c, d) Bothynus laticifex; (e, f) Bothynus moroni sp. n.; (g, h) Bothynus nyx (arrow points to the posterior tubercle on pronotal cavity); (i, j) Bothynus rufipennis sp. n.; (k, l) Bothynus scutellopunctatus sp. n.

Figure 23. Known geographical distribution of Bothynus ascanius, Bothynus laevipennis, Bothynus Moroni sp. n., Bothynus nyx, Bothynus robustus sp. n., and Bothynus scutellopunctatus sp. n.