Ceraspis Le Peletier and Serville, 1828

Katovich, Kerry, 2008, A generic-level phylogenetic review of the Macrodactylini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae), Insecta Mundi 2008 (23), pp. 1-78 : 27-29

Ceraspis Le Peletier and Serville, 1828

( Figure 43-48 )

Ceraspis Le Peletier and Serville, 1828: 370 . Type species Melolontha bivulnerata Germar , a senior synonym of Ceraspis pruinosa Le Peletier and Serville, 1828 , by subsequent designation ( Lacordaire 1856: 252).

Faula Blanchard, 1850: 124 . Type species Faula cornuta Blanchard, 1850 , by present designation. Synonym proposed by Bates (1887).

Subgenus: Isoceraspis Ohaus, 1911: 669 . Type species Ceraspis duckei Ohaus, 1911 , by monotypy.

Taxonomic Notes

The following generic diagnosis is based on two dissected homeotypes of C. pilatei (Harold) (BMNH) . The generic type specimen C. bivulnerata or C. pruinosa were not located at the NMHC. Specimens representing C. pruinosa were located at several collections, and a comparison to the original description was made to confirm the generic limits of this genus were uniform.

Generic diagnosis

The genus is characterized by the elongate, narrow, ovate body; posterior margin of the pronotum medially with bidentate acuminate processes, prothoracic sternum with a posterior margin bearing a medially flattened acuminate process, extending posteriad of the coxae and extending over the mesosternum; cordate scutellum, elytra often with a vestiture of scale-like setae.

Generic redescription

Measurements: Prothorax at widest point 4.7 mm, elytra at widest point 6.0 mm, total length 13.7 mm.

Color and vestiture: Body dark reddish-brown to black, vestiture consisting of short, scale-like white setae.

Head: Clypeus not coplanar with frons; frons angled at 45 o; labrum in frontal view narrowly ovate, weakly emarginate, labrum not coplanar with clypeus; labium with prementum quadrate, ventral surface medially with a broad groove, surface raised in a semicircular transverse ridge ( Fig. 45 ); mandibles in dorsal view subtriangular or semicircular, scissorial area bluntly produced, thin, bidentate, strongly angled adorally, molar area bluntly produced adorally; maxillary palpi with apical palpus broadly ovate, apex obtuse; antennae with 9 antennomeres, antennomeres 7-9 forming an elongate club, the length of which is equal to antennomeres 3-7 combined.

Prothorax: Pronotum oblong, transverse, widest medially, anterior angles acute, lateral margins convex, posterior angles acute, appearing toothed, posterior margin convex, medially tridentate ( Fig. 46 ); prothoracic sternum with a posterior margin bearing a medially flattened acuminate process, extending posteriad of the coxae and extending over the mesosternum ( Fig. 47 ); prothoracic leg with coxa transverse; tibia weakly bidentate, ventral margin medially with a small spur; pretarsus with claws weakly divergent, equal in length, narrowly split, appearing simple, upper lobe narrow, lower lobe very narrow on individual claw.

Mesothorax: Scutellum cordate; elytra longer than wide, widest medially ( Fig. 48 ), in epipleuron flattened, margin lined with a narrow membrane, dorsal surface with four striae, interstrial regions rounded, smooth, setose, strial margins raised, smooth, anterior umbone moderate, posterior umbone weak; pretarsus similar to prothoracic pretarsus.

Metathorax: Coxa widely separated; femur broadly ovate, widest medially; tibia subtriangular, narrowest proximally, widest distally, distoposteroventral margin with pair of stout spurs, anterior spur shorter than posterior spur, spurs arising from above tarsal articulation joint, posterior margin with a shallow, U-shaped groove; pretarsus with claws similar to those of prothoracic legs.

Abdomen: Ventrites 2-4 equal in length, 5 th ventrite (= propygidium) equal in length to ventrites 3-4 combined, ventrite and sternite of 5 th abdominal segment not separated by a suture, spiracle placed medially, 6 th ventrite equal in length to ventrites 2-4 combined, posterior margin concave; pygidium oblong, transverse, wider than long, posterior margin lobed.

Diversity and Geographic Distribution

Ceraspis contains 101 species distributed from Mexico south through Central America, into Colombia, Guyana, and Brazil. There is no species level key currently available for the entire genus. Regional keys to the genus do exist ( Frey 1962, Delgado 2001).

Figures

Figure 43-48. Ceraspis pilatei (Harold). 43) Dorsal habitus. 44) Left lateral view. 45) Prementum, ligula and labial palpi, ventral view. 46) Pronotum, dorsal view. 47) Prothoracic sternum, ventral view. 48) Scutellum and elytra, dorsal view.