Catoclastus Solier, 1851

Mondaca, José & Seidel, Matthias, 2019, Taxonomic review of the genus Catoclastus from Peru (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 59 (2), pp. 561-567 : 562-563

Genus Catoclastus Solier, 1851

( Figs 1A–J , 2A–I )

Catoclastus Solier, 1851: 95 (original description); LACORDAIRE (1855):

363 (catalog); HAROLD (1869):1226 (catalog); REED (1876):287 (catalog); PHILIPPI (1887):691 (catalog); OHAUS (1918):21 (catalog); OHAUS

(1934): 72–74 (catalog); OHAUS (1952): 2 (checklist); BLACKWELDER

(1944): 236 (checklist); MACHATSCHKE (1972): 20 (checklist); SOULA

(2010): 3 (revision); KRAJCIK (2012): 66 (checklist); RATCLIFFE et al.

(2015): 199 (checklist); MOORE et al. (2017): 57 (catalog).

Type species. Catoclastus chevrolatii Solier, 1851 , by monotypy.

Redescription. N = 8 males; 9 females. Elongate oval, widest at posterior half ( Figs 2A–B, F–H ). Body length 16.0– 18.9 mm (J), 20.0–24.0 mm (♀); width 7.6–9.0 mm (J), 10.0–12.0 mm (J).

Color. Dorsal surface green metallic, venter green coppery, legs reddish brown.

Head. Subtrapezoidal shape; disc of clypeus and frons slightly convex (lateral view). Frons and clypeus densely punctate, punctures small to moderate in size; frontoclypeal suture not impressed. Eyes small, rounded, interocular width 4.7 transverse eye diameters, ventrally globose; eye canthus flattened, not cariniform. Clypeus rounded or truncate distally, with margins not reflexed, lacking bead; dorsal surface irregular, with tegument elevated at apex and disc, and depressed at sides. Mandibles exposed beyond clypeal margin, with apex bidentate with two large, rounded, reflexed teeth ( Figs 1B , 2A–B, F–G ); molar area wider than long, with surface strongly striate ( Figs 1B–C ). Labrum medially with apex deeply emarginate ( Fig. 1A ). Maxilla with six teeth; galea not fused, with moderately long setae ( Figs 1D, F ). Labium hexagonal to semicircular in shape, apex emarginated, concave in anterior half ( Fig. 1E ). Antenna with 10 antennomeres, apical three antennomeres forming club; club longer than antennomeres II–VII combined ( Fig. 1J ).

Pronotum. Widest at base, apical angles acute, basal angles obtuse; dorsal surface moderately densely punctate; punctures moderate and large in size. Marginal bead complete, not interrupted basomedially, setose basolaterally.

Scutellar shield. Parabolic, wider than long; base declivous at elytral base; dorsal surface scarcely punctate.

Elytra. Surface punctate with weakly impressed striae; interstriae with strong transverse wrinkles; punctures moderate to dense, small to moderate in size, lacking setae; elytral base with dimple lateral of scutellar shield; humeral umbone with prominent tubercle; sides behind humeral umbone narrowed, with lateral margins projected externally; surface rugose; elytral apex rounded, with lateral tubercles moderately developed; sutural apex obtuse, angular ( Figs 2A, F–H ).

Propygidium . Concealed beneath elytra.

Pygidium . Subtriangular, twice as wide as long; finely, densely rugose. Margins beaded with sparse, moderately long setae. Apex truncate in male and rounded in female.

Venter ( Fig. 2B ). Prosternal process elongate, projecting vertically with respect to ventral plane; apex produced to level of protrochanter, rounded; mesoventral process moderately elevated, not exceeding anterior margin of mesocoxa. Abdominal ventrites I–IV subequal in length in both sexes, ventrite V about 1.8–2.0 times the length of ventrite IV, ventrite VI subequal in length to ventrite IV (male) or longer than ventrite V (female). Apical ventrite with surface smooth (male) or rugose (female).

Legs. Protibia with three external teeth unequally separated ( Figs 2A, F ); spur present, subapical. Protarsomere V of male and female longer than protarsomeres I–IV combined ( Fig. 1I ). Claws simple in both sexes; inner protarsal claw larger than outer claw (male); outer claw of mesotarsal and metatarsal claws slightly longer and wider than inner claw (both sexes); unguitractor plate laterally flattened, almost the same length as external claw. Male protarsomeres III–V with striate region at ventral apex, lacking in female. Metatibia with sides subparallel, weakly divergent towards apex; external edge with two strong carinae (more robust in female); inner apex with two spurs; inner apex with 9–11 spinulae.

Male genitalia ( Figs 1G–H ; 2 D–E, I ). Parameres 1.5 times shorter than length of phallobase (lateral view). Parameres fused dorsoventrally, symmetrical, with apex split (frontal view), variable in shape ( Figs 3A–D ).

Female genitalia. Not diagnosed.

Natural history. The only species occurs in arid, semiarid, and tropical environments of Peru from elevations between 400– 3.200 m. Adults likely feed on plant foliage, but no specific host has been recorded. Larvae are not known but likely feed on roots or decaying plant material.

Catoclastus specimens are rarely collected, and there are very few specimens available in entomological collections. Etymology. From the Greek ‘ Cato ’: under, ‘ clastus ’: broken. The name refers to the concavity present in the anterior half of the labium. The gender is masculine.

Composition and distribution. Based on this research, the genus includes only one species that is distributed in Peru (Ayacucho, Cusco, La Libertad, Lima and Loreto departments) ( Fig. 3 ). This distribution corresponds to the Desert and Ucayali biogeographic provinces ( MORRONE 2014). The erroneous record from Chile (see MOORE et al. 2017 for explanation) was repeatedly cited by subsequent authors ( BLACKWELDER 1944; OHAUS 1918, 1934, 1952; MARTÍNEZ 1971; MACHATSCHKE 1972; KRAJCIK 2007; SOULA 2010). At the time of the original description, the distribution of specimens originating from Chile and Peru were regularly confused (see comments in SMITH 2002).

Figures

Fig. 1. Detailed morphology of the genus Catoclastus Solier, 1851. A – labrum, frontal view; B–C – left mandible, dorsal and lateral view; D, F – left and right maxilla, lateral view; E – mentum, ventral view; G–H – aedeagus, lateral and caudal view; I – protarsus of male, lateral view; J – antenna.

Fig. 2. Morphology of Catoclastus Solier, 1851. A–C – neotype of C. chevrolatii Solier, 1851 (dorsal, ventral and lateral habitus); D–E – parameres, lateral and dorsal view; F – holotype of C. jaumesi Soula, 2010 (dorsal habitus); G – allotype of C. jaumesi (dorsal habitus); H – female of C. chevrolatii (dorsal habitus); I – parameres, frontal view; J–L – type specimen labels (neotype, holotype, and allotype labels).

Fig. 3. Distribution of Catoclastus chevrolatii Solier, 1851 with paramere shape variation by locality.A – specimen from Lima (Matucana); B – specimen from Ocaña (Ayacucho); C – specimen from Cusco (Río Apurimac); D – neotype specimen from ‘Chile’ (erroneous locality).