Bothynus herbivorus ( Arrow, 1937 )

López-García, Margarita M., Gasca-Álvarez, Héctor J. & Amat-García, Germán, 2015, The scarab beetle tribe Pentodontini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) of Colombia: taxonomy, natural history, and distribution, Zootaxa 4048 (4), pp. 451-492 : 458-459

Bothynus herbivorus ( Arrow, 1937)

( Figs. 9–16 )

Ligyrus herbivorus Arrow, 1937: 44 . Bothynus perforatus Arrow, 1937: 45 .

Description. Habitus as in Fig. 9 . Length 14.0 – 20.0 mm (♂), 16.0 – 19.5 mm (♀). Width 8.5 – 11.0 mm (♂), 8.0 – 12.0 mm (♀). Color light reddish brown, rarely dark. Head: Frons with deep, nearly round punctures. Frontoclypeal region without tubercles or carina. Eye canthus with 6 erect setae. Clypeus deeply grooved and rugose; shape triangular, strongly contracted to narrow apex; anterior margin with 2 sharp, reflexed teeth, teeth separated by 3 tooth diameters ( Fig. 11 ). Interocular distance equals 3 times the ocular transverse diameter. Antenna with club slightly longer than antennomeres 2 – 7. Mandibles tridentate, dorsally visible. Pronotum: Surface in males with large to small, deep punctures, dense on lateral and basal margins; anterior third with large, deep pronotal fovea; surface strongly grooved; apical tubercle transverse and wide ( Fig. 11 ). Surface in females with large to small deep punctures evenly dispersed; apical fovea absent; apical tubercle inconspicuous, only as a small prominence. Scutellum: Surface with a few deep punctures. Elytra: Surface with distinct rows of large, ocellate, deep punctures; sutural stria complete, with contiguous punctures ( Fig. 9 ). Pygidium: Surface in males with large, deep punctures, concentrically distributed; disc with a slight longitudinal hollow. Surface in females with a few deep punctures evenly distributed; disc with deep, wide longitudinal hollow ( Fig. 15 ). Legs: Protibia tridentate, equidistant teeth ( Fig. 10 ). Males with inner claw of protarsi simple. Metatibia triangular, apex slightly wavy, nearly truncate; apical margin without spinules. First metatarsomere with apex triangular and apical angle sharp. Venter: Prosternal process short, not projecting beyond procoxae. Parameres: Form elongate, apex dilated and with 2 small lateral projections ( Figs.12 – 13 ). Spiculum gastrale: Base longer than branches, apex rounded, base with 2 triangular plates bearing long, yellow setae on basal margin ( Fig. 14 ).

Diagnosis. Bothynus herbivorus is easily recognized from other Bothynus species by its red color, strong punctation, small size, and tridentate protibia. This species is similar to Tomarus fossor in size and color. However, it can be distinguished by the presence of a pronotal fovea and tubercle, clypeus with sides sinuate and strongly contracted to narrow apex, and metatibial apex without spinules.

Locality records. ( Fig. 16 ). 25 specimens, 13♂, 12♀. Specimens were seen from ICN, MPUJ, UNAB, UPN. Arauca (1): Tame (1). Casanare (9): Aguazul (3); Hacienda Los Rosales (2). Hato Corozal, Caserío indígena Mochuelo (1). Yopal, 1 km antes de Agua Azul (3). Cundinamarca (3): Bogotá (1). La Mesa (1). Vergara (1). Meta (11): Puerto López, Remolinos, Centro Cafam Llanos (8); Bosque Piedra Candela (1). Villavicencio-Acacías km 2–15, Balneario Estambul (2). Santander (1): Sabana de Torres, Cabildo Verde (1).

Temporal distribution. February (1), March (4), April (11), May (1), August (1), October (3), December (1). No data (3).

Distribution. Bothynus herbivorus is found in Colombia and Venezuela ( Endrödi 1969).

Natural history. In Colombia, the species has been found in gallery forests, lowland forests, and “morichales” (moriche palm swamps). It was most abundantly collected between 100 – 345 m, and rarely up to 1,800 m elevation.

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 16. Bothynus herbivorus. 9) female, habitus in dorsal view, 10) female, habitus in frontal view, 11) head of male, 12) parameres in frontal view, 13) parameres in lateral view, 14) spiculum gastrale, 15) pygidium of female, 16) locality records in Colombia.