Holocephalus pokornyi, Nunes, Rafael V. & Vaz-De-Mello, Fernando Z., 2016

Nunes, Rafael V. & Vaz-De-Mello, Fernando Z., 2016, A new species of Holocephalus Hope from Paraguay (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Dichotomiini s. str.), Zootaxa 4136 (2), pp. 397-400 : 397-399

Holocephalus pokornyi new species

Examined material. Holotype Ƌ. PARAGUAY. Chaco, Cerro Corá NP. 19-21-I-2001, Lgt Mráček [ CEMT].

Diagnosis. The tridentate cephalic carina ( Fig. 1 C), anterior pronotal angles produced into acute carina ( Figs. 1 A–C) and ocellate coarse puncture extending beyond outer edge of eyes will separate this species from all other Holocephalus .

Description. Holotype: Male, body length 21 mm, pronotum width: 11 mm. Color: black, glossy. Head: Dorsal surface strongly, transversely wrinkled all over its extension except posterior to cephalic horn, at interocular space. Outer margin of clypeous slightly thickened apically. Clypeo-genal suture distinct, straight. Cephalic carina tridentate, teeth of equal size ( Fig. 1 C). Eye 1.5 times longer than wide, interocular width equals 7 times the transverse eyes diameter (in dorsal view). Labrum with dense setae; setae long, reddish brown. First segment of labial palpus greatly enlarged, concealing the second segment in ventral view ( Fig. 1 B); first and second segments of labial palpus with dense setae; setae long, reddish-brown. Second and third segments of labial palpus not enlarged; third segment lacking setae. Antenna 9-segmented, first segmented elongated, sub-equal to segments 2–6. Antennal club (segments 7–9) spherical. Pronotum: disc lacking punctures except for impressed patch of dense, ocellate punctures medioapically; row of punctures along inside of basal/posterior margin. Pronotal anterior declivity with coarse ocellate puncture extending beyond outer edge of eyes. Anterior angles acute. Pronotal margin at anterior angle carinating, producing a spiniform anterior angle ( Figs. 1 A–C). Disc with transverse swelling on anterior fourth. Hypomeron: bearing ocellate setose punctures equally spaced. Prosternum: glabrous, with micro-sculpture (chagrination, visible with 30x magnification). Elytra: interstriae glabrous, strongly

convex and lacking punctures. Striae strongly impressed having ocellate punctures spaced by their diameter; striae 1–6 extending to basis, striae 7–8 almost reaching the basis; striae 9 interrupted since the apical sixth. Mesosternum: laterally, with ocellate setose punctures equally spaced; setae scattered, only visible in 30x magnification. Medial portion of mesosternum glabrous and lacking punctures. Metasternum: anterior lobe bearing ocellate setose punctures only close the margins. Lateral portions of metasternum with ocellate setose puncutres equally spaced. Mesepisternum: smooth, with few sparse ocellate punctures. Upper margin straight. Legs: Protibiae bearing four teeth. Protibiae inner and outer surface with thin, longitudinal line of dense, yelllowish-brown setae. Ventral surface of femura with few yellowish-brown setae on apical side, other portions of structure smooth and glabrous. All calcar spiniform, truncated. Meso and metatibiae with sinuous apex, apical angles producing external teeth. Abdomen: sternites bearing few ocellate setose punctures concentrated on the sides; setae short and scattered. Ocellate punctures present along the anterior margin of each sternite. Sternites medially glabrous and lacking punctures. Sixth sternite strongly constricted medially. Pygidium: width 2 times length medially. Surface glabrous; margin complete, slightly convex surface in lateral view. Aedeagous: as in Figs (1E–F). Paramera symetrical. On lateral view apex truncated ( Fig. 1 F).

Distribution. Until now, only known from Cerro Corá, Chaco, Paraguay ( Fig. 2 ).

Etymology. Named after Svatopluk Pokorný, Czech scarabaeoidologist who kindly provided us with that and several other very interesting specimens.

Remarks. H. pokornyi holotype came to us with broken protarsi, some broken teeth of protibiae and a longitudinal crack on pronotum (can be seen in Fig. 1 A). Until now this species is only known by the holotype. The species lacks natural history and ecological data. However, at least one Holocephalus species is myrmecophilous according to Vaz-de- Mello et al. (1998).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Holocephalus pokornyi n. sp. (Holotype) (A) dorsal habitus (B) ventral habitus (C) frontal view of head and pronotum (D) lateral habitus (E) lateral habitus of aedeagus (F) frontal view of aedeagus evidencing paremera.

FIGURE 2. Literature (grey) and new (black) geographical records for Holocephalus species. Question marks (?) refer to localities that are doubtful in our opinion.