Tomarus adoceteus Ratcliffe and Cave, 2010

Ratcliffe, Brett C. & Cave, Ronald D., 2010, The Dynastinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) of the Cayman Islands (West Indies), with descriptions of Tomarus adoceteus, new species (Pentodontini) and Caymania nitidissima, new genus and species (Phileurini), Insecta Mundi 2010 (139), pp. 1-15 : 7-8

Tomarus adoceteus Ratcliffe and Cave , new species

(Fig. 10-12)

Type Material. Holotype male, labeled “Roy Soc-

CIG Expdn./Little Cayman, BWI/Pirates’ Point/

house light/ 31.7.1975. R. R. Askew//BM 1981/342”

(hand written)/ our red holotype label. Allotype fe-

male with same data but date of 9.8.1975 and our

red allotype label. Single male paratype and single

female paratype with same data as allotype and

with our yellow paratype labels. Female paratype

labeled “WEST INDIES: Cayman Is./Grand Cay-

man/ VI-1992 coll. P. Fitzgerald/blacklight trap”

and with our yellow paratype label. Female

paratype labeled “Grand Cayman Is. B. W. I./

Georgetown / 16 Sept. 1973 /E. J. Gerberg//at black

light” and with our yellow paratype label. Holo-

type and allotype deposited at The Natural His-

tory Museum, London ( BMNH). Paratypes depos-

ited in the Florida State Collection of Arthropods,

Gainesville, FL ( FSCA) and the B. C. Ratcliffe col-

lection, Lincoln, Nebraska ( BCRC).

Holotype. Male. Length 22.1 mm; width 12.1 mm.

Color black. Head: Frons coarsely rugose, rugae Figure 10-12. Tomarus adoceteus Ratcliffe and Cave , new transversely curved; vertex at center with small, species. 10) Habitus. 11-12) Parameres.

subtriangular, smooth, shining area. Frontoclypeal

region with low, transverse tubercle either side of

middle, tubercles broadly separated, laterad of

clypeal teeth. Clypeus with surface sparsely, trans-

versely rugose; apex broadly truncate, with 2 small

teeth, teeth weakly reflexed. Interocular width

equals 3.5 transverse eye diameters. Antenna 10-

segmented, club subequal in length to segments

2-7. Mandibles with 2 apical teeth and a rounded

lobe at base. Pronotum: Surface on disc with

sparse, small punctures; punctures becoming mod-

erate in size and density on sides and anterior

fourth. Anterior margin with small, median tu-

bercle. A small, longitudinally oblong fovea present

behind tubercle, fovea about as wide as distance

between frontoclypeal tubercles, surface within

fovea rugose. Base lacking marginal bead. Elytra:

Surface shagreened, with moderate to large, weakly

ocellate punctures, punctures becoming larger lat-

erally; 3 pairs of double rows of punctures poorly

defined. Pygidium: Surface on center third nearly

smooth, with small, sparse punctures; surface else-

where densely rugopunctate. In lateral view, sur-

face convex. Legs: Protibia tridentate, basal tooth

slightly removed from others. Protarsus simple,

not enlarged. Apex of metatibia subtruncate, with

10 stout, short spinules (some broken off, sockets

visible). Apex of first tarsomere of metatarsus

subtruncate. Venter: Prosternal process long,

thick, columnar, setigerous at apex, apex longitu-

dinally oval; setae long, reddish brown.

Parameres: Fig. 11-12. The combination of nar-

row form, a long tooth projecting laterally at the Figure 13. Tomarus cuniculus (Fabricius) , habitus. midpoint of the shaft, and a narrowly elongate apex

is unique among Tomarus species.

Allotype. Female. Length 21.7 mm; width 11.7 mm. Color dark reddish brown. As holotype, except in the following respects: Head: Entire surface transversely rugose. Occiput at center lacking smooth, shiny area. Pronotum: Fovea reduced to a shallow, short, longitudinal depression. Pygidium: Surface on center third with sparse, large punctures. In lateral view, surface nearly flat. Legs: Protibia with trace of fourth, basal tooth. Left posterior leg missing.

Variation. Males (1 paratype). Length 22.5 mm; width 12.4 mm. The male paratype does not differ significantly from the holotype.

Females (3 paratypes). Length 20.0- 22.4 mm; width 10.3-12.2 mm. The female paratypes do not differ significantly from the allotype.

Etymology. From the Greek adoketus, meaning surprising or unusual. Used here as a noun in apposition, hence, Tomarus , the surprising one.