Desicasta lobata ( Olivier, 1789 )

Ratcliffe, Brett C., 2013, A Revision of the Neotropical Genus Desicasta Thomson (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Gymnetini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 67 (4), pp. 447-456 : 450-452

Desicasta lobata ( Olivier, 1789) ( Figs. 4–9 )

Cetonia lobata Olivier 1789: 23 (original combination). Type not found. Type locality: “Amérique méridionale.”

Cetonia coracina Herbst 1790: 254 , Table 31, Figure 10 (original combination) (synonym). Type not found. Type locality: “ Eastern India.”

Desicasta sculptilis Thomson 1878: 15 (original combination). Holotype female at MNHN, examined. Type locality: “Guyanna.” New synonymy.

Moscheuma sebosum Neervoort van de Poll 1886: 236 (original combination). Holotype female at RMNH, examined. Type locality: “Probably Guyana.” New synonymy.

Moscheuma opaca Kraatz 1898: 96 (original combination). Holotype female at MNNW, examined. Type locality: “ Brazil.” New synonymy.

Description. Length 22.5–25.0 mm; width across humeri 12.9–14.0 mm. Color dark reddish brown to more commonly black; males with posterior half of pronotum and elytra appearing “greasy”, females usually entirely shiny. Head: Lateral margins weakly elevated. Frons and base of clypeus weakly, longitudinally tumescent at middle. Surface glabrous, with moderate to dense punctures, punctures small to moderate in size. Clypeus at apex with deep, U-shaped emargination, apicolateral lobes narrowly rounded ( Fig. 4 ), not reflexed. Eyes large, interocular width equals 4.5 transverse eye diameters. Antenna with 10 antennomeres, club slightly longer than antennomeres 2–7 in both sexes. Pronotum: Surface in males with punctures moderate in density and size on disc, punctures becoming larger and denser on lateral thirds; females with punctures larger, denser. Sides with thick marginal bead. Elytra: Surface with distinct rows of moderately large, ocellate punctures with 2 distinctly elevated, parallel costae ( Fig. 4 ) on disc terminating at prominent apical umbone, sutural costa prominent in apical half. Apices behind and either side of apical umbone densely rugulose. Apices at suture acutely produced. Pygidium: Surface densely, concentrically strigulose, setigerous in both sexes; males with minute, pale setae; females with short, black setae. In lateral view, profile weakly convex. Venter: Setae black. Mesometasternal process in lateral view subrectangular to bluntly rounded, slightly protruding obliquely away from ventral plane of body ( Figs. 6–7 ), apex broadly rounded in ventral view. Abdominal ventrites nearly smooth in central third, lateral thirds in males with small, sparse punctures, punctures larger and denser in females. Legs: Protibia slender in males, with 1–3 lateral teeth. Protibia in females broader, strongly tridentate. Parameres ( Figs. 8–9 ): In caudal view, form subparallel, broadly emarginate on lateral edge at mid-shaft, apices broadly rounded.

Distribution. Desicasta lobata is known from northeastern South America. The data for the Peru specimen listed below is questionable.

Locality Records. 341 specimens from AMNH, BCRC, BMNH, CASC, CMNH, DEIC, FLSC, FMNH, HAHC, INPA, IRSNB, MIZA, MLUH ,

MNHN, RMNH, QBUM, and ZMHU. Some data from Touroult and Dalens (2010).

BRAZIL (21). AMAZONAS (11): Manaus, Ypiranga. PARA (7): Belém, Bragança, Canta Galo, Obidos. RECIFE (1): Pernambuco. NO DATA (2).

FRENCH GUIANA (266). CAYENNE (195): Ancien Chantier Gourdonville, Cacao, Cayenne, Macouria-Savane Matiti, Montagne des Chevaux, Montsinéry–Tonnégrande (CD5, PK 3.2), Pied Saut (Oyapok River), Roura–Montagnes de Kaw (D6, PK 39.5), Roura–Montagnes de Roura (D6, PK 13.2). SAINT-LAURENT-DU-MARONI (62): Mana, Nouveau Chantier, Saint-Jean-du- Maroni, Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni. NO DATA (9).

GUYANA (2). NO DATA (2).

PERU (1). HUALLAGA (1): Aquaytia.

SURINAME (5). PARAMARIBO (1): Paramaribo . NO DATA (4).

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO (20). COUVA- TABAQUITE-TALPARO (2): Caparo. DIEGO MARTÍN (1): North Post. SAINT GEORGE

Nomenclature. Olivier (1789) described the specimen upon which he based his description as shiny, which is consistent for females, and the elytra each with two elevated costae, which is a diagnostic character for this species. My examination of the type specimens of D. sculptilis Thomson , D. sebosum (Neervoort van de Poll) , and D. opaca (Kraatz) confirmed they are all conspecific with D. lobata .

Natural History. Adults are commonly attracted to fruit-baited traps.

Figures

Figs. 4–5. Desicasta lobata. 4) Male; 5) Female. Images courtesy of Julien Touroult (Paris, France).

Figs. 6–9. Desicasta lobata. 6–7) Lateral view of form of mesometasternal process showing variation; 8–9) Parameres.

Fig. 10. Desicasta purpurascens.