Polynoncus pampeanus ( Burmeister, 1876 )

Costa-Silva, Vinícius, Strümpher, Werner P., Thyssen, Patricia J. & Vaz-de-Mello, Fernando Z., 2024, Taxonomic revision of the South American genus Polynoncus Burmeister, 1876 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Trogidae), Journal of Natural History 58 (1 - 4), pp. 14-166 : 112-114

Polynoncus pampeanus ( Burmeister, 1876)

( Figures 25 , 49 )

Trox pampeanus Burmeister, 1876: 255 (original description); Preudhomme de Borre 1886: 74 (checklist); Bruch 1911: 193 (checklist); Arrow 1912: 59 (catalogue); Blackwelder 1944: 219 (checklist – as ‘ pampeana ’); Vaurie 1962: 142 (redescription).

Trox (Polynoncus) pampeanus : Scholtz 1982: 16 (catalogue).

Polynoncus pampeanus : Scholtz 1986a: 362 (systematics); Scholtz 1990: 1423 (redescription); Gómez 2008: 515 (key to Argentinean species); Bachmann et al. 2010: 54 (catalogue of types housed in MACN); Zidek 2013: 14 (checklist); Zidek 2017: 106 (checklist); Costa-Silva and Diéguez 2020: 272 (records from Argentina).

Type specimens examined. LECTOTYPE HERE DESIGNATED. ( MACN – Figure 49 ) First label [green, typeset]: ‘ Tucu - / man’. Second label [white, typeset]: ‘68’. Third label [white, typeset]: Col. / Antigua ”. Fourth label [light brown with black border, typeset]: ‘PARATYPUS’. Fifth label [light brown with another piece of a label glued to it]: “pampea - / nus Nob. [Hermann Burmeister’s handwriting] / Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales [typeset]. Sixth label [red with black frame, Axel Bachmann’s handwriting]: “ Trox / pam - / peanus / Burmeister / 1876 / Syntypus [vertical]. Seventh label [red, printed]: ‘LECTOTYPE’. Eighth label [red, Vinícius Costa-Silva’s handwriting]: ‘ Trox pampeanus / Burmeister 1876 / des. V. Costa-Silva’. Ninth label [white with black frame, typeset]: ‘MACN-En / 1343’ ( Figure 49c ). Type locality: ‘Tucumán’, without further data ( Argentina).

PARALECTOTYPES (3 MACN). First label [green]: ‘Catamarca’. Second label [red, Axel Bachmann’s handwriting]: Trox / pam - / peanus / Burmeister / 1876 / Syntypus [vertical]. Third label [red, printed]: ‘PARALECTOTYPE’. Fourth label [red, Vinícius Costa-Silva’s handwriting]: ‘ Trox pampeanus / Burmeister 1876 / des. V. Costa-Silva’ (1 MACN). First label [green]: ‘Carm. Patag. [Carman de Patagones]’. Second label [red, Axel Bachmann’s handwriting]: Trox / pam - / peanus / Burmeister / 1876 / Syntypus [vertical]. Third label [red, printed]: ‘PARALECTOTYPE’. Fourth label [red, Vinícius Costa-Silva’s handwriting]: ‘ Trox pampeanus / Burmeister 1876 / des. V. Costa-Silva’ (1 MACN). First label [red, Axel Bachmann’s handwriting]: Trox / pam - / peanus / Burmeister / 1876 / Syntypus [vertical]. Second label [red, printed]: ‘PARALECTOTYPE’. Third label [red, Vinícius Costa-Silva’s handwriting]: ‘ Trox pampeanus / Burmeister 1876 / des. V. Costa-Silva’ (1 MACN).

Differential diagnosis. Polynoncus pampeanus can be easily distinguished from other wingless species.It is most similar to Polynoncus erugatus ,although the absence of basal tubercles in P. pampeanus allows the two species to be distinguished. The basal tubercle in P. erugatus is poorly raised and usually glabrous.

Geographic distribution. Polynoncus pampeanus is endemic in the arid and semiarid regions of Argentina ( Figure 25 ). Vaurie (1962) and Scholtz (1990) present a reduced geographical distribution of this species from Argentina, based on six and 13 examined specimens, respectively. Here, we expand the geographical distribution of this species based on more than 100 examined specimens and the available literature (ie Gómez 2008; Costa-Silva and Diéguez 2020).

Examined non-type material (110 specimens). ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires, Bahía Blanca , 6 September–17 October 1832, C. Darwin [Beagle voyage] leg. (3 BMNH) ; Felipe Solá , February 1961, A. Martinez leg. (1 MZSP). Chubut, without specific locality, date or collector [Burmeister’s collection] (1 MACN). Córdoba, without specific locality or date, H. Rierter leg. [ Bruch’s collection] (1 MACN). La Pampa, Caleu Caleu, Estancia Los Valles , 1 September 2000, Marchicote leg. (10 IADIZA) ; Caleu Caleu, Estancia Los Valles , 17 September 2000, Marchicote leg. (1 CEMT;1 IADIZA) ; Caleu Caleu, Estancia Los Valles , 18 September 2000, Marchicote leg. (1 IADIZA) ; Caranches , 24 March 1938, Biraben – Scott leg. (1 MLPA) ; Curacó, Puelches, Estancia La Gracielita , May 2003, Bárbara Corró Molas leg. (1 IADIZA) ; Guatraché, Estancia La Unión , September 1995, Pessino leg. (1 CEMT; 1 IADIZA) ; Lihué Calel, Lihué Calel National Park , 17 August 1997, Pessino leg. (3 IADIZA) ; Lihué Calel, Lihué Calel National Park , 23 March 1994, Pessino leg. (1 CEMT) ; Lihué Calel, Lihué Calel National Park , 23 March 1994, Pessino leg. (3 IADIZA) ; Macachín, Salinas Grandes , 5 October 1994, Bárbara Corró Molas leg. (2 IADIZA) ; Santa Rosa, Bajo Giuliani , 11 April 1999, Goats and Rastelli leg. (2 IADIZA) ; Santa Rosa, Bajo Giuliani , 19 September 1994, Montalvo leg. (2 IADIZA) ; Santa Rosa, Bajo Giuliani , 2 May 1999, Goats and Rastelli leg. (1 IADIZA) ; Santa Rosa, Bajo Giuliani , 20 July 1999, Goats and Rastelli leg. (1 IADIZA) ; Santa Rosa, Bajo Giuliani , 21 February 1999, Goats and Rastelli leg. (1♂ IADIZA) ; Santa Rosa, Bajo Giuliani , 21 March 1999, Goats and Rastelli leg. (1♂ and 1♀ IADIZA) ; Santa Rosa, Bajo Giuliani , 21 May 1999, Goats and Rastelli leg.(1 IADIZA) ; Santa Rosa, Bajo Giuliani , 7 March 1999, Goats and Rastelli leg. (1♀ IADIZA) ; Santa Rosa, Faculdad de Agronomia , 16 March 1993, Bárbara Corró Molas leg. (2 IADIZA) ; Santa Rosa, Faculdad de Agronomia , 2 April 2003, Tirani leg. (3♂ and 2 unsexed IADIZA) ; Santa Rosa, Faculdad de Agronomia , 2 May 1997, Maceda leg. (4♂ and 4 unsexed IADIZA) ; Santa Rosa, Faculdad de Agronomia , April 1999, Bárbara Corró Molas leg. (1♂ and 1 unsexed IADIZA) ; Toay, Estancia Bajo Verde , 25 November 1997, Bárbara Corró Molas leg. (1 IADIZA) ; Toay, Reserva Natural Parque Luro , 14 September 1996, Maceda leg. (1♂ and 2 unsexed IADIZA) ; Toay, Reserva Natural Parque Luro , 14 August 1996, Maceda leg. (1♀ and 1 unsexed IADIZA) ; Toay, Reserva Natural Parque Luro , 17 August 1996, Maceda leg. (1 IADIZA) ; Toay, Reserva Natural Parque Luro , 19 September 1994, Carbonado leg. (1 IADIZA) ; Toay, Reserva Natural Parque Luro , 3 March 1997, Maceda leg. (1 IADIZA) ; Toay, Reserva Natural Parque Luro , 31 July 1996, Maceda leg. (4 IADIZA) ; Toay, Reserva Natural Parque Luro , 4 March 1997, Maceda leg. (2♂ and 1 unsexed CVMD) ; Toay, Reserva Natural Parque Luro , November 2002, Pessino leg. (1♂ IADIZA) ; Utracán, Patagua , 31 August 1994, Púgener Cardonato Montalvo leg. (2 IADIZA) ; Victorica , 19 June 1995, Maceda leg. (1 IADIZA) ; Zapala, Ruta 14 km 166, 31 July 1999, Maceda leg. (1♂ CEMT; 1♀ IADIZA). Mendoza, without specific locality, 1900, no collector [Bruch’s collection] (1 MACN) ; Santa Rosa, Reserva de Biosfera de Ñacuñan , 11–13 December 2002, V.M. Diéguez leg. (1♂ IADIZA). San Luis, Ayacucho , 6 km S of Baldecito, 16 November 1997, S. Roig leg. (1 CVMD) ; Belgrano, Fundo ‘ El Molle’, near Villa de la Quebrada , 15–25 January 2009, José Goméz leg. (2♂, 3♀ and 3 unsexed CVMD) ; Belgrano, Fundo ‘ El Molle’, near Villa de la Quebrada, 20–28 January 2013, G. Arriágada leg. (1♀ CEMT) ; Belgrano, Fundo ‘ El Molle’, near Villa de la Quebrada , 622 m, 33.039° S, 66.513°W, 15–25 January 2007, José Goméz leg.(2♂, 1♀ and 9 unsexed CVMD). Tucumán, El Infiernillo, Cumbre Cachaquies , 9 November 1995, Flores and Roig leg. (1♂ CVMD) ; without specific locality, C. Darwin [Beagle voyage] leg. (2 BMNH). Without specific locality, date or collector (1 MLPA).

Figures

Figure 25. Distribution map of Polynoncus ecuadorensis (red circles), P. longitarsis (green triangles), and P. pampeanus (blue squares) in South America. The records with a black dot in the centre indicate the type locality of the respective species.

Figure 49. Lectotype of Trox pampeanus Burmeister, 1876 (now Polynoncus pampeanus), here designated: habitus in a, dorsal and b, lateral view; c, labels. Photos by Luis Compagnucci (MACN).