Hemiphileurus panamanius Ratcliffe and Curoe

Ratcliffe, Brett C. & Curoe, Daniel J., 2011, A New Species of Hemiphileurus Kolbe (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Phileurini) from Panama, with a Revised Key to the Panamanian Species, The Coleopterists Bulletin 65 (2), pp. 139-143 : 140-141

Hemiphileurus panamanius Ratcliffe and Curoe , new species

( Figs. 1–3 , 14 )

Type Material. H o l o t y p e m a l e, l a b e l e d “ PANAMA P.N. DARIEN, Estacion Pirre 1, 75 m, 16–26 v 2001, D. Curoe ” and with our red holotype label. Single male paratype labeled “ PANAMA: Cocle, El Valle: La Mesa, 850m, 29v-9vi 2000, D. Curoe, B. Eya col//Taken in decaying log” and with our yellow paratype label. Holotype deposited at the University of Nebraska State Museum (Lincoln, NE, USA) and paratype deposited in the Daniel Curoe collection (Mexico City, Mexico).

Holotype. Length 24.4 mm; width across humeri 11.2 mm. Color black. Head: Frons with moderately dense, moderately large punctures, with longitudinal tubercle either side of slightly concave center. Clypeus triangular, apex acute and reflexed, a small carina extending from apex to base of each horn; surface laterad of each carina declivous and with small, sparse punctures. Interocular width equals 4.9 transverse eye diameters. Antenna 10-

2) Caudal view; 3) Lateral view.

segmented, club subequal in length to segments 2–7. Mandibles arcuate on lateral edge, apex acute. Pronotum: Surface punctate; punctures moderately dense, large, deep, umbilicate, becoming very large on disc. Center with shallow, longitudinal furrow extending from just before base to just beyond middle, furrow slightly broader anteriorly. All margins with strong, marginal bead. Elytra: Surface with punctate striae in furrows; punctures large, deep, ocellate. Intervals strongly convex, all of equal height. Pygidium: Surface densely punctate along base and in angles, becoming moderately punctate in apical half; punctures small to moderate at base and in angles, moderately large to large on apical half, setigerous; setae minute, tawny. In lateral view, surface strongly convex. Legs: Protibia tridentate, teeth long, subequally spaced. Apex of metatibia with upper angle prolonged into sharp tooth with several stout spinules below tooth. Apex of first tarsomere of metatarsus prolonged into long spine. Venter: Prosternal process tall, broadly subrectangular, apex broadly subtriangular, posterior face with small projection near base. Last sternite with small, dense punctures except at center apex where punctures sparse. Parameres: Each paramere with large, deep, suboval depression centered at about middle ( Figs. 2–3 ).

Panama ” as in the more standard use of the suffix, panamaensis.

Distribution. Hemiphileurus panamanius is known only from rain forests ( Fig. 14 ) in central and eastern Panama.

Locality Data. PANAMA (2): Coclé (1): El Valle ; Darién (1): Estacíon Pirre.

Temporal Data. May (1), June (1).

Diagnosis. Hemiphileurus panamanius will key to couplet 41 in Endrödi (1985) where, after that, the remaining two choices do not fit. The most diagnostic feature of this species is the form of the male parameres ( Figs. 2–3 ).

The parameres of H. panamanius and Hemiphileurus curoei Ratcliffe are remarkably similar in that they both have a large, deep, suboval depression at about the middle of each paramere ( Figs. 2–3 , 4–5 , respectively). These two species differ in that the last abdominal sternite in H. panamanius is moderately densely punctate all over (more so along base of segment), while in H. curoei this segment is punctate in a narrow, transverse band along the base only and sparsely punctate elsewhere. This is usually difficult to ascertain without comparative material. In addition, the elytral intervals in H. panamanius are regularly rounded ridges, whereas the elytral intervals in H. curoei are crenulated because the large punctures in the striae impinge on the sides of the raised intervals. Lastly, the parameres, while similar, do have differences. In H. panamanius , the lateral, cariniform margin of the suboval depression is strongly, evenly arcuate in lateral view, and in H. curoei the cariniform margin is nearly straight and with a small, heavily sclerotized bump or “tubercle” ( Fig. 5 , arrow).

Figures

Fig. 1. Hemiphileurus panamanius, habitus of holotype.

Figs. 2–3. Hemiphileurus panamanius, parameres.

Fig. 14. Cloud forest on Cerro Gaital near El Valle, Panama, where the paratype was collected. Photo by Daniel Curoe.

Figs. 4–13. Caudal and lateral views of the parameres of 4–5) Hemiphileurus curoei; 6–7) Hemiphileurus laevicauda; 8–9) Hemiphileurus pygidiopunctissimus; 10–11) Hemiphileurus variolosus; 12–13) Hemiphileurus vicarius.