Cryptocanthon andersoni Cook, 2002

Cook, Joyce, 2002, A Revision Of The Neotropical Genus Cryptocanthon Balthasar (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 1) 56, pp. 3-96 : 11-12

1. Cryptocanthon andersoni Cook sp.nov.

( Figs. 11–15)

Material Examined. One hundred and sixty-six specimens (105 males, 61 females).

Type Material. Holotype: ‘‘ VEN[EZUELA]: Meridao, Tabay / Mucay, Send. Lago Suero / cloud forest, 2,700 m / 24.VII.89, litter / S.&J. Peck ’’ ( CMNC) male . Paratypes (165): VENEZUELA: same data as holotype ( CMNC) 1 male, 2 females ; ‘‘VEN: Merida, Merida / Telef. Est. LaMontana / 26.VII.89, 2,450 m / cloud forest litter / S.&J. Peck ’’ ( CMNC) 5 males, ( BDGC) 1 male, 1 female; same data except ‘‘23– 27.VI.89, 2,460 m / mossy cloud forest / carrion tps’’ ( CMNC) 1 male, 11 females ; ‘‘ Venezuela: Lara / P.N. Yacambu, 14.2 km / S.E. Sanare , 1,650 m / 098419450N, 698369480W / 18.V.1998 -018A / R. Anderson, cloud for. litter’’ ( CMNC) 4 males, 2 females ; same data except ‘‘018B’’ ( CMNC) 8 males ; same data except ‘‘018C’’ ( CMNC) 4 males, 2 females ; same data except ‘‘018D’’ ( CMNC) 4 males ; ‘‘ Lara / P.N. Yacambu, 10.5 km / S.E. Sanare, 1,760 m / 098419520N, 698379030W / 1.VI.1998 - 056A / R. Anderson, cloud for. litter’’ ( CMNC) 5 males, 2 females ; same data except ‘‘056B’’ ( CMNC) 1 male, 2 females ; same data except ‘‘056D’’ ( CMNC) 1 male ; ‘‘ Venezuela: Trujillo / P.N. Guaramacal, 12.9 km / S.E. Bocono , 2,350 m / 098149480N, 708129170W / 19.V.1998 -021A / R. Anderson, cloud for. litter’’ ( CMNC) 4 males, 4 females ; same data except ‘‘021B’’ ( CMNC) 3 males, 1 female ; ‘‘ Trujillo / camino viejo a Trujillo, Paramo / La Cristalina , km 9.7, 2,400 m / 098219210N, 708179510W / 20.V.1998 -022A / R. Anderson, elfin for. litter’’ ( CMNC) 2 males ; same data except ‘‘022B’’ ( CMNC) 5 males, 2 females ; same data except ‘‘022C’’ ( CMNC) 11 males, 1 female ; same data except ‘‘022D’’ ( CMNC) 10 males, 4 females ; same data except ‘‘022E’’ ( CMNC) 1 male ; same data except ‘‘022F’’ ( CMNC) 1 female ; same data except ‘‘022G’’ ( CMNC) 3 males, 1 female ; same data except ‘‘022H’’ ( CMNC) 9 males, 10 females ; same data except ‘‘022I’’ ( CMNC) 11 males, 8 females ; same data except ‘‘022J’’ ( CMNC) 1 male, 1 female ; ‘‘ Trujillo / 16.9 km SE Boconó / 98129N, 708129W / 2,810 m, 2–4 Mar. 1995 / Robert W. Brooks #028 / ex flight intercept trap ’’ ( SEMC) 1 male ; ‘‘ Trujillo / 18 km SE Boconó / Páramo de Guaramacal / 98129N, 708129W / 3,100 m, 2 March 1995 / Robert W. Brooks # 030, ex human feces ( SEMC) 4 males, 3 females ; ‘‘ Trujillo / Bocono, Paramo / de Guaramacal / 8–28.VII.86 / B. Gill 2,800 m ’’ ( BDGC) 4 males, 3 females .

Etymology. The epithet ‘‘andersoni’’ is a patronym in recognition of the collecting of Robert S. Anderson, Canadian Museum of Nature.

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished by the following combination of characters: vertical surface of clypeus not foveate; eye partly visible dorsally when head fully retracted; punctures of pronotal disc shallow, annulate; pronotal hypomeron not carinate; inflexed portion of elytron lacking basal fovea; metathoracic wings greatly reduced; pygidium evenly convex; paramere apices narrowly angulate ( Fig. 14).

Description. Holotype. Male. Total length 3.5 mm; greatest width 2.0 mm. Head. Clypeus not strongly produced anteriorly ( Fig. 12). Clypeal teeth weakly developed, moderately widely separated, weakly reflexed. Clypeal emargination shallowly rounded; vertical surface short, not foveate. Apical margin of clypeus lateral to teeth evenly convexly arcuate. Disc of clypeus slightly concave at apex; punctures small and widely spaced. Clypeogenal suture faintly evident. Gena not produced, anterior margin even with anterior margin of clypeus. Vertex and gena with moderately small, shallow punctures separated by one diameter or more. Eye slightly visible dorsally when head fully retracted. Pronotum. Convex medially, laterally explanate, shallow depressions laterally in posterior half. Anterior angles acute. Sides anterior to lateral angles slightly concavely arcuate; straight posterior to lateral angles. Posterior angles slightly obtusely rounded, not incised. Pronotum with well-separated, medium-sized, shallow, annulate punctures; setae very fine, recumbent. Pronotal hypomeron convex, with scattered large, shallow, annulate punctures; not carinate posteriorly. Elytra. Transversely and longitudinally moderately convex; lateral carinae not strongly elevated. Each elytron dorsally with seven striae, each stria indicated by two wavy lines. Elytral intervals flat; each interval with row of very fine setose punctures on each side adjacent to striae; setae fine, pale, recumbent, inconspicuous. Inflexed portion of elytron broad, evenly narrowed apically; with scattered minute punctures, with transverse wrinkles near base; lacking basal fovea; stria eight or nine faintly indicated except at base, ten clearly marked by row of punctures adjacent to epipleuron. Epipleuron with row of poorly defined punctures along medial margin. Wings. Metathoracic wings greatly reduced.

Venter. Prosternum and mesosternum with irregularly spaced, shallow, annulate punctures. Meso-metasternal suture rounded medially. Metasternum slightly convex medially with small scattered punctures anteriorly; medium-sized, shallow, annulate punctures posteriorly; laterally, punctures large, dense, annulate. Legs. Profemur moderately densely punctate ventrally. Protibia ( Fig. 11) slightly widened in apical half; very broadly notched medially before apex. Mesofemur and metafemur finely, sparsely punctate ventrally. Metatrochanter unmodified. Metatibia very slightly angulate, not crenulate; lacking subapical lobe. Abdomen. Apical sternite evenly convex with irregularly spaced, medium-sized punctures. Pygidium evenly, moderately convex; with irregularly spaced, medium-sized punctures; base not sulcate. Male genitalia. Parameres ( Figs. 13–14) with apices narrowly angulate, not setose.

Variation. Male: total length 3.2–3.5 mm; greatest width 1.9–2.0 mm. Female: total length 3.3–3.6 mm; greatest width 2.0– 2.1 mm; clypeal teeth slightly more developed; gena slightly produced anteriorly; protibiae unmodified.

Bionomics. This species has been collected in carrion traps, human feces traps and flight intercept traps, and from the litter of cloud forest, elfin forest and paramo. It has been taken at elevations between 1,650 m and 3,100 m during the months of March and May–July.

Geographic Distribution ( Fig. 15). This species occurs in the Cordillera do Merida of Venezuela, in the states of Merida, Trujillo , and Lara.