Oplognathus kirbii MacLeay, 1819

Carvalho, Tamara G., Seidel, Matthias & Grossi, Paschoal C., 2021, Taxonomic revision of the genus Oplognathus MacLeay, 1819 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae: Rutelini), European Journal of Taxonomy 764 (1), pp. 62-84 : 67-71

Oplognathus kirbii MacLeay, 1819

Figs 1a–b , 2e , 3a , 4a–d , 5a–c , 7a–d , 8a, d , 9

Oplognathus kirbii MacLeay, 1819: 160 .

Areoda kirbii – Dejean 1837: 172 (catalogue). — Guérin-Méneville 1844: 98, pl. 24 bis fig. 10 (catalogue).

Oplognathus kirbyi – Laporte 1840: 124 (re-description). — Machatschke 1972: 5 (catalogue).

Hoplognathus kirbii – Burmeister 1844: 428 (re-description).

Hoplognathus kirbyi – Lacordaire 1856: 365 (catalogue). — Ohaus 1905: 322 (species diagnosis); 1912: 650 (species diagnosis); 1915: 257 (general characterization); 1918: 12 (catalogue); 1934: 42 (catalogue). — Blackwelder 1944: 235 (catalogue).

Oplognathus kirbii – Krajcik 2007: 90 (catalogue).

Diagnosis

Colour golden yellow with metallic green reflections; pronotum usually with two spots or elongate maculae ( Figs 1a–b , 3a ). Male with slightly trilobate clypeus ( Fig. 3a ); clypeus rounded in females, length of clypeus approximately 1.5× longer than length of frons; antennal club 1.3× longer than antennomeres 2–7 combined; last maxillary palpomere cylindrical in both sexes ( Fig. 4c ); mentum longer than wide, anterior margin sinuous, posterior angles distinctly acute ( Fig. 4d ). Pronotum with posterior border interrupted at middle, with scattered setae on maculae; epipleuron dilated on anterior half; mesoventral process acute ( Fig. 8a, d ); apex of mesotibia with 9–11 spinules; apex of the metatibia with 16–19 spinules; females with 9–10 and 18–23 spinules at the apex of meso and metatibiae.

Material examined

Neotype (by present designation) BRAZIL • ♂; “[illegible, probably “Adelaid”]” [handwritten label]; “Bowring. 63-47*” [white typewritten label]; “So named in Reiches Collection. C. W.” [white typewritten label, C.W. indicating NHMUK entomology C.O. Waterhouse]; “ Hoplognathus kirbyi McLeay ” [handwritten by Waterhouse on reverse of previous label]; “ NHMUK 010806029 ” [white typewritten label with QR code] ( Fig. 2e ); “NEOTYPUS Oplognathus kirbii MacLeay, 1819 Carvalho, Seidel & Grossi des.” [red typewritten label]; NHMUK.

Additional material (21 specimens)

BRAZIL – State unknown • 2 ♂♂; “ Brasilia, Virmond ”; ZMHB • 2 ♂♂; “ Brasilia ”; ZMHB. – Espírito Santo • 1 ♂; Palmital ; 15 Dec. 1908; F.J. Zikán leg.; CEIOC. – Rio de Janeiro • 1 ♂; Engenheiro Paulo de Frontin, Instituto Zoobotânico Morro Azul ; 28 Dec. 2002; F. Racca Filho leg.; CERPE • 2 ♂♂; NHMUK. – São Paulo • 1 ♂; “Bosque d.S.” ; 30 Oct. 1926; F. Ohaus leg.; ZMHB • 1 ♂; Saude; 15 Oct. 1920; CEMT • 1 ♂; Saude; 18 Dec. 1914; MNRJ • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Jabaquara; Oct. 1938; Dirings leg.; MZUSP • 1 ♂; Jabaquara; Feb. [1]936; IBSP-IB • 1 ♀; Jabaquara; Dec. [1]933; IBSP-IB • 1 ♀; Jabaquara; 2 Dec. [19]39; MNRJ • 1 ♀; Mogy das Cruzes; H. Rüderw leg.; ZMHB • 1 ♂; Parque do Estado de Paulo ; 30 Nov. [19]37; Zellibor-Hauff leg.; CEMT • 1 ♂; J. Metz leg.; ZMHB • 1 ♂; Ypiranga ; 14 Jan. 1927; F. Ohaus leg.; NHMUK. – Minas Gerais • 1 ♂; Manhumi [ri]n; 15 Dec. [19]35; MNRJ .

Description

Male

SIZE. Total length 19.15–22 mm; width across prothorax: 8.0– 10.6 mm.

COLOUR. General aspect golden yellow with green reflection, ventral surface metallic green; head and legs reddish brown to metallic green; pygidium greenish brown with green reflections ( Fig. 1a ).

HEAD. Clypeus subquadrangular, surface rugose; apex weakly trilobate, lateral lobes almost straight, central lobe rounded; margins bowed inward, slightly widening from base to apex; ventral surface moderately punctate ( Fig. 3a ). Frontoclypeal suture distinct, straight. Length of clypeus about 1.5× longer than frons. Frons distinctly punctate, surface glabrous. Last maxillary palpomere cylindrical ( Fig. 4c ). Mentum 1.2× longer than wide, anterior margin sinuous, posterior angles distinctly acute

( Fig. 4d ); surface densely punctate, and sparsely setose, setae as long as length of last labial palpomere. Antennal club 1.3× longer than antennomeres 2–7 combined.

THORAX. Pronotum with surface moderately punctate; anterolateral maculae as spots with up to three setae on maculae; anterior angles acute ( Fig. 3a ). Propleuron slightly concave, surface moderately setose. Scutellar plate densely and uniformly punctate. Elytra with obsolete striae; first interstriae with punctuation sparse to moderate; each epipleuron slightly dilated on anterior half of elytron. Epipleuron concave with surface sparsely punctate, and sparsely setose. Mesoventral process long with apex acute, never reaching procoxal base, moderately setose and moderately punctate ( Fig. 8a, d ). Metasternum densely punctate, and densely setose. Procoxa densely punctate and sparsely setose. Profemur moderately punctate, moderately setose on lateral carina, setae shorter than wide on profemur. Mesofemur flattened, surface moderately punctate, and moderately setose. Metafemur flattened, broader, with surface sparsely punctate, and sparsely setose posteriorly. Protibia densely setose laterally, sparsely setose at disc, with setae shorter than wide on protibia, apex with 9–14 setae; densely punctate, big punctures; tibial spur as long as protarsomere I. Mesotibia sparsely setose dorsally, setae shorter than wide on mesotibia, and densely setose ventrally, with setae longer than wide on mesotibia; densely punctate; with two carinae, one proximal formed by 3–5 spinules, and one distal formed by 5–7; apex truncate with 9–11 apical spinules. Metatibia similar to mesotibia, but with 16–19 apical spinules; proximal carina with 2–4 spinules; and distal carina with 6–8 spinules.

ABDOMEN. Pygidium transverse, subtrapezoidal, surface sparsely setose, setae fine, and medial-posteriorly disposed. Ventrites in general aspect convex, ventrites II–IV with a slight central concavity, and with sparse setae and sparse punctures posteriorly. Parameres transverse, broader, apex V-shaped, left side slightly shorter, base rounded; left side of parameres expanded in lateral view, expansion parabolic, and with two apical lobes, almost with same length; right side of parameres sinuous, with two apical lobes, outer lobe shorter; paramere base almost straight, with discrete sinuosity ( Figs 5a–c , 7a–d ).

Female ( Fig. 1b )

Similar to males, differing in the following aspects: Total length: 21.2–22.0 mm; width across prothorax: 10.1–10.4 mm. Clypeus rounded, frontoclypeal suture weakly sinuous; elytral epipleuron more strongly dilated; protibia thinner; mesotibia varying from 9–10 spinules, and metatibia varying from 18–23; protarsomere I longer in length, protarsomere V not dilated; tarsal claws similar in length and width.

Type locality

Brazil.

Remarks

The holotype of Oplognathus kirbii MacLeay, 1819 is currently considered lost, and could not be traced in any of the likely collections. A neotype is designated to stabilize the nomenclature. We selected the oldest historical specimen, one that was received by NHMUK with Bowring’s collection in 1863 [accession number 47]. The neotype fits the drawing of Guérin-Meneville (1844), the earliest illustration of the species (25 years after the description) which helps ensure that we selected the correct taxon. MacLeay (1819) provided only “ Brazil ” as the type locality. Since O. kirbii is a Brazilian endemic it is not a problem that the collecting data of the neotype are illegible.

Distribution

Brazil. Espírito Santo: Palmital; Minas Gerais: Manhumirin; Paraná; Rio de Janeiro: Engenheiro Paulo de Frontin; São Paulo: São Paulo (Fig. 9).

Oplognathus kirbii can be found in the mountainous regions of the states of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais, besides being recorded in literature for the state of Paraná (specimens from Paraná have not been confirmed here), inhabiting humid areas of the Atlantic Forest, unlike the other species of the genus, found in areas of Mata Seca in the north of Minas Gerais.

Figures

Fig. 1. a–b. Oplognathus kirbii MacLeay, 1819. a. Neotype, ♂ (NHMUK). b. Female specimen (MZUSP). c. O. helmenreichi Ohaus, 1905, holotype, ♂ (ZMHB). d–e. O. helmenreichi var.maculicollis Ohaus, 1914. d. Syntype, ♂ (ZMHB). e. Syntype, ♀ (ZMHB). f–g. O. bahianus Ohaus, 1912. f. Syntype, ♂ (ZMHB). g. Female specimen (EPGC). Scale bar = 5 mm.

Fig. 2. Labels. a. Oplognathus bahianus Ohaus, 1912, syntype, ♂. b. O. helmenreichi Ohaus, 1905, holotype, ♂. c–d. O. helmenreichi var. maculicollis Ohaus, 1914.c. Syntype ♂. d. Syntype ♀. e. O. kirbii MacLeay, 1819, neotype, ♂.

Fig. 3. Head and pronotum details. a. Oplognathus kirbii MacLeay, 1819, male specimen (ZMHB). b. O. bahianus Ohaus, 1912, syntype, ♂ (ZMHB). c. O. helmenreichiOhaus, 1905, holotype, ♂ (ZMHB). d. O. helmenreichi var. maculicollis Ohaus, 1914, syntype, ♂ (ZMHB). Scale bar = 1 mm.

Fig. 4. Mouthparts. a–d. Oplognathus kirbii MacLeay, 1819 (ZMHB). e–h. O. bahianus Ohaus, 1912 (ZMHB). i–m. O. helmenreichi Ohaus, 1905 (ZMHB). a, e, i. Right mandible. b, f, j. Right maxilla. c, g, l. Detail of the last maxillary palpomere. d, h, m. Mentum. Scale bar = 1 mm.

Fig. 5. Aedeagus in dorsal (a, e) y lateral view (b–c, d, f). a–c. Oplognathus kirbii MacLeay, 1819 (ZMHB). d–f. Oplognathus bahianus Ohaus, 1912, syntype, ♂ (ZMHB). Scale bar = 1 mm.

Fig. 7. Variation in male genitalia. a–d. Oplognathus kirbii MacLeay, 1819 (a-b: CEMT; c-d: ZMHB). e–h. O. helmenreichi Ohaus, 1905 (ZMHB). i–m. O. bahianus Ohaus, 1912 (CERPE). Scale bar = 1 mm.

Fig. 8. Patterns of mesoventral process. a, d. Oplognathus kirbii MacLeay, 1819 (MZUSP). b, e. O. bahianus Ohaus, 1912 (ZMHB). c, f. O. helmenreichi Ohaus, 1905 (CERPE). Scale bar = 1 mm.