Heterocotinis semiopaca ( Moser, 1907 )

Ratcliffe, Brett C., 2014, A Review Of The Neotropical Genera Badelina Thomson, 1880, Balsameda Thomson, 1880, Guatemalica Neervoort Van De Poll, 1886, And Heterocotinis Martínez, 1948 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Gymnetini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 68 (2), pp. 241-262 : 258-260

Heterocotinis semiopaca ( Moser, 1907) ( Figs. 37–40 )

Cotinis semiopaca Moser 1907: 143 (original combination). Holotype male at ZMHU, examined. Type locality: “ Brazil, Parana ”.

Gymnetis platensis Brèthes 1925: 12 (synonym). Type not seen. Type locality: “ Tandil ” (Buenos Aires, Argentina).

Gymnetis platensis var. tandilensis Brèthes 1925: 12 (synonym). Type not seen. Type locality: “ Tandil ” (Buenos Aires, Argentina).

Description. Length 12.9–19.3 mm; width across humeri 8.0– 11.6 mm. Head, pronotum, and epimeron dorsally metallic olive-green or metallic copper in color. Elytra dark green, plum, or reddish brown, weakly shiny. Pygidium metallic dark green or reddish brown. Venter and legs dark brown or piceous with green reflections or dark green, shiny; sternites 2–3 often with small, cretaceous spot on each posterolateral corner. Head: Lateral margins weakly elevated. Clypeus slightly concave either side of median, longitudinal, rhomboidal tumescence. Frons nearly impunctate or with small, sparse punctures. Clypeus densely punctate with small to moderate punctures, rarely rugopunctate near apex. Clypeus with apex broad, center reflexed upwards and arcuately produced. Eyes small, interocular width 4.1–6.0 transverse eye diameters. Antenna with 10 antennomeres, scape as long as next 4 antennomeres, club distinctly longer than antennomeres 2–7 in both sexes. Pronotum: Surface finely shagreened, with sparse micropunctures. Sides near lateral margins with a few moderately large punctures. Sides with thick marginal bead. Elytra: Surface with 5 longitudinal rows of minute punctures between suture and humerus, rows occasionally indistinct; 2 low, discal costae evident in posterior half, costae coalescing at apical umbone. Surface behind apical umbone with small, dense punctures. Apices at suture subacutely produced. Pygidium: Surface nearly smooth in both sexes, depressed either side of middle on apical half. Apical margin with fringe of pale setae. In lateral view, profile nearly flat in both sexes. Venter: Setae moderately long. Mesometasternal process broadly rounded, not protuberant, parallel to ventral axis of body in lateral view ( Fig. 38 ). Abdominal ventrites nearly smooth but with dense micropunctures. Legs: Protibia tridentate in both sexes, basal tooth removed from others. Parameres ( Figs. 39–40 ): In caudal view, parameres subrectangular, short, apices broadly rounded, each with large tooth on lateral margin before apex.

Distribution. Heterocotinis semiopaca occurs in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay.

Locality Records. 171 specimens from DEIC, FMNH, MACN, MLPA, UFRJ, USNM, and ZMHU. Some data from Bruch (1919) and Martínez (1948). ARGENTINA (155). BUENOS AIRES (152): Del Carril (156 km SE Buenos Aires), Rosas, Tandil, No data. NO DATA (3). BRAZIL (4): PARANÁ (2): No data. SÃO PAULO (2): Campo de Jordão. URUGUAY (11). BANDA ORIENTAL (2): No data. CERRO LARGO (6): Mela, No data. MONTEVIDEO (1): Montevideo. PUNTA DEL ESTE (1): Maldonado. NO DATA (1). NO DATA (1).

Temporal Distribution. February (2), March (1), April (31), November (4). Nearly all of the museum specimens are old and lack temporal or specific locality data.

Diagnosis. Heterocotinis semiopaca is distinguished from H. terminata by the shiny pronotum and opaque elytra (both weakly shiny in H. terminata ); presence of dense punctures behind the apical umbones of the elytra (with only a few, small punctures in H. terminata ); a nearly smooth pygidium (strigulose in H. terminata ); and non-protuberant mesometasternal process (slightly protuberant in H. terminata ) (compare Figs. 38 and 42 ). The parameres of H. semiopaca are proportionately shorter and with a larger apicolateral tooth than H. terminata (compare Figs. 39–40 and 43–44 ).

Nomenclature. Martínez (1948) placed Gymnetis platensis Brèthes and Gymnetis platensis var. tandilensis Brèthes into junior synonymy with H. semiopaca .

Natural History. Bruch (1919) reported numerous larvae found in old nests of Acromyrmex lundii Guérin-Méneville ( Hymenoptera : Formicidae ), and he described the egg, larval, and pupal stages and noted the duration of each.

Figures

Figs. 37–40. Heterocotinis semiopaca. 37) Habitus; 38) Mesometasternal process, lateral view; 39–40) Parameres.

Figs. 41–44. Heterocotinis terminata. 41) Habitus; 42) Mesometasternal process, lateral view; 43–44) Parameres.