Coelosis biloba (Linnaeus, 1767)

Gillett, Conrad P. D. T., 2009, New records of dynastine scarab beetles in the tribes Oryctini, Agaocephalini and Dynastini from Cayo district, Belize (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae), Insecta Mundi 2009 (99), pp. 1-9 : 3

Coelosis biloba (Linnaeus, 1767)

Specimens examined. 3 (2 males and 1 female).

BMNH and MGCB.

Localities. Las Cuevas (3)

Temporal data. June (3)

Distribution. Central Mexico to southern Argen-

tina. Bates (1888) recorded the species from Cayo,

and Blackwelder (1944) recorded it from British

Honduras. As discussed above, Endrödi (1976) re-

corded it from Stann Creek district.

Remarks. This species is known to be myrmeco-

philous, having been associated with leaf-cutter

attine ants ( Lachaume 1992; Ratcliffe 2006), which

are abundant at Las Cuevas. Two specimens were

collected dead in 2006. Although no biological data

is available for these specimens, it is notable that

in more than two weeks of light trapping at Las

Cuevas in 2006, not a single specimen of this spe-

cies was captured, possibly indicating that the main

period of adult activity for this species had passed

by the time the two dead specimens above were

collected. This species can be amongst the com-

monest Oryctini attracted to artificial light in cer-

tain areas (Yannig Ponchel pers. comm.).

Endrödi (1976) mentioned a locality for this

species in Honduras, which actually represents a

record from Belize. The locality in question is Figure 3. Map indicating the three sites (numbered) Middlesex, Stann Creck (sic) district. Stann Creek where collecting was undertaken in Cayo district during is a district in eastern Belize (the country formerly May and June 2006. 1) Las Cuevas Research Station. 2) known as British Honduras), which undoubtedly Pook’s Hill Lodge. 3) San Ignacio town.

explains the confusion. Other records from ‘Hon-

duras’ reported in Endrödi’s monographs could also possibly actually relate to British Honduras ( Belize) and care should be taken when interpreting them (e.g., Ratcliffe 2003: 225).