Ancognatha castanea Erichson, 1847

Paucar-Cabrera, Aura & Ratcliffe, Brett C., 2018, The Ancognatha Erichson (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Cyclocephalini) of Ecuador, with Description of a New Species, The Coleopterists Bulletin 72 (4), pp. 665-687 : 671-672

Ancognatha castanea Erichson, 1847 ( Figs. 6–8 )

Ancognata castanea Erichson 1847: 98 (original combination). Lectotype female at ZMHU ( Moore et al. 2018).

Barotherus peruanus Harold 1869: 124 (synonym). Type deposition unknown.

Barotherus andinus Bates 1891: 30 (synonym). Type at BMNH ( Moore et al. 2018).

Lissodon argodi Paulian 1954: 1154 (synonym). Holotype at MNHN ( Moore et al. 2018).

Redescription. Length 17.2–24.5 mm; width 8.5–12.0 mm. Color of clypeus black or castaneous. Pronotum black, castaneous, or light reddish brown, with or without dark blotches on mid-base or midapex towards disc or on both sides of disc; scutellum black or castaneous, or elytra castaneous with pronotum and scutellum dark brown ( Fig. 6 ). Legs castaneous to black. Head: Frons and clypeus moderately punctate to densely rugopunctate; punctures moderate in size. Anterior margin of frons with small to well-developed, median tubercle, tubercle often crescent-shaped. Clypeus parabolic, apex weakly reflexed. Interocular width equals 6.8 transverse eye diameters. Pronotum: Surface strongly convex in male, moderately convex in female. Punctures moderate in size and density. Elytra: Surface with punctures moderate in size and density, 1 weak to moderate stria mesad of humerus.Epipleuron (ventral view) of females simple, not enlarged, smooth. Pygidium: Surface finely punctate to finely roughened, punctures small, moderate in density, with weak, elongated depression either side of middle towards apex. Legs: Protibia tridentate, teeth subequally spaced. Venter: Prosternal process moderately long, columnar, apex round, obscured by dense, long, tawny to reddish setae. Parameres: Fig. 7 .

Distribution. Ancognatha castanea occurs in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru ( Endrödi 1985; Pardo-Locarno et al. 2006; Figueroa and Ratcliffe 2016).

Locality Records ( Fig. 8 ). 277 specimens from BCRC, BMNH, CISEC, CMNC, DCCC, MECN, QCAZ, SLTC, UNSM, USNM .

AZUAY (1): Guachapala. BOLÍVAR (1): Guaranda (1 km NE). CARCHI (25): La Libertad, Montúfar, Tulcán. CHIMBORAZO (18): Alaus´ı, Chuquipogyio, Palmira Atapo Farm, Riobamba, Yanarrumi Riobamba. COTOPAXI (58): El Boliche, Parque Nacional Cotopaxi (Caspi entrance, 12 km NE Mulaló), Cotopaxi volcano (NW side), Latacunga, Sigchos, via Liptos–Sigchos. IMBABURA (17): Acosta–Ibarra road (km 4), Cascada de Peguche, Chachimbiro, El Tejar, Lita, Otavalo, San Pablo del Lago. LOJA (1): Vala (Macará). MORONA SANTIAGO (3): Limón Indanza, Macas. NAPO (6): Baeza, Oyacachi, Sacha. ORELLANA (2): Estación Cient´ıfica Yasun´ı. PICHINCHA (107): Calacal´ı, Calderón, Cayambe, Cochasqu´ı, Conocoto, Guayllabamba, Machachi, Nanegal, Nayón, Pasochoa, Pifo, Pomasqui, Pululahua, Quito, Quito (25 km S), R´ıo Bobonaza (near Quito), Sangolqu´ı, Tabacundo, Tambillo. SANTO DOMINGO DE LOS TSÁCHILAS (3): Alluriqu´ın, R´ıo Toachi. SUCUMBÍOS (1): Santa Bárbara. TUNGURAHUA (29): Ambato, Ba~ nos, Picaigua, Podoa. NO DATA (5).

Temporal Distribution. January (7), February (21), March (25), April (25), May (5), June (26), July (49), August (3), September (10), October (18), November (25), December (8).

Diagnosis. Ancognatha castanea is distinguished from A. atacazo and A. scarabaeoides , the other two black or brown species of Ancognatha in the study area, by its parabolic clypeus; anterior margin of the frons with a conspicuous, median tubercle in both sexes; and form of the parameres ( Fig. 7 ).

Nomenclature. Paulian (1954) described Lissodon argodi from Sudan in North Africa. Endrödi (1985) listed it as a synonym of A. castanea . Paulian’ s original description and illustrations were studied, and we concur that L. argodi is conspecific with A. castanea . We surmise that the holotype specimen of L. argodi was labeled incorrectly since species of Ancognatha do not occur in Africa.

Natural History. Based on label data, A. castanea has been recorded from páramo but also in disturbed areas like pine forest and potato crops. Specimens have been taken at 450 to 4,000 m. Ancognatha castanea larvae are reported as a food item of the Ca~ nari, Otavalo, Pilahuine, Quichua, Salazaca, and Saraguro people in Ecuador ( Onore 1997, 2005).

Figures

Figs. 6–8. Ancognatha castanea. 6) Habitus; 7) Parameres; 8) Distribution in Ecuador.