Ammoecius frigidus BRISOUT, 1866

DellacaSa, M. & DellacaSa, G., 2002, Systematic Redefinition Of Taxa Belonging To The Genera Ahermodontus Báguena, 1930 And Ammoecius Mulsant, 1842, With Description Of The New Genus Vladimirellus (Coleoptera: Aphodiidae), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 48 (4), pp. 269-316 : 295-300

Ammoecius frigidus BRISOUT, 1866

( Figs 61–64 , 82 )

Ammoecius frigidus BRISOUT, 1866: 374 ; HAROLD 1871: 15.

Aphodius (Ammoecius) frigidus : REITTER 1892: 184; d’ ORBIGNY 1896: 206; SCHMIDT 1913: 125; SCHMIDT 1922: 68; BALTHASAR 1964: 80; BARAUD 1971: 68; DELLACASA M. 1988: 132.

Type locality: “montagne de l’Escorial, La Granja”. [ Spain.]

Type depository: Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris.

Description – Length 4.5–5.5 mm. Short, oval, strongly convex, shiny, glabrous ( Fig. 82 ). Black; clypeal margin widely brown-reddish; legs piceous with brownish tarsi; antennal club testaceous. Head with cupuliform epistoma finely microreticulate, almost imperceptibly punctured on disc; punctation more distinct, somewhat irregular laterally and irregular granulate in front of anterior transverse carina; latter extended to level of genae; clypeus angulately sinuate at middle, obtusely rounded at sides, rather thickly bordered, border anteriorly upturned; genae obtusely rounded, rather shortly ciliate, feebly protruding more than eyes; frontal suture distinctly impressed; frons finely, subregularly and sparsely punctured; epipharynx: Fig. 61 ; apex of corypha: Fig. 62 . Pronotum guesae CLÉMENT, 1975 (male, length 6.0 mm, Iran: Mandaran, Gachsar, Hezar Cin Mount) 73–76 = A. felscheanus REITTER, 1904 , 77–80 = A. dentatus SCHMIDT, 1908

transverse,moderatelyconvex,doublypunctured;largepuncturesirregularlysparse,denseronsides, mixed very fine punctures almost imperceptible anteriorly on disc; anterior margin with lateral vestiges of fine border; sides feebly rounded, thinly bordered, somewhat inwardly sinuate before hind angles; latter obtusely rounded; base bisinuate, thickly bordered. Scutellum triangularly elongate, sparsely and irregularly punctured on basal half. Elytra strongly convex, feebly broadened backward; epipleuralcarinasubdenticulateatshoulder;striaedeep,distinctlypunctured,ratherfeeblycrenulate; interstices slightly convex on disc, more distinctly convex on preapical declivity, almost imperceptibly punctured. Hind tibiae with superior apical spur longer than first tarsal segment; latter nearly as long as following three combined. Male: pronotum relatively more transverse, less convex and with large punctures sparser on disc; inferior apical spur of middle tibiae very short, obliquely truncate apically; metasternal plate moderately excavate; aedeagus: Figs 63–64 . Female: pronotum relatively less transverse, more convex and with large punctures denser on disc; inferior apical spur of middle tibiae regularly elongate and apically acuminate; metasternal plate flat.

Infraspecific name: colour variation – galaicus (BÁGUENA, 1955): upper side chestnut-brown; ventral side reddish.

Distribution: Portugal, Spain, Morocco?

Remarks –ThespeciesisalsocitedfromMorocco,butwehaveneverstudied specimens collected there.

Figures

Figs 53–64. Epipharynx (53, 57, 61), apex of corypha (lateral view) (54, 58, 62) and aedeagus (dorsal and lateral view) (55–56, 59–60, 63–64) of: 53–56 = Ammoecius rugifrons AUBÉ, 1850, 57–60 = A.

Figs 81–84. Habitus of: 81 = Ammoecius brevis ERICHSON, 1848 (male, length 4.0 mm, Italy: Piedmont, Ghislarengo), 82 = A. frigidus BRISOUT, 1866 (male, length 5.0 mm, Portugal: Castelo Branco, Covilhã, Beida Baixa), 83 = A. lusitanicus ERICHSON, 1848 (male, length 5.0 mm, Spain: Cadiz, Sierra de Aljibe), 84 = A. rugifrons AUBÉ, 1850 (male, length 4.5 mm, Algeria: Mechroha)