Ahermodontus BÁGUENA, 1930

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 : 277

Ahermodontus BÁGUENA, 1930

Ahermodontus BÁGUENA, 1930: 315 ; BÁGUENA 1959: 214 (as synonym of Ammoecius ); BALTHASAR 1964: 475; DELLACASA G. & DELLACASA M. 1998: 414; DELLACASA G. et al. 2001: 77. Aphodius (Ahermodontus) : BÁGUENA 1967: 122; DELLACASA M. 1988: 221.

Type species: Ahermodontus marini BÁGUENA, 1930 (monotypy).

Description – Length 4.0– 4.5 mm. Apterous species, rather small, stout, strongly convex, more or less shiny, glabrous. Black, clypeal margin and legs brownish-red; antennal club testaceous. Head wide, cupuliform; epistoma finely or coarsely punctured, anteriorly with strong transverse carina; clypeus faintly sinuate at middle, bidenticulate at each side, inner teeth stronger than outer ones, allteethmoreorlessstronglyupturned,laterallystraightandmoreorlessthinlybordered,borderglabrous and more or less distinctly upturned; frontal suture nearly faint or distinctly impressed only laterally, not at all tuberculate; genae obtusely rounded, rather ciliate, protruding more than eyes; latter small. Pronotum widely transverse, strongly convex, doubly punctured; larger punctures sparser on disc; finely bordered at front or not; lateral margins thinly bordered, shortly ciliate toward front angles; hind angles obtusely rounded; base bordered or not. Scutellum very small, regularly triangular, feebly convex, unpunctured. Elytra convex, very shiny, oval-elongate; striae deep, strongly punctured, feebly or strongly crenulate; interstices flat or convex, sometimes apically subcarinate, sparsely finely punctured; shoulder strongly denticulate. Fore tibiae distally tridentate and proximally distinctly serrulate at outer margin, upper side smooth. Middle and hind tibiae with strong transverse carinae on outer face, apically fimbriate with short and equal spinules. Pygidium with rather dense and moderately elongate pubescence, mixed toward apical margin some very elongate and straight setae. Sexual dimorphism shown in males by punctation of pronotum being more sparse on disc, by inferior apical spur of mesotibiae strongly shortened and apically subtruncate. Aedeagus with elongate parameres, curved and acuminate apically. Epipharynx widely transverse, feebly bisinuate at front margin; corypha strongly protruding frontwards, apically rounded and sinuate at middle; epitorma campaniform; chaetopariae with rather elongate and densely arranged chaetae; chaetopedia with few strong spines arranged in nearly regular series.

Distribution: SW Palaearctic region ( Albania, southern Spain and Spanish Morocco).