Eremobothynus cornutus ( Steinheil, 1874 )

Dubois, Tomás Andrés Favier, Zubarán, Gastón Enrique & Urcola, Matías Ricardo, 2024, On the identity of Aphonides turbator Endrödi, 1981 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Pentodontini), Zootaxa 5541 (2), pp. 245-250 : 246-249

Eremobothynus cornutus ( Steinheil, 1874)

( Figs. 1‒12 )

Scaptophilus cornutus Steinheil, 1874: 561 (original combination).

Eremobothynus cornutus : Ohaus 1910: 180, 181.

Aphonides turbator Endrödi, 1981: 199 ; new synonym

Anoplognatho turbator : Ratcliffe et al. 2023: 417.

Type localities: Bahía Blanca [38°43’S, 62°16’W], Buenos Aires Province, Argentina ( Eremobothynus cornutus ); Estación Crespo [32°02’S, 60°19’W], Entre Ríos Province, Argentina ( Aphonides turbator ).

Previous bibliographic records: ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires Province ( Steinheil 1874; Ohaus 1910, 1914; Endrödi 1969, 1985; Ratcliffe et al. 2023); Córdoba Province ( Ohaus 1914; Endrödi 1969; Ratcliffe et al. 2023); Entre Ríos Province ( Endrödi 1981; Ratcliffe et al. 2023); Jujuy Province ( Ratcliffe et al. 2023); La Pampa Province ( Ratcliffe et al. 2023); Salta Province ( Ohaus 1910; Ratcliffe et al. 2023); San Luis Province ( Ratcliffe et al. 2023); Santa Fe Province ( Ratcliffe et al. 2023); Santiago del Estero Province ( Ratcliffe et al. 2023).

Material examined: Photographs of holotype ( Figs. 2‒4 ) and one paratype ( Figs. 6‒8 ) of Aphonides turbator (ZMB) . ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires Province: Bahía Blanca [38°43.0’S, 62°16.0’W], 9–12.xi.1946, K. Hayward and A. Willink, 1 ♂ and 1 ♀ ( FML) and [without date], C. Bruch, 1 ♂ ( MLP); Estafeta Chapadmalal [38°10.1’S, 57°38.2’W], 13.xi.1994, J. Farina, 2 ♀♀ ( MMPE); Felipe Solá [38°00.5’S, 62°49.0’W], xii.1941, A. Martínez, 1 ♀ (MACN-En 40338) ; Las Grutas Necochea [38°36.5’S, 58°48.5’W], 23–25.xi.1998, J. Farina, 1 ♂ ( MMPE); Necochea [38°34.0’S, 58°45.0’W], 7.xi.2013, 1 ♀ ( MMPE); Parque los Robles, Olavarría [36°54.4’S, 60°20.5’W], x.2021, S. Ferrer, 1 ♂ and 1 ♀ ( LEBA); Sierra de Curamalal [37°41.7’S, 62°17.4’W], [without date], 2 ♂♂ (MACN-En 40331 and MACN-En 40332) ; Sierra de la Ventana [38°08.0’S, 61°47.0’W], [without date], M. Richter, 2 ♂♂ and 1 ♀ ( MLP); Tres Arroyos [38°22.0’S, 60°17.0’W], x.1928, 1 ♂ and 2 ♀♀ ( MLP); [without locality], [without date], C. Bruch, 1 ♂ and 1 ♀ ( MLP); [without locality], [without date], J. Boso, 1 ♂ ( MLP). Catamarca Province: La Ciénaga [27°30.0’S, 66°57.0’W], xi.1927, W. Weiser & F. Wolters, 2 ♀♀ (MACN-En 40343 and MACN-En 40344) ; [without locality], [without date], L. Luciat, 1 ♀ (MACN-En 40334). Córdoba Province: Aeropuerto de Córdoba [31°19.0’S, 64°12.0’W], 14.xi.1970, A. Martínez, 10 ♂♂ and 14 ♀♀ ( LEBA); La Buena Parada [31°10.3’S, 63°36.4’W], xii.1934, 1 ♂ ( MLP); La Población [32°04.0’S, 65°02.0’W], 10.i.1946, A. Bachmann, 1 ♀ (MACN-En 40339) ; Río Ceballos [31°11.0’S, 64°19.0’W], xi.1938, G. Pellerano, 4 ♂♂ (MACN-En 40327, MACN-En 40328, MACN-En 40329, and MACN-En 40330) ; Río Cuarto [33°07.0’S, 64°21.0’W], [without date], 2 ♂♂ (MACN-En 40323 and MACN-En 40324) and 1 ♀ (MACN-En 40325); Villa Dolores [31°57.0’S, 65°11.0’W], xii.1932, 1 ♀ ( MLP); [without locality], ix.1927, 1 ♂ (MACN-En 40326) . Jujuy Province: El Volcán [23°55.0’S, 65°28.0’W], [without date], P. Kohler, 1 ♀ ( MLP). La Pampa Province: General Pico, Instituto de Patología Vegetal INTA [35°39.5’S, 63°46.0’W], ix.1967, J. Williamson, 1 ♂ (MACN-En 40335) and 2 ♀♀ (MACN-En 40336 and MACN-En 40337); Pampa Central , i.1920, 1 ♂ (MACN-En 40342) ; [without locality], x.1926, 1 ♀ ( MLP). La Rioja Province: [without locality], [without date], A. Breyer, 1 ♀ (MACN-En 40333) . Misiones Province: [without locality], [without date], K. Wolffhügel, 1 ♀ ( MLP). Río Negro Province: Chimpay [39°10.0’S, 66°09.0’W], 5–8.x.1993, J. Farina, 1 ♀ ( MMPE). San Luis: Las Isletas [33°48.0’S, 65°33.0’W], [without date], 1 ♂ (MACN-En 40340) ; [without locality], [without date], M. Richter, 1 ♂ ( MLP). PARAGUAY: Alto Paraguay Department: Puerto Guaraní [21°18.0’S, 57°55.0’W], 1920, J. Daguerre, 1 ♀ (MACN-En 40341).

Diagnosis: Length: 16.5‒22.5 mm (females, n = 22), 14.5‒20.5 mm (males, n = 22); greatest pronotal width: 7.5‒10.5 mm (females, n = 22), 7.5‒11.0 mm (males, n = 22). Colour reddish brown, shiny. Body oval and convex, dorsal surface glabrous, ventrally setose. Head triangular, ending in a rounded tip. In females, with a conical, weak tubercle; in males, frons armed with a small, erect horn. Mentum strongly convex. Antennae with nine antennomeres. Pronotum in females, entirely convex, finely rugo-punctate on anterior portion of disc, appearing smooth on middle and posterior portions, without declivity. In males, globose, with a vertical declivity in the anterior third. Scutellum broad, approximately onequarter wider than long, punctate. Elytron shiny, surface with weak punctate striae. Epipleuron entire, more pronounced on the anterior third. Protibiae with three well-defined teeth, equidistant, with black margins. Meso- and metatibiae with two transverse carinae in middle and apex with two pointed spurs on mesotibiae and rounded spatulate shape on metatibiae. Pygidium mostly smooth, with some small setigerous punctures scattered on the sides.

Remarks: Endrödi (1981) differentiated Aphonides turbator from Anoplognatho dunnianus (the type species of both generic names) by the presence of a conical, weak tubercle on the head. In this study, all examined female specimens of E. cornutus , as well as the type material of Aphonides turbator , have a conical, weak tubercle on the head.

The type material of Aphonides turbator differs from the other two valid species of Eremobothynus based on the variation in the morphological characters outlined below. Endrödi (1970) identified a double tubercle on the front as the main diagnostic character for distinguishing E. bicuspis from E. cornutus . This same tubercle is characteristic of the females of E. bicuspis , allowing them to be differentiated from the type material of Aphonides turbator . On the other hand, Grossi & Abadie (2008) described E. hirsutus based solely on three male specimens. The diagnostic characters they mentioned include a short head with a square clypeus, a flattened mentum, and an almost absent epipleuron. However, these traits do not align with those observed in the holotype of Aphonides turbator , which features a longer head with a rounded clypeus, a strongly convex mentum, and an entire epipleuron more pronounced on the anterior third. Although the female of E. hirsutus has not been documented, the lack of sexual dimorphism in the mentioned characters within Pentodontini suggests that these traits may be consistent across both sexes.

In this contribution, Aphonides turbator is proposed as a junior synonym of Eremobothynus cornutus . This synonymy is established based on the analysis of the original descriptions of genera and species ( Steinheil 1874; Ohaus 1910; Endrödi 1981) and the observation of the type specimens of Aphonides turbator and specimens of E. cornutus from various localities. The morphological characters that support the synonymy are: (1) oval and convex body; (2) shiny reddish-brown color; (3) head front armed with a weak tubercle (females) or a small erect horn (males); (4) triangular clypeus ending in a rounded point; (5) mentum strongly convex; (6) antennae with nine antennomeres; (7) pronotum notably curved, wider than long, with rounded posterior corners and more noticeable punctation on the anterior half; (8) broad triangular scutellum; (9) convex elytra finely punctate, with entire epipleuron; (10) protibiae with three strong teeth; (11) mesotibiae and metatibiae with two oblique carinae; (12) convex, smooth, and shiny pygidium, with isolated punctures and a higher density of punctures in the lateral corners. In all these characters, the type material of Aphonides turbator is indistinguishable from E. cornutus .

In conclusion, the results of this study provide a solid basis for the synonymy of Aphonides turbator with E. cornutus , supported by a detailed evaluation of multiple morphological characters. The integration of original descriptions and observations of specimens from various localities has facilitated a clearer understanding of the species.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Records of Eremobothynus cornutus. Green star: type locality of Eremobothynus cornutus, yellow star: type locality of Aphonides turbator, solid red circles: material examined with locality data, open red circles: material examined without precise locality data, black circles: previous bibliographic records.

FIGURES 2‒12. Eremobothynus cornutus (female specimens). 2, dorsal view of Aphonides turbator holotype (ZMB); 3, ventral view of Aphonides turbator holotype (ZMB); 4, lateral view of Aphonides turbator holotype (ZMB); 5, labels of Aphonides turbator holotype; 6, dorsal view of Aphonides turbator paratype (ZMB); 7, ventral view of Aphonides turbator paratype (ZMB); 8, lateral view of Aphonides turbator paratype (ZMB); 9, labels of Aphonides turbator paratype; 10, dorsal view of a specimen from Córdoba Province, Argentina (LEBA); 11, ventral view of a specimen from Córdoba Province, Argentina (LEBA); 12, lateral view of a specimen from Córdoba Province, Argentina (LEBA). Scale bar: 5 mm.