Pentodon algerinus algerinus ( Fuessly, 1778 )

Bunalski, Marek & Śmiełowski, Jan, 2020, Review of African Species of the Genus Pentodon Hope, 1837 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Pentodontini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 74 (3), pp. 547-554 : 548

Pentodon algerinus algerinus ( Fuessly, 1778) ( Figs. 1, 2 )

Scarabaeus algerinus Fuessly 1778: 40 .

Pentodon puncticollis Burmeister 1847: 104 .

Pentodon bispinosus Küster 1852: 36 .

Pentodon balearicus Kraatz 1882: 60 .

Heteronychus cribratellus Fairmaire 1893 : cxlvi.

Morphology. Length 17–24 mm. Body convex, nearly black, shiny. Clypeus densely, coarsely punctate, rounded; anterior edge equipped with two distinct teeth separated by an impression, lateral edges raised in a ridge-shaped manner ( Fig. 1 ). Frontoclypeal suture raised, convex, with distinct tubercle in the middle. Frons slightly more densely punctate than clypeus; vertex smooth posteriorly. Pronotum with lateral carinae. Disc of pronotum densely and distinctly punctate, decreasing posteriorly. Punctures near anterior angles of pronotum overlapping, giving the appearance of faint wrinkles. Scutellar shield triangular, impunctate. Striae of elytra flat, outlined with deep punctures. Sutural stria broader, slightly impressed posteriorly. Interstriae distinctly, but not densely, punctate. Pygidium almost triangular, evenly convex, finely and densely punctate, less numerously toward apex.

Male Genitalia. Parameres seen from above widened in the middle and at apex ( Fig. 2 ); in lateral view almost triangular, upper edge straight, apices curved downward, tooth at lower edge located almost in the middle.

Distribution ( Fig. 5A ). MOROCCO: North and central, south to the Sahara; ALGERIA: North and central, south to Tuggurt; TUNISIA: North and central, south of Naftah, Qibili and Jerba; LIBYA: Tripoli; EGYPT: Nile Valley from Alexandria to Aswan.

Figures

Figs. 1–4. Diagnostic characters of Pentodon algerinus. 1–2) P. a. algerinus: 1) Dorsal view of head; 2) Dorsal view of parameres. 3–4) P. a. nubicus, new subspecies: 3) Dorsal view of head; 4) Dorsal view of parameres. Photos: T. Klejdysz.

Fig. 5. Distribution of Pentodon algerinus in Africa. A) P. a. algerinus, B) P. a. nubicus, new subspecies, C) P. a. tchadensis.