Pentodon bidens sulcifrons Küster, 1848

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 : 550

Pentodon bidens sulcifrons Küster, 1848

Pentodon sulcifrons Küster 1848: 43 .

Pentodon xyphias Baudi di Selve 1870: 78 . Pentodon rugulosus Reitter 1899: 35 .

Morphology. Length 17–21 mm. Body strongly convex, black and shiny. Clypeus trapezoidal, very densely and coarsely punctate; anterior edge equipped with two distinct teeth separated by a broad depression, lateral edges outlined in a carina. Frontoclypeal suture raised, with two tubercles separated from one another by a lesser extent than clypeal tubercles. Frons punctured similarly to clypeus; vertex smooth posteriorly. Pronotum carinate along anterior and lateral edges. Disc of pronotum densely, distinctly punctate and wrinkled anteriorly, punctation decreasing posteriorly. Scutellar shield triangular, smooth. Striae of elytra almost flat and very finely punctate, interstriae quite densely and not coarsely punctate, fine punctation also present. Pygidium triangular, moderately convex, very densely punctate and wrinkled at the base, whereas punctures toward apex clearly less dense.

Male Genitalia. Parameres gradually narrowing from the base toward apex; apices broadened and evenly rounded ( Fig. 7 ).

Distribution ( Fig. 11E ).? EGYPT.

Note. Recorded vaguely from Egypt by Endrődi (1969). Considering its overly general published distribution, its distribution in North Africa requires confirmation.

Figures

Figs. 6–10. Dorsal view of Pentodon parameres (modified from Baraud 1985). 6) P. bidens punctatus; 7) P. bidens sulcifrons; 8) P. idiota memnon; 9) P. variolopunctatus deserti; 10) P. v. variolopunctatus.

Fig. 11. Distribution of Pentodon species in Africa. D) P. bidens punctatus, E) P. bidens sulcifrons, F) P. idiota memnon, G) P. variolopunctatus deserti, H) P. v. variolopunctatus.