Pentodon bidens punctatus ( Villers, 1789 )

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 punctatus ( Villers, 1789) ( Fig. 6 )

Scarabaeus punctatus Villers 1789: 40 .

Scarabaeus punctulatus Rossi 1790: 9 .

Pentodon castaneus Mulsant 1842: 384 .

Pentodon pimelioides Costa 1853: 3 .

Pentodon testudinarius Ragusa 1882: 279 .

Pentodon simplex Depoli 1910: 306 .

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

Male Genitalia. External edges of parameres almost straight and gradually narrowing toward apices; apices broadened, their posterolateral angles slightly acute ( Fig. 6 ).

Distribution ( Fig. 11D ). MOROCCO: Tangier; ALGERIA.

Note. Recorded from Tangier by Endrődi (1969), although it has not been recorded from this area by other researchers. Data from Algeria also raise doubts and have not confirmed by specimens.

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.