Tomarus colombianus López-García & Gasca-Álvarez, 2014

López-García, Margarita M., Gasca-Álvarez, Héctor J. & Amat-García, Germán, 2014, A new species of Tomarus Erichson, 1847 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Pentodontini), with a key to the species in Colombia, Zootaxa 3869 (5), pp. 579-584 : 580-583

Tomarus colombianus López-García & Gasca-Álvarez , new species

Type material. Holotype male at CIUQ labeled “ COLOMBIA: Dep. Valle del Cauca / Buenaventura / La Bocana / 16.iv.2004 / Light trap / 5 m altitude/Serna F. Coll / CIUQ 1505”. Allotype female at CIUQ labeled “ COLOMBIA: Dep. Valle del Cauca / Buenaventura / La Bocana / 15.iv.2004 / Light trap / 2 m altitude / Rivas L. Coll / CIUQ 1504”. One paratype male at CIUQ labeled “ COLOMBIA: Dep. Valle del Cauca / Buenaventura / La Bocana / 17.iv.2004 / Hand collecting / 5 m altitude / Serna F. Coll / ICN-MHN”. One paratype female at ICN-MHN labeled “ COLOMBIA: Dep. Valle del Cauca/Buenaventura / La Bocana / iv.2004 / Light trap / 2 m altitude / Mendoza L. Coll / CIUQ 1507”. One paratype female at ICN-MHN labeled “ COLOMBIA: Dep. Huila / Neiva / 5.iii.1974 / Bagos A. I. Coll / ICN-MHN”.

Description. Holotype ( Figs. 1–4 ). Male. Length 19.1 mm; humeral width 9.5 mm. Color dark reddish brown, venter light reddish, except by sternites. Head: Frons coarsely rugose and grooved. Frontoclypeal region with two triangular to transverse tubercles separated by about 7.5 tubercle diameters ( Fig. 3 ). Clypeus subtriangular, narrowed; apex with 2 triangular teeth separated by less than a tooth diameter. Mandibles with 2 teeth and a basal lobe, dorsal surface concave. Antenna with 10 antennomeres, club subequal in length to antennomeres 2–7. Pronotum: Surface nearly smooth with punctures over apical and lateral margins. Apical margin with a small tubercle not visible in lateral view; pronotal fovea very shallow, rugopunctate and about a half as wide as distance between eyes. Scutellum: Shape triangular; with deep punctures shaping 2 parallel lines that converge at the middle. Elytra: Sutural stria present and complete. Elytral punctures dense and strong, punctures mainly ocellate, 3 pairs of distinct double rows. Pygidium: Shape slightly convex, nearly flat in lateral view. Basal third deeply rugopunctate and with scattered, round punctures. Legs: Protibia tridentate with an additional small basal tooth ( Fig. 4 ). Protarsi simple, not enlarged. Apex of metatibia with small crenulation and 9 spinules. Venter: Prosternal process long, thick, apex transversely oval to rounded, and bordered with long yellow setae. Parameres: Base broad, apex nearly truncate; with two lateral projections, basal projection long and upwardly arched, apical projection shorter and acute ( Fig. 8–9 ). Spiculum gastrale: Shape symmetric with basal part straight and as long as lateral branches ( Fig. 10 ).

Allotype. Female. Length 19.5 mm, humeral width 9.5 mm. As holotype except as follows: Legs: Protibia with fourth basal tooth too inconspicuous to be seen, possibly worn by use. Apex of metatibia with 11 spinules.

Variation. Male (1 paratype). Length 18.0 mm; humeral width 8.5 mm. Females (2 paratypes). Length 20.0–21.0 mm; humeral width 10.2–10.5 mm. Apex of metatibia with 11 spinules.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to its distribution in Colombia.

Distribution. The species is known from Bazan Bocana, which is a coastal town in Buenaventura Municipality (Department of Valle del Cauca in the southwest of Colombia) located at 0–7 m; and Neiva Municipality (Department of Huila, between the central and eastern Andes of Colombia) at about 425 m elevation ( Fig. 14 ).

Temporal distribution. March (1), April (4).

Diagnosis. The new species is externally similar to T. laevicollis ( Figs. 5–7 ). Both species have the protibia with a small fourth tooth ( Fig. 3 ), and the parameres and spiculum gastrale are somewhat similar ( Figs. 10, 13 ). However, they can be separated by differences in elytral punctation (the new species has the first interval strongly punctate and the sutural stria complete whereas in T. laevicollis that interval is not punctate and sutural stria is incomplete); and the shape of the pronotal tubercle, which is not visible in lateral view in T. colombianus whereas it is prominent in T. laevicollis . These and other differential characters are summarized in Table 1 . Tomarus colombianus also resembles T. maternus (Prell, 1937) by having the pronotal tubercle and fovea inconspicuous, and scutellum with convergent lines of punctures. However, T. maternus differs in having: clypeal tooth separated by more than a tooth diameter, protibia without a basal fourth tooth, apex of the metatibia with 14–17 spinules and parameres shorter and without acute lateral projections.

Natural history. Specimens were collected by hand and at light traps. The area where most individuals were collected is a tropical humid forest. Mangrove swamp, secondary forest and Guandal forest are predominant in this coast region ( Figs. 15–16 ).

Remarks. Tomarus colombianus is known only from Colombia, whereas T. laevicollis , is a Central American species with a wide geographical distribution from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Costa Rica ( Ratcliffe et al. 2013).

Key to the species of adult Tomarus of Colombia

1 Pronotum without apical fovea or tubercle, pronotal punctuation dense and deep. Head without frontal tubercles, instead with a frontoclypeal ridge interrupted at the middle. Color light to dark reddish brown. Small size (12.5–16.0 mm)......................................................................................... Tomarus fossor (Latreille, 1813)

- Pronotum with apical fovea and tubercle, occasionally inconspicuous. Head with frontal tubercles. Coloration black to dark brown. Species longer than 16 mm ........................................................................ 2

2 Clypeus trapezoidal, with anterior margin nearly truncate; apical teeth small, widely separated (about 3 times tooth width). Frontal tubercles transverse. Males with enlarged protarsi...................................................... 3

- Clypeus triangular, narrowed towards apex; apical teeth prominent, reflexed, separated by a distance no larger than twice the width of one tooth. Frontal tubercles conical or transverse. Males with protarsi simple............................... 4

3 Externally similar to the next species. Pronotal fovea shallow and inconspicuous, maximum width less than a half of the interocular distance. Parameres wide, basal third widened, apical third strongly contracted and apex dilated......................................................................................... Tomarus ebenus (De Geer, 1774)

- Externally similar to the preceding species. Pronotal fovea deep and triangular, maximum width about a half of the interocular distance. Parameres slender and long, apical third not strongly contracted, sides nearly parallel................................................................................................... Tomarus similis (Endrödi, 1968)

4 Protibia with 3 long teeth and with a small basal tooth suggestive of a fourth tooth.................................. 5

- Protibia tridentate, without basal small tooth................................................................ 6

5 Pronotum nearly smooth, with only a few punctures near lateral and anterior margins; pronotal fovea shallow; pronotal tubercle small, not visible in lateral view. Parameres as in Fig. 8–9 ................................................................................................ Tomarus colombianus López-García & Gasca-Álvarez , new species

- Pronotum with dense and deep punctuation; pronotal fovea deep, nearly round; pronotal tubercle prominent.................................................................................... Tomarus gyas Erichson, 1848 (in part)

6 Pronotum with fovea and tubercle inconspicuous............................................................. 7

- Pronotum with a large transversely oval fovea and a prominent tubercle..................................................................................................... Tomarus bituberculatus (Palisot de Beauvois, 1811)

7 Pronotal punctures dense and deep. Scutellum smooth or with a few sparse punctures. Apex of metatibia with 22–24 spinules..................................................................... Tomarus gyas Erichson, 1848 (in part)

- Pronotal punctation sparse and small, pronotum nearly smooth. Scutellum with 2 lines of punctures parallel to margins. Apex of metatibia with 14–17 spinules............................................... Tomarus maternus (Prell, 1937)

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. (1 – 4) Tomarus colombianus new species. Holotype: 1) habitus in dorsal view, 2) habitus in lateral view, 3) head in dorsal view, 4) protibia. (5 – 7) Tomarus laevicollis, male: 5) habitus in dorsal view; 6) habitus in lateral view; 7) head in dorsal view.

FIGURES 8 – 13. (8 – 10) Tomarus colombianus new species: 8) parameres in frontal view, 9) parameres in lateral view, 10) spiculum gastrale. (11 – 13) Tomarus laevicollis: 11) parameres in frontal view, 12) parameres in lateral view, 13) spiculum gastrale.

FIGURES 14 – 16 Distribution records and habitat of Tomarus colombianus new species, 14) Records in Colombia, 15) Mangrove, humid forest and Guandal, seen from above, 16) Pacific coast of Colombia.

Tables

TABLE 1. Differential characters between Tomarus colombianus and T. laevicollis.

	Tomarus colombianus	Tomarus laevicollis
Frontal tubercles	Slightly triangular to transverse (Fig. 3)	Conical (Fig. 7)
Pronotal tubercle	Small, not visible in lateral view (Fig. 2)	Large, prominent, visible in lateral view (Fig. 6)
Scutellum	With lateral, parallel lines of punctures	Without punctures
Elytral punctures	Strong, sutural stria complete	First interval smooth, sutural stria incomplete, present only on apical fourth
Prosternal process	Apex transversely oval to rounded	Apex subquadrate to longitudinally oval
Parameres	Broad at apex; lateral projections further apart (Figs. 8–9)	Slender at apex; lateral projections closer together (Figs. 11–12)