Tomarus similis ( Endrödi, 1968 ), Endrodi, 1968

López-García, Margarita M., Gasca-Álvarez, Héctor J. & Amat-García, Germán, 2015, The scarab beetle tribe Pentodontini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) of Colombia: taxonomy, natural history, and distribution, Zootaxa 4048 (4), pp. 451-492 : 488-489

Tomarus similis ( Endrödi, 1968)

( Figs. 160 – 166 )

Lygirus similis Endrödi, 1968: 166 .

Description. Habitus as in Fig. 160 . Length 25–26 mm (♂), 22.1–27.5 mm (♀). Width 12.0– 12.5 mm (♂), 10.0– 13.5 mm (♀). Color black to dark brown. Head: Frons concave between eyes and before frontal tubercles; surface deeply punctate, nearly smooth on vertex and only with deep, sparse punctures. Frontoclypeal region with 2 transverse tubercles broadly separated from one another (about 5 tubercle diameters). Frontoclypeal suture present, as a weak carina on each side. Clypeus with surface transversely rugose; trapezoidal, apex broadly truncate; with 2 small teeth, teeth reflexed, widely separated (about 5 tooth diameters). Interocular distance equals 3.5 times the transverse ocular diameter. Antennal club subequal in length to antennomeres 2–7. Mandibles with 2 apical and one lateral tooth. Pronotum: Surface with sparse, small, deep punctures, denser on lateral margins. Apical tubercle small, only as a small tumescence ( Fig. 161 ). Subapical fovea nearly triangular, narrowed posteriorly ( Fig. 162 ), deep and rugose. Scutellum: Nearly smooth, only with some minute, sparse punctures. Elytra: Surface with deep, large and ocellate punctures, some smaller between intervals; 3 pairs of double rows of punctures slightly distinct; elytral suture present. Pygidium: Surface with deep evenly dispersed punctures, becoming nearly smooth on basal third. Surface strongly (males) to weakly convex (females). Legs: Protibia tridentate, basal tooth distinctly removed from others. Male protarsus enlarged, outer claw incised. Apex of metatibia crenulate, with 6–7 spinules on the apical margin. Apex of first metatarsomere subtruncate. Venter: Prosternal process long, extending beyond procoxae; apex transversally oval, split, posterior part bordered by long yellow setae. Parameres: Slender; lateral teeth small, with apex acute; apices slightly expanded outwards ( Figs. 163–164 ). Spiculum gastrale: Base longer than lateral branches, apex truncate ( Fig. 165 ).

Diagnosis. Tomarus similis can be differentiated from other Tomarus species by having a trapezoidal clypeus apically truncate and male protarsi enlarged. This species is similar to T. ebenus , but the deeper pronotal fovea and the shape of parameres, which are elongate in T. similis , can help to distinguish them.

Locality records. ( Fig. 166 ) 13 specimens, 6♂, 7♀. Specimens were seen from ANDES, IAvH, ICN, LEUC, MEFLG, UNAB. Amazonas (4): Leticia (4). Antioquia (1): Apartadó (1). Chocó (2): Riosucio, Cacarica (1). Utria (1). Caldas (1): Palestina, Vda. Santágueda, Granja Montelindo, Valle de Santágueda (1). Meta (5): Cabuyaro, Vda. Yarico (2). Puerto Gaitán (1) Río Duda, PNN Tinigua CIEM (1). San Miguel, Fca. Yarmato (1).

Temporal distribution. January (1), March (2), April (1), May (1), June (1), August (1), September (1), October (4). No data (1).

Distribution. Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru ( Endrödi 1969), and Colombia ( Neita-Moreno 2011).

Natural history. Adults were collected with light traps. Some were found in plantations of African oil palm ( Elaeis guineensis Jacquin ; Arecaceae ) in Meta department. The species is distributed at elevations of 30 – 1,200 m.

Figures

FIGURES 160 – 166. Tomarus similis. 160) habitus in dorsal view, 161) habitus in lateral view, 162) head and pronotum in dorsal view, 163) parameres in frontal view, 164) parameres in lateral view, 165) spiculum gastrale, 166) locality records in Colombia.