Uroxys bonplandi, Kohlmann, Bert, Solis, Angel & Alvarado, Guillermo E., 2019

Kohlmann, Bert, Solis, Angel & Alvarado, Guillermo E., 2019, Description of Onthophagus humboldti and Uroxys bonplandi, two new scarab beetles (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae) from Costa Rica, with notes on tropical mountain brachyptery and endemicity, ZooKeys 881, pp. 23-51 : 29-34

Uroxys bonplandi sp. nov. Figures 2h , 3b , 4 , 5

Type locality.

Costa Rica. Guanacaste. Sector Santa María, path to the cone of the Santa María, part of the Rincón de la Vieja volcanic massif, 1565 m.

Type deposition.

Museo Nacional de Costa Rica, Santo Domingo de Heredia, Costa Rica.

Type material.

Holotype male, pinned, with genitalia in a separate microvial. Original label: "Costa Rica. Provincia Guanacaste. Sector Santa María, Sendero a Pico Volcán Santa María. 1565 m. 2 Diciembre 2017. Col. Sergio Salas Ríos. Biocol. 10.8039N, 85.3281W." "HOLOTYPE/ Uroxys bonplandi Kohlmann, Solís, Alvarado [red printed label]".

Other material.

Paratypes (18 males, 25 females). "Costa Rica. Provincia Guanacaste. Sector Santa María, Sendero a Pico Volcán Santa María. 1565 m. 2 Diciembre 2017. Col. Sergio Salas Ríos. Biocol. 10.8039N, 85.3281W (6 males, 10 females). " Tilarán Bosque Nuboso Santa Elena. 1600 m. 26 Noviembre - 8 Diciembre 1999. J. Rodríguez Trampa de Luz. L N 258000 45000" (1 female). " Provincia Puntarenas. Monteverde Zona Protectora Arenal-Monteverde. Parcela Brillantes. 1500-1600 m. 17-19 Junio 2009. A. Solís, J.D. Gutiérres. Trampa Foso. L N 252009 450981" (4 males, 2 females), “13– 1600 m. 10°18'N, 84°48'W. Univ. California EAP 1991" (1 female). "Est. La Casona. 1520 m. Reserva Biológica Monteverde. N. Obando. Octubre 1991. L N 253250 449700" (2 males, 2 females), "Septiembre 1990 (1 male), 29 Nov - 17 Diciembre 1994, K. Martínez, L N 253200 449700" (2 males, 1 female). " Provincia Alajuela. San Ramón. Zona Protectora Arenal-Monteverde. Parcela El Valle. 1600-1700 m. 16-18 Jun 2009. A. Solís, J.D. Gutiérrez. Trampa Foso. L N 255970 452538" (3 males, 9 females).

Diagnosis.

Anterior of frons evenly convex, without carina or groove, with a dimple or transversely rugose; clypeal margin indented at junction with clypeogenal suture; dorsal ocular area twice as long as wide, distance between eyes five times eye width; pronotum evenly convex, sides angled near middle; elytral apex of the second to fourth intervals forming an oblique keel ( Fig. 2h ); basal sulcus of pygidium sinuate; fore tibial spur slender and deflexed distally.

Description.

Holotype. Male, length 7.4 mm; maximum width 3.8 mm. Elongate oval, shining reddish black ( Fig. 4 ). Clypeus bidentate, slightly indented immediately laterad of teeth; teeth broadly triangular and strongly reflexed ( Fig. 4 ). Head surface with a small dimple at the center, distinct small punctures throughout. Clypeogenal suture distinct; clypeal margin distinctly indented at intersection of suture ( Fig. 4 ); genal margins broadly rounded ( Fig. 4 ). Frons weakly convex, with very slight, broad indentations. Dorsal ocular areas approximately twice as long as wide at posterior edge of canthus (12 to 14 facets wide at that point), distance between ocular areas approximately five times their width.

Pronotum at median angulation as wide as elytra; lateral edges of pronotum produced into prominent angles ( Fig. 4 ), strongly sinuate on lateral view, posterior two-thirds of margin nearly vertical; pronotum weakly convex medially; surface densely covered with fine, deep punctures; median longitudinal sulcus feebly indicated in posterior third; lateral fovea in form of crenulated longitudinal deep grove three-fourths length of pronotum ( Fig. 4 ), not extending to either anterior or posterior margin, with cluster of coarse punctures in posterior third; pronotum margined basally, with adjacent row of large longitudinal punctures ( Fig. 4 ).

Elytron moderately convex, clearly punctate (faintly in Uroxys dybasi Howden & Young, 1981), humeral umbone small; striae distinct but shallow, with distinct punctures evenly spaced for most of length of each stria, seventh stria extending three-fifths length of elytron; posterior tenth of first stria furrowed; intervals flat, slightly flattened and constricted, not produced, except at the apex of the second to fourth intervals forming an oblique keel ( Fig. 2h ) (sharp straight keel in the third interval in dybasi , Fig. 2g ).

Meso- and metasternum clearly punctate (faintly in dybasi ); meso-metasternal suture medially moderately angulate anteriorly, moderately angulate laterally, three times farther from anterior margin of mesosternum than from mesocoxal cavity; metasternum swollen, with distinct median posterior depression.

Ventral abdominal segments two to five of equal length medially, each only slightly shorter medially than sixth; sixth slightly longer laterally than medially; anterior margins with small punctures (big crenulated punctures in dybasi ). Pygidium strongly convex, faintly punctate, twice as wide as long; sulcus surrounding disc deep basally, shallow elsewhere; margin formed of same width apically and laterally; sulcus basally very slightly arcuate toward apex on each side of midline.

Fore tibia elongate with inner margin broadly curved ( Fig. 4 ); outer margin with three teeth in apical third, teeth approximately equidistant, basal tooth somewhat reduced and more broadly triangular ( Fig. 4 ); apex of fore tibia with short, narrow, rounded, deflexed projection at inner corner, projection approximately half length of tibial spur. Tibial spur elongated, straight, pointed, extending to fourth tarsal segment. Fore femur gradually tapering distally; middle femur with a faint ventral posterior triangular projection at apical third (evident projection in dybasi ); hind femur with a well-developed ventral posterior swelling at apical third; posterior margin of hind trochanter continuous with posterior margin of femur.

Female, length 6.9 mm; maximum width 3.6 mm. It is similar to the male and varies in having a rugose clypeus, lateral edges of pronotum produced into less prominent angles. Elytral apex without oblique keels. Fore femur and fore tibia not as long. Middle and hind femur without a projection or swelling at apical third.

Variation.

Length 5.7 to 7.6 mm. Width 3.2 to 4.1 mm. The center of the head might have a small dimple and/or also a slight transverse rugosity.

Etymology.

This species is dedicated in honor of Aimé Jacques Alexandre Goujaud Bonpland, French naturalist, physician, and botanist, member of the scientific expedition that accompanied Humboldt to Spanish America.

Taxonomic considerations.

Solís and Kohlmann (2013) report the existence of 12 species of Uroxys for Costa Rica. This new species would increase their numbers to 13. Due to its great similarity, we here propose that Uroxys bonplandi sp. nov. represents the sister species of U. dybasi Howden & Young, 1981.

Uroxys bonplandi sp. nov. will key out to U. dybasi in Solís and Kohlmann´s (2013) key. It can be easily differentiated by the following characteristics: Uroxys bonplandi sp. nov. is consistently bigger (5.7 to 7.6 mm) than its sister species (4.3 to 5.6 mm), U. dybasi . It can also be separated by the clear punctures in thorax and elytra in bonplandi sp. nov. (faint in dybasi ). In males: elytral apex of the second to fourth intervals forming an oblique keel in bonplandi sp. nov. ( Fig. 2h ) (sharp straight keel in the third interval in dybasi , Fig. 2g ), meso- and metasternum clearly punctate on bonplandi sp. nov. (faintly in dybasi ), anterior margins of ventral abdominal segments with small punctures in bonplandi sp. nov. (big crenulated punctures in dybasi ), and middle femur with a faint ventral posterior triangular projection at apical third in bonplandi sp. nov. (evident projection in dybasi ).

Geographical distribution.

Uroxys bonplandi sp. nov. has been collected so far in the Cordillera de Guanacaste and the Cordillera de Tilarán ( Fig. 5 ). It is a mountain species distributed from 1520 to 2200 m of altitude and has been collected in the following life-zones: wet tropical forest (premontane transition), lower montane rain forest, lower montane wet forest, premontane rainforest, and premontane wet forest. It has been collected from June to February.

Chorological affinities.

Uroxys bonplandi sp. nov. coincides with U. dybasi in being distributed along the Guanacaste and Tilarán mountain ranges. ( Fig. 5 ) This last species has been also reported from mountain forests from Panama in the Cordillera de Chiriquí and in Costa Rica in the Cordillera Central and Talamanca ( Fig. 5 ), being distributed between 600 and 1700 m and collected throughout the whole year. U. bonplandi sp. nov. represents also the first known endemic species of Uroxys for Costa Rica.

Another related species is Uroxys tacanensis Delgado & Kohlmann, 2007, known only from its type locality, the Tacaná volcano, at the border of Mexico and Guatemala, living in cloud forest at 2000 m altitude ( Delgado and Kohlmann 2007). No other species of this group has been yet collected in the intermediate areas. They are all montane species.

Figures

Figure 2. Drawings of the clypeal horn of a O. humboldti sp. nov. and b O. micropterus; pronotum of c O. humboldti sp. nov. and d O. micropterus; head of e O. humboldti sp. nov. and f O. micropterus; and elytral apex of g U. bonplandi sp. nov. and h U. dybasi. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figure 3. Aedeagui of a O. humboldti sp. nov. b U. bonplandi sp. nov. c brachypterous wing of O. humboldti sp. nov.

Figure 4. Dorsal drawing of a male Uroxys bonplandi sp. nov.

Figure 5. Known distribution of O. humboldti sp. nov. (orange circle) and U. bonplandi sp. nov. (red triangle). The distribution of the proposed sister species of these new taxa is also depicted, O. micropterus (blue rhombus) and U. dybasi (black square).