Coprophanaeus (Metallophanaeus) horus ( Waterhouse, 1891 )

Edmonds, W. D. & Zidek, J., 2010, A taxonomic review of the neotropical genus Coprophanaeus Olsoufieff, 1924 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae), Insecta Mundi 2010 (129), pp. 1-111 : 25-29

Coprophanaeus (Metallophanaeus) horus ( Waterhouse, 1891)

Fig. 10 , 56, 60 , 62-68

Phanaeus horus Waterhouse, 1891: 129

Phanaeus sericeus Felsche, 1901: 152 (syn. by Martínez and Pereira 1960: 80)

Metallophanaeus horus (Waterhouse) (recomb. by Blackwelder 1944: 209)

Coprophanaeus horus (Waterhouse) (recomb. by Edmonds 1972: 842)

Type. P. horus – holotype male, The Natural History Museum, London (examined); P. sericeus – unknown to us.

Diagnosis. General – Posterior portion of paraocular areas ( Fig. 60 ) strongly transversely raised in front of eyes (swelling sometimes ridge-like), coarsely punctured in front of swelling. Pronotum smooth posteromedially, otherwise weakly granulorugose; posterior angle normal, basal fossae large, conspicuous, incorporated into inner ends of sulcus paralleling posterior margin. Anteromedian angle of metasternum (seen in profile, as in Fig. 59 ) rounded, not salient; angle capped with elongate thickening (bead). Striae (x5) simple, weakly impressed; bases of striae 1-4 impressed, not distinctly fossate. Elytral interstria usually distinctly convex, first, second and/or fourth often more strongly so. Ventral surface of protibia lateral to longitudinal carina paralleling inner margin entirely punctatorugose. Pygidium ( Fig. 56 ) with broad basal groove. Length 15-22 mm. Color green or yellowish green with strong golden highlights.

Male ( Fig. 63-65 ) – Head with evenly tapering long horn whose base is not abruptly swollen. Pronotum with pair of closely set, apically convergent processes near posterior margin, separated by strong concavity; disk anterior to processes with pair of conspicuous round concavities. Pronotal disk punctate posteromedially, otherwise granulorugose. Apical processes of parameres angulate.

Female ( Fig. 67-68 ) – Pronotum with transverse, weakly margined ridge followed by midlongitudinal groove. Pronotum finely granulorugose on disk and sides, punctate posteromedially.

Specimens examined – 31.

Distribution. Chaco and Cerrado provinces ( Fig. 62 ).

Collection Records. ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires – General Sarmiento (Jan) ; General Belgrano. Córdoba – Cruz Alta (Feb, Nov) ; Leones (Feb). Misiones – Loreto (Jan, Nov) . Tucuman – Los Ralos . BRAZIL: Distrito Federal – Brasilia (Nov). Minas Gerais – 100 km SSE Lavras [Carrancas, Chapada das Perdízes] (Dec). Paraná – Mamborê (Feb). Rio Grande do Sul – Canôas (Oct) ; Colorado (Dec) ; Botucatu (Feb) . PARAGUAY: Boquerón – Nueva Asunción (Jan, Apr, Dec). Caaguazú – Caaguazú (Dec). Presidente Hays – Laguna Capitan (Jan) .

Comments. This is the only Metallophanaeus species whose female lacks an anteromedian transverse crest adjacent to anterior pronotal margin, a departure from “normal” female pronotal type also seen in C. cerberus (q.v.)

References to C. horus by Pessôa (1934) and Pessôa and Lane (1941) are actually to C. pessoai ( Pereira, 1949) . Martínez (1959) reported C. horus to be strictly necrophagous. Felsche’s species ( Phanaeus sericeus ) was based on specimens from the southern part of the range, where individuals take on a more muted color tone than in the central Cerrado.

Figures

Figure 62. Approximate geographic distribution of Coprophanaeus (Metallophanaeus) species.

Figure 63-68. Coprophanaeus horus. 63-65) Male habitus. 66) Aedeagus (dorsal view on left; lateral view on right). 67-68) Female habitus.

Figure 5-12. Characters of Coprophanaeus. 5) Ventral view of front left tibia of C. ensifer (arrow marks elongate tuft of setae). 6) Same, C. dardanus. 7) Left anterolateral pronotal margin of C. spitzi (arrow indicates unbroken circumnotal carina. 8) Same, C. magnoi (arrow indicates broken circumnotal carina). 9) Base of left hind wing of C. cerberus. 10) Same, C. horus. 11) Lateral view left occipital lobe of C. ensifer (asterisk marks swelling). 12) Same, C. spitzi (asterisk marks flat area).

Figure 50-61. Characters of the Coprophanaeus subgenus Metallophanaeus. 50) Ventral view of left protibia of C. saphirinus. 51) Same, C. pertyi. 52) Dorsal view of posterior portion of pronotum of C. thalassinus. 53) Same, C. pessoai. 54) Dorsal view of left elytron of C. punctatus. 55) Same, C. pessoai. 56) Posterior view of pygidium of C. horus. 57) Lateral view of metasternal angle of C. pertyi. 58) Same, C. pessoai. 59) Same, C. saphirinus. 60) Dorsal view of right side of head of C. horus. 61) Same, C. pessoai.