Bothynus quadridens ( Taschenberg, 1870 )

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 : 459-460

Bothynus quadridens ( Taschenberg, 1870)

( Figs. 17 – 24 )

Corynoscelis quadridens Taschenberg, 1870: 185 .

Description. Habitus as in Fig. 17 . Length 21.0 – 28.5 mm (♂), 22.0 – 30.0 mm (♀). Width 11.5 – 16.0 mm (♂), 12.0 – 17.0 mm (♀). Color dark reddish brown to black. Head: Frons grooved and with deep, sparse punctures. Eye canthus with erect, short setae. Frontoclypeal region with central tubercle and with sparse, erect, long, yellow setae. Clypeus with rugose surface; shape triangular and strongly contracted to narrow apex; anterior margin with 2 sharp, reflexed teeth, separated by 1 tooth diameter. Interocular distance equals 3.5 times the ocular transverse diameter. Antenna with club slightly longer than antennomeres 2 – 7. Mandibles tridentate, dorsally visible ( Fig. 19 ). Pronotum: Surface transversely rugose on anterior third, rugopunctate on median third and with sparse punctures on posterior third, punctures becoming larger and denser on basal and lateral margins. Apical margin with transverse high tubercle ( Fig. 18 ). Anterior half with wide transverse fovea; surface transversely rugose; width subequal to head width. Scutellum: Surface nearly smooth, with small to minute, sparse punctures. Elytra: Surface with a few minute punctures forming inconspicuous rows; sutural striae weak, with distanced punctures ( Fig. 17 ). Pygidium : Basal half transversely rugose, and with long yellow setae, apex with sparse minute punctures. Legs: Protibia with 4 teeth ( Fig. 18 ). Males with inner claw of protarsi with ventral tooth ( Fig. 23 ). Metatibia with apical margin not truncate and irregular, with 14 – 15 long, thin, sharp spinules. First metatarsomere with apex triangular and apical angle sharp. Venter: Prosternal process long, spherical, clothed with dense, long and yellow setae. Parameres: Form slightly elongate and separated by a median concavity, apex rounded and lobe-shaped ( Figs. 20 – 21 ). Spiculum gastrale: Base longer than branches, apex truncate, base with 2 small triangular plates bearing long, yellow setae ( Fig. 22 ).

Diagnosis. This species most closely resembles B. complanus . Males can be differentiated by having the inner claw of the protarsi with a median tooth, and the parameres shorter and wider. The spiculum gastrale has the basal piece with apex truncate and associated plates small; while in B. complanus the apex of basal part is oval and the plates are larger. Females can be only identified by association with males.

Locality records. ( Fig. 24 ) 116 specimens, 56♂, 60♀. Specimens were seen from CEUA, CTI, IAvH, ICN, LEUC, MEFLG, MLS, UNAB, USNM. Antioquia (62): Ciudad Bolívar (12). Jericó, Cauca Viejo (2). San Jerónimo, Vda. El Berrial, Parque Los Tamarindos (29). Santafé de Antioquia (18). Boyacá (3): Santana, Plaza de mercado (3). Caldas (11): Aguadas, El Diamante (3). La Plata, Fca. La Sorpresa (1). Marquetalia, Vda. San Luís (1). Palestina, Vda. Santágueda, Granja Montelindo (6). La Guajira (1): El Jagüey (1). Santander (39): Bucaramanga (9). Pamplona (11). San Gil (6). Suaita, San José de Suaita (13).

Temporal distribution. March (5), April (14), May (3), July (21), August (27), September (25), October (17). No data (4).

Distribution. This species occurs in Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador ( Endrödi 1969; Ratcliffe 2003).

Natural history. Adults can be collected with light traps. The species has been found in coffee crops, on Musa × paradisiaca Linnaeus ( Musaceae ), grasses, and near mature forests. It was distributed between 17 and 2,300 m elevation.

Figures

FIGURES 17 – 24. Bothynus quadridens. 17) habitus in dorsal view, 18) habitus in frontal view, 19) head of male, 20) parameres in frontal view, 21) parameres in lateral view, 22) spiculum gastrale, 23) male inner proclaw, 24) locality records in Colombia.