insecta mundi - Center for Systematic Entomology

16 • INSECTA MUNDI 0129, July 2010 EDMONDS AND ZIDEK
(as in Fig.18); anterior portion of metasternum smooth. Elytral striae (Fig. 16) narrow, sides carinulate,
straight, converging apically; interstriae 1-4 smooth, 5-7 finely rugose. Dorsal color black or dark brown,
sometimes dark blue or bluish violet. Length 28-38 mm.
Male (Fig. 31-33) – Pronotal concavity broad, shallow, lacking lateral protuberances. Dorsal prominence
with narrow, median, scoop-shaped element. Apical process of parameres rounded in profile.
Female (Fig. 29-30) – Cephalic process tridentate, middle tubercle much larger than laterals. Pronotal
prominence a transverse, weakly bitumid, narrow process near posterior margin; pronotal concavity very
broad, shallow, similar to that of male. Protarsi present.
Specimens examined – 150.
Distribution. Atlantic coast forests of Brazil (Paranaian subregion) (Fig. 28).
Collection Records. BRAZIL: Bahia – Entre Rios (Jan); Encruzilhada (Dec). Espiritu Santo –
Sooretama (Jun, Nov); Tijuco Prêto (Dec); Fazenda Lagoa do Macuco [Municipio Linhares], 19 o 03’50”S
39 o 58’43”W (Jan); Timbuhy. Minas Gerais – Viçosa [Mata do Paraiso], 20 o 48’18”S 42 o 51’20”W, 750 m
(Feb, Nov). Rio Grande do Sul – São Alberto (Jan). Rio de Janeiro – Nova Friburgo (Jan, Oct); 17 km
E Nova Friburgo, 22 o 23’04”S 42 o 33’30”W, 750 m (Jan). Santa Catarina – Joinville (Nov-Dec); Tijuca
Forest (Jan). São Paulo – São João dos Campos (Feb); Nova Cantareira (Apr); 50 km SE Mogi das Cruzes
[Serra do Mar Biological Station “Boraceia”], 800-900 m (Apr); Tremembé (Dec).
Comments. Arnaud (2002c) transferred this species to the subgenus Coprophanaeus s. str. stating only
that, while it was isolated from other members of that subgenus, it could not “… en aucune manière, si ce
n’est sa taille, être associé au groupe lancifer.” We disagree and maintain its placement in Megaphanaeus
because of the suite of characters it shares with C. lancifer, C. ensifer and C. bonariensis (see key to
subgenera). But we do agree that it is a taxonomic isolate within the subgenus with, in our view, a closer
affinity with the saphirinus group of Metallophanaeus than with any constituent of Coprophanaeus s.
str. In this context, the affinity is suggested by secondary sexual characteristics of both sexes and the
texture of the elytra. Interestingly, Nevinson (1892) in his “Suggested order of the species, and the groups
into which they more-or-less naturally fall,” proposed C. bellicosus as an isolated annectant between the
lancifer and saphirinus groups. To Martínez (1944) the females of C. bellicosus “ … se asemejan a ciertos
[two male symbols] del subgenero Coprophanaeus del grupo jasius.”
Coprophanaeus bellicosus is a denizen of the Atlantic coast forests of Brazil, and its range, along with
that of C. cerberus, has undoubtedly contracted in recent decades because of widespread agriculturization
and urbanization of Brazil’s eastern seaboard.
Coprophanaeus (Megaphanaeus) lancifer (Linné, 1767)
Fig. 13, 17-18, 23-26, 28, 35-39
Scarabaeus lancifer Linné, 1767: 544
Scarabaeus satelles Lichtenstein, 1796: 5 (syn. by Nevinson 1892: 5)
Phanaeus heros Castelnau, 1840: 80 (syn. by Nevinson 1892: 5)
Phanaeus miles Castelnau, 1840: 80 (syn. by Nevinson 1892: 5)
Phanaeus septentrionalis Pessôa, 1934: 291 (syn. by Martínez and Pereira 1967: 60)
Megaphanaeus lancifer (L.) (recomb. by Blackwelder 1944: 209)
Coprophanaeus lancifer (L.) (recomb. by Edmonds 1972: 841)
Type. S. lancifer – unknown to us; P. heros – unknown to us; P. miles – unknown to us; S. satelles –
unknown to us; P. septentrionalis – holotype female, Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São
Paulo.
Diagnosis. General – Pronotum (Fig. 25-26, 35, 38) strongly granulate posteromedially. Posterolateral
pronotal ridge (Fig. 37, arrow) short, not extending to lateral pronotal fossa. Metasternal shield (Fig. 18)
smooth centrally, punctate peripherally; anterior portion of metasternum completely smooth, shiny medially,
finely granulate laterally. Basal two-thirds of elytral striae 2-4 moderately undulate, width at