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A new genus and species of Orphninae (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) associated with epiphytes in an Andean cloud forest

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Andrey V Frolov at Russian Academy of Sciences
Andrey V Frolov
Fernando Zagury Vaz-de-Mello at Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso (UFMT)
Fernando Zagury Vaz-de-Mello
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Abstract

Orphninae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) are represented in the New World by the tribe Aegidiini, which is comprised of four genera (Paulian 1984). Examination of material collected in Ecuador revealed a series of the Aegidiini specimens from an undescribed species that cannot be classified as a member of one of the known genera. The new species is herein described and a new genus is established. Apart from the distinctive morphological characters, the new taxon shows an unusual, for the Orphninae, association with canopy epiphytes.
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Accepted by A.B.T. Smith: 4 Aug. 2015; published: 28 Aug. 2015
433
ZOOTAXA
ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition)
ISSN
1175-5334
(online edition)
Copyright © 2015 Magnolia Press
Zootaxa 4007 (3): 433
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436
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Correspondence
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4007.3.10
http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A48D1205-6480-4727-90DC-55C880E5F52C
A new genus and species of Orphninae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) associated
with epiphytes in an Andean cloud forest in Ecuador
ANDREY V. FROLOV
1,2
& FERNANDO Z. VAZ-DE-MELLO
1
1
Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Biologia e Zoologia, Av. Fernando Corrêa da
Costa, 2367, Boa Esperança, 78060-900 Cuiabá, MT, Brazil
2
Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya nab., 1, Saint-Petersburg 199034, Russia
Orphninae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) are represented in the New World by the tribe Aegidiini, which is comprised of
four genera (Paulian 1984). Examination of material collected in Ecuador revealed a series of the Aegidiini specimens
from an undescribed species that cannot be classified as a member of one of the known genera. The new species is herein
described and a new genus is established. Apart from the distinctive morphological characters, the new taxon shows an
unusual, for the Orphninae, association with canopy epiphytes.
Photographs were taken with a Canon D100 camera equipped with a EF-S 60 macro lens. Partially focused serial
images were combined in Helicon Focus software (Helicon Soft Ltd.) to produce completely focused images.
Distribution map was generated with ArcGIS software (ESRI Ltd.). The material used for this study is housed in the
following institutions: Museum of Zoology of the Catholic University of Ecuador, Quito (QCAZ), Entomology Section
of the Zoological Collection, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá (CEMT), and Zoological Institute, Saint-
Petersburg (ZIN).
Onorius Frolov
& Vaz-de-Mello,
new genus
Type species. Onorius inexpectatus new species, here designated.
Description. Medium-sized beetles with uniform black coloration. Dorsal surface shiny, punctate with rounded
punctures. Clypeus symmetrical or subsymmetrical, slightly convex anteriorly. Mandibles of the same length, slightly
visible in dorsal view. Labrum hidden under clypeus. Head without suture and medial tubercle.
Pronotum narrower than elytra in both sexes; lateral and basal margins bordered and widely rounded, posterior
angles rounded, anterior margin not bordered. Disc of pronotum with a small fossa medioanteriorly in male, evenly
convex in female. Elytra without distinct striae visible as either depressed lines or puncture rows, with well-developed
humeral and apical humps. Scutellum triangular. Wings developed. Mesocoxal cavities connected by a hole. Protibiae
with three outer teeth, somewhat serrate basad of the teeth; in males, anterior spur is absent as in all Orphninae genera,
but with smaller tooth directed mediad, similar to the males of other South American genera. Tarsi relatively robust end
densely punctate; tarsomere 5 wider in lateral view than other tarsomeres, especially in protarsi, subequal in length to
tarsomere 1 in mesotarsi and metatarsi. Phallobase tube-shaped; parameres symmetrical, with apical processes.
The present diagnosis is based on a small series of one species so it may not be comprehensive regarding coloration,
sculpture, sexual dimorphism, and allometric variability.
The new genus is placed in the tribe Aegidiini because it shares the following adult synapomorphies of the tribe:
metepisterna widened posteriorly (forming additional “lock” for closed elytra), mesocoxal cavities connected by a hole,
phallobase tube-shaped (evenly sclerotized on dorsal and ventral sides), and protibia with inner apical tooth in males
(Frolov 2012; Paulian 1984).
Diagnosis. The new genus can be easily separated from the other members of the Aegidiini by its less prominent
mandibles (weakly visible or not visible in dorsal view), labrum hidden under the clypeus, and by the more robust and
densely punctate tarsi with tarsomere 1 being relatively short (subequal in length to tarsomere 5) and tarsomere 5
relatively robust, wider in lateral view than other tarsomeres.
Etymology. The new genus is named after Giovanni Onore (Quito, Ecuador), founder of the Otonga Foundation, who
collected part of the type series of the new species in the Otonga Nature Reserve. The gender of the name is masculine.
FROLOV & VAZ-DE-MELLO
434
· Zootaxa 4007 (3) © 2015 Magnolia Press
Onorius inexpectatus Frolov
& Vaz-de-Mello, new species
Type material. Holotype, male: “ECUADOR COTOPAXI OTONGA 1900 m 3FEB1998 GOnore // Ex docel 16 m de
alture” (QCAZ). Paratypes: 2 females with the same data as the holotype but the label “Ex docel 16 m de alture” (QCAZ,
CEMT); 2 females, “ECUADOR COTOPAXI OTONGA AUG1996 FRios” (QCAZ, ZIN); 1 female, “ECUADOR
COTOPAXI LAS PALMAS 1800m 04DEC1994 ETapia” (CEMT); 1 female, “ECUADOR COTOPAXI SIGCHOS
ASACHE 1800m 31DEC1995 ETapia” (QCAZ).
Holotype description. Male (Fig. 1). Body length 9.6 mm, width of elytra 4.5 mm, width of pronotum 3.8 mm.
Color uniform black.
FIGURES. Onorius inexpectatus. 1–2—habitus (1—holotype, male, 2—paratype, female), 3—holotype, aedeagus in lateral and
dorsal view, 4—locality map.
Zootaxa 4007 (3) © 2015 Magnolia Press ·
435
NEW ORPHNINAE ASSOCIATED WITH EPIPHYTES
Clypeus rounded anteriorly, with weak sinuation on the right side making clypeus somewhat asymmetrical. Head
densely punctate with round punctures separated by 2–3 puncture diameters. Head without traces of medial horn or
tubercle. Mandibles and labrum not protruding past clypeus in dorsal view.
Pronotum 1.5 times wider than long, widest at basal 0.4 of its length. Anterior margin without border, basal and
lateral margins bordered. Disc of pronotum with shallow fossa anteriorly and small tubercle apicad of this fossa. Surface
of pronotum punctate with round punctures separated by 2–4 puncture diameters.
Scutellum triangular, narrowly rounded apically, about 1/15 length of elytra, with somewhat rugose surface.
Elytra convex, with marked humeral and apical humps, without ridges or other elevated areas. Maximum width
approximately at the middle. Striae indistinct. Elytra punctate with round, moderately dense punctures separated by 2–4
puncture diameters; elytral punctures somewhat larger than those on pronotum. Base of elytra not bordered.
Wings fully developed.
Protibiae with 3 outer teeth and a smaller inner tooth. Lateral margin basad of outer teeth not crenulate. Apex and
internal margin of tibia with a few slender setae. Protarsi well developed, about 2/3 length of protibiae. Claws 1/3 length
of tarsomere 5. Tarsomere 5 as long as tarsomeres 2–4 combined, somewhat thicker than other tarsomeres. Tarsomere 1
as long as tarsomeres 2–4. Ventral surface of femora punctate with elongate punctures.
Mesolegs and metalegs similar in shape; metafemora and metatibiae about 1.2 times longer than mesofemora and
mesotibiae. Femora sparsely punctate with elongate punctures. Tibiae somewhat triangular, with two apical spurs. Upper
tibial spur as long as tarsomeres 1–3; lower spur as long as or a bit longer than tarsomere 1. Claws 1/3 length of
tarsomere 5. Tarsomere 5 relatively robust, as wide as the other tarsomeres, as long as tarsomeres 2–4 combined, and as
long as tarsomere 1.
Abdominal sternites punctate with elongate punctures. Sternite 8 about 2 times wider than sternites 4–7 medially.
Pygidium transverse, irregularly punctate, partly hidden under elytra.
Aedeagus. Phallobase tube-shaped, 1.3 times longer than parameres. Parameres are of complex shape, with 3
processes apically but without setation (Fig. 3). The shape of the parameres of O. inexpectatus is similar to that of a new
species of Aegidium Westwood recently found in the Atlantic Forest ecoregion (Frolov, Grossi & Vaz-de-Mello 2015).
Except for the unusual shape of the parameres, the latter, however, has all the diagnostic characters of Aegidium and
externally is dissimilar to O. inexpectatus. It is possible that the complex shape of the parameres is a plesiomorphic
character state and thus does not suggest close relationships of the two taxa.
Paratypes. All the paratypes are females differing from the male in having a fully developed apical protibial spur,
no inner apical tooth, convex pronotum without fossa and tubercle anteromedially, relatively narrower and more tapering
apically pronotum (Fig 2), and longer abdominal sternites 8 and 7. Body length of the paratypes 9.0–9.5 mm.
Distribution and habitat. The type series was collected in a small area in the Toachi River valley (Cotopaxi
Province, Central Ecuador) (Fig. 4). The area is occupied by native cloud forest, characterized by a thick cloud layer
covering the forest even in the dry season (Jarrín 2001; Zunino 2007). The specimens were collected by sifting dead
plant material accumulated between epiphytes and tree bark up to 16 m high (Giovanni Onore, Franz Ríos, personal
communication). This is the first record of the Orphninae members collected form such a special habitat. Other
orphnines, known from both New World and Old World, are presumably litter dwellers or specialist geobionts (Paulian
1948; Gourvès 1988; Frolov 2012; Gradinarov & Petrova 2012). Further investigations of scarabs associated with
epiphytes in the Andes may reveal other, yet unknown taxa.
Etymology. From Latin, “inexpectatus” for unexpected.
Key to the New World Orphninae genera
1. Mandibles and labrum strongly protruding past anterior margin of clypeus; outer margins of mandibles with angu-
late processes .......................................................................................................................................Aegidinus Arrow
- Mandibles and labrum weakly or not protruding past anterior margin of clypeus; outer margins of mandibles without
angulate processes ........................................................................................................................................................ 2
2. Pronotum with irregularly shaped undulating contiguous punctures and with sparse erect setae..................................
.................................................................................................................. Paraegidium Vulcano, Pereira, & Martínez
- Pronotum with round punctures, glabrous or with minute seta in center of punctures ...............................................3
3. Tarsomere 5 relatively robust, wider in lateral view than other tarsomeres, especially in protarsi, and subequal in
length to tarsomere 1 in mesotarsi and metatarsi ........................................................Onorius Frolov
& Vaz-de-Mello
- Tarsomere 5 relatively slender, not or weakly wider in lateral view than other tarsomeres, reasonably shorter than
tarsomere 1 in mesotarsi and metatarsi ....................................................................................................................... 4
FROLOV & VAZ-DE-MELLO
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· Zootaxa 4007 (3) © 2015 Magnolia Press
4. Elytral striae as longitudinal rows of punctures; sutural stria normally distinct as a depressed furrow in apical half of
elytron; punctation of elytra sparser (elytra appear shiny); elytra without elevated longitudinal keels or smooth
stripes on disc; female with a tubercle on anterior margin of pronotum ....................................... Aegidiellus Paulian
- Elytral striae indistinct including sutural stria; punctation of elytra denser (elytra appear opaque to matte); elytron on
disc normally with 1 or 2 weakly elevated longitudinal keels, sometimes appearing as smooth stripes on densely
punctate background; female without tubercle on anterior margin of pronotum ......................... Aegidium Westwood
Acknowledgments
We are thankful to Giovanni Onore (Otonga Foundation, Quito) and Franz Ríos (Quito) for information on how the
specimens of the new taxon were collected, and to Álvaro Barragán (QCAZ, Quito) for loaning these specimens to us for
study and permission to retain part of the type series. Two anonymous reviewers are acknowledged for the comments
that improved the draft manuscript. This work was supported by the National Council for Scientific and Technological
Development of the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation of Brazil, CNPq (304925/2010-1, 302997/2013-0,
405697/2013-9, 484035/2013-4, 202327/2013-2, 400681/2014-5), Mato Grosso State Research Funding Agency
(FAPEMAT- PRONEM2014), Russian state research project no. 01201351189, and Russian Foundation for Basic
Research (grant number 13-04-01002-a). A.V.F. is a CNPq BJT fellow and F.Z.V.M. is a CNPq PQ2 fellow.
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... The scarab beetles of the subfamily Orphninae are distributed mostly in the tropics of the southern continents. In the Neotropics, they are represented by the endemic tribe Aegidiini Paulian and comprise five genera and over 50 species (Paulian 1984;Colby 2009;Frolov and Vaz-de-Mello 2015;Frolov et al. 2017a, b, c;Rojkoff and Frolov 2017;Frolov et al. 2019). In the previous phylogenetic analysis of the Orphninae (Frolov 2012), some characters were misinterpreted due to the limited material then available. ...
... In the previous phylogenetic analysis of the Orphninae (Frolov 2012), some characters were misinterpreted due to the limited material then available. After this preliminary analysis was published, a new genus of the South American Orphninae was also described (Frolov and Vaz-de-Mello 2015). The aim of the present work, apart from the description of a new species of Aegidinus Arrow, is to provide the results of the phylogenetic analysis of the tribe Aegidiini based on a verified and expanded set of morphological characters of all nominal supraspecific taxa of the Aegidiini and make the classification better reflect the phylogenetic relations of the taxa in question by introducing a subtribal level with two new taxa. ...
... The monotypic genera Hybaloides Quedenfeldt, 1884 and Craniorphnus Kolbe, 1895, known from single type specimens, are not included since they are based on misidentified Orphnus species (unpublished data of the authors). The two genera, Onorius Frolov & Vaz-de-Mello, recently described from the Andes (Frolov and Vaz-de-Mello 2015), and the central African Cerhomalus Quedenfeldt, 1884, restored as a genus distinct from Orphnus (Frolov and Akhmetova 2021), are added to the list of ingroup taxa used by Frolov (2012). From the outgroup, we excluded the distantly related taxa of the family Hybosoridae and included the two species of the genus Allidiostoma Arrow, 1904. ...
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... Orphninae is a subfamily of Scarabaeidae (Coleoptera) and includes 214 named species (and 1 known species not yet named) distributed in two tribes: Aegidiini and Orphnini. The subfamily occurs in tropical and subtropical regions of the World, except Australia, and is classified in 16 genera (Frolov, 2012;Frolov & Vaz-de-Mello, 2015;Frolov et al., 2016Frolov et al., , 2017aRojkoff & Frolov, 2016). The tribe Aegidiini comprises the genera Aegidiellus Paulian, 1984 (Brazil, monotypic), Aegidinus Arrow, 1904 (South America, 10 spp.), Aegidium Westwood, 1845 (South and Central America, Caribbean region, 23 spp.), ...
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Full-text available
  • Dec 2012
Steinernema feltiae (Filipjev, 1934) infects and reproduces in larvae of Chaetonyx robustus Schaum, 1862 (Coleoptera: Orphnidae), isolated from soil of the same habitat. Insects of the family Orphnidae are reported for the first time as hosts of entomopathogenic nematodes. Lack of establishment of natural infected larvae may be due to the lower susceptibility of C. robustus to nematode invasion and random factors related to the spatial distribution of infective juveniles in soil.
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Diagnosis, classification, and phylogenetic relationships of the orphnine scarab beetles (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae: Orphninae)
Article
Full-text available
  • Oct 2012
Orphnine scarab beetles (Orphninae) are widely distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of the southern continents except for Australia. The catalogue of nominal taxa of orphnines includes 2 tribes, 15 genera, and 195 species. Diagnosis of the group, based on adult morphological characters, is as follows: antennae 10-segmented with 3-segmented club; mandibles with 2–4 scissorial teeth and well developed mola; labrum and mandibles protruding past clypeus and visible from above; scutellum well developed in winged species, reduced but distinct in wingless species; wings with distinct anal area; apices of anterior tibia in males without spur but normally with a few robust setae; anterior coxa with longitudinal hollow on anterior surface; tarsi with 2 similar claws; middle and hind tibiae with 2 apical spurs; abdominal sternite 2 with sub-triangular to rounded plectrum; dorsal surface of hind coxae with oval flat stridulatory file; pygidium partly hidden under elytra; parameres symmetrical; bursa copulatrix sacciform, membranous; spermatheca C-shaped, not sclerotized; accessory vaginal glands developed; abdomen with 2 sclerotized tergites (VII–VIII) and 6 visible sternites (III–VIII). Preliminary phylogenetic analysis based on 47 characters of adult morphology shows that the tribe Aegidiini Paulian is a natural, monophyletic group. The genus Stenosternus Karsch described from a single specimen from São Tomé Island (Gulf of Guinea), is morphologically more similar to the New World taxa than to the Old World ones and is provisionally placed in Aegidiini. The tribe Orphnini Erichson seems non-monophyletic and has no synapomorphies. The genus Orphnus is apparently a polyphyletic group and it needs taxonomic revision. The hypothesis on sister-group relationship of Orphninae and Allidiostomatinae, based on molecular data, is not supported by the morphological characters. The stridulatory organs (the putative synapomorphy of Orphninae + Allidiostomatinae) are not identical in these groups; the mouthparts and female genitalia are essentially different. Orphninae have chewing mouthparts with large scissorial teeth and well developed mola, which is characteristic of generalist saprophagous species. Allidiostomatinae have mandibles with scissorial teeth and mola reduced; they also have sclerotized bursa copulatrix and sclerotized mandibular duct which opens on the dorsal side near condyle. Considering the present day development of alpha-taxonomy of most orphnine taxa, especially the speciose genus Orphnus, it seems premature to propose changes in higher classification of the subfamily. To clarify the phylogenetic position of the Orphninae among scarab beetles it is essential to include representative members of all taxa of orphnine lineage (sensu Browne, Scholtz, 1998) into the analysis.
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Conservation and new forms of action: Otonga, Ecuador
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Full-text available
  • Jan 2007
In this paper, a short analysis of historical and contemporary conservation practices is carried out as an introduction to the case study of the 'Bosque Integral Otonga' Biosphere Reserve in Ecuador. Otonga represents a unique experience within the global landscape of contemporary natural and human resources conservation strategies. Funded and directed by an Italian friar entomologist at the PUCE University in Quito, this innovative form of semi-private and highly ethical management has created a place that preserves, reforests and educates at multiple levels. Particularly, the deeply respectful exchange of experiences between the so-called official science and the local culture, which Otonga promotes, facilitates the environmental education and involvement of the national and international scientists, students and tourists, while it also implements and cherishes the local ethno-linguistic groups' conscious participation and socio-economic benefits. In spite of the several challenges in Otonga's future, due to the delicate equilibriums of the local, national and global situation, the reserve possesses and is developing many important perspectives for a significant expansion and export of this reserve model.
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Revision of the genus Amadotrogus Reitter, 1902 (n. stat.) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae)
Article
  • Oct 2002
In this paper, the subgenus Amadotrogus Reitter, 1902 and its taxonomic status as a subordinate taxon of genus Amphimallon are reviewed. Two kinds of character sets are discussed; those relative to the external morphology of the adult and those of the male and female genitalia. Subgenus Amadotrogus is compared with its recognized allied genera in the same clade (Coca-Abia 1995) Amphimallon Berthold, 1827; Geotrogus Guérin, 1842; Monotropus Erichson, 1847; Pseudoapeterogyna Escalera, 1914 and Rhizotrogus Berthold, 1827 to asses the realtionships of these taxa. Phylogenetic analysis discloses that Amadotrogus, considered to be a subgenus of Amphimallon, has synapomorphic characters which justify its elevation to generic rank. Thus, genus Amadotrogus includes seven species distributed across the Northern Mediterranean basin. The type species, Amadotrogus quercanus (Burmeister, 1855), and six others, transferred from genus Rhizotrogus: Amadotrogus grassii (Mainardi, 1902), Amadotrogus insubricus (Burmeister, 1855), Amadotrogus oertzeni (Brenske, 1886), Amadotrogus patru- elis (Reiche, 1862), Amadotrougs truncatus (Brenske, 1886) and Amadotrogus vicinus (Mulsant, 1842) (Coca-Abia & Martín-Piera 1998). In addition, Rhizotrogus rugifrons Burmeister, 1855 is considered a new synonym of Amadotrogus vicinus. Rhizotrogus bolivari Martínez y Sáez, 1873, Amphimallon cata- launicum Báguena, 1956 and Rhizotrogus lajonquierei Baraud, 1970 are synonymized with Amadotrogus patruelis.
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Conservation and new forms of action: Otonga, Ecuador
Article
  • Jan 2007
  • Int J Environ Health
In this paper, a short analysis of historical and contemporary conservation practices is carried out as an introduction to the case study of the 'Bosque Integral Otonga' Biosphere Reserve in Ecuador. Otonga represents a unique experience within the global landscape of contemporary natural and human resources conservation strategies. Funded and directed by an Italian friar entomologist at the PUCE University in Quito, this innovative form of semi-private and highly ethical management has created a place that preserves, reforests and educates at multiple levels. Particularly, the deeply respectful exchange of experiences between the so-called official science and the local culture, which Otonga promotes, facilitates the environmental education and involvement of the national and international scientists, students and tourists, while it also implements and cherishes the local ethno-linguistic groups' conscious participation and socio-economic benefits. In spite of the several challenges in Otonga's future, due to the delicate equilibriums of the local, national and global situation, the reserve possesses and is developing many important perspectives for a significant expansion and export of this reserve model.
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Observations sur Hybalus rotroui Peyerimhoff au Maroc (col. Scarabaeidae). L'Entomologiste
  • Jan 1988
  • 50
  • J Gourvès
Gourvès, J. (1988) Observations sur Hybalus rotroui Peyerimhoff au Maroc (col. Scarabaeidae). L'Entomologiste, 44, 50.
Mamíferos en la niebla: Otonga, un bosque nublado del Ecuador. Publicaciones especiales 5. Museo de Zoología
  • Jan 2001
  • V P Jarrín
Jarrín, V.P. (2001) Mamíferos en la niebla: Otonga, un bosque nublado del Ecuador. Publicaciones especiales 5. Museo de Zoología, Centro de Biodiversidad y Ambiente, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador.