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Scarabaeoidea of Southern South America Links
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Keys and generic profile |
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Scarab Guide Links
(goes to the University of Nebraska
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Classification |
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Leiopsammodius indefensus (Schmidt, 1909) |
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Leiopsammodius indefensus (Schmidt)
Photo by Paul Skelley. |
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Leiopsammodius indefensus distributional records
from southern South America. |
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Original combination: Psammobius indefensus Schmidt, 1909a: 60. |
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Type locality: “Valparaiso.” |
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Synonym: Leiopsammodius chilensis Rakovic, 1990: 5; type locality: “Chile.” New Synonymy. |
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Type specimens: Psammobius indefensus lectotype at NHRS examined. Lectotype labeled: “Valparaiso”
(handwritten), “TYPUS” (typeface on red paper), “109” (typeface on red paper), “Psammodius / indefensus
Schm.” (handwritten), “LECTOTYPE Psammobius indefensus Schmidt / des. P. E. Skelley-06” (typeface on
red paper), “Southern Neotropical Scarabs / database # AS2604954 / Leiopsammodius indefensus (Schmidt,
1909) / DET: P.E.SKELLEY 2006” (typeface). Lectotype here designated. A lectotype is designated to stabilize
the nomenclature of this species since this name has been a source of confusion. Schmidt (1909) was
ambiguous about how many specimens were used for the original description, therefore a lectotype designation
is warranted. The location and existence of paralectotypes is unknown.
The holotype of Leiopsammodius chilensis at ISNB examined. Holotype labeled: “Coll. R. I. Sc. N. B. /
ex coll / Brown / ex coll. Candèze” (typeface and handwritten on purple paper), “Chili / B.” (handwritten and
glued on to the previous purple label), “Holotypus” (typeface on red paper), “Leiopsammo- / dius / chilensis
sp. n. / doc. RAKOVIC det.” (handwritten and typeface), “Southern Neotropical Scarabs / database #
AS2598997 / Leiopsammodius indefensus (Schmidt, 1909) / DET: P.E.SKELLEY 2006” (typeface). |
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Specimens examined: 203 specimens were examined from HAHC, ISNB, JMEC, MNNC, NHRS,
PESC, UCCC, UMCE. |
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Distribution: CHILE (203). V Región de Valparaíso (17): Algarrobo, Quillota, Valparaíso; Región Metropolitana
(5): Caleu (Lo Marin), El Carmen, Río Clarillo; VIII Región del Bío-Bío (1): Paso Hondo
(Quilpué); X Región de Los Lagos (175): Carelmapu, Chepu dunes (Isla Grande de Chiloé), Cucao (Parque
Nacional Chiloé, Isla Grande de Chiloé), Maullín, Pangal, Quellón, Reserva Costera Valdiviana (Chaihuin
Sector), Reserva Costera Valdiviana (Colún Sector); No Data (5). |
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Temporal data: January (173), February (13), July (4), August (4), September (1), October (1), December
(1). |
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Diagnosis: Length 3 mm. Body black, weakly robust. Head with distinct basal grooves. Pronotum
and elytra with distinct marginal fringe of setae. |
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Remarks: Gordon and Pittino (1992) discussed the generic placement of both names for this species; Leiopsammodius
chilensis and Leiopsammodius indefensus (as Psammodius indefensus). Although their comments
indicate they did not see specimens of either, they did consider the two closely related and provisionally accepted them as distinct, pending further study. We have studied the types for both Leiopsammodius indefensus
(Schmidt) and Leiopsammodius chilensis Rakovic. The subtle character differences mentioned by Rakovic
(1990) for L. chilensis are present to their full extent as variation within recently collected series of
specimens. Thus, they are considered conspecific and are here synonymized. The generic placement of this
species is problematic because the defining characters are somewhat intermediate between Leiopsammodius and Psammodius. Although L. indefensus has ridges on the head like the Holarctic genus Psammodius, this
species has a reduced number pronotal ridges. We feel it cannot be a member of Psammodius and tentatively
considered it member of Leiopsammodius, pending further analyses.
Adults are rare in collections, probably because they are not attracted to light and their habitats are poorly
sampled. In January 2006, one of us (ABTS) did field work in Chile and specifically targeted areas where Leiopsammodius might occur. Specimens were readily collected at several localities
with beach and sand dune systems (Carelmapu, Chepu, Cucao, Maullín, Pangal, Reserva Costera Valdiviana).
Specimens were collected primarily by sifting sand and placing the remaining debris in buckets of water
to reveal the floating beetles. This species seems to be more abundant buried near dune plants but were also
observed on the surface of the sand. Since this species was easily found in good numbers at every coastal
dune area sampled, we hypothesis that it is an extremely abundant and common species in sandy areas
throughout the central third of Chile. |
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References:
Gordon, R.D. & Pittino, R. (1992) Current status of the American genera and species of Psammodiini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae).
Coleopterists Bulletin, 46, 260–273.
Rakovic, M. (1990) Review of the genus Leiopsammodius Rakovic on the world basis with a key to species from the Western Hemisphere
and description of a new species (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Aphodiinae). Annotationes Zoologicae et Botanicae, 197, 1–18.
Schmidt. A. (1909) Eine Serie neuer Aphodiinen und eine neue Gattung (Fortsetzung VII). Societas Entomologica, 24, 60–62. |
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Excerpt from:
Smith, A. B. T. and P. E. Skelley. 2007. A review of the Aphodiinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) of southern South America. Zootaxa 1458: 1-80. |
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