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Scarabaeoidea of Southern South America Links |
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Scarab Guide Links
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Arctodium vulpinum (Erichson, 1835)
Arctodium villosum Dejean 1833: 167.
Arctodium vulpinum (Erichson 1835: 269).
Cratoscelis vulpina Erichson 1835: 269.
Cratoscelis aterrima Blanchard 1850: 53.
Cratoscelis gayana Blanchard 1850: 53.
Cratoscelis villosa Blanchard 1850: 53.
Cratoscelis striolata Redtenbacher 1868: 61.
Cratoscelis obscura Germain 1911: 68.
Cratoscelis margine-costata Germain 1911: 68.
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Arctodium vulpinum (Erichson).
Illustration by Dan Schmidt. |
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Map of central Chile showing distribution of Arctodium vulpinum
and A. mahdii. |
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Description.
Male. Length 8.0-12.0 mm; width 5.0-7.6 mm. Color: Head, pronotum, scutellum,
and pygidium black; venter and legs reddish brown to black; elytra dull brown to chestnut
brown. Head: Surface punctate; punctures small, dense, setose; setae moderately long,
moderately dense to dense, golden yellow to golden brown. Labrum with surface punctate;
punctures small, dense, setose; setae short to moderately long, half as long as clypeal
setae, dense, golden brown to black. Mandibular external surface with short to moderately long, dense, black setae. Maxillary palpi with short, black, apical setae on all segments
except last. Labial margins with moderately long, dense, black setae. Labial palpi with
short, black setae at apex of all segments except last. Eye canthus setose; setae long, dense,
black. Antenna with pedicel setose, elongate, segment 2 globular, 3-6 subequal in length,
7-9 lamellate; club subequal in length to segments 3-6. Pronotum: Surface
punctate; punctures small, dense, with long, dense, golden yellow to golden brown setae.
Anterior margin setose; setae short, dense, golden brown. Lateral margins setose; setae
long, dense, golden yellow to golden brown. Posterior margin setose; setae short to
moderately long, dense, golden yellow to golden brown. Scutellum: Surface setose; setae
moderately long, moderately dense, golden brown. Elytron: Form moderately wide, less
than half as wide as long. Surface flat, punctate; punctures small, moderately dense
medially, dense laterally, setose; setae moderately long, golden yellow to golden brown.
Propygidium: Surface exposed, covered with long, dense, white setae; setae overlaying
basal 1/5 of pygidium (covered by elytra in some specimens), apices of setae forming
straight row. Pygidium: Surface slightly concave apically, setose; setae long, dense, golden
brown, dark brown, or black. Venter: Thorax, mes- and metepisternum punctate; punctures
small, dense, with golden brown setae. Abdominal segments densely setose on lateral
margin, sparsely setose medially; setae long, golden brown. Legs: Surface setose, setae
long, dense, golden yellow to golden brown. Protibia slender, with 3 outer teeth and 2
inner teeth. Protibial spur small, 3/4 length of first tarsal segment. Metafemur broadly
expanded. Metatibial apex with 2 spurs, 1 spine; spine between 2 spurs, longer than spurs,
oblique at apex. Parameres: Fig. 9c.
Female. Females differ from males in the following respects: length 8.5-11.7 mm;
width 4.5-6.2 mm. Color: Elytra, venter, legs, and setae as in males or elytra, venter, legs,
and setae black in black female color morph. Elytron: Surface convex, not flat or
depressed. Legs: Metatibial apex with 1 spine; spine shorter than adjacent spurs, broadly
attenuate at apex. |
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Diagnosis.
Arctodium vulpinum is the most widespread and common species in the tribe
Lichniini. It has a broad range of variation in morphological characters that make it a
difficult species to diagnose. Arctodium vulpinum is, on average, the largest species of
Lichniini, with males 8.0-12.0 mm long and females 8.5-11.7 mm long. Because there is
some overlap in size (smaller specimens of A. vulpinum are as small as the largest
specimens of A. discolor or A. planum), the best way to distinguish small specimens is by
ruling out characters defining other species: A. vulpinum does not have a pale fringe of
setae along the eye canthus as in A. planum, it does not have black setae on the legs and
wide elytra giving it a square-like body form as in A. discolor, or it is not less than 6.5 mm
long as in A. mahdii. |
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Remarks.
In Blanchard's (1850) description of Cratoscelis aterrima, he differentiated the
species from others in the genus on the basis of the black color on all parts of the body.
However, this species is based on a black color morph found in females of A. vulpinum.
Aside from its black color, C. aterrima shares all other characters with A. vulpinum. I
observed the more common brown morph males mating with black female morphs on
flowers in Cajon del Maipo, Chile. In collections, series of A. vulpinum contain
approximately one female black morph out of every eight female specimens collected.
Although black color morphs have not been named as a subspecies in any publication,
many collections have specimens labeled as C. vulpina aterrima. This is in keeping with
my hypothesis that the black specimens should be classified as A. vulpinum, but I do not
believe that black color morphs constitute a subspecies. Mayr (1963) defines a subspecies
as "an aggregate of local populations of a species inhabiting a geographic subdivision of
the range of the species, taxonomically separated from other populations of the species."
Based on this definition, C. aterrima is not a subspecies because it is not an isolated
subdivision of A. vulpinum but is found throughout the populations as a phenotypic
variant.
Blanchard (1850) described Cratoscelis gayana based on the pattern of punctures on
the elytra. According to Blanchard, the punctures of C. gayana form ordered, straight
rows, whereas the punctures of other species of Cratoscelis are random. However, all
species of Lichniini have at least one row of punctures that form a straight row at the inner
margin of the elytra. Laterad from the inner margin of the elytra, the punctures become
gradually more random. The extent to which the punctures become more random is
variable from individual to individual. I have studied Blanchard's type series consisting of
three females deposited in the MNHN and have noted that the rows Blanchard is referring
to are not as ordered into straight lines as his description indicates, and they are not more
so than in specimens of A. vulpinum. Furthermore, in specimens where the setae are
rubbed off (from collection, rough handling, or due to the age of the specimen), as is the
case with Blanchard's type series, punctures that seem to form rows seem more
pronounced because the pattern of the punctures is more visible. If Blanchard was
comparing specimens where the elytral setae were rubbed off with those where the setae
were still intact, he might have erroneously divided the specimens into two species. Other
characters Blanchard used to define C. gayana, such as body length, pattern and color of
setae, and body shape, are consistent with characters for A. vulpinum. Therefore I conclude
that C. gayana is conspecific with A. vulpinum.
Blanchard (1850) created the unnecessary name Cratoscelis villosa when trying to
validate Dejean's species name Arctodium villosum, which was published without a
description (see the Taxonomic History section). The name A. villosum Dejean was
already synonymized with C. vulpina Erichson by Burmeister (1844). Because Blanchard
(1850) was the first to publish a description in connection with the name Cratoscelis villosa, it is a valid name that I here synonymize with A. vulpinum. I also confirmed this by
studying Blanchard's single female type specimen deposited at MNHN. In Redtenbacher's (1868) description of Cratoscelis striolatum, all characters
described are consistent with those of A. vulpinum in terms of length, width, color, shape,
and setae. Redtenbacher claims to have studied other species of Cratoscelis and
differentiates C. striolatum from other species in the genus based only on punctures, especially of the pronotum, which he stated are dense in C. striolatum, with "gaps between
the punctures not larger than the punctures themselves" (my translation). However, this is
also true of the punctures of the pronotum of specimens of other species and a fine, linelike
pattern can be observed to a varying degree in all species based on how clean the
pronotum is and the quality of the light source. I conclude that C. striolata is conspecific
with A. vulpinum.
While Germain's (1911) two names, Cratoscelis obscura and Cratoscelis marginecostata,
are nomena nuda (see Taxonomic History section), I mention them here because
these names have been perpetuated in collections. Germain published these names
without description in his catalog of the Coleoptera of the Museum of Chile. I have studied
the Germain specimens at MNNC, and I conclude that he used the name C. marginecostata
for brown morphs of A. vulpinum and C. obscura for black morphs of A. vulpinum.
Germain did not describe any new species, and the names remain nomina nuda. Germain's
specimens correspond to numbers in his catalog: 1787 is on the label of the specimen he
examined and on which he based the name C. margine-costata, and 1788 is on the C.
obscura label. |
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Distribution.
Widespread in central Chile from Region IV (Coquimbo) to Region IX (La Araucania)
(see map). |
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Locality data.
943 specimens were examined from BMNH, CASC, CMNC, CNCI, FMNH, HAHC,
JEBC, JMEC, KSUC, LACM, LEMQ, MCZC, MNHN, MNNC, UCCC, UMRM, UNSM,
USNM, VMDC, ZMHB, ZSMC.
CHILE. REGION IV (COQUIMBO) (77): Hurtado (1), Illapel (69), Socos (7).
REGION V (VALPARAÍSO) (72): Aconcagua (7), Alfalfares (10), Algarrobo (5),
Canelillos (13), Colliguay (2), El Guindal (3), El Quisco (1), El Salto (2), La Campana (2),
Las Peñas (1), Limache (6), Llo-Lleo (2), Punta Horcón (1), Rodelillo (1), Viña del Mar
(2), Zapallar (3), no data (11). REGION METROPOLITANA DE SANTIAGO (467):
Alhue (1), Bella Vista (1), Cajon del Maipo (42), Cerro Manquehue (2), Chacabuco (12),
Conchali (1), Cordillera El Tollo (3), Cuesta Barriga (5), El Canelo (40), El Clarillo (1), El
Ingenio (1), El Manzano (25), El Noviciado (2), El Peumo (27), El Portezuelo (1), El
Principal (4), El Tabo (3), Farellones (2), Florida (2), La Africana (15), La Obra (19),
Laguna Carén (6), Lampa (6), Lo Marin (1), Macul (3), Maipu (30), Peñalolén (3),
Pudahuel (63), Quebrada de San Ramon (29), Renca (13), Rio Clarillo (3), Rio Colorado
(2), Rio Maipo (10), San Bernardo (16), San José de Maipo (5), Santiago (31), Talagante
(4), Tiltil (4), Valle Ramon (33), Vizcachas (11). REGION VI (O'HIGGINS) (10): Las
Nieves (1), Parral (5), Rancagua (2), Tanumé (1), Termas de Cauquenes (1). REGION VII
(MAULE) (24): Constitucion (6), Curicó (1), Fundo Tregualemu (1), La Jaula (1),
Pelluhue (1), Peunte Malcho (3), Rio de los Cipreses (5), San Clemente (3), Talca (3). REGION VIII (BIOBÍO) (38): Chillan (1), Cobquecura (1), Concepción (21), Contulmo
(7), El Salto del Laja (1), Mulchen (3), Nahuelbuta (1), Quilaco (1), Talcahuano (1),
Temuco (1). REGION IX (LA ARAUCANIA) (4): Angol (1), Horcones (2), Icalma (1),
Victoria (1). NO DATA (250). |
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Temporal data.
January (98), February (22), October (140), November (268), December (243). |
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Excerpt from:
Hawkins, S. J. 2006. A revision of the Chilean tribe Lichniini Burmeister, 1844
(Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae). Zootoaxa 1266:1-63. |
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