The scarab beetle tribe Pentodontini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) of Colombia: taxonomy, natural history, and distribution
Author
López-García, Margarita M.
Author
Gasca-Álvarez, Héctor J.
Author
Amat-García, Germán
text
Zootaxa
2015
4048
4
451
492
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.4048.4.1
bbb51c92-e184-489d-aba8-18d1dc9a25cd
1175-5326
234023
71E2B8DA-825E-429F-BAA0-F582702B4A80
Parapucaya
Prell, 1934
Parapucaya
Prell, 1934
: 162
.
Type
species:
Parapucaya amazonica
Prell 1934
: 162
.
Diagnosis.
This genus is characterized by having a trapezoidal clypeus, frontoclypeal suture strongly impressed, eye canthus with a few setae, pronotal tubercles inconspicuous and visible only as two small prominences, and male protarsi enlarged. The genus contains the smaller species of the tribe and their yellow and testaceous coloration is also unique in the group. The spiculum gastrale is simple, U-shaped, and without basal piece, which is unique among members of
Pentodontini
.
This genus is difficult to distinguish from
Cyclocephala
Dejean, 1821
because of their nearly equal color, clypeal shape, and enlarged male protarsi.
Parapucaya
can be recognized by the presence of two small, pronotal tubercles that are best observed in lateral view; this character is sometimes difficult to see, and the tubercles are nearly absent in some specimens. Additionally, a phylogenetic analysis of
Cyclocephalini
based on morphology indicated that
Parapucaya
should be a member of this tribe, grouping a genus along with
Cyclocephala melanocephala
(Fabricius, 1775) (
Clark 2011
)
. So, it is necessary to evaluate the phylogenetic relationships between both tribes in order to define the position of the genus.
Dechambre (2006)
described the monotypic genus
Denhezia
to include the species
Denhezia caucacola
Dechambre, 2006
from
Colombia
. However, the only diagnostic character to differentiate it from
Parapucaya
is the absence of pronotal tubercles. Taking into account that those tubercles have been found to be sometimes nearly absent in species of
Parapucaya
, these two genera should be considered as the same, but revision of
type
material is needed to define a synonymy.
Distribution.
This is mainly a South American genus, although one species (
P. amazonica
) reaches
Honduras
(
Ratcliffe & Cave 2006
). Both species in the genus occur in
Colombia
.