A review of the flightless genus Nanotermitodius Howden, 2003 (Coleoptera Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Rhyparini)
Author
Skelley, Paul E.
Florida State Collection of Arthropods, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, P. O. Box 147100, Gainesville, FL 32614 - 7100 USA.
Author
Smith, Andrew B. T.
Canadian Museum of Nature, 1740 Chemin Pink, Gatineau, Quebec, J 9 J 3 N 7, Canada.
Author
Mora-Aguilar, Eder F.
Media Luna, Km 3 carretera Consolapa a Cinco Palos s / n, 91060 Coatepec, Veracruz, Mexico.
text
Zootaxa
2022
2022-10-31
5200
4
355
364
journal article
178566
10.11646/zootaxa.5200.4.4
3ff4e60b-e2a3-4b17-8b5c-a620976a71b9
1175-5326
7270716
6CEEB064-901E-4CD4-8D1E-A2A809BD8A3A
Nanotermitodius
Howden, 2003
Nanotermitodius
Howden, 2003: 393
.
Type
species:
Nanotermitodius peckorum
Howden, 2003: 396
, by original designation.
Diagnosis.
Nanotermitodius
is unique among the rhyparines by having the male sexual dimorphism of a
Rhyparus
-
type
mesotibia and
Termitodiellus
-
type
metatibia (
Skelley 2007
). The females have simple, unmodified tibial apices. Other useful characters to diagnose
Nanotermitodius
include elytral carinae sinuate in dorsal and lateral views, caudal apex of discomedian costa on elytra with an erect tuft of setae, mesoventrite with shallow longitudinal median groove, metaventrite with distinct discolateral fovea on either side of midline, and male protibia distinctly tridentate at apex, female protibia weakly tridentate. The genus also has fused elytra with flight wings reduced to vestigial buds, reduced eyes, and is presently known only from the state of
Oaxaca
,
Mexico
.
Comments.
Howden (2003)
provided a generic description, which also acted as the species description for
N
.
peckorum
. Thus, a brief diagnosis of the genus listing important delimiting characters was needed. Other traditional characters like body shape, costal development, etc. vary between these two
Nanotermitodius
enough to overlap with other genera, making these characters less useful for generic delimitation.
Skelley (2007)
noted that male
N
.
peckorum
have
Rhyparus
-
type
mesotibia but
Termitodiellus
-
type
metatibia. The new species shows this character combination more prominently than
N
.
peckorum
. This tibial combination in the males will readily distinguish
Nanotermitodius
.