Taxonomic revision and notes on natural history of the enigmatic beetle genus Gibboryctes Endrödi (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae: Dynastinae)

ABSTRACT

The enigmatic beetle genus Gibboryctes Endrödi, 1974 (Melolonthidae: Dynastinae: Oryctini) is revised and redefined herein. The type species Gibboryctes szelenyii Endrödi, 1974 is redescribed, and Gibboryctes ebeninus sp. nov. and Gibboryctes endroedii sp. nov. are proposed. Gibboryctes gracilicornis (Prell, 1912) has its original combination (Heterogomphus gracilicornis Prell, 1912) revalidated. Gibboryctes waldenfelsi (Endrödi, 1977) and Gibboryctes impunctatus Dupuis, 2019 are placed in Tetragus gen. nov. Notes on the natural history of Gibboryctes are presented on specimens that were collected inside epigeous termite nests and from a Eucalyptus crop. Illustrations and known distribution maps are provided for all studied species. Diagnoses are presented separately for both Gibboryctes and Tetragus species. Furthermore, identification keys to the Gibboryctes species and South American genera of Oryctini are provided.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D766FC5E-CEC8-4184-BE90-C25350B90612

KEYWORDS:

• inquilinism
• Neotropical realm
• Oryctini
• termitophily
• South America

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico – Brasil (CNPq) for the financial grants to LOC (process number 131431/2018-8), LI is granted by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico – CNPq (process number 309750/2019-9) and PCG (process numbers 449366/2014-6, 424048/2018-3 and 309786/2019-3). PCG is also grateful for the collect permits IAP 40/07 of Dra Lúcia Massutti de Almeida to collect in the State Parks of Paraná during his postgraduate courses, and especially to Mr Cristovam Sabino Queiroz (Parque Estadual do Guartelá) and Mrs Maria Ângela Dalcomune (Parque Estadual de Vila Velha), who provided many data of Coleoptera. PRMD is grateful to Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES) – code 001 for a financial support grant. We thank all curators for making specimens under their care available for this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Brazi) [001]; CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Brazil) [131431/2018-8, 309750/2019-9, 309786/2019-3, 424048/2018-3, 449366/2014-6].