[Entomology • 2017] Auxicerus magnipunctatus • A New Species of the Stag Beetle Genus Auxicerus Waterhouse, 1883 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Lucanidae)

Fig. 2. A–B. Auxicerus platyceps Waterhouse, 1883. A. Holotype, ♂, BL 13 mm (BMNH). B. Head, ♂, BL 11 mm, Bolivia, Consata (EPCG). — C. Auxicerus aethiops Jakowleff, 1900, holotype, ♂, BL 16 mm, Bolivia (ZIRAS). 
D–E. Auxicerus magnipunctatus sp. nov., holotype, ♂, BL 10.7 mm (CBF). D. Dorsal habitus. E. Head. Diagnostic characters indicated by arrows: (1) ocellate punctures on mesosternum, (2) posterior end of ocular canthus, (3) anterior edge of ocular canthus and (4) antennal lamellae.   

Perger, Grossi & Guerra, 2017 
 Scale bars: A, C–D = 5 mm; B, E = 2.5 mm.   DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2016.302 

Abstract

 A new species of the Andean stag beetle genus Auxicerus Waterhouse, 1883 is described from the humid Tucuman-Bolivian forest in the southern Bolivian Andes. Auxicerus magnipunctatus sp. nov. is distinguished from all congeners by the distinctly larger punctures of the mesosternum; antennomeres 2–6 subquadrate, last two joints of club wider than long; lamellae not widely separated; posterior end of ocular canthus rounded and anterior edge of canthus moderately developed into an obtuse triangle. Auxicerus magnipunctatus sp. nov. is possibly endemic to the Tucuman-Bolivian forest. Along with the presence of other endemic beetle species with tropical congeners, the discovery of A. magnipunctatus sp. nov. supports the idea that the persistence of rather tropical taxa in the subtropical realm is fostered by increased humidity at orographic rain barriers and climatic stability in the Tucuman-Bolivian forest. 

Keywords. Andes, Bolivia, Neotropical, South America, Tucuman-Bolivian forest. 

Taxonomy

Class Hexapoda Blainville, 1816

Order Coleoptera Linnaeus, 1758

Suborder Polyphaga Emery,1886

Superfamily Scarabaeoidea Latreille, 1802

Family Lucanidae Latreille, 1804

Subfamily Lucaninae Latreille, 1804

Genus Auxicerus Waterhouse, 1883

Type species: Auxicerus platyceps Waterhouse, 1883 (by monotypy).

• Auxicerus platyceps Waterhouse, 1883

• Auxicerus multicolor (Boileau, 1897) 

• Auxicerus aethiops Jakowleff, 1900 

• Auxicerus magnipunctatus sp. nov. 

Differential diagnosis Auxicerus magnipunctatus sp. nov. is distinguished from all congeners by the posterior end of the ocular canthus being rounded and the anterior edge of the canthus moderately developed into an obtuse tooth; distance between apex of teeth as wide as distance between outer eye margins (Fig. 2E). Antennomeres 2–6 subquadrate, last two joints of club wider than long; lamellae not widely separated from each other (Fig. 2E). Punctures of mesosternum larger; mesosternum concavity weak.

 Etymology: The species epithet is derived from the Latin ‘magna’ (large) and the Latin ‘punctatus’ (punctures), in reference to the large punctures all over the body

Fig. 2. A–B. Auxicerus platyceps Waterhouse, 1883. A. Holotype, ♂, BL 13 mm (BMNH). B. Head, ♂, BL 11 mm, Bolivia, Consata (EPCG). — C. Auxicerus aethiops Jakowleff, 1900, holotype, ♂, BL 16 mm, Bolivia (ZIRAS). — D–E. Auxicerus magnipunctatus sp. nov., holotype, ♂, BL 10.7 mm (CBF). D. Dorsal habitus. E. Head. Diagnostic characters indicated by arrows: (1) ocellate punctures on mesosternum, (2) posterior end of ocular canthus, (3) anterior edge of ocular canthus and (4) antennal lamellae.

Scale bars: A, C–D = 5 mm; B, E = 2.5 mm. 

Robert Perger, Paschoal Coelho Grossi and Fernando Guerra. 2017. Description of A New Species of the Stag Beetle Genus Auxicerus Waterhouse, 1883 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Lucanidae). European Journal of Taxonomy. 302: 1–10.  DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2016.302