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Revision of the taxonomy and distribution of the Neotropical Copris incertus species complex (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 September 2018

James D.G. Darling  and
François Génier
James D.G. Darling*
Affiliation:
Research and Collections, Canadian Museum of Nature, 1740 Pink Road, Gatineau, Québec, J9J 3N7, Canada
François Génier
Affiliation:
Research and Collections, Canadian Museum of Nature, 1740 Pink Road, Gatineau, Québec, J9J 3N7, Canada
*
1Corresponding author (e-mail: jdarling@nature.ca)
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Abstract

Copris incertus Say, 1835 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Coprini) has been described as a New World coprophagous scarab distributed from Mexico to Ecuador with large discontinuities in its range between the Yucatán province and Costa Rica. The C. incertus species complex of the Copris minutus (Drury, 1773) species group consists of C. incertus, Copris laeviceps Harold, 1869, and Copris lugubris Boheman, 1858. Based on external morphology and male genitalia, we discovered that multiple species have been classified as C. incertus. Of these species, five are new: Copris amazonicusnew species, Copris brevicornisnew species, Copris davidinew species, Copris moroninew species, and Copris susanaenew species. Herein, we revise the organisation of the C. incertus species complex and propose a new species complex, the C. laeviceps species complex, which includes: C. davidi, Copris igualensis Warner, 1990, and C. laeviceps, formerly included in the C. incertus species complex. We provide an identification key along with species distribution maps, images of habitus, and diagnostic characters.

Résumé

Copris incertus Say, 1835 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Coprini) a été décrit comme scarabée coprophage du Nouveau Monde distribué du Mexique à l’Équateur avec de grandes discontinuités dans son aire de répartition comprise entre la province du Yucatán et le Costa Rica. Le complexe d’espèces C. incertus du groupe d’espèces Copris minutus (Drury, 1773) comprend C. incertus, Copris laeviceps Harold, 1869, et Copris lugubris Boheman, 1858. D’après la morphologie externe et les organes génitaux mâles, nous avons découvert que plusieurs espèces ont été classées comme C. incertus. Parmi ces espèces, cinq sont nouvelles: Copris amazonicusnouvelle espèce, Copris brevicornisnouvelle espèce, Copris davidinouvelle espèce, Copris moroninouvelle espèce et Copris susanaenouvelle espèce. Ici, nous révisons l’organisation du complexe d’espèces C. incertus et proposons un nouveau complexe d’espèces, le complexe d’espèces C. laeviceps, qui comprend: C. davidi, Copris igualensis Warner, 1990, et C. laeviceps, autrefois inclus dans le complexe d’espèces C. incertus. Nous présentons une clé d’identification ainsi que des cartes de répartition pour chacune des espèces, ainsi que les images des habitus et des caractères diagnostiques.

Information

Type
Systematics & Morphology
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 150 , Issue 5 , October 2018 , pp. 539 - 577
Copyright
© Entomological Society of Canada 2018 

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