Biodiversity Data Journal :
Single Taxon Treatment
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Corresponding author: Paul Coppo (paul.coppo@aphp.fr)
Academic editor: Matthias Seidel
Received: 05 Jun 2021 | Accepted: 19 Aug 2021 | Published: 28 Oct 2021
© 2021 Paul Coppo, Olivier Montreuil
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Coppo P, Montreuil O (2021) A new species of Cheironitis van Lansberge, 1875 from Jordan (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Onitini). Biodiversity Data Journal 9: e69763. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.9.e69763
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The genus Cheironitis van Lansberge, 1875, currently contains 23 species from the Old World. During a survey for dung beetles in Jordan, specimens of an undescribed species were collected at the historical site of Petra.
A new species of Cheironitis (C. petraensis sp. n.) is described from the historical site of Petra, Jordan, illustrated and compared with its most closely related species. This new species is reminiscent of the African species of Cheironitis living in savannahs and could represent a relictual species of the mid-Holocene climatic optimum.
dung beetle, Jordan, Middle East, new species
The genus Cheironitis van Lansberge, 1875, currently contains 23 species from the Old World, including 13 in Palaearctic and 10 in Afrotropical Regions (
While surveying dung beetles in Jordan in July 2012, the first author collected specimens of an undescribed species of dung beetle from horse dung at the historical site of Petra. This species belongs to a group of fulvous-coloured species, characterised by rows of smooth and shiny black tubercles on the elytra, including C. asbenicus Gillet, 1909, from southern Sahara, C. scabrosus (Fabricius, 1776), from south-eastern Africa, C. muelleri Janssens, 1943, from eastern Africa and C. socotranus Gahan, 1909, from Socotra Island (
Dry specimens and dissected structures were observed using a Bresser Advance ICD10-160X microscope. Illustrations were made using a Canon EOS 6D Mark II, coupled with a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro USM and a Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX. Images were stacked using Helicon Focus software.
Holotype ♂ (Fig.
Cheironitis petraensis sp. n. a habitus male holotype dorsal view b habitus female paratype, dorsal view b' detail of female yellow-ochre gena (arrow) c male holotype, ventral view d details of pygidium e right fore leg, slightly oblique ventral view; arrow shows sub-apical tooth on upper edge of profemur f aedeagus, left lateral view g parameres, dorsal view h parameres, ventral view.
Variation. Measurements (3 ♂, 3 ♀). Length: male 13.0 - 16.0 mm (15.0 ± 2.1), female 15.0 - 18.0 mm (16.3 ± 1.2). Female (Fig.
Etymology. This new species is named after the place where it was collected, i.e. Petra historical site.
Distribution. To date, this species is only known from Petra historical site, Jordan.
Cheironitis petraensis sp. n. shows a stout outwardly curved long tooth medially on the posterior edge of hind femur, which is neither observed in C. scabrosus, C. asbenicus, C. muelleri nor in C. socotranus. The new species is close to C. socotranus by the distinct pronotal punctation of the elytral disc, the mesotibia without strong protrusion on the outer edge and the protibia straight on the basal two-thirds. Conversely, C. socotranus differs from the new species by several characters: underside of protibia with a row of numerous small teeth, with a much longer tooth in the middle; basal tooth of the outer edge of protibiae distinctly separated from the others; strong metaventral granulation; median coxae with a bifurcated, lamellar protrusion; the frontal tubercle of the male head distinctly behind the frontal carina; tibia with greenish reflection. Cheironitis scabrosus, C. asbenicus and C. muelleri differ from the new species by the indistinct pronotal punctures with coalescent points; by protibiae curved from the mid-length; by the presence of a strong protrusion on the inner border of protibiae and a strong and long protrusion on the outer edge of the mesotibiae. As with C. socotranus, they show also a different armature on underside of the protibiae, including a strong tooth, except in C. asbenicus where there is no tooth. Cheironitis petraensis, C. asbenicus and C. muelleri have the two basal external teeth of the protibiae slightly separated from the two apical teeth, the four teeth being equally separated in C. scabrosus.
Table
Comparison of main morphological characters between Cheironitis petraensis sp. n. and its most morphologically and geographically closely related species.
C. scabrosus |
C. socotranus |
C. asbenicus |
C. muelleri |
C. petraensis sp. n. |
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Frontal tubercle of male head |
Slightly behind the frontal carina |
Distinctly behind the frontal carina |
Slightly behind the frontal carina |
Slightly behind the frontal carina |
Interrupting the frontal carina medially |
Pronotal disc punctures |
Indistinct, coalescent points |
Distinct, only few punctures are coalescent |
Indistinct, coalescent points |
Indistinct, coalescent points |
Distinct |
Disc of metaventrite |
With large, densely distributed punctures, giving rough aspect |
With very strong and large granules |
With large, densely distributed punctures, giving rough aspect |
With large, densely distributed punctures, giving rough aspect |
With small granules |
External teeth of male protibiae |
Equally distributed |
Basal tooth of outer edge distinctly separated from the others |
The two basal teeth distinctly separated from the two apical teeth |
The two basal teeth slightly separated from the two apical teeth |
The two basal teeth slightly separated from the two apical teeth |
Shape of male protibiae |
Curved from the mid-length |
Straight in their basal two-thirds |
Curved from the mid-length |
Curved from the mid-length |
Straight in their basal two-thirds |
Protrusion on the inner border of male protibiae |
Present, spine-shaped, directed inwards |
Absent |
Present, T-shaped |
Present, spine-shaped, directed forwards |
Absent |
Underside of male protibiae |
Row of numerous small teeth, with a much longer tooth at the basal third |
Row of numerous small teeth, with a much longer tooth in the middle |
No teeth, but small crenulations |
A long tooth in the middle and a sub-apical strong protrusion |
Four teeth, the most proximal and distal ones small, the two others longer |
Basal protrusion on outer edge of male mesotibiae |
Strong, short |
Small |
Long and thin, straight |
Long and thin, rounded |
Small |
Posterior edge of male metafemora with a strong outwardly curved tooth medially |
Absent |
Absent |
Absent |
Absent |
Present |
Distribution |
Southern Africa |
Socotra Island |
Southern Sahara |
Eastern Africa |
Jordan |
Specimens of C. petraensis sp. n. were collected from horse dung, without other associated species. To date, this new species seems localised to the hill country of Jordan. July corresponds to a very dry period in this area, which confirms that C. petraensis sp. n. is a dry season active species, as are all other species of the genus. It is reminiscent of African species of Cheironitis living in savannahs, suggesting that C. petraensis sp. n. could represent a relictual species of the mid-Holocene climatic optimum (
The authors thank Philippe Moretto and Prof. Yves Cambefort for their invaluable advice in the review of the manuscript.
Paul Coppo found the new species, wrote the first draft of the manuscript and prepared the figures. Olivier Montreuil reviewed extensively and improved the manuscript.