Aegidium.

Small to medium-sized beetles (body length 5–20 mm), brown to black colored without pattern, more or less densely punctate, smooth or densely setose. Mandibles subsymmetrical, without lateral processes, distinctly or feebly protruding past anterior margin of frontoclypeus in dorsal view. Labrum exposed or hidden under clypeus in dorsal view. Frontoclypeus symmetrical or subsymmetrical, without tubercles, horns or ridges, or in males with variably shaped bilobate anterior frontoclypeal process. Pronotum of males may be with deep excavation in the middle, with 2 horns or ridges bordering the excavation near anterior margin (lateral pronotal processes), and with a tubercle or small horn medially on the anterior margin (anterior pronotal process); these characters are subject to allometric variability and may not be developed in some males. Females have a convex pronotum without armature or pronotum impressed anteriorly on disc and with a tubercle medially on anterior margin. Propleurae with carinae separating anterolateral areas from basal area. Scutellum narrowly rounded apically, about 1/8–1/13 length of elytra. Elytra convex, with marked humeral umbones (except for brachypterous species). Surface flat or with two low ridges in basal half; the ridges may be more or less convex, smooth, to almost indistinct. Pubescence of dorsal side indistinct or dense. Wings fully developed or vestigial. Metepisternon triangular, its posterior angle rounded to triangular and situated in distinct concavity of epipleuron. Mesocoxal cavities connected by a hole. Protibiae with three outer teeth, somewhat serrate basad of the teeth, with a smaller, medial tooth in majority of males. In males, anterior spur is absent. Each procoxae with one elongate hollow. Mesotibiae with or without a tuft of setae ventroapically in males. Stridulatory file with relatively fine, evenly spaced carinae. Phallobase tube shaped with strongly sclerotized ventral side but without differentiation of ventral and dorsal sclerites; ventroapical plate absent or present. Parameres symmetrical, relatively long, apices tapering or curved downwards, with or without setae; a few species have complex, feeble sclerotised processes on the parameres lateroapically. Endophallus without armature or with a small group of spinules; in one species of Aegidium there is a sclerite with two large curved spines. Spiculum gastrale T-, Y- or V-shaped, with setae on apical plate. Subcoxites oval, with dense, long setae mediabasally; coxites triangular, long, with dense short setae mediabasally and sparse long setae apically; stili distinct, elongated, or not separated from coxites.

The subtribe is comprised of Aegidium Westwood, 1845 (25 spp), Paraegidium Vulcano et al., 1966 (6 spp), Aegidiellus Paulian, 1984 (3 spp) and Onorius Frolov & Vaz-de-Mello, 2015 (2 spp).

Endemic to South and Central America.

Aegidinus Arrow, 1904.

Body small to mid-sized (length 6 to 12 mm), reddish brown to dark brown. Mandibles subsymmetrical, with long processes on the outer sides. Clypeus with tubercle or horn on anterior margin medially in males, without horn in females. Pronotum variably excavated medially in males, convex to depressed medially in females; anterior margin of pronotum in males with a tubercle or horn medially. Propleura with carinae separating anterolateral areas from basal area. Scutellum narrowly rounded posteriorly, about 1/12 length of elytra. Elytra convex, with marked humeral umbones and striae marked with elongated punctures, surface smooth. Wings fully developed. Metepisternon triangular, its posterior angle rounded to triangular and situated in distinct concavity of epipleuron. Mesocoxal cavities not connected by a hole. Protibiae with three outer teeth, somewhat serrate basad of the teeth, with a smaller, medial tooth in majority of males. In males, anterior spur is absent. Each procoxa with two hollows. Mesotibiae without a tuft of setae ventroapically in males. Stridulatory file with wide carinae medially becoming much narrower and denser proximally. Phallobase tube shaped with strongly sclerotised ventral side but without differentiation of ventral and dorsal sclerites; ventroapical plate absent. Parameres relatively short, with complex shape but without feeble sclerotised processes, apices without setae; in some species parameres strongly asymmetric. Endophallus with relatively well-developed armature consisting of a few groups of spinules, sometimes of different size. Spiculum gastrale Y-shaped, without setae on apical plate. Subcoxites variably shaped, sometimes angulate or with a process mediabasally; coxites variably shaped, with armature sort robust spinules in some species mediabasally, stili distinct, variably shaped, or indistinct, not separated from coxites.

Only type genus, Aegidinus Arrow, 1904 (16 spp).

Endemic to South America.

Aegidinus alexanderi sp. nov. is most similar to A. teamscaraborum Colby, 2009, but differs from it in the shape of the parameres having proximal and distal lobes less separated and proximal lobes longer in lateral view (Fig. 2E–G). It should be noted that the differences between the two species are smaller than between most other Aegidinus species, implying their close relationships. It is possible that a thorough sampling in the Yungas will provide clear evidence of their allopatric or parapatric distribution and examination of molecular markers will show that the genetic distance between them is characteristic for subspecies rather than species; in this case, their status may be changed. Until such data are available, we suggest that these taxa are considered distinct species.

Figure 2. 

Aegidinus alexanderi sp. nov. (A, D, E male, holotype B female, paratype) and A. teamscaraborum (G) A, B habitus C stridulatory file, SEM D parameres in dorsal view E aedeagus in lateral view F, G paramere outline in lateral view (not to scale) H distributional record map (red symbols indicate holotype localities, gray squares indicate localities of A. teamscaraborum paratypes, which may belong to A. alexanderi sp. nov.).

Holotype. Male at ZIN labeled “JUNÍN: Satipo Prov., 5 km NNE Puerto Ocopa, left bank of Perené River, near Canan Eden village, 1100 m a.s.l., vill. 8.III.2008. A.Petrov leg [FIDE6071]”. Paratypes. One male and one female [FIDE6072, FIDE6073] at CMN and two females [FIDE6074, FIDE6075] at ZIN with the same data as the holotype; one male and three females at ZIN labeled “PERU: Junin, 16 km NW Satipo, rio Venado, 1150 m 11°11.677'S, 74°46.137'W 13.III.2010 A. Petrov leg. [FIDE6076–FIDE6079]”.

Male, holotype (Fig. 2A, D, E).

Body length 8.4 mm. Colour uniformly dark brown.

Frontoclypeus wide, with convex anterior margin, slightly angulate laterally, somewhat crenulate. Genae small, slightly protruding past eyes. Frontal suture indistinct. Frontoclypeus with short conical horn rounded apically.

Pronotum with widely rounded lateral margins, narrower than elytra, 1.6 times wider than length. Posterior angles widely rounded. Anterior margin bordered, border interrupted medially, with feeble gibbosity. Base of pronotum not bordered, with a few large rounded punctures laterally and a few small medially. Pronotal disc feebly excavated anteromedially, with two gibbosities in center. Pronotum punctate with a few large rounded punctures laterally and anteromedially and with minute, feebly visible punctures throughout.

Scutellum subtriangular, narrowly rounded posteriorly, about 1/11 length of elytra.

Elytra almost as long as wide, widest medially and rounded apically, with humeral and apical humps. First elytral stria as continuous line, connected basally with undulate line from scutellum to humeral hump. Other striae marked with rows of sparse punctures; punctures somewhat V- and comma-shaped on basal part of elytra, becoming smaller towards apices.

Macropterous.

Legs. Protibiae with 3 outer teeth, without medioapical tooth. Lateral margin basad of outer teeth not crenulate. Apical spur of protibia absent. Middle and hind legs similar in shape; metafemora and metatibiae about 1/8 longer than the mesofemora and mesotibiae. Mesotibia and metatibiae with 2 apical spurs, inner margin almost straight, outer margin with 1 transverse keel. Upper spur of hind tibiae as long as two basal tarsomeres. Claws 1/3 length of apical tarsomere. Femora almost impunctate.

Abdomen ventrally irregularly punctate, pubescent, with sparse, long setae. Abdominal sternite 8 medially slightly longer than sternites 4–7 combined. Pygidium invisible from above, with slightly truncate apex in caudal view. Plectrum triangular with rounded apex, wider than long. Stridulatory file (Fig. 2C) with wide carinae medially becoming much narrower and denser proximally.

Aedeagus. Phallobase without ventroapical plate. Parameres short (about 0.4 length of phallobase), curved downwards (Fig. 2D, E). Parameres with proximal lobes reasonably longer than sinuation between proximal and distal lobes in lateral view (Fig. 2E). Endophallus with 3 groups of spinules.

Female (Fig. 2B) differs from the male in having a relatively smaller pronotum without armature, frontoclypeus without process, and short but distinct protibial spur.

The body length of the examined specimens varies from 7.8–8.5 (males) and from 7.5–9.0 (females). Head and pronotal armature in one male paratype poorly developed with a small frontoclypeal tubercle and shallow pronotal fossa medially.

This species is known from two localities in Satipo Province in central Peru, mostly within the Peruvian Yungas ecoregion and on the border with Southwest Amazon moist forests ecoregion (Fig. 2H). The records of the paratypes A. teamscaraborum from the Peruvian Yungas (Fig. 2H, gray squares) are based on females only therefore may belong to A. alexanderi sp. nov. The holotype and other paratypes of A. teamscaraborum originate from Bolivian Yungas.

The new species is named after Alexander Petrov (Moscow) who collected and kindly donated us the specimens.

Aegidinus elbae sp. nov. is similar to A. colbyae Frolov et al., 2019, A. brasiliensis Arrow, 1904 and A. howeae Colby, 2009 in having mediobasal margins of dorsomedial lobes of parameres strongly sclerotized, protibia without medioapical tooth, and dorsal sides of parameres less overlapping, but differs from them in the parameres being distinctly longer and, in lateral view, abruptly separated into apical and basal parts (Fig. 3C).

Figure 3. 

Aegidinus elbae Neita-Moreno, Akhmetova & Frolov sp. nov. (A, C, D male, holotype B female, paratype) A, B habitus C aedeagus in lateral view D parameres in dorsal view E distributional record map.

Holotype. Male at IAvH (Fig. 3A): “COLOMBIA, Caquetá, Solano PNN/ Chiribiquete, Río Sararamano/Bosque Verde militar 300 m/0°14'47"N, 72°37'24"W pitfall T2/T1 3-5.iv.2000, E. Gonzalez Leg.”, “IAvH-E-256378”. Paratype. Female at IAvH (Fig. 3B) with following data: “COLOMBIA, Caquetá, Solano PNN/ Chiribiquete, Río Sararamano/Bosque Verde militar 300 m/0°14'47"N, 72°37'24"W pitfall /3-5.iv.2000, E. Gonzalez Leg.”, “IAvH-E-256379”.

Male (Fig. 3A, C, D).

Body length 9.6 mm. Colour uniformly dark brown.

Anterior margin of frontoclypeus with horn rounded apically.

Pronotum with widely rounded lateral margins, narrower than elytra, 1.6 times wider than length. Posterior angles widely rounded. Anterior margin bordered, border complete medially, with feeble gibbosity. Base of pronotum not bordered, with a few large rounded punctures laterally and a few small medially. Pronotal disc feebly excavated anteromedially, with two gibbosities in centre. Pronotum punctate with a few large rounded punctures laterally and anteromedially and with minute, feebly visible punctures throughout.

Scutellum subtriangular, narrowly rounded posteriorly, about 1/11 length of elytra.

Elytra almost as long as wide, widest medially and rounded apically, with humeral and apical humps. First elytral stria as continuous line, connected basally with undulate line from scutellum to humeral hump. Other striae marked with rows of sparse punctures; punctures somewhat V- and comma-shaped on basal part of elytra, becoming smaller towards apices.

Macropterous.

Legs. Protibiae with 3 outer teeth, without medioapical tooth. Lateral margin basad of outer teeth not crenulate. Apical spur of protibia absent. Middle and hind legs similar in shape; metafemora and metatibiae about 1/8 longer than the mesofemora and mesotibiae. Mesotibia and metatibiae with 2 apical spurs, inner margin almost straight, outer margin with 1 transverse keel. Upper spur of hind tibiae as long as two basal tarsomeres. Claws 1/3 length of apical tarsomere. Femora almost impunctate.

Aedeagus. Phallobase without ventroapical plate. Parameres long (about 0.7 length of phallobase). Parameres symmetrical, of complex shape (Fig. 3C, D): in the lateral view, they are abruptly separated into apical and basal parts; basal parts with 2 acute processes, apical parts somewhat dilating, giving the shape of a cup, acute and curved at very apex.

Female (Fig. 3B) differs from male in having relatively wider elytra, pronotum and head without excavations and armature, and in having a protibial spur. Body length 8.7 mm.

The species is known from a single locality in Caquetá, Colombian Amazonia (Fig. 3E).

The species is dedicated to Lic. Elba Moreno de Neita, mother of JCNM, to honor her memory.