A review of the Aphodiinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) of southern South America.
By Smith, A.B.T. and P.E. Skelley
Abstract/Intro
Smith, A.B.T. and P.E. Skelley. 2007. A review of the Aphodiinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) of southern South America. Zootaxa 1458: 1-80.
Abstract
The 27 Aphodiinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) species that occur in southern South America are reviewed. This study region consists of the southern parts of Argentina and Chile including the Central Chilean, Patagonian, and Subantarctic biogeographical provinces. Keys, illustrations, and distributional records with maps for all species are presented. Seventeen species are native to southern South America, nine species are introduced, and the status of one species could not be determined due to a lack of study material. Nine of the 17 native species are endemic to southern South America, and the relationship between these endemic species and similar Australian groups is discussed. A number of classification and nomenclatural changes are made. Paranimbus Schmidt and Pseudopodotenus Dellacasa are considered to subgenera of Podotenus Schmidt. As a result, the following new combinations are created: Podotenus (Paranimbus) longitarsis (Harold), Podotenus (Paranimbus) penai (Petrovitz), Podotenus (Paranimbus) peruanus (Erichson), Podotenus (Paranimbus) zoiai (Dellacasa), and Podotenus (Pseudopodotenus) fulviventris (Fairmaire and Germain). Ataenius chilensis (Solier) is removed from synonymy with Ataenius gracilis (Melsheimer) and is considered a valid species. Ataenius modestus Schmidt is synonymized under Ataenius chilensis (Solier). Psammobius indefensus Schmidt is transferred to the genus Leiopsammodius and Leiopsammodius chilensis Rakovic is placed in synonymy with this name. Lectotypes are designated for the following names: Aphodius chilensis Solier (now Ataenius chilensis), Aphodius reflexus Schmidt (now Orodaliscoides reflexus), Ataenius modestus (now a synonym of Ataenius chilensis), and Psammobius indefensus Schmidt (now Leiopsammodius indefensus). A neotype is designated for Aphodius angustus Philippi and Philippi, a synonym of Pleurophorus caesus (Panzer). Records considered to be erroneous for several Aphodiinae species in southern South America are also discussed.
