Polynoncus sallei (Harold, 1872)

(Figures 58, 62–63)

Trox sallei Harold, 1872: 138, 191 (original description); Preudhomme de Borre 1886: 76 (checklist); Arrow 1912: 60 (catalogue); Blackwelder 1944: 219 (checklist); Vaurie 1962: 130 (redescription); Paulian 1981: 10 (catalogue from Madagascar)

Trox (Polynoncus) sallei: Scholtz 1982: 16 (catalogue)

Polynoncus sallei: Scholtz 1986a: 362 (systematics); Scholtz 1990: 1443 (redescription); Zidek 2013: 16 (checklist); Ratcliffe et al. 2015: 189 (checklist from Peru); Zidek 2017: 107 (checklist)

Trox ranavalo Paulian, 1936: 134 (original description); Vaurie 1962: 130 (synonymised with T. sallei); Paulian 1981: 10 (catalogue from Madagascar); Scholtz 1990: 1443 (as synonym of T. sallei); Zidek 2013: 15 (checklist, as synonym of T. sallei); Zidek 2017: 107 (checklist, as synonym of T. sallei)

Type specimen examined. HOLOTYPE. (♂ MNHN – Figure 62) First label [light brown with orange border, unknown handwriting]: ‘ Bolivia / T. / Sallei / Harold’. Second label [light brown, handwritten]: ‘Bolivia’. Third label [light brown, Edgar von Harold’s handwriting]: ‘Sallei / Har. / typ. [underlined]’. Fourth label [light brown, handwritten]: ‘denticulatus / Bl’. Fifth label [white, aged, typeset]: “Ex-Musaeo / A. SALLÉ / 1897 [vertical, right side]. Sixth label [light green, typeset]: ‘Museum Paris / ex Coll. / R. Oberthur’. Seventh label [red, typeset]: ‘HOLOTYPE’. Eighth label [white with black border]: ‘ HOLOTYPE / Polynoncus / sallei (Harold 1872) ’. Ninth label [white with black border]: ‘MNHN / EC10493’ (Figure 62e). Type locality: ‘Bolivia’, without specific locality. Harold (1872) did not provide further information about the origin of the type series other than ‘Bolivia’, collected by ‘Bridges’.

Thomas Charles Bridges (1807–1865) was an English botanist who spent time collecting fauna and flora in Peru, Chile and Bolivia between 1828 and approximately 1851 (Turrill 1920; Johnston 1928). According to Johnston (1928) and Hind and Frisby (2015), T. C. Bridges arrived in Bolivia in 1844, travelling through Potosí, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz, leaving the country in 1845 (for details of Thomas Bridges’ travel in South America, see Johnston (1928)). Considering the known records for this species, we believe that the type specimen was collected in the Andean region of Potosí.

Type specimen examined of Trox ranavalo Paulian, 1936 . HOLOTYPE. (BMNH – Figure 63). First label [white, aged]: ‘Trog [?] / humerosus Reich [?] / Madagascar?’. Second label [white, aged; Renaud Paulian’s handwriting]: ‘ Trox / Ranavalo / Type / n. sp. / det. R. Paulian 1937’. Third label [round with orange frame, typeset]: ‘ Holo- / type’. Fourth label [white with red frame, Clark Scholtz’s handwriting]: ‘ Trox / ranavalo Paulian. / HOLOTYPE [red]’. Fifth label [white, Clark Scholtz’s handwriting]: ‘ Trox / sallei Harold. / det. C.H. Scholtz 1979’. Sixth label [white, printed]: ‘[QR code] / NHMUK014002791’ (Figure 63c). Type locality: ‘Madagascar’ (mislabelled specimen).

Differential diagnosis. Polynoncus sallei resembles P. gemmingeri, P. seymourensis and P. gordoni . However, the latter two species have median ridges and basal tubercles of pronotum fused, while they are separated in P. sallei . Also, P. sallei has the odd-numbered costae with small and numerous tubercles (more than seven tubercles until the elytral declivity). In P. gemmingeri, the elytral tubercles in the odd-numbered costae are distinctly raised, bigger and less numerous (maximum of five tubercles) in the costae. For details of descriptions and complementary diagnosis, see Vaurie (1962) and Scholtz (1990).

Geographic distribution. Polynoncus sallei is recorded in north-western South America, in the Andean portion of Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru (Figure 58). These records are in agreement with those earlier presented by Vaurie (1962) and Scholtz (1990).

We examined one specimen from Buenos Aires (Argentina) housed in MNHN . However, considering our understanding of the geographical distribution and habitat where P. sallei is collected, we believe that it might be a mislabelled specimen.

Examined non-type material (62 specimens). ARGENTINA [dubious locality]: Buenos Aires, without specific locality, date or collection (1 MNHN) . BOLIVIA: without specific locality or date, Standius leg. (1 MZSP); without specific locality, date or collector (1 MNHN). CHILE: without specific locality, date or collector (2♀ BMNH) . ECUADOR: Loja, Malacatos, 1500 m, 7 November 1995, P . Ortiz leg . (1♀ CEMT); Masanamaca, 1700 m, March 1985, L . Coloma leg . (1♀ CEMT); without specific locality or date, Abbé Gaujon leg . (2♂, 1♀ and 2 unsexed MNHN) . PERU: Amazonas, Chachapoyas, 1889, M . de Mathan leg . (1♂, 1♀ and 12 unsexed MNHN) . Arequipa, Lomas Atiquita, 800 m, February 2005, pitfall trap, José Cerdeña leg . (1♂ and 2 unsexed CVMD); Sabandía, December 1919, E . Egcomel leg . (1 MACN). Cajamarca, Cajamarca, 4 November 1981, G . Sanchez leg . (1♂ CVMD); Contumazá, San Benito, 1400 m, 16 March 1993, Pedro Hocking leg . (1 MUSM); without specific locality, 27 September 1982, J . Valderrama leg . (1 CVMD). La Libertad, Pataz, Nimpana, 1976 m, 7.632°S, 77.617°W, 27 February 2015, P . Ancajima leg . (1♂ CVMD) . Lima, Lachay National Reserve, 15 February 1986, Rosário Acero leg . (2 CVMD); Lachay National Reserve, 23–26 November 2011, G . Valencia leg . (3 CVMD); Lurigancho-Chosica, 29 December 1964, P . Hocking leg . (1♂ CVMD); Matucana, 2380 m, 13 December 2004, pitfall trap with chicken carcass, V . Manuel Diéguez leg . (2 CVMD); Tornamesa, Río Rimac, 1600 m, 18 February 2012, Pedro Hocking leg . (2 CVMD); Yauyos Allauca, 2500 m, October 2009, C . Gaspar y L . Sulca leg. (1 MUSM). Tacna, Tacna, no date, Schmidt [?] leg. (1♂ MNHN) . Ancash, Corongo, 2000 m, 3–17 February 2007, pitfall trap with squid, V .M . Diéguez leg . (1 CVMD); Corongo, 3190 m, 5–12 February 2012, pitfall trap with squid, Paco Castilla leg . (1♂ and 7 unsexed CVMD); Marcara, 19 September 1999, Zoila G .J . leg . (1 CVMD); Marcara, 3 October 1997, C . Adriano leg . (1 CVMD); Shancayan, 7 September 2002, R . Robles leg . (1♂ CVMD); Tapacocha, Río Fortaleza, 3100 m, 4 March 1956, W . Weyrowch leg . (2 IFML); Yungay, 15 December 2000, Antonio Vivar leg . (1♂ CVMD); Yungay, 2458 m, 10 October 2003, Durán Huaoma Isabel leg . (1 CVMD).