Euetheola bidentata (Burmeister, 1847)

(Figs. 25 – 32)

Chalepus bidentata Burmeister, 1847: 81.

Cyclocephala brevis Perty, 1830: 46 (synonymy unverified, type unknown). Heteronychus globosus Burmeister, 1847: 91 (presumed synonym).

Description. Habitus as in Fig. 25. Length: 12 – 14 mm (♂), 13 – 15 mm (♀). Width 6 – 7 mm (♂), 6 – 8 mm (♀). Color black, shiny olive green (Fig. 25). Head: Frons with sparse, minute punctures. Frontoclypeal suture present, but inconspicuous, slightly sinuate at middle. Clypeus transversely rugopunctate and rugose; subtrapezoidal with truncate apex and 2 small reflexed teeth (Fig. 27). Interocular distance equals 4.0 – 4.8 times the transverse ocular diameter. Mandibles without lateral teeth, external margin only slightly sinuate. Antennal club short, subequal in length to antennomeres 3 – 7. Pronotum: Surface strongly punctate, punctures slightly larger than those of frons, denser on lateral margins. Scutellum: Surface with sparse, deep punctures. Elytra: Surface with distinct rows of punctures, each puncture large, deep, horseshoe-shaped. Lateral margin thickened in females (Fig. 31). Sutural stria complete, with contiguous punctures. Pygidium: Surface densely punctate; punctures large, ocellate and with small, pale setae. Surface nearly flat in lateral view. Legs: Protibia tridentate, teeth equidistant. Protarsus dilated in males, claw with apex truncate (Fig. 25). Metatibia with apex slightly crenulate, nearly truncate and with 9 – 10 spinules. Venter: Prosternal process with apex triangular, clothed with long, yellow setae. Parameres: Form short and broad, with 2 short and lobed lateral projections, apex rounded (Figs. 28 – 29). Spiculum gastrale: Base as long as lateral branches (Fig. 30).

Diagnosis. Euetheola bidentata is differentiated from E. humilis by having deeper, larger, and denser punctation on the pronotum and pygidium, and the elytral punctures in the shape of a horseshoe. Furthermore, the male protarsi are dilated, and females have the elytral margin thickened.

Locality records. (Fig. 32) 654 specimens, 272♂, 382♀. Specimens were seen from ANDES, CEUA, CEUN, CIUQ, CTI, HJG, IAvH, ICN, LEUC, MEFLG, MPUJ, UNAB, UPN, UPTC. Antioquia (44): Apartadó (10). Bello (3). Caucasia, Hda. La Candelaria (2). El Hatillo (1). El Peñol (1). Medellín (2). Puerto Berrío (2); Vda. La Cristalina (1). Turbo (4). Urabá (10). Vegachí (8). Arauca (12): Arauca (1); Alred. río Arauca (6). Arauquita, Campamento Caño Limón (3). Vía Caño Limón (2). Boyacá (5): Puerto Boyacá, Laguna Palagua (3). Santa María, Barrio La Libertad (1). Sogamoso (1). Caquetá (36): Caquetá (21). El Doncello (6). Florencia (6). La Montañita, Vda. Palma Azul, Correg. La Unión Peneya (1). La Unión, Vda. Palma Azul (2). Casanare (94): Agua Azul, El Salitre, Fca. Brisas del Llano (3); Hda. Los Rosales (1). Hato Corozal, Caserío indígena Mochuelo (1). Monterrey, Telecom, Parque Monterrey (2). Paz de Ariporo, Vda. La Hermosa, Fca. Nicaragua (2). Tauramena, Vda. Villa Rosa, Fca. Barcelona (6). Maní, Vda. Ventanas, Fca. Matepalma (1). Yopal, P. Urbano (45). Yopal, Aereopuerto (18). Yopal, 1 km W. Aguazul (14). Yopal, 2 km W. Aguazul (1). Chocó (2): Riosucio, Peye (2). Córdoba (13): Cereté (4). Ciénaga de Oro, Berástegui, Fca. Villa Alejandría (1). Montería (1). San Andrés de Sotavento (1). Tierra Alta (6). Cundinamarca (79): Anapoima (1). Apulo, Alred. río Apulo (1). Bogotá (7). Chía, La Caro (4). Facatativá (1). Guayabal de Síquima (1). Medina, Vda. Choapal (4). Mosquera (1). Mundo Nuevo, Alred. Qda. Calostro (1). Quetame (1). San Carlos (49). Sasaima (2). Tena (1); Laguna de Pedro Palo (3). Ubate, Vda. San José (1). Villeta (1). Guaviare (6): San José del Guaviare (1); Inspección Guacamayas (3); Fca. La Lindosa (1); Resguardo indígena Panure (1). Huila (3): Gigante (3). Meta (315): Acacías (11); Vda. San José (42). Bellavista, Carretera a Villavicencio (1). Castilla (4); Puesto Las Petroleras (1). Cubarral (1). Cumaral, Fca. Pavito (2); Las Brisas (1); RN Kaliawirinae (1); San José (1). Fuente de Oro (5). Granada, río Arari (2). Granada, Fca. Papina (6); Riberas río Ariari (2). Guamal, Hda. Achivurry (1). La Macarena (2). Puerto Gaitán (2). Puerto López (10). Puerto López, Vda. Alto Menegua (20); Fca. El Lagunoso (1). Puerto López, Vda. La Balsa, Hda. Mozambique (1); Vda. Llano Grande (1); Correg. Remolinos, Cafam Llanos (2); Corpoica La Libertad (1); Humacitas (48). Restrepo (2). San Juan de Aramá (2); Campamento Inderena Las Dantas (3); Fca. La Flor (1); Qda. La Curia, alred. Inderena (15). San Martín (4); Fca. Santa Rosa (3). Villavicencio (88); Río Ocoa (24); Vda. Apiay (1). Nariño (1): Pasto, km 4 vía Chachaguí, Centro Ambiental Chimayoi (1). Putumayo (1): Puerto Asís, Vda. Agua Negra, Fca. Villa Luisa (1). Quindío (2): Tebaida, Pisamal (2). Risaralda (5): Mistrató, San Antonio del Chamí, El Cedro, alred. Qda. El Cedro (5). Santander (3): Cachipay del Opón, Vda. Centro (1). Sabana de Torres, Qda. La Playa (2). Sucre (10): San Marcos, La Florida (1). Tolú (9). Tolima (4): Chaparral (1). Honda (1). Melgar (2). Valle del Cauca (1): Palmira (1). Vaupés (1): Guayabero, Ariari (1). Vichada (7): Gaviotas (7). Ambiguos data (10): Fca. Ucumaré, Llanos (2). Localidad 2, maizal (3). No data (5).

Temporal distribution. January (2), February (9), March (33), April (131), May (69), June (57), July (19), August (59), September (49), October (118), November (52), December (34). No data (22).

Distribution. This is a widespread species that can be found from Mexico to Brazil (Endrödi 1966; Ratcliffe 2003; Ratcliffe 2006; Ratcliffe et al. 2013). In Colombia, we found the species occurring in 20 departments, but additional records had been previously reported for Caldas, Magdalena (Restrepo-Giraldo & López-Ávila 2000), Cesar, and La Guajira (Pardo-Locarno et al. 2012).

Natural history. Most individuals were collected with light traps and by hand. They were rarely collected by using pitfall traps, traps baited with feces, or aerial nets. Riparian forests, gallery forests, lowland forests, pastures, and roadsides are among the most common habitats where the species was found. In Colombia, we found records from 8 – 3,430 m, but the species was most abundant at lower elevations, mainly below 600 m. According to Pardo- Locarno et al. (2011) the reproductive period of this species is highly correlated with the rainy season between March and April, but we found another peak in October.

Euetheola bidentata is considered the most important pest of all the pentodontines in Colombia. It has been reported causing damage to various crops (Scavo & Joly 1998; Restrepo-Giraldo & López-Ávila 2000; Pardo- Locarno et al. 2011). We found the species to be associated with: corn (Zea mays Linnaeus (Poaceae)), sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum Linnaeus (Poaceae)), rice (Oryza sativa Linnaeus (Poaceae)), cotton (Gossypium Linnaeus (Malvaceae)), banana and plantain (Musa Linnaeus), and unidentified grasses. However, damage was noted only in corn, rice and pastures, where the adults affected roots, growing seedlings, and seeds.