INSECTA MUNDI, Vol. 19, No. 1-2, March-June, 2005 55 The New World species of Ataenius Harold, 1867. V. Revision of the A. strigatus group (Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Eupariini) Zdzislawa T. Stebnicka Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals Polish Academy of Sciences SB´awkowska 17, 31-016 Krakow, Poland
[email protected] Paul K. Lago Biology Department University of Mississippi University, MS 38677
[email protected] Abstract. The strigatus group of the New World species of Ataenius Harold is revised. Seventeen species are recognized including two species described as new: Ataenius ecruensis sp. nov. from the United States and A. oaxacaensis sp. nov. from Mexico. Fifteen previously used names are considered valid, three new synonyms are proposed: A. liogaster Bates (= A. edwardsi Chapin syn. nov. = A. hoguei Cartwright and Spangler syn. nov.), A. wenzelii Horn (= A. rudellus Fall, syn. nov.). New state records are presented for A. spretulus (Haldeman) (Washington) and A. cognatus (LeConte) (Indiana, Missouri, and Mississippi). The taxa are diagnosed, keyed and illustrated; available biological information and distribution data are given. Key words: Scarabaeidae, Aphodiinae, Ataenius strigatus group, new species, taxonomy, New World. Introduction clusters of species that share similar combinations of the external character states, often correlated This is the fifth part of a revision of the New with structures of the male genitalia, but some World species of the genus Ataenius Harold (Steb- species within a group have male genitalia similar nicka 2001, 2002, 2003b, in press) and deals with to those from other species groups. Other problems the A. strigatus group of species widely distributed are connected with a north/south vicariance dem- in the middle and southern United States, Central onstrated by several species, and with extreme and South America.