Gender Dyscinetus Harold (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Cyclocephalini) in Venezuela and the description of a new species

Abstract

The genus Dyscinetus Harold, 1869 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Cyclocephalini) is redescribed and compared with Chalepides Casey, 1915 (Cyclocephalini). Six species occur in Venezuela, four are redescribed, one is transferred from Chalepides and redescribed, and one is a new species: Dyscinetus dytiscoides Arrow, 1911, D. paradytis (Ponchel & Dechambre, 2003) comb. nov., D. dubius (Olivier, 1789), D. rugifrons (Burmeister, 1847), new country record, D. olivaceus Höhne, 1923 and D. mendax sp. nov., the last one is usually confused with D. olivaceus and is widely distributed in South America (Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru, Trinidad and Suriname). Identification key for Venezuelan species, diagnostic illustrations, some host data and maps are included.