Hister splendens Paykull, 1811: 53 [Capland].

Hister elegans Paykull, 1811; 57, synonymized by G. Müller, 1938: 165.

Hister speciosus: Dejean, 1821: 48 [nom. nud.].

Saprinus speciosus Erichson, 1834: 170; Marseul, 1873: 221 [Japan; Nangasaki et Hiogo], synonymized by Dahlgren, 1967: 214.

Hister cyaneus: Boisduval, 1835: 147, correctely identified by Mazur, 1976: 717.

Hister capicola Dejean, 1837: 141 [nom. nud.], synonymized by Gemminger and Harold, 1868: 791.

Saprinus viridicupreus Blanchard, 1853: 57, synonymized by Blackburn, 1903: 107.

Saprinus advena Marseul, 1855: 335, synonymized by Gemminger and Harold, 1868: 789.

Saprinus ovalis Marseul, 1855: 382, synonymized by Dahrgren, 1967: 214.

Saprinus elegans: Marseul, 1855: 383.

Saprinus ater MacLeay, 1864: 118, synonymized by Blackburn, 1903: 104.

Saprinus rasselas Marseul, 1855: 379, synonymized by Bichardt, 1921: 117.

Saprinus splendens elegans: G. Müller, 1938: 165.

<Larva> Hayashi, 1986: pl. 11.

Japanese name: Ruri-emma-mushi.

Saprinus (Saprinus) splendens: Ôhara, 1994, 232.

Hister splendens Paykull, 1811, 53.

Saprinus splendens: ESK & KSAE, 1994, 136 [Korea].
Saprinus (Saprinus) splendens: Ohara, 1994, 232.

Saprinus splendens: Vienna, 1997: 119 [South Africa].

Habitat in Cap. bon. spei. Dom. Sparrman; in Tranquebaria Dom. de Sehestedt.

Caput aeneum, nitidum, fronte convexa, punctata, stria ordinaria, antennarum clava fusca. Thorax antice vix latitudine longitudinis, postice plus duplo latior, subtus aeneo-coerulescens, supra aeneus nitidissimus; tenuiter marginatus, convexus, antice fossula utrinque profunde puncata, margine laterali late profundeque, antico vero inter fossulas, oculo modo armato, tenuissime punctulato, summo postico, punctis paucioribus etiam adsperso, disco asepius laevissimo. Elytra thorace plus dimidio longiora, anticeque latitudine ejus baseos, mox vero versus medium sensim valde dilatata, postice iterum angustata, cyanea, nitidissima, parum convexa: stria suturali antice parum modo abbreviata, quarta dorsali brevissima, antice posticeque abbreviata, reliquis dorsalibus obliquis in medio fere abbreviatis, stria marginali subrecta, dorsalibus adjacentibus, postice, saepiusque etiam antice, paulo breviore, humerali profunda brevissima, laterali et terminali distinctis, interstitio punctulato. Tota superficies elytrorum confertissime puntulata, praeter marginem exteriorem, plagamque communem laevissimam, a sutura fere ad tertiam striam dorsalem, sese extendentem. Interstitium inter primam secundamque striam dorsalem rugulis transversis notatur. Pectus et Abdomen punctatissima, aeneo-coerulescentia. Pedes nigropicei, tibiis dilatatis, anticis sex-denticulatis, intermediis et posticis spinulosis.

OBS. Color hujus speciei jam magis aeneus, jam magis coeruleus. "

Description. Body length, PPL, male, 5.05 - 6.85 mm (6.12 ± 0.13, n=20), female, 6.14 - 7.66 mm (7.07 ± 0.10, n=20), PEL, male, 4.28 - 5.43 mm (4.88 ± 0.07, n=20), female, 4.86 - 5.90 mm (5.52 ± 0.07, n=20). Width, male, 3.76 - 4.76 mm (4.33 ± 0.06, n=20), female, 4.33 - 5.24 mm (4.80 ± 0.06, n=20). Biometric data are given in Table 47. Body broadly oval and strongly convex. Cuticle very strongly shining with dark blue metallic lustre; elytra with light blue metallic lustre; funicle of antennae and tarsi dark rufopiceous; tibiae black.

Frontal stria of head carinate, complete, its sides straight. Supraorbital stria complete and well impressed. Disk of front moderately punctate, the punctures being separated by their own diameter to half the diameter on apical half, becoming sparser and finer on basal half and coarser laterally; sometimes with short lines medially, which are divergent apically, and with a deep and large punctures on basal third on mid line. Epistoma more sparsely punctate than the disk medio-apically. Labrum broadly and deeply depressed medially.

Pronotal sides (Fig. 132) evenly arcuate and convergent on basal five-sixths, thence strongly convergent to apices. Apical angles obtuse. Marginal stria lightly carinate and abbreviated at basal sixth. Disk smooth, densely, largely and deeply punctate along the sides, the punctate area narrowest at middle, attaining to basal margin, and the punctures much coarser behind anterior corner; base with a row of coarse punctures, but the punctate area broadly interrupted on median third of pronotal posterior margin; elsewhere microscopically, sparsely punctate; area behind eyes strongly depressed.

Epipleura of elytra even; surface between epipleural and elytral marginal striae with three or four rows of moderate punctures, the rows being often abbreviated at basal third; inside elytral marginal stria sparsely clothed with microscopic punctures, which are finer on the apical third. Marginal epipleural stria lightly but distinctly carinate and complete. Marginal elytral stria strongly carinate, complete, its apical end extending along the posterior margin of elytra and united with the apical end of sutural stria. External subhumeral stria (Fig. 132) confined to a basal area. Internal subhumeral stria absent. Oblique humeral stria well impressed and present on basal half. First to 3rd dorsal striae densely crenate with coarse punctures, strongly impressed and present on about basal half; 2nd a little longer than the 3rd; 1st a little longer than the 2nd. Fourth dorsal stria short, usually present on mediobasal fourth. Fifth dorsal stria absent. Sutural stria distinctly carinate, sparsely crenate and abbreviated at basal sixth. Surface of elytra densely covered with large, round, and deep punctures, which are as coarse as those of the extreme base of the pronotum, except on flanks, mediobasal half, and extreme apex (around apical stria); elsewhere sparsely and microscopically punctate; interval between 1st and 2nd dorsal striae with several longitudinal rugae.

Propygidium short; disk densely covered with punctures, which are a little coarser than the elytral coarse punctures and sparser and finer on the basal half. Pygidium (Fig. 132) densely covered with large punctures, which are about three times as coarse as the elytral coarse punctures but finer on the apical third; usually with a complete or nearly complete, narrow, median longitudinal line which is impunctate.

Anterior margin of median portion of prosternum nearly straight and shortly marginate on median third. Ventral disk of keel descending anteriorly and even on basal fourth; its disk finely covered with punctures, which are separated by two to three times their diameter; interspace among these punctures with fine and alutaceous microsculpture. Anterior marginal stria of keel strongly carinate and complete. Carinal stria weakly carinate and strongly divergent posteriorly. Descending lateral stria complete and strongly carinate, its apical end attaining to apical sixth of keel.

Anterior margin of mesosternum slightly emarginate medially, its marginal stria well carinate and complete. Disk sparsely clothed with fine punctures, which are a little coarser laterally. Meso-metasternal suture well impressed, complete, angulate at middle, and without a crenate line. Intercoxal disk of metasternum feebly convex, but strongly depressed along longitudinal sutural line in male, while feebly depressed in female; median area sparsely clothed with fine punctures, which are separated by three to eight times their diameter; lateral area along the lateral stria sparsely covered with coarse, round and deep punctures, and with other fine ones intermingled; similarly punctate in an apical transverse band, the punctures becoming sparser and finer on median third; interspace among punctures on lateral area and apical transverse band with finely impressed, alutaceous micro-sculpture. Lateral metasternal stria strongly carinate, extending obliquely and posteriorly, and present on basal two-thirds. Lateral metasternal disk densely covered with large, round, deep punctures, and with fine ones intermingled; interspace among punctures with lightly impressed, irregular, and transverse alutaceous microsculpture. Metepisternum densely covered with large, deep, and longitudinal punctures, and with fine punctures intermingled; interspace among these punctures smooth and shining.

Intercoxal disk of 1st abdominal sternum sparsely clothed with fine punctures, which become coarser laterally; lateral stria well carinate and abbreviated at apical sixth.

Protibia with 11 spinules on outer margin, the apical three and basal two small.

Male genitalia as shown in Fig. 136.

Remarks. Saprinus splendens can easily be recognized by the metalic blue body and the pygidium with an impunctated area on the mid line.

The biology of S. splendens, including the immature stages, was described by Nakasuji (1965) and Mochizuki (1980, 1985).

Table 47. Biometeric data of Saprinus splendens (Paykull).

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Male Female

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APW 1.24-1.62 (1.49± 0.02) 20 1.38-1.76 (1.60± 0.02) 20

PPW 3.47-4.83 (4.01± 0.06) 20 4.05-4.81 (4.46± 0.05) 20

PL 1.71-2.09 (1.91± 0.02) 20 1.81-2.33 (2.16± 0.03) 20

EL 2.38-3.24 (2.90± 0.05) 20 2.86-3.47 (3.19± 0.04) 20

EW 3.76-4.76 (4.33± 0.06) 20 4.33-5.24 (4.80± 0.06) 20

ProW 2.19-2.95 (2.67± 0.05) 20 2.62-3.24 (2.96± 0.04) 20

ProL 0.29-0.62 (0.49± 0.02) 20 0.38-0.62 (0.48± 0.01) 20

PyL 1.67-2.19 (1.93± 0.03) 20 2.00-2.62 (2.26± 0.03) 20

PTL 1.29-1.81 (1.54± 0.03) 20 1.43-1.81 (1.64± 0.03) 20

MSTL 1.33-1.81 (1.64± 0.03) 20 1.43-2.00 (1.71± 0.03) 20

MTTL 1.57-2.09 (1.87± 0.03) 20 1.76-2.19 (2.03± 0.02) 20

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Specimens examined. [Honshû] <Yamagata-ken> 2 exs., Sakata, 27/vii/1956, K. Shirahata leg. (NA). <Chiba-ken> 1 ex., Ôami, 22/vi/1984, M. Ôhara leg.; 2 exs., Okitsu, 1913, F. Muir leg. (BSM). <Tôkyô-to> 1 ex., Inogashira, 2/viii/1952, no collector's name. <Kanagawa-ken> 1 ex., Kamigo, Yokohama, vii/1977, K. Masumoto leg.; 1 ex., Yokohama, vi/1923, J. F. Illingworth leg. (BSM); 2 exs., Hiratsuka, vii/1958, S. Nomura leg. (NSMT). <Niigata-ken> 2 exs., Senami, northern Echigo, 29/vii/1984, viii/1984, K. Baba leg. <Shizuoka-ken> 17 exs., Toi, Tagata, vi-ix/1987, S. Mochizuki leg.; 1 ex., Gotemba, 17/viii/1933, K. Nakamura leg.; 1 ex., Miho, 10/vi/1932, no collector's name (NSMT); 1 ex., Ditto, 20/x/1927, K. Satô leg. (NSMT). <Aichi-ken> 2 exs., Obata, Owari, 20, 30/v/1947, S. Ôsawa leg. (NA); 1 ex., Nagoya, Owari, 1/viii/1947, S. Ôsawa leg. (NA); 1 ex., Miya, Mikawa, 1-2/ix/1947, S. Ôsawa leg. (NA). <Hyôgo-ken> 2 exs., Uzaki, 20/vi/1935, S. Eda leg. (NA); 1 ex., Kôbe, 23/vi/1930, no collector's name (BSM). <Wakayama-ken> 1 ex., Kawayu, Hongu, southern Kii, 24/vii/1946, S. Ôsawa leg. (NA); 7 exs., Kushimoto, 30/vi/1957, C. Morishima leg. (NSMT). <Ôsaka-fu> 1 ex., Minô, 2/viii/1947, F. Takahashi leg. (NA); 1 ex., Senriyama, 28/v/1949, K. Sawada leg. (NA). <Okayama-ken> 1 ex., Kamba, 19/v/1940, T. Okutani leg. (NSMT).

[Kyûshû] <Fukuoka-ken> 1 ex., Tatara, 10/v/1945, Y. Kurosawa leg.; 2 exs., Ditto, (NSMT); 1 ex., Hakozaki, 15/v/1964, F. Nakasuji leg. (NA). <Saga-ken> 1 ex., Chika, 30/ix/1952, H. Yamaguchi leg. (NA). <Kagoshima-ken> 1 ex., Kushikino, 28/v/1982, M. Maegata leg.; 1 ex., Midori-ga-oka, Kagoshima-shi, 9/vi/1982, N. Mizoguchi leg.; 1 ex., Sakura-jima, 20/vii/1951, F. Takahashi leg. (NA).

[Nansei Isles.] <Yaku-shima Is.> 1 ex., 7-13/vii/1945, R. Matsuda leg. (NA); 1 ex., Kosugi-dani, 7-10/vi/1965, T. Kumata leg. (EIHU); 1 ex., Shiratani, 21/vi/1975, Y. Kurosawa leg. (NSMT). <Amami-Ôshima Is.> 1 ex., Naze, 19/v/1960, T. Shibata leg. (NSMT). <Ishigaki Is.> 2 exs., Ishigaki, 26/iii/1984, Yoshida leg.

[Honshu] Chiba-ken: Aoba, Chiba-shi (1 ex., 13/ix/1986, CBM-Z-53807), H. Yamazaki; Edogawa-Kakoh, Chiba-shi (1 ex., 25/viii/1992, CBM-Z-62605), T. Itoh; Iwai, Tomiyama-cho (1 ex., 6/viii/1984, CBM-Z-62314), H. Yamazaki; Hatori (#2655), Sakura-shi (1 ex., 29/ix-2/x/1997, carrion baited trap, CBM), M. Maruyama and M. Sano; Joza (#2623), Sakura-shi (1 ex., 12-20/ix/1997; 1 ex., 27/ix-2/x/ 1997; carrion baited trap, CBM), M. Maruyama and M. Sano. Tokyo-to: Ikebukuro (1 ex., 20/vii/1962), Y. Kurosa. Kanagawa-ken: Nagasawa, Muraoka, Yokosuka (1 ex., 2/v/1998, YCM), I. Kawashima; Nagasawa, Yokosuka (1 ex., 20/v/1987, YCM), I. Kawashima; Hayama (1 ex., iii, YCM), N.Ohba; Zushi (2 exs., 11/vi/1943, YCM), K. Morishita; Mito-kaigan, Miura (1 ex., 15/vii/1958, YCM), N. Ohba. Fukui-ken: Takahama-machi (3 exs., 4/viii/1976, APM), S. Satoh. Hyogo-ken: Kihara-yama, Mikage-machi, Higashi-nada-ku, Kobe (3 exs., 17/vi/1939), K. Kurosa; Foot of Mt. Rokko, Kobe (9 exs., 30/v/1937), K. Kurosa.

[Kyushu] Kagoshima-ken: Sata-misaki (1 ex., 1/viii/1967), K. Sugiyama.

[Nansei Isles] Iriomote-jima: Uehara (15 exs., 14, 15/ix/1993), M. Ohara; Sonai (2 exs., 11/iii/1976), S. Morita; Ohara (1 ex., 26/iv/1981), S. Morita. Ishigaki-jima: Shiramizu (1 ex., 12/ix/1993), M. Ohara; Kabira (1 ex., 7/v/1977, YCM), N. Ohba.

Ohara (2004)

Saprinus (Saprinus) splendens (Paykull, 1811)
(Figs. 4 ­ 6)

Hister splendens Paykull, 1811: 53 [RSA: Capland].
Hister speciosus Dejean, 1821: 48 (nom. nud.).
Saprinus speciosus Erichson, 1834: 179; Bickhardt, 1913: 177 [Pilam]; Lewis, 1915: 56 [Taihoku]; Miwa, 1931: 51 [Taihoku], synonymized by Dahlgren, 1967: 214.
Saprinus (Saprinus) splendens: Ôhara, 1994: 236 [redescription]; Mazur, 1997: 229: Hayashi, 1986: pl. 11 [Lavae].
See more detail checklist in Mazur (1997: 229).

Additional description (see also Ôhara, 1994: 236). Mentum (Fig. 5D) quadriangular, the anterior margin deeply and caspidally emaginate at middle. Female genitalia, spermatheca as shown in Fig. 6.
Specimens examined. [Proper] Taipei Hsien: Pali Beach (16 exs., 16/viii/1987), K. Baba. Taichung Hsien: Lishan (1 ex., 25/viii/1989), Native collector. Nantou Hsien: Nanshanchi, Puli (19 exs., 9/vi/; 7 exs., viii/1972), Q. Du & K. Masumoto; Chiaohsi (1 ex., 27/iv/1978), K. Masumoto. Kaohsiung Hsien: Liukuei (1 ex., 21/iv/1990) S. Osawa. Tainan Hsien: Chiali (2 exs., 12/ii/1998, collected by carcasses of fish), Y. Y. Lien. No detail locality: Formosa, T. Kano (1 ex., no date) (Kano collection, NSMT).
Distribution. Taiwan (proper); Japan; Oriental Region; tropical Africa; Arabia; Kashimir; Afganistan; Australia.
Remarks. This species resembles Saprinus optabilis, but differs in the striation of the elytra without basal portions of fifth dorsal and sutural striae and having the large punctation on lateral side of the pygidium.

Saprinus splendens, MO-03096, Spermatheca, Female genitalia.