Fourteen New Species of the genieri Species Group, Subgenus Deltochilum (Deltohyboma) Lane, 1946 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)

The genieri species group of the Neotropical genus Deltochilum Eschscholtz, 1822 (subgenus D. Deltohyboma Lane, 1946) is studied. Based on the morphological analysis of 729 specimens, fourteen new species are described: D. cryptoporum sp. nov., D. oxapampa sp. nov., D. acraspedum sp. nov., D. ai sp. nov., D. chamorroi sp. nov., D. aiense sp. nov., D. obliteratum sp. nov., D. francoisgenieri sp. nov., D. alejoloperai sp. nov., D. harakbuti sp. nov. D. lavator sp. nov., D. semperverde sp. nov., D. caecum sp. nov., and D. figueroai sp. nov. New distributional data and ecological observations, based on information from labels of the examined specimens, reveal a high degree of forest specialization for most taxa, while D. acraspedum sp. nov. is uniquely highlighted for its ecological plasticity in disturbed and agricultural landscapes. Keys to both sexes are included, although the use of the male key is emphasized for a correct and reliable species identification. Two phylogenetic hypotheses are discussed based on the particular aedeagal morphology of D. acraspedum sp. nov.; the first suggests a morphological variation, maintaining the species within the genieri species group, while the second proposes it as an evolutionary link between the genieri and lindemannae species groups.