Phyllophaga (Phyllophaga) tapantina Morón and Solís, 2001

Morón, Miguel Angel & Solís, Angel, 2001, Seven New Species Of Phyllophaga (S. Str.) Harris From Costa Rica (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae: Melolonthinae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 55 (1), pp. 11-29 : 14-17

Phyllophaga (Phyllophaga) tapantina Morón and Solís , new species

Figs. 6–9

Holotype. Male. Clypeus, frons, pronotum and elytra shiny dark reddish brown; pronotum with scarce, erect, long, setae; elytra with greenish vitreus luster, with long setae around the scutellum and scattered minute setae only toward the apex; mouthparts, sterna, pygidium and legs shiny reddish brown. Clypeus 3.0× wider than long, anterior border scarcely sinuate, with poorly elevated margin, surface nearly flat, with scarce irregularlydistributed, deep, round punctures and some scattered microscopic setae. Frontoclypeal suture sinuate and deeply impressed. Frons 1.8× wider than long, convex, with reduced number of coarse wide punctures, long slender setae at sides and short setae scattered on disk. Antenna 10­segmented, with 3­segmented club, lamellae of 8th to 10th segments 1.3× longer than length of preceeding 6 segments combined. Frons 2.8× wider than dorsal diameter of eye. Eye canthus long and narrowed, with 7­7 setae. Labrum bilobed, widely sinuated, with scattered slender setae. Mentum slightly convex, impunctate, with scarce slender setae at sides, anterior border widely sinuate. Pronotum 1.6× wider than long and 2.8× wider than frons. Pronotal disk shiny, with some deep, round punctures irregularly separated from one another by 1–5 diameters; lateral borders widely angulated, lateral marginal bead irregularly crenulate, with scattered, long, slender setae; basal bead vaguely indicated toward the posterior angles; anterior angles acute, clearly prominent; posterior angles obtuse, slighly prominent. Scutellum 1.3× wider than long, smooth, without punctures. Elytron 2.8× longer than wide, smooth shiny, with scattered punctures on disk and dense uniformly punctate at external sides; epipleural border very narrow, extended along the complete margin, provided with fringe of medium­size setae; humeral callus rounded, prominent; apical callus rounded. Metathoracic wings completely developed. Propygidium shiny, densely punctate setose. Pygidium moderately convex, shiny, shallowly punctate rugose with scattered erect setae; apical margin with 14 long, slender setae; basal margin effaced medially. Pterosterna with long, dense, yellowish setae. Visible abdominal sternites II and IV convex, smooth and glabrous near the middline; sternite V convex, shiny, with setiferous punctures at the posterior half and numerous setae toward the sides; anal plate narrowed, with a transverse shallow concavity and longitudinal furrow at midline, anterior and posterior borders slightly elevated, with 24 erect setae near the posterior border. Protibia as long as protarsus (1:1), with external border tridentate, apical and subapical teeth long, wide, apices rounded, preapical spur acute, nearly straight, as long as 1st protarsomere. Mesotibia with one oblique, sharp, setiferous carina on external side; upper apical spur straight, narrow, as long as lower spur. Metatibia 0.8× shorter than metatarsus, with one oblique, sharp, setiferous carina on external side; upper apical spur articulated, curved, with apex rounded, 1.3× longer than basal metatarsomere, and 1.3× longer than lower spur; lower apical spur articulated with tibial border, with rounded apex. Tarsomeres semicylindrical, not much elongated, with enlarged apex, some setae apically and one line of short setae close to fine longitudinal carina on ventral side. Protarsomeres I–IV with a subapical, small spine. Tarsal claws symmetrical, similar on all legs, each with a large acute tooth at the middle of ventral border ( Fig. 6 ). Genital capsule with short parameres, dorsally and ventrally fused, ring­shaped, apex below with short, triangular blade­like projection. Aedeagus short, wide, with preapical ventral dense patches of spinules, dorsal sclerotized plates, narrowed sclerotized support, and basi­dorsal brush of long setae ( Figs. 7–8 ). Tectum uniformly convex. Length of genital capsule from apex of parameres to border of basal piece: 6.0 mm. Total body length: 23.0 mm. Humeral width: 13.2 mm.

Allotype. Female. Similar to the male except as follows: antennae with lamellae of 8th to 10th segments subequal to the length of six preceeding segments combined (1:1). The setae located toward the apex of elytra longer than preceeding elytral setae. Anal plate convex, without concavity or furrow, punctate, with 60 scattered slender setae. Both apical spurs of metatibia shorter than in the male. Pygidium less convex. Ventral genital plates slightly sclerotized, nearly symmetrical, with a narrow lateral bridge toward each dorsal plate; dorsal plates with scattered setae at the apex and apparently fused laterally with ventral ones ( Fig. 9 ). Total body length: 21.8 mm. Humeral width: 9.0 mm.

Paratype Variation. Males. Similar to holotype except in total body length: 19.0– 22.5 mm, humeral width: 8.2–9.4 mm, body and legs in some specimens are shiny reddish brown, some specimens present scattered setae along the elytral suture, other specimens with antennal club 1.2–1.4× longer than length of preceeding six segments combined. Females similar to allotype except as follows: total body length: 21.5– 18.9 mm; humeral width: 8.0– 9.1 mm, body and legs shiny reddish brown, some specimens with more setae along the elytral suture.

Type Series. Described from 38 males and 23 females. Holotype male ( INBIO): ‘‘ COSTA RICA: Cartago, Parque Nacional Tapantı´ , Quebrada Segunda, 1,200 m, 10­IV­87, J. Sánchez. ’’ Allotype female ( INBIO): ‘‘ COSTA RICA: Cartago, Parque Nacional Tapantı´ , Río Grande de Orosi , Sendero La Pava, 1,150–1,600 m, XII­95, G. Mora’ ’ ( INBio). Paratypes: same data as holotype (19 males); same data except: IV­92, 1,250 m, R. Vargas INBIO CR 1000 459238 (1 male); same data as allotype (7 males, 9 females); same data except: VI­96, INBIO CR 1002 443314 (1 female) ‘‘ Alajuela, San Ramón, Río San Lorencito , X­91, A. Solís’ ’ (10 males, 12 females). Paratypes deposited in CASC, CNC, INBio, MXAL, TAMU and ZMHU.

Type Locality. Parque Nacional Tapanti , Cuenca del Río Grande de Orosi , Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica (approx. 9°45'N; 83°49'W).

Biological Data. Males and females of P. tapantina n. sp. were collected at lights between 800 m altitude on Río San Lorencito and 1,500 m altitude at shore of Río Grande de Orosi. These localities are placed along the Atlantic slopes from eastern Cordillera de Tilarán to western Cordillera de Talamanca, and present cloud forests and subtropical evergreen forests with species of Quercus, Alnus, Nectandra, Ocotea, Podocarpus, Didymopanax, Ulmus , Erythrina, Vismia and Siparuna ( Boza 1988) . Phenology: April (25), June (1), October (22), December (16). Other species of Phyllophaga flying at the same time and places were: P. nevermannea Saylor, P. nevermanni Saylor, P. orosina Moser, P. lissopyge Bates, P. talamancana n. sp., P. tilarana n. sp., and another four new species under description.

Remarks. Is not possible to include Phyllophaga (Phyllophaga) tapantina n. sp. in any known species group (sensu Morón 1986). The greenish vitreous luster on the elytra, the shortened tarsomeres in both sexes, the spines on protarsomeres and the shape and details of the male genital capsule will aid in the recognition of this new species.

Etymology. Derived from Tapantí National Park in the western Cordillera de Talamanca.

Figures

Figs. 6–9. Phyllophaga tapantina. 6) protarsal claw, male; 7) genital capsule, lateral view; 8) paramera, distal view; 9) genital plates, female. Scale lines 5 1 mm, except Fig. 6 5 0.5 mm.