Phyllophaga (Phyllophaga) tilarana 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 : 12-14

Phyllophaga (Phyllophaga) tilarana Morón and Solís , new species

Figs. 1–5

Holotype. Male. Clypeus, frons and pronotum shiny dark reddish brown; elytra silky, light brown, without macroscopic vestiture; mouthparts, sterna, pygidium and legs shiny dark reddish brown. Clypeus 3.2× wider than long, anterior border scarcely sinuate, with elevated margin, surface slightly irregular, with many uniformly distributed, deep, round shaped punctures and some scattered short setae. Frontoclypeal suture sinuate and deeply impressed. Frons 1.6× wider than long, convex, irregularly and shallowly punctate, with short slender setae at sides and on disk. Antenna 10­segmented, with 3­segmented club, lamellae of 8th to 10th segments 2.0× longer than length of preceeding 6 segments combined. Frons 3.2× wider than dorsal diameter of eye. Eye canthus long and narrow, with 16–17 setae. Labrum bilobed, deeply sinuate, with scattered long slender setae. Mentum slightly concave, impunctate, with scarce lateral setae, anterior border briefly sinuate. Pronotum 1.7× wider than long and 3.0× wider than frons. Pronotal disk shiny, with round, shallow punctures regularly separated from one another by 1–2 diameters; lateral borders widely angulated, lateral marginal bead nearly entire at anterior half and slightly crenulate at basal half, with scattered, long, slender setae; basal bead strongly indicated, except in front of scutellum where it is indicated only by punctures; anterior angles obtuse, not prominent; posterior angles obtuse, not prominent. Scutellum 1.6× wider than long, with some minute punctures. Elytron 2.9× longer than wide, silk­shiny, densely rugo­punctate; epipleural border very narrow, extended along complete margin, provided with scattered, short, slender setae; humeral callus rounded, prominent; apical callus rounded. Metathoracic wings completely developed. Propygidium shiny, with scattered, short setae, and dense punctuation. Pygidium very convex, shiny, with round, shallow punctures regularly distributed, with erect setae, shortened toward the basal border; apical margin with 22 long, slender setae; basal margin effaced medially. Pterosterna with long, dense, yellowish setae. Visible abdominal sternites II and IV slightly depressed, with numerous short setae near the middline; sternite V with a transverse, granulated, setose ridge, and scattered setae toward the sides; anal plate large, with wide transverse concavity, with numerous erect setae, posterior border thickened with a transverse row of long setae. Protibia shorter than protarsus (1:1.7), with external border tridentate, proximal tooth much shortened, preapical spur nearly straight, apex rounded, half as long as 2th protarsomere. Mesotibia with one oblique, sharp, setiferous carina on external side; upper apical spur straight, narrow, and 1.3× longer than lower spur. Metatibia one fifth shorter than metatarsus, with one oblique, sharp, setiferous carina on external side; upper apical spur articulated, recurved, apex rounded, slightly longer than basal metatarsomere, and 1.2× longer than lower spur; lower apical spur articulated with tibial border, with rounded apex. Tarsomeres semicylindrical, elongate, with enlarged apices, with some setae apically and two dense lines of long, thick setae on ventral side. Tarsal claws symmetrical, similar on all legs, with an acute short tooth located close to basal dilation ( Fig. 1 ). Genital capsule with large parameres, dorsally and ventrally fused, symmetrical, pentagonal shaped, apex of each elongated, acute, with tooth­like preapical projections. Aedeagus narrowed, with scarce sclerotized preapical structures ( Figs. 2–3 ). Tectum shortened, irregularly convex. Length of genital capsule from apex of parameres to border of basal piece: 5.1 mm. Total body length: 23.0 mm. Humeral width: 9.3 mm.

Allotype. Female. Similar to the male except as follows: antennae with lamellae of 8th to 10th segments slightly longer than the length of six preceeding segments combined (1:0.9). Visible abdominal sternites II to V convex, with scattered setiferous punctures; anal plate 1.2× longer than male anal plate, convex, with scattered setiferous punctures, with 22 slender setae at the posterior border. Pygidium slightly convex, nearly flattened toward the apex, apical border slightly sinuated. Protibiae with the teeth of external border wider and longer than in the male. Both apical spurs of metatibia articulated, wide, lanceolate and curved. Tarsomeres only with two single lines of long, slender setae on ventral side. Tarsal claws each with a large tooth at the middle of ventral border ( Fig. 4 ). Ventral genital plates moderately sclerotized, nearly symmetrical, elongate ovate shaped with shallow depression near the apex; dorsal plates wider than ventral plates with scattered setae on the distal border, each plate partially fused with ventral plate along the latero­basal border ( Fig. 5 ). Total body length: 24.6 mm. Humeral width: 10.0 mm.

Paratype Variation. Males. Similar to holotype except in total body length: 20.0–24.0 mm, humeral width: 8.2–9.1 mm, pronotum of some specimens darker than holotype, other specimens with antennal club 2.2× longer than length of preceeding six segments combined. Female similar to allotype except as follows: elytra and pygidium with more punctures; total body length: 24.3 mm; humeral width: 10.0 mm.

Type Series. Described from 9 males and 2 females. Holotype male ( IN­BIO): ‘‘ COSTA RICA: Puntarenas, Reserva Biológica Monteverde, Estación La Casona , 1,520 m, XI­90, M. Ramírez. ’’ Allotype female ( INBIO): ‘‘ COSTA RICA: Puntarenas, Reserva Biológica Monteverde , Estación La Casona , 1,520 m, 3/24­IV­95, A. Azofeifa. ’’ Paratypes: same data as holotype except ‘‘ E. Bello’ ’ (2 males) ; ‘‘ XII­90 ’’ (1 male); ‘‘ III­92, K. Flores’ ’ (1 male, 1 female); ‘‘ I­93, N. Obando’ ’ (1 male); ‘‘ X­93, N. Obando’ ’ (1 male); ‘‘ 3/22­I­95, K. Martínez’ ’ (1 male); ‘‘ 17­IV­95, M. Madrigal’ ’ (1 male). Paratypes deposited in CNC, INBIO and MXAL.

Type Locality. Estación La Casona, Reserva Biológica Monteverde , province of Puntarenas, cordillera de Tilarán , Costa Rica. (10°18'150N; 84°47'460W).

Biological Data. Males and females of P. tilarana n.sp. were collected at lights in cloud forest located near 1,520 m of altitude, 1 km southwest of Atlantic/Pacific montane rainfall line. Phenology: January (2), March (2), April (2), October (1), November (3), December (1). Other species of Phyllophaga flying at the same time and place were P. tapantina n.sp. and two other new species under description.

Remarks. Phyllophaga (Phyllophaga) tilarana does not belong to any species group described by Morón (1986). Male tarsal claw structure resembles ‘‘ rugipennis ’’ group, but female tarsal claws have typical dentate structure, found in many other groups. Phyllophaga tilarana may be related with P. (P.) nevermanni, described by Saylor (1935:501) from Guápiles, Costa Rica (holotype USNM 54567) by the body shape, color, dorsal vestiture, antennal structure and the shape of tarsal claws; but the shape and details of the male genital capsule, the accessorial structures of male sternites V and VI, vestiture and shape of the pygidium in males and females aid to separate the new species.

Etymology. Derived from Tilarán Mountain System of northwestern Costa Rica where this species was originally collected.

Figures

Figs. 1–5. Phyllophaga tilarana. 1) protarsal claw, male; 2) genital capsule, lateral view; 3) paramera, distal view; 4) protarsal claw, female; 5) genital plates, female. Scale lines 5 1 mm, except Figs. 1, 4 5 0.5 mm.