Cyclocephala spangleri Joly, 2000

Joly, Luis J., 2000, A New Species Of Cyclocephala Latreille From The Venezuelan Llanos (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 54 (3), pp. 333-338 : 333-337

Cyclocephala spangleri Joly , new species

( Figs. 1–12 )

Description. Male. Color pale straw yellow, clypeus reddish; frons, vertex, apical part of femur, tibia, tarsal segments, and outer border of anterior tibia (including external teeth) dark reddish­brown; elytra of same general coloring as remainder of body, except in three females (out of 36 females), which have 2 small brown discal spots, on each elytron, one on anterior third and another on posterior third a little closer to suture. Body completely pubescent, pubescence longer on pygidium .

Clypeus 2.2 times as wide at base as long, uniformly and sharply margined, almost semicircular; anterior border slightly upturned; surface densely and thickly rugo­punctate, shiny, without microsculpture. Fronto­clypeal suture thin, almost straight. Frons 2.8 times as wide as transverse diameter of eye; punctures strong, but less so than those of clypeus, dense, sometimes confluent on anterior half, stronger and deeper on posterior half, with distance between punctures smaller than diameter of punctures, punctures smaller on sides. Punctures on vertex much smaller than those on frons. Frons and vertex finely microsculptured. Mandibles project externally at apex. Maxillae ( Fig 6 ): galea narrow and elongated, with 1 apical and 2 pre­apical teeth (1 dorsal and 1 ventral), all similar, and 3 smaller basal teeth located halfway along galea; completely covered with fine setae, scattered ventrally, denser dorsally. Maxillary palpi relatively slender, segments 2–3 relatively short, second barely longer than third, with an anterior rounded projection on basal half; segment 4 elongated, narrowed towards apex, 2.5 times longer than preceding segment. Labium ( Fig. 7 ) wide, slightly narrower on distal half; anterior border sinuously projected with deep notch on middle, completely covered with fine, scattered, long setae, denser at sides, shorter on anterior third. Labial palpi with last segment narrowed apically, almost 2 times longer than preceding segment.

Antennae 10­segmented,with both scape and segments 2–7 combined as long as club.

Pronotum about 1.6 times as wide as long, widest near basal angles; sides arched, converging more strongly in anterior than in posterior half. Anterior angles acute, projecting anteriorly more than middle of anterior border. Basal angles broadly rounded; basal border not margined, almost uniformly arcuate, faintly projected backwards at middle. Surface shiny, fine microsculpture apparent at 503 or more; disc with strong punctation but less so than on middle of frons, stronger on sides, most distances between punctures larger than diameter of punctures on center of disk, smaller at sides. Scutellum triangular, slightly transverse, punctation similar to that of pronotal disc.

333

Elytra 1.2 times as long as their maximum combined width, maximum width just behind middle, faintly widened from basal fourth to just past middle from where they are rounded to apex; sutural angle well defined, rounded; humeral and apical calli faint; lateral region behind humeral callus with narrow and weak tumescence. Surface with fine microsculpture (253), a little stronger and hence more opaque latero­apically, with fine punctation; double rows inconspicuous. Epipleura convex, horizontal on basal fourth, then bent transversally (visible in lateral view), gradually disappearing the beginning of the apical curvature.

Pygidium approximately 2.1 times as wide as long, in posterior view apical borders converging towards apex at approximately an angle of 1358, apex truncate to slightly concave; in lateral view almost regularly convex, more slightly so on basal half. Surface completely covered with fine microsculpture, not evident on apex, stronger on lateral angles, with fine, dense annulated punctures, denser towards lateral angles.

Anterior tibia ( Fig. 1 ) with 3 external teeth, anterior one with axis diagonal to main axis of tibia, basal one small and directed forward, separated from middle one by distance 1.6 times larger than distance between middle and anterior (2.4: 1.5); apical spur reaching apex of first tarsomere, slightly arcuate on apical third. Anterior tarsi thickened, segments 2–4 transverse; 3–4 strongly striated ventrally on less than apical half of third segment and more than apical half of fourth segment; segment 5 about same length of 1–4 combined, with ventral longitudinal striae on apical half, not carinated on inner ventral side; largest claw ( Fig. 5 ) in anterior view sinuous, narrowly cleft at apex, the main branch diagonally subtruncated, basally constricted in lateral view. Middle tibiae truncated, clearly narrower at apex than on basal third; first diagonal carina (basal) inconspicuous, second well marked, directed towards inner apical tibial angle, with long, strong setae; surface with similar dispersed setae. Posterior tibiae of uniform width throughout, first diagonal carina inconspicuous, second feebly marked, directed towards inner apical angle, with strong long setae. Posterior tarsi (not including claws) almost 1.5 times as long as corresponding tibiae. First segment of mid and posterior tarsi almost cylindrical ( Fig. 3 ). Apical metatibial spurs thin, largest one as long as first tarsal segment ( Fig. 3 ).

Prosternal process high, apex ( Fig. 8 ) with anterior part convex, glabrous, transverse, microsculptured, dull; posterior margin wide, fringed with long, dense bristles. Mesosternal process parallel­sided, relatively wide, 0.75 times as wide as anterior part of prosternal process. Hypomeron of prothorax finely microsculptured, with long, thin, dispersed setae. Pleurae of meso and metathorax, sides of metasternum and of posterior coxae with fine microsculpture and annulated punctures; disk of metasternum with shiny longitudinal depressed area, punctation similar to rest of metasternum, a little scabrous. Ventrites with abundant pilosity and punctation.

Aedeagus ( Figs. 9–12 ): Parameres 2.2 times as long as their maximum width, narrowed apically, constricted preapically and then widely rounded on apical fourth; maximum basal width 1.5 times apical width. Phallobase dorsally divided at middle of apex.

Female. Differs from the male in the following characters: Punctation generally stronger, not confluent on anterior part of frons. Pronotum widest at middle. Anterior tibiae less robust, with mid external tooth slightly longer and basal tooth more developed ( Fig. 2 ). Anterior tarsi not thickened. Posterior tarsi slightly longer than metatibiae (7: 6), first segment short, noticeably thickened towards apex ( Fig. 4 ). Lateral borders of elytra inconspicuously widened just before middle; epipleura concave at widened part, with elongated swelling just before lateral widening. Pygidium in posterior view with apical borders converging towards apex in an angle clearly less than 1358, apex shortly rounded; in lateral view weakly convex, almost flat. Spurs on posterior tibiae thicker.

Size (length/maximum width, in mm). Males: 12.8–13.2/6.9–74; females: 13.0–13.8/ 7.5–8.2

Distribution. Venezuela, States of Guárico and Apure.

Specimens examined. HOLOTYPE: male from Venezuela, Guárico State, Hato Masaguaral, 45 Km. S. Calabozo, 8.57 N, 67.58W, Gallery forest , # 28. 75 m, 3–5 June 1988. UV light, M. Epstein . PARATYPES: 16 males and 11 females with same data as Holotype ; 1 male and 6 females same locality , May 3­10­1985, Menke & Carpenter; 1 female, Apure state, Hato El Frío, Fundo Ceibote , 100 m, 20­V­75, C. J. Rosales . Holotype, 13 male paratypes, and 14 female paratypes deposited in National Museum of Natural History , Washington, D.C., U.S.A., 3 male and 2 female paratypes in Museo del Instituto de Zoología Agrícola, Maracay, Venezuela, 1 male and 1 female paratypes in Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada; 1 male and 1 female paratypes in University of Nebraska State Museum; 1 male paratype in Fundación Servicio para El Agricultor, Cagua, Venezuela .

Other (non Paratypes) specimens: 2 males and 4 females from Guárico State, Parapara , 9­VI­1954, J. A. González, en flores de guanábana, in Fundación Servicio para el Agricultor, Cagua, Venezuela .

Etymology. This species is named in honor of Dr. Paul J. Spangler of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, U.S.A.

Remarks. C. spangleri belongs to a group of species that are similar structurally, characterized by their more or less pale color, elytra uniformly colored, or with two or three small spots on each, anterior border of the clypeus convex and not (or just a bit) upturned, pronotal base not margined, anterior tibiae with three external teeth, and body pubescent dorsally. This group includes the following species: C. vestita Höhne , C. setosa Burmeister , C. landini Endrödi , C. octopunctata Burmeister , C. forcipulata Howden & Endrodi , C. virkiii Howden & Endrödi , C. alutacea Höhne , and C. hirsuta Höhne. Cyclocephala landini and C. virkiii were synonymized with C. sparsa Arrow , by Ratcliffe & Delgado­Castillo (1990). Using Endrodi’s (1985) key, C. spangleri keys out without difficulty to couplet 242 (239), where there are two alternatives in reference to the degree of removal of the basal tooth of anterior tibia in relation to apical teeth. If we consider that C. spangleri has the ‘‘basal tooth of anterior tibiae not or only weakly removed from both apical teeth,’’ it keys out to couplet 245 (244), that has to be modified in the following way:

245 (2459) Pygidium moderately and regularly convex, densely and finely wrinkled and punctate. Surface without black pattern. Clypeus small, densely and strongly punctate. Hind angles of pronotum shortly rounded. Double rows of punctures of elytra indistinct.

2459 (2450) Frons and vertex not darkened. Surface of pronotum irregularly and very sparsely, on the sides more finely and densely punctate, admixed with smaller punctures. Punctation of elytra very dense and somewhat stronger than that of pronotum— Brazil (Sao Paulo) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- C. setosa Burmeister

2450 (2459) Frons and vertex darkened. Surface of pronotum strongly and densely punctate, not admixed with smaller punctures. Punctation of elytra much finer than that of pronotum— Venezuela (Guárico) --------------------------------------------------------- C. spangleri Joly , sp. n.

If we consider the ‘‘basal tooth of anterior tibiae strongly removed from both apical teeth,’’ C. spangleri keys out to couplet 256 (251), which has to be modified in the following way:

256 (251) Each elytron with two dark spots or without any.

257 (258) Pygidium nearly flattened, only in apical part more strongly convex, surface very densely punctate, though punctures very small. Brownish yellow, elytra oily, only frons and vertex black. Clypeus short, apex truncated, surface finely wrinkled. Pronotum finely, rather densely punctate, though punctures very small, scarcely bigger than on frons. Punctation of elytra much stronger than of pronotum, dense but not wrinkled, double rows scarcely visible. Paramera moderately contracted to slightly dilated and outward curving apices. 14 mm.— Argentina ---------------- C. alutacea Höhne

258 (2589) Clypeus almost semicircular. Pygidium evenly convex, finely and densely punctate

2589 (2580) Reddish yellow. Pronotum more than twice as wide as long. Punctures of pygidium of different sizes. Paramera outwardly projected angularly after the preapical constriction— Peru, Ecuador, Brazil (Sao Paulo), Bolivia --------------------------- C. hirsuta Höhne

2580 (2589) Pale straw yellow. Pronotum about 1.6 times as wide as long. Punctures of pygidium of similar size. Paramera externally round­ ed after the preapical constriction— Venezuela (Guárico) ------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- C. spangleri Joly sp. n.

Other species that differ structurally, but whose paramers are similar to those of C. spangleri , can be differentiated rapidly by the following characters: C. bella Endrödi (after Endrödi 1969) ( Brazil), bright red, shiny, with six spots on the pronotum and two on the elytra, dorsal surface almost glabrous, pronotum margined basally; C. ligyrina Bates ( Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil), uniformly dark reddish­brown, punctation on clypeus discrete (not rugose), without apparent dorsal pubescence; C. krombeini Endrödi (after Endrödi 1979) ( Panama), each elytron with a developed sutural spot and 4 smaller spots, pilosity short, clypeus emarginated; C. wandae Hardy (after Hardy 1974) ( U.S.A.: California), Glabrous, antennae 9 segmented, with club more than twice as long as scape, anterior clypeal angles acute, larger anterior tarsal claw of males not cleft.

Figures

Figs. 1–8. Cyclocephala spangleri, sp. n. 1) Anterior tibia and tarsus of male; 2) same of female; 3) apex of posterior tibia and first segments of tarsus of male; 4) same of female; 5) largest claw of anterior tarsus of male; 6) maxilla, ventral view; 7) labium, ventral view; 8) apex of prosternal process.

Figs. 9–12. Cyclocephala spangleri sp. n., aedeagus. 9) dorsal view; 10) parameres, caudal view; 11) parameres, ventral view; 12) aedeagus, lateral view (Fig. 9 half the scale of Figs. 10–12).