Chiriquibia insignis ( Janson, 1888 )

Ratcliffe, Brett C., 2014, A Review of the Neotropical GeneraAstroscaraSchürhoff, 1937, ChiriquibiaBates, 1889, HadrostictaKraatz, 1892, JansoniaSchürhoff, 1937, MacrocraniusSchürhoff, 1935, andTiaroceraBurmeister, 1842 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Gymnetini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 68 (3), pp. 363-376 : 366-368

Chiriquibia insignis ( Janson, 1888) ( Figs. 6–10 )

Allorhina insignis Janson 1888: 119 (original combination). Holotype male at RMNH, examined. Type locality: “ Chiriqui.”

Description. Length 28.5–32.3 mm; width across humeri 16.4–18.9 mm. Color of body dark reddish brown except abdominal sternites and tarsi piceous to black, shiny; thoracic setae tawny, 1 male with black setae. Cream-colored to pale yellow marks as follows: pronotum with narrow band on each lateral margin; each elytron with 1 transversely oval spot at center just behind middle; pygidium with longitudinally oval spot on each lateral margin; metepisternum with large spot on anterior half; abdominal sternites 1–4 at sides each with large, transverse spot on anterior margin, spot occasionally broken into 2 spots; abdominal sternite 5 with large, transverse spot on anterior margin either side of middle, occasionally spots nearly connected at middle. Head: Frons and clypeus with moderately large, dense, setigerous punctures; setae long, tawny; 1 male with black setae. Frons on each lateral margin above antennal insertion with short, pointed, anteriorly projecting horn or acute tooth in both sexes. Frons and clypeus longitudinally tumescent at center, surface slightly depressed either side of tumescence. Clypeus broadly, transversely subquadrate, sides subparallel; apex subtruncate with short, erect, bifurcate horn at center in both sexes. Eyes large, interocular width equals 3.5 transverse eye diameters. Antenna with 10 antennomeres, club distinctly longer than antennomeres 2–7. Pronotum: Surface with moderate to large, dense, ocellate punctures, punctures sparser on basal lobe, punctures becoming rugopunctate on sides. Sides with strong marginal bead for entire length. Elytra: Disc on median half finely alutaceous with rows of small punctures, punctures becoming large and grading to rugose on sides and apices; some punctures with short, slender, tawny setae in pristine specimens. Sutural costa elevated on posterior half. Apices at suture subquadrate. Pygidium: Surface densely, concentrically strigose, with long, dense, tawny setae; 1 male with black setae. In lateral view, profile in males convex, nearly flat in females. Venter: Metasternite densely rugopunctate anteriorly to punctate posteriorly either side of broadly impunctate center; punctures large, setigerous; setae long, moderate in density, tawny. Mesometasternal process, in lateral view, moderate in length, subparallel to ventral axis of body, apex subacute ( Fig. 7 ); in ventral view, mesometasternal process broad, apex broadly rounded. Abdominal ventrites 1–5 on lateral thirds with moderately large, moderately dense punctures; central third virtually impunctate. Legs: Protibia in males slender, with only apical tooth, females with protibia tridentate. Parameres ( Figs. 9–10 ): In caudal view, form short, apices rounded, each with subapical tooth laterally; in lateral view, ventral surface near base with short, acute tooth.

Distribution. Chiriquibia insignis occurs in Panama and Costa Rica.

Locality Records. 21 specimens from BCRC, BMNH, CASC, CNCI, FMNH, HAHC, INBC, and MNHN. COSTA RICA (4). CARTAGO (2) : Estación Quebrada Segundo, Tapanti. PUNTARENAS (2) : Monteverde. PANAMA (13). CHIRIQUÍ (13) : Cerro Punta, Santa Clara, No data. NO DATA (4).

Temporal Distribution. May (4), August (2), September (1), October (1), November (1). Most older specimens lack data.

Diagnosis. Chiriquibia insignis is the largest (>28.0 mm) member of the New World Gymnetini . In addition to its size, it is distinctively marked with a single, transversely oval, cream-colored spot in the center of each elytron slightly behind the middle, with similar spots on the lateral edges of the abdominal sternites and pygidium, and the pronotum is margined laterally with a thin, creamcolored line. The frons, clypeus, and pygidium are all densely setose, and the setae are typically tawny; one male had black setae but did not differ in any other respects. The frons on each lateral margin above the antennal insertion has a distinctive, short, pointed, anteriorly projecting horn or acute tooth in both sexes. The clypeal apex has a short, erect, bifurcate horn at the center. The mesometasternal process is subparallel to the ventral axis of the body and, in ventral view, is broad with a broadly rounded apex.

Natural History. Nothing is known of the biology of this species. One specimen was taken at lights (label data). Others have been collected between the elevations of 1,000 and 1,600 m.

Figures

Figs. 6–10. Chiriquibia insignis. 6) Habitus; 7–8) Lateral and ventral views, respectively, of form of mesometasternal process; 9–10) Parameres.