Cotinis patricialvarezae Gasca-Álvarez & Deloya, 2015

Gasca-Álvarez, Héctor Jaime & Deloya, Cuauhtémoc, 2015, A new species and first record of Cotinis Burmeister (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae) for Venezuela, Zootaxa 3948 (1), pp. 125-136 : 127-130

Cotinis patricialvarezae Gasca-Álvarez & Deloya , new species

( Figs. 1–7 )

Type material. Holotype male labeled “ VENEZUELA. State of Lara, Barquisemeto. 9-V-68. José M. Osorio Coll”. Single male paratype labeled “ VENEZUELA. Dept. Lara, Aqua Viva (Cabudare). IV-1982, J. S. González”. Types deposited at the Florida State Collection of Arthropods (Gainesville, Florida, United States of America).

Holotype. Male ( Figs. 1–2 ). Length 23.6 mm; width across humeri 13.1 mm. Color: Head bright green with some red-brown reflections. Pronotum bright green. Elytra opaque red-brown with green reflections. Ventral region and legs glossy greenish brown. Pygidium bright red-brown. Head: Surface rugopunctate, punctures strong and sparse; sparsely setose with sparse, small, pale yellow setae. Clypeal projection developed, triangular, rounded at apex ( Fig. 3 ). Frontoclypeal depression with conspicuous medial ridge extending to the base of clypeal projection. Frontal projection straight, apex expanded apically and truncate, partially free, fused 80% to head on basal third ( Fig. 4 ). Antenna with 10 antennomeres. Pronotum: Surface finely punctate with a shallow, median, longitudinal impression; disc smooth, punctures becoming much larger and strong impressed laterally. Marginal bead complete at sides. Apical margin with rounded protuberance at middle. Dorsal surface of mesepimera punctate, punctures moderate in size. Elytra: Surface smooth, finely punctate with 2 slightly marked, longitudinal costae converging at apical umbone. Humerus prominent. Pygidium: Base and angles rugose, with transverse strigulations, unicolorous, without setae; apex rounded, surface slightly convex in lateral view. Legs: Protibiae tridentate, basal tooth short, shorter than second tooth; apical and median teeth closer to each other than to basal tooth. Metatibial spurs slender, with acute apices. Venter: Mesometasternal projection broad, expanded apically; sides weakly concave; apex rounded ( Fig. 5 ). Metasternum with central longitudinal line, with sparse, small punctures at center, sides with fine impressed punctures; pale yellow setae short. Parameres: Elongate; narrow at middle, apex rounded; anterocentral margins slightly curved, anterolateral projections developed, former into lobes directed at right angle. Sides with a conspicuous, rounded tooth under the anterolateral projections ( Figs. 6–7 ). Internal sac with sclerotized area dark, bearing a single, stout spine.

Female. Unknown.

Variation. Male (1 paratype). Length 21.1 mm; width across humeri 11.9 mm. The paratype does not differ significantly from the holotype except the pygidium is slightly smooth at apex.

Diagnosis. Cotinis patricialvarezae can be distinguished by the violet color of elytra with bright reflections, triangular shape of the clypeal projection, parameres elongate ( Figs. 6–7 ), and the single spine on the internal sac.

Distribution. Cotinis patricialvarezae is known only from the type locality in Lara, Venezuela ( Fig 8). The habitat is lowland in which the vegetation is composed of thorny shrubs ( Huber & Oliveira-Miranda 2010). This species represents the first record of Cotinis for Venezuela and is the furthest southeastern occurrence of the genus, expanding its distributional range by approximately 600 km. The geographical distribution of the new species corresponds to the continuity of the Colombian Andes mountain range, which extends into Venezuela ending at the Merida Cordillera. Solís (2004) reported C. lebasi from Guyana but without any evidence to support this record. Due this species is so far out of their normal range, we consider the record to be erroneous.

Etymology. This species is dedicated to Patricia Álvarez de Gasca, mother of the first author.

Taxonomic remarks. Goodrich (1966) suggested that C. barthelemyi (Gory & Percheron) is closely related to C. laticornis Bates , but he did not provide information to explain this relationship. Our character analysis indicates that C. patricialvarezae is related to C. barthelemyi ( Figs. 9–10 ) base on the shape and color of the body, and shape of the frontal projection. They differ by the form of the clypeal projection, which is subtrapezoidal in C. patricialvarezae and parallel-sided in C. barthelemyi ( Fig. 11 ); the greater fusion of the frontal projection to the head in C. patricialvarezae ( Fig. 12 ); the curved mesometasternal sutures in C. patricialvarezae right-angled sutures in C. barthelemyi ( Fig. 13 ); and the shape of the parameres ( Figs. 14–15 ). Other diagnostic characters for distinguishing these species are summarized in Table 2 .

Cotinis patricialvarezae is also morphologically similar to C. aliena Woodruff in body size, body form, and form of the clypeal projection, but the frontal projection, elytra punctation, and parameres of C. aliena are different from those of C. patricialvarezae .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Cotinis patricialvarezae new species, 1. Habitus, dorsal view; 2. Habitus, lateral view; 3. Clypeus, frontal view; 4. Head, lateral view; 5. Meso-metasternum.

FIGURES 6 – 7. Cotinis patricialvarezae new species, 6. Parameres, frontal view; 7. Parameres, lateral view. Scale bar = 0.6 mm.

FIGURES 9 – 13. Cotinis barthelemyi. 9. Habitus, dorsal view; 10. Habitus, lateral view; 11. Clypeus, frontal view; 12. Head, lateral view; 13. Meso-metasternum.

FIGURES 14 – 15. Cotinis barthelemyi. 14. Parameres, frontal view; 15. Parameres, lateral view. Scale bar = 0.6 mm.