Phyllophaga (Cnemarachis) pauli Serrano & Morón, 2017

Serrano, Annery & Morón, Miguel Ángel, 2017, Four new species of Phyllophaga Harris (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) from western Cuba, Zootaxa 4362 (4), pp. 575-583 : 577-579

Phyllophaga (Cnemarachis) pauli Serrano & Morón , new species

( Figs. 5–10 )

Type series. Holotype male and 8 paratypes (3 males, 5 females) labeled: “ CUBA: Pinar del Río Prov. / Soroa, La Caridad / evergreen forest, collected at light / 22.794838°N, -83.004401°W / 6-7/V/2015; A. Serrano, P. Sosa / 11/ VI/2016. Holotype male, one male paratype, and two females paratypes deposited in MFP. Two male paratypes and three female paratypes deposited in IESH.

Diagnosis. Length 12.6 mm, width 6.6 mm. Head shiny, dark brown to almost black, with elytra pruinose, red; abdominal sternites dull and pruinose laterally, glabrous medially; pygidial disc moderately setose; male genitalia as in Figs. 6–8 . Female genitalia as in Fig. 9 .

Holotype description. Head: Surface densely punctate shiny, reddish dark brown. Clypeus strongly bilobed, with apex strongly reflexed, especially at middle; sinuate with middle distinctly shorter than sides; punctate. Frontoclypeal suture distinct, clypeus and frons on same plane. Frons less densely punctate than clypeus. Antennae with 9 antennomeres, terminal 3 forming club; club about 1/3 length of funicle and scape, shiny and very setose.

Pronotum: Surface glabrous, less densely punctate than clypeus, punctures shallow but well defined. Anterior angles weakly acute; lateral margins entire, widest medially. Shiny dark reddish brown as clypeus. Elytra: Surface pruinose with lustrous spots on humeral calli and posterior calli, moderately to densely and distinctly punctate, some punctures with a single seta. Elytral apex deeply rounded. Legs: Protibia with 3 teeth, 2nd tooth closer to apical tooth more robust than 1st. The 3rd tooth noticeable but not well developed. Mesotibiae and metatibiae without medial transverse carinae, both with some spines on lateral margin. Metatibial spurs unmodified, shorter spur approximately 2/3 length of longer spur. Longer spur slightly longer than first tarsomere. Claws: symmetrical with medial triangular tooth robust, well developed; apex unmodified but very curved and sharp. Venter: Prosternum, mesosternum, and metasternum pruinose except for shiny medial patch. Abdominal sternites with dull and pruinose laterally and shiny medially. Pygidium: Surface weakly shiny except near borders where it is pruinose; strongly punctate with medium-size, well-defined punctures; glabrous except with scattered setae apically, with same color as head. Male genitalia: Phallobase enlarged and strongly projected; parameres with narrow, elongate preapical prominences; aedeagus wide, with sclerotized, curved dorsal structures and numerous preapical spines ( Figs. 6–8 ).

Variation. Male length 12.6–12.7 mm, width 6.5–6.7mm. Female externally similar to male except shinier (less pruinose); frons less punctate; elytral coarsely, deeply, densely punctate, punctures sometimes coalescent; genital plates as in Fig. 9 .

Distribution ( Fig. 10 ). CUBA: Pinar de Río Province in Sierra del Rosario, Soroa.

Biological data. Specimens were collected at light trap during May in evergreen forest located at about 500– 600 m in elevation.

Etymology. This species is named in honor of Paul Sosa, in appreciation of his collegiality during the field expedition and for his extensive knowledge of Cuban wildlife and collecting sites.

Remarks. Phyllophaga pauli keys to couplet 23 in Chapin (1932) but does not share any of the characteristics of either P. alquizara Chapin, 1932 or P. aeruginosa (Burmeister, 1855) . It also resembles P. perfidia Smith & Paulsen, 2015 externally, but is smaller and redder. None of the species described by Garcia-Vidal (1975, 1978, 1984, 1987, 1988) have similar size, coloration, or vestiture.

Figures

FIGURES 5–10. Phyllophaga pauli. 5) Holotype, habitus; 6) holotype, male genitalia, lateral view; 7) holotype, male genitalia, dorsal view; 8) holotype, male genitalia, caudal view; 9) Femalegenitalia; 10) distribution map.