Symmela fuhrmanni Pacheco, Wipfler, Monné and Ahrens, 2022

Pacheco, Thaynara L., Wipfler, Benedict, Monné, Marcela L. & Ahrens, Dirk, 2022, The genus Symmela Erichson, 1835 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Sericini): taxonomy and phylogenetic analysis, Journal of Natural History 56 (9 - 12), pp. 607-705 : 641-644

Symmela fuhrmanni Pacheco, Wipfler, Monné and Ahrens sp. nov.

( Figures 10 , 29 (b), 30(j))

Type material examined

Holotype. ♂ ‘ BRASIL: Distrito Federal. Planatina. ESEC Áquas Emendadas , 15°32 ʹ 31′S 47° 36 ʹ 49″W. 1.-15-XII-2010, Pitfall, M.R. Frizzas / 38 Neotropical Sericini spec.’ ( CEMT) . Paratypes: 1 ♂ ‘ BRASIL: Distrito Federal . Planatina. ESEC Áquas Emendadas, 15°32 ʹ 31′S 47°36 ʹ 49″W. 1.-15-XII-2010, Pitfall, M.R. Frizzas/ 38 Neotropical Sericini spec.’ ( ZFMK), 3 ♂♂ ‘ Brasil GO J . &. Bechyné/ Faz. Paraiso 8-2-1962 ’ ( UNSM, ZFMK) .

Description

Length: 5.5 mm. Elytral length: 2.9 mm. Width: 2.4 mm. Head blackish brown, dull, with erect dense setae. Labroclypeus as wide as frons, subtrapezoidal; surface flat; plain, without an anterior concavity on each side; anterior margin straight, strongly reflexed, with a rim of dense, short setae behind anterior margin; lateral margin not incised anteriorly; punctation of surface posteriorly dense; suture between labrum and clypeus invisible. Smooth area in front of eye distinctly separated from frons by a suture. Frons anteriorly flat, punctation irregular, sparse. Ocular canthus with terminal setae, ratio of length of ocular canthus/eye diameter: 1/3. Eyes evenly spherical, ratio of diameter/ interocular width: 0.47. Labrum anteriorly without blunt processes. Setae on mentum moderately dense.

Head and pronotum without copper iridescent shine. Pronotum unicoloured, dull, black; widest at middle, width subequal to width of elytral base at humerus; anterior marginal line not interrupted medially, posterior marginal line absent; lateral margin not serrated, generally strongly convex, behind anterior angles convex, posteriorly weakly convex; setae of lateral margin sparse; basal margin evenly curved; transverse impression beside basal margin absent; anterior angles produced, sharply pointed; antero-lateral and postero-lateral angles not flattened dorso-ventrally; posterior angles blunt; surface without median longitudinal impression, transversal furrows or setae; punctation on disc dense, simple and fine, without well-defined impunctate areas. Scutellum without punctures.

Elytra unicoloured, blackish brown; surface opaque and iridescent, without setae and microsculpture; striae and intervals distinct; punctation between striae sparse, diameter of punctures compared to those of striae smaller; intervals flat; posterior edge convex; apical margin chitinous, without microtrichomes.

Abdomen: sternites flat in sagittal plane; lateral carina absent; first visible ventrite with row of setae on posterior edge; second visible ventrite with row of setae in medial region; basal ventrites medially of same length as laterally; ultimate and penultimate apical ventrites simple and flat; apical ventrite short (as long as preceding ventrite); penultimate apical ventrite with row of setae like preceding one; beside the robust row of setae, almost glabrous. Pygidium strongly convex.

Legs blackish. Ratio of length of metepisternum/metacoxa: 1/1.44. Metacoxa entirely plain, without elevated lateral longitudinal carina; without longer lateral bristles, with setae on basal surface, posterior margin glabrous. Metafemur with posterior margin straight. Metatibia widest at middle; ratio of width/length: 1/2.04; dorsal margin not carinated, smooth; interior surface more or less glabrous; median longitudinal punctation present on interior surface; interior margin of apex deeply concave; punctation on entire lateral face present; beside dorsal margin without a row of robust setae along entire length; basal group of spines reduced to a single robust spine; distal groups of spines disposed at nearly half of metatibia length; ventral margin not serrated. Dorsal surface of tarsi glabrous, with dense punctures. Length ratio of dorsal tibial spur/first metatarsomere: 1/2. Metatarsi at apex weakly widened; first tarsomere straight, its length subequal to second and third tarsomeres combined; laterally not carinate; ventral margin serrated; ventral margin glabrous; medial face glabrous.

Aedeagus: Figure 10 (c,d).

Female unknown.

Variation

Length: 4.4–5.5 mm. Elytral length: 2.5–2.9 mm. Width: 2.2–2.4 mm. Protibia with two teeth; spur straight. First protarsomere straight, its length subequal to second and third combined; width ratio of first protarsomere vs second protarsomere: 1; second protarsomere narrow and straight; third and fourth protarsomere elongate and narrow (distinctly longer than wide); fifth protarsomere circular in cross section, as long as third and fourth protarsomere combined. Protarsal claws asymmetrical, shape of inner protarsal claw bifid, apex of basal tooth of inner protarsal claw convex.

Diagnosis

Symmela fuhrmanni sp. nov. differs from all other Symmela species by the metatibia which are widest at middle, and the elongated parameres being subparallel in dorsal view.

Etymology

This species is named after Juares Fuhrmann, a Brazillian entomologist who has been making great contributions to Neotropical Melolonthinae taxonomy (noun in genitive case).

Figures

Figure 10. Symmela fuhrmanni sp. nov., holotype ♂. (a) Habitus, dorsal view; (b) habitus, lateral view; (c) aedeagus, lateral view; (d) parameres, dorsal view. Scale bars: a, b = 1 mm; c, d = 0.5 mm.

Figure 29. Distribution map of the Symmela species.