Symmela clypeata Erichson, 1835

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 : 627-630

Symmela clypeata Erichson, 1835

( Figures 5 , 29 (a), 30(e), 32(b))

Symmela clypeata Erichson, 1835: 264 (original description); Blanchard 1850: 85 (catalogue); Burmeister 1855: 134 (revision); Harold 1869: 1126 (checklist); Frey 1973: 323 (key); Evans 2003: 48; Evans and Smith 2005: 30, 2007: 30, 2009: 30 (checklist)

Type material examined

Lectotype (here designated). ♂ ‘24977/ clypeata Er. Brasil. Setl./ Typus’ ( ZMHB) . Paralectotypes: 2 ♂♂ ‘ Brasil Sello Nr . 24977/ Typus/ Symela [sic!] clypeata Er. [handwritten Frey]’ ( ZMHB), 1 ♂ ‘ Typus / clypeata Er . [handwritten Frey]’ ( ZMHB).

Additional material examined

Brazil: 1 ♂ ‘ Brasilia coll . Chev ./ Symela [sic!] clypeata Er. [handwritten Frey ]’ ( ZMHB), 1 ♂ ‘ Brasil Virmod . Nr . 24976/ Berlin / Symela [sic!] clypeata Er . det. G . Frey 1972’ ( ZMHB), 16 ♂♂, 1 ♀ ‘ BRAZIL, Nova Teutonia, Santa Catarina, X . 76 F . Plaumann / 25 Neotropical Sericini spec.’ ( CNCI), 58 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀ ‘ BRASILIEN, Nova Teutonia , 300–500 m, 27°11 ʹ S 52°23 ʹ W X.1976 Fritz Plaumann’ ( CMNC, NHMB), 1 ♂ ‘ BRASILIEN, 300–500 m, Nova Teutonia, 27°11 ʹ S 52° 23 ʹ W November 1968 Fritz Plaumann’ ( CMNC), 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀ ‘Brasilien Nova Teutonia 300– 500 m, 27°11 ʹ S 52°23 ʹ W X .1952 Fritz Plaumann’ ( CMNC), 1 ♀ ‘ Nova Teutonia S . Catarina Brasil II-´70’ ( CMNC), 1 ♀ ‘ Nova Teutonia S . Catarina Brasil 18 .X-1952 F. Plaumann / DZUP311538/ Colecao M . Alvarenga’ ( DZUP), 2 ♀♀ ‘N . Teutonia Bras . Santa Catarina Plaumann 8.XI. 50’ ( NHMB), 1 ♂ ‘ Brasil / L .W. Saylor Collection // clypeata Erichs . Det. L.W. Saylor/ CASENT 8438095’ ( CAS). Argentina: 3 ♂♂ ‘ Argentina Misiones Loreto Sept . 1962’ ( USNM), 1 ♀ ‘ Argentinien Jujuy La Esper . 18.III.1954 leg . Hans Förster / symmela clypeata ♀ Er . det . G . Frey 1972’ ( NHMB) .

Redescription

Length: 6 mm. Elytral length: 3.5 mm. Width: 3.2 mm. Head black and yellow, dull and iridescent, with erect, sparse setae. Labroclypeus as wide as frons, rectangular; 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 sparse; suture between labrum and clypeus invisible. Smooth area in front of eye distinctly separated from frons by a suture. Frons anteriorly flat, punctation even, dense. Ocular canthus with terminal setae, ratio of length of ocular canthus/eye diameter: 1/3. Eyes evenly spherical, ratio of diameter/ interocular width: 0.48. Antenna with eight antennomeres. Antennal club with three antennomeres, yellowish, straight; width of antennal lamella equal to width of antennomeres of funiculus; apical lamella subequal to basal and median ones; length ratio of antennal club vs remaining antennomeres combined: 1/1.1; length ratio of third vs fourth antennomere: 1/2; fourth antennomere without lateral projection; length ratio of fifth vs fourth antennomere: 1/5. Labrum anteriorly without blunt processes. Setae on mentum moderately dense.

Head and pronotum without copper iridescent shine. Pronotum unicoloured, dull but iridescent, 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 straight; 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 moderately dense, simple and fine, without well-defined impunctate areas. Scutellum without punctures.

Elytra bicoloured, yellowish brown in major part, margins blackish; surface shiny, without setae and microsculpture; striae and intervals distinct; punctation between striae absent; 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 very short (half 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 yellow. Ratio of length of metepisternum/metacoxa: 1/1.26. 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 apex; ratio of width/length: 1/3.06; dorsal margin not carinated, smooth; interior surface more or less glabrous; median longitudinal punctation present on interior surface; interior margin of apex sharply and deeply truncate towards ventral margin; 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 two-thirds 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 setose, ventral setae standing in a narrow line, robust and sparse (mainly in apical half of tarsomeres); medial face glabrous. Protibia with two indistinct teeth; spur curved interiorly. First protarsomere straight, as long as second; width ratio of first protarsomere vs second protarsomere: ca. 1/2; second protarsomere enlarged; third and fourth protarsomere elongate and narrow (distinctly longer than wide); fifth protarsomere circular in cross section, a little shorter than third and fourth protarsomere combined. Protarsal claws asymmetrical, shape of inner protarsal claw bifid, apex of basal tooth of inner protarsal claw convex.

Aedeagus: Figure 5 (d–f).

Figures

Figure 5. Symmela clypeata Erichson, 1835, lectotype ♂. (a) Habitus, dorsal view; (b) habitus, lateral view; (c) labels; (d) parameres, dorsal view; (e) aedeagus, dorsal view; (f) aedeagus, lateral view. Scale bars: a, b = 1 mm; d–f = 0.5 mm.

Figure 29. Distribution map of the Symmela species.