Trigonopeltastes henryi, Smith, Andrew B. T., 2016

Smith, Andrew B. T., 2016, Five new species of Trigonopeltastes Burmeister and Schaum from Central America with new country records for other New World Trichiini (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae), ZooKeys 617, pp. 91-127 : 97-99

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Scarabaeidae

Trigonopeltastes henryi sp. n.

Type locality.

San Luis (south of Monteverde), Puntarenas, Costa Rica.

Type series.

Holotype male and allotype female. Holotype male at UNSM labeled a) "COSTA RICA, Puntarenas / San Luis (Monteverde) / 3900' May 12-13, 1996 / E. Giesbert, coll." (typeset). Allotype female at CMNC labeled a) "Prov. SAN JOSE / San Ant. / Desamp. 1 Mayo 1976 / Col. U. Ureña.” (typeset and handwritten), b) "H. & A. HOWDEN / COLLECTION / Ottawa, Canada" (typeset). Both types bear my red holotype or allotype label.

Description of holotype

(Figs 18-23). Male. Length 12.5 mm, width 4.5 mm. Color: head and legs shiny dark metallic green; pronotum and elytra with dull, dark blue, velvety appearance (Figs 18-19, 22); ventral surface shiny black. Head: Surface densely setose medially on disc (except along midline); apex, base, and midline of head moderately to sparsely setose (Fig. 22); clypeus with some longitudinally elongate punctures. Clypeus slightly longer than wide with margins and midline distinctly elevated, apex weakly emarginate. Head without cretaceous markings (Fig. 22). Antenna with 10 antennomeres, club length approximately equal to length of antennomeres 2-7. Maxilla with long, thin brush protruding beyond clypeus in dorsal view. Mentum densely setose, obscuring surface. Pronotum: Surface of disc dull-blue matt with shiny micropunctures (Fig. 22). Marginal bead complete, with complete ring of setose cretaceous markings inside marginal bead. Pronotal disc with more-or-less complete inverted triangle indented into the surface with cretaceous markings, diagonal lines of triangle with row of setae (Fig. 22). Scutellum: Surface setose, without cretaceous markings. Elytra: Surface sparsely setose, matt. Transverse cretaceous band (1 on each side) short, located in basal half of elytral suture (Figs 18-19, near pin but obscured by grease); weak cretaceous markings at apex of suture adjacent to pygidium. Elytral striae well defined with weak indentations between humeral angle and elytral suture. Pygidium: Surface rugose in a circular, finger-print pattern; densely setose (especially around margins and midline); with thin, inverted U-shaped cretaceous band along basal and lateral surfaces of disc (Fig. 21). Disc strongly, evenly convex. Venter: Sternum with numerous cretaceous markings, densely setose with long setae somewhat obscuring surface. Visible abdominal sternites 2-5 with transverse cretaceous bands thick medially, thin laterally; cretaceous bands setose. Legs: Protibia with 2 teeth near apex (Fig. 19). Mesotibia robust with outer edge bowed outward me dially. Tibial spurs acute, unmodified. Tarsi with apicoventral tufts of setae. Holotype with metatarsal legs missing except for 1 metafemur. Parameres: Apically enlarged with a triangular lateral projection (Figs 20, 23).

Variation.

Female allotype (Figs 24-27): length 12.0 mm, width 5.0 mm. The female allotype differs in the following characters. Color: dorsal surface of head bronze with weak green reflections; pronotum and scutellum matt black; elytra dull orange with dull black pattern on apical half (Figs 24-26). Legs tan, metafemur and parts of metatibia shiny black. Pronotum: Marginal bead and impressed triangle on disc with thicker cretaceous markings (Fig. 26). Scutellum: Surface with small cretaceous spots. Pygidium: Disc with longitudinally concave midline, cretaceous markings along midline (Fig. 27). Venter: Visible abdominal sternites 2-5 with transverse cretaceous bands thinner, of even thickness, interrupted medially.

Etymology.

This species is named for the late Henry Howden (Ottawa, Canada) as thanks for bringing the female allotype to my attention and to honor his great contributions to our knowledge of Trigonopeltastes and other Trichiini .

Distribution

(Fig. 56). COSTA RICA (2) - Puntarenas (1): San Luis (Monteverde); San José (1): San Antonio de Desamparados.

Temporal data.

May (2).

Remarks.

The male holotype and female allotype are the only known specimens of this new species. The very different dorsal coloration for these specimens is unusual but not unheard of within this genus. I do have some misgivings about placing these two specimens together as one species but decided to take this conservative approach because the structural characters are similar, the size and shape of the two specimens match well, the general cretaceous patterns are congruent, and the two specimens were collected within close proximity to one another. More specimens will need to be examined to understand the color variation within this species and to test my hypothesis that these male and female specimens belong to the same species.