Hoplopyga pseudomiliaris Shaughney and Ratcliffe

Shaughney, Jennifer Marie & Ratcliffe, Brett C., 2015, A Monographic Revision of the Genus Hoplopyga Thomson, 1880 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Gymnetini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 69 (4), pp. 579-638 : 624-626

Hoplopyga pseudomiliaris Shaughney and Ratcliffe , new species

( Figs. 97–102 )

Type Material. H o l o t y p e m a l e, l a b e l e d “ Guatemala ” and with JMS and BCR red holotype label . Allotype female labeled “ Los Cerritos, Salamá ,/ Baja Verapaz, Guatemala,/ 24-05-2012,/ Jiichiro Yoshimoto leg.” and with JMS and BCR red allotype label. One female paratype with same data except date of 27-04-2011 and with JMS and BCR yellow paratype label.

Holotype deposited at SEMC. Allotype deposited at UNSM. Paratype deposited at UVGC.

Description. Holotype. Male ( Fig. 97 ). Length 14.2 mm; width across humeri 7.9 mm. Color of dorsum opaque brownish yellow with large, moderately dense, reddish brown spots, each spot enclosing a puncture as follows: pronotum with large, irregularly spaced spots either side of narrow, longitudinal, yellow band on midline; elytra with large, irregularly spaced spots. Clypeus, mesepimera, and legs shiny, weakly metallic. Ventral surface brownish yellow, shiny, weakly metallic. Metasternum with narrow, longitudinal, reddish brown band at middle and oblique, reddish brown spot either side of middle. Mesometasternal process reddish brown on apex. Sternites each with reddish brown band at middle on anterior margin, reddish brown clouding on middle of each sternite. Setae tawny. Head: Surface with minute, moderately dense, round punctures each with a minute seta. Clypeal apex strongly reflexed, distinctly emarginate at middle, strongly angulate either side of emargination. Antennal club slightly longer than antennomeres 2–7 combined. Pronotum: Lateral margins gradually widening from apex to base. Surface with large, dense, n-shaped punctures each surrounded by a large, reddish brown spot. Anterolateral margins with bead. Elytra: Surface of each elytron with costae indistinct. Surface with large, moderately dense, horseshoe-shaped punctures each surrounded by a large, reddish brown spot. Apices at suture subquadrate. Pygidium: Surface weakly convex with large, dense, irregularly spaced, n-shaped punctures, punctures each with a short seta. Venter: Metasternum with large, dense, n- and m-shaped punctures either side of middle, each puncture with a long seta. Mesometasternal process, in lateral view, subparallel to horizontal axis of body, weakly protuberant beyond mesocoxae, with long, dense setae on anterodorsal face; in ventral view ( Fig. 99 ), sides tapering to rounded apex. Abdominal sternites with large, dense, n-shaped punctures; punctures each surrounded by a small, reddish brown spot, each with a minute seta. Legs: Protibia with apical tooth distinct and subsequent teeth reduced to slight swellings. Parameres: Subrectangular, shaft divergent between apex and base ( Figs. 100–101 ). Lateral margins expanding outward to midpoint and then curving inward towards apices. Apices rounded, each curving inward.

Allotype. Female ( Fig. 98 ). Length 15.7 mm; width across humeri 8.9 mm. As holotype except in the following respects: Color: Body ochre yellow. Mesometasternal process golden yellow at apex. Sternites entirely golden yellow, with reddish brown, anteromedial band on last sternite. Head: Surface with small, moderately dense, n-shaped punctures on frons, punctures becoming minute, round, and sparse towards clypeus. Clypeal apex moderately reflexed, broadly rounded either side of emargination. Pronotum: Lateral margins obtusely angulate, nearly parallel on posterior half. Punctures on lateral margins not enclosed in a spot. Lateral margins with bead from apical angle to basal angle. Pygidium: Surface flat. Venter: Abdominal sternites with minute, sparse punctures at middle, punctures becoming large, moderately dense, n-shaped on lateral thirds. Last sternite covered with small, dense punctures. Legs: Protibia tridentate.

Variation. Female (1 paratype). Length 10.3 mm; width across humeri 5.9 mm. The female paratype does not differ significantly from the allotype except that the pygidial surface is weakly convex.

Etymology. The epithet pseudomiliaris is derived from the Greek pseudos, meaning falsehood, and the specific epithet of miliaris in reference to the dorsal gestalt of this species that strongly resembles that of H. miliaris .

Distribution. Hoplopyga pseudomiliaris is known from Guatemala ( Fig. 102 ).

Locality Records. 3 specimens from UNSM, SEMC, and UVGC. GUATEMALA (3): BAJA VERAPAZ (2): Salamá: Los Cerritos. NO DATA (1).

Temporal Distribution. April (1), May (1).

Diagnosis. Hoplopyga pseudomiliaris is similar to H. miliaris but can be distinguished by having a narrowly rounded mesometasternal process, sternites that are entirely golden yellow or with weak, reddish brown clouding on the middle, and a pygidium with irregularly spaced, n-shaped punctures. Hoplopyga miliaris has a broadly rounded mesometasternal process, sternites each with a distinct, reddish brown spot on the middle, and a pygidium with punctures restricted to two clusters either side of the midline and along the anterior margin. The form of the male parameres of H. pseudomiliaris is similar to that of H. miliaris (compare Figs. 100–101 and Figs. 70–71 ), but it has a shaft that is divergent at the center and apices that are not recurved downward. Hoplopyga pseudomiliaris is similar to M. maculosa , but the female protibia is distinctly tridentate, the lateral margins of the pronotum have a distinct bead, and the clypeus, mesepimera, legs, and venter are weakly metallic. Marmarina maculosa has only one apical tooth on the protibia, no bead on the lateral margins of the pronotum, and an enamel-like venter. The range of H. pseudomiliaris ( Guatemala) can also help distinguish it from H. miliaris and M. maculosa .

Natural History. Nothing is known of the life history of this species. The type locality at Salamá is dry thorn forest.

Figures

Figs. 97–102. Hoplopyga pseudomiliaris. 97) Holotype, dorsal view; 98) Allotype, dorsal view; 99) Mesometasternal process, ventral view; 100–101) Parameres; 102) Distribution.

Figs. 67–72. Hoplopyga miliaris. 67–68) Habitus; 69) Mesometasternal process, ventral view; 70–71) Parameres; 72) Distribution.