Compsodactylus vallejoi Figueroa & Neita-Moreno, 2019

Figueroa, Luis & Neita-Moreno, Jhon César, 2019, A new Compsodactylus Fuhrmann (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) from Peru, Zootaxa 4560 (3), pp. 587-591 : 587-591

Compsodactylus vallejoi Figueroa & Neita-Moreno , new species ( Figs. 1–2 , 4–5, 7–8, 10 , 14–19 )

Type material. Holotype and allotype labeled: “ PERÚ. LL. [La Libertad Departament] Pataz, // Unidad Minera Santa // María. Rio Hualanga // 7 o 46’37.21”S / 77 o 36’46.3 // 5”W 1785m 07.iii.17[2017] // P. Ancajima ” both with red labels. Three male paratypes with same data as the holotype, and one female paratype labeled: “ PERÚ. LL. [La Libertad Departament] Pataz, // Unidad Minera Santa // María. Rio Hualanga // 7 o 45’45.23”S / 77 o 38’30.2// 4’’W 1413m 04.iii.17[2017] // P. Ancajima ”; paratypes with yellow labels. The holotype, allotype, and two paratypes (both males) are deposited at the Museo de Historia Natural de la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos ( MUSM), Lima, Peru . Two paratypes (male and female) are deposited in the Snow Entomological Collection, University of Kansas ( SEMC), Lawrence, Kansas, United States of America .

Description. Holotype. Male ( Figs. 1–2 ). Length 6.9 mm, width 3.4 mm at middle of elytra. Head black; pronotum black with lateral margins and posterior third brownish testaceous ( Figs. 1–2 ); elytra testaceous with black margins; scutellum testaceous; femur brownish testaceous; protibia black, laterodistally transitioning to brown; mesotibia brownish black, dorsally transitioning to testaceous; metatibia brownish testaceus with dark maculae. Head: frons and clypeus with denticle-like setae, epistomal suture indistinct, interocular distance about 5.7 times as wide as width of eye in dorsal view. Pronotum: with long setae ( Fig. 1 ). Elytra: anterior margin of scutellum 0.4 times as wide as length of anterior margin of elytra, elytral striae distinctly punctate. Leg: protibia bidentate; protarsomere 1 widened distally ( Fig. 7 ), 2.3 times as long as protarsomere II; protarsal claws with anterior tooth narrower and longer than internal tooth; metafemur enlarged with some long, erecte setae ( Fig. 7 ); metatibial apex enlarged, distally forming an obtuse projection. Pygidium glabrous or sparsely setose, setae short and slender. Parameres: simple and enlarged ( Figs. 14–16 ).

Allotype. Female. Length 6.8 mm, width 3.5 mm at middle of elytra. Coloration similar to holotype, except pronotum black and with only the posterior margin brownish testaceous; protarsomere 1 thin ( Fig. 5 ), 1.3 times as long as protarsomere 2; metafemur only slightly enlarged without long, erect setae, and without enlarged metatibial apex ( Fig. 8 ).

Variation. Males: length 5.8–6.4 mm, width at middle of elytra 3.0– 3.3 mm. Females: the paratype is slightly larger than the allotype (length 7.3 mm, width 3.7 mm at middle of elytra) and the pronotum is uniformly black.

Diagnosis. In the Fuhrmann (2012) key to Compsodactylus species, C. vallejoi will key out to couplet 2 based on the character states: body not dorsoventrally flattened, posterior area of clypeus with denticle-like setae, elytral striae strongly punctate with C. martinezi and C. scabrosus . Compsodactylus vallejoi differs from the other species in the genus by having protarsomere 1 of males enlarged ( Fig. 4 ). Compsodactylus vallejoi is similar to C. martinezi as both species have the metafemur of both sexes slightly enlarged ( Figs. 6–7 ) and both species with a gonostyle ( Figs. 13, 16 ). Compsodactylus vallejoi is distinguished by the black head without metallic reflections ( C. martinezi has a black head with metallic green reflections), the pronotum is black with margins brownish testaceous ( C. martinezi has a black pronotum with metallic green reflections), and elytra without metallic green reflections (elytra have metallic green reflections in C. martinezi ). Finally, the metafemur of the male of C. vallejoi lacks an apical tooth ( Fig. 7 ), which is present in C. martinezi ( Fig. 6 ). The male and female genitalia ( Figs. 11–16 ) are diagnostic (see Fuhmrann 2012: Figs. 70–71, 73–75).

Distribution. Specimens were collected in two locations, at approximately 3 km apart along the Hualanga River, which is a tributary of the Marañón River ( Fig. 17–19 ). It is an area that corresponds to a dry inter-Andean forest, which depends strictly on seasonal rains, as well as moisture from the Hualanga River.

Etymology. The specific name vallejoi is in honor of the great poet and writer Cesar Vallejo, born in La Libertad Department.

Figures

FIGURES 1–2. Compsodactylus vallejoi holotype. 1, Dorsal habitus; 2, lateral habitus.

FIGURES 3–10. Compsodactylus martinezi and C. vallejoi leg characters. 3, Compsodactylus martinezi prothoracic legs (dorsal); 4, C. vallejoi prothoracic legs (dorsal); 5, C. vallejoi prothoracic legs (dorsal); 6, C. martinezi metafemur (dorsal); 7, C. vallejoi metafemur (dorsal); 8, C. vallejoi metafemur (dorsal); 9, C. martinezi apex of metatibia; 10, C. vallejoi apex of metatibia.

FIGURES 11–16. Compsodactylus martinezi and C. vallejoi genitalic characters. 11, Compsodactylus martinezi phallobase and parameres (lateral); 12, C. martinezi parameres (frontal); 13, C. martinezi female genital plates; 14, C. vallejoi phallobase and parameres (lateral); 15, C. vallejoi parameres (frontal); 16, C. vallejoi female genital plates.

FIGURES 17–19. Compsodactylus vallejoi. 17, distribution; 18–19, habitat.