Phyllophaga (Phyllophaga) cazahuata Morón, 2013

Morón, Miguel-Ángel, 2013, Three New Species of Phyllophaga Harris (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) from the State of Puebla, Mexico, The Coleopterists Bulletin 67 (2), pp. 167-174 : 171-173

Phyllophaga (Phyllophaga) cazahuata Morón , new species

( Figs. 13–17 , 22–23 )

Holotype. Male. Length: 11.8 mm. Humeral width: 5.1 mm. Color: Head, pronotum, and legs shiny, reddish brown; elytra and abdomen shiny,

yellowish brown. Head: Clypeus with few erect setae, 3.9 wider than long, anterior border clearly elevated, anterior margin widely notched, disk surface deeply concave at sides, raised at middle, rugopunctate. Frontoclypeal suture clearly impressed, nearly straight. Frons 2.5X wider than long, widely convex, coarsely rugopunctate with abundant medium size, erect setae on disk. Antenna 10-segmented, with 3-segmented club, lamellae 1.2X longer than length of preceding 6 segments combined; segments 3 and 4 of equal length, segments 5 and 6 each shorter than preceding, with weak rounded prominences on anterior margins; segment 7 wider than long, with acute prominence on anterior margin. Frons 5.0X wider than dorsal diameter of eye. Canthus long and narrow, with 10–11 setae ( Fig. 13 ). Labrum reniform, widely concave, with slender, long setae along borders. Mentum widely concave, with sparse slender setae at sides, anterior border deeply notched. Thorax: Pronotum 1.7X wider than long, 2.4X wider than frons. Pronotal disk with abundant erect setae (1.0– 1.5 mm long), and deep, round, wide punctures irregularly separated by 1–4 diameters; anterior bead complete, coarsely rugopunctate, with erect setae; lateral borders widely angled, lateral marginal bead irregularly crenulate, with slender setae; basal bead indicated by regular row of setiferous punctures with erect setae; anterior angles briefly acute, projected; posterior angles widely obtuse, rounded ( Fig. 13 ). Scutellum 1.3X wider than long, with many small punctures irregularly distributed, and anterior border nearly straight. Elytron 2.3X longer than wide; setae short and scattered on disk, more abundant on sides, and long and erect around scutellum, densely and regularly punctate; epipleural border progressively narrowed toward apex, with dense row of slender setae; humeral callus rounded, prominent; apical callus rounded ( Figs. 22–23 ). Metathoracic wings completely developed. Pterosternum with many long, yellowish setae. Abdomen: Visible abdominal sternites 2–4 glabrous, shiny, convex at middle; sternite 5 convex, with scattered erect setae and punctures; all sternites laterally with abundant long setae; anal plate shiny, irregularly concave, granulose, with slender, long setae on the entire surface. Propygidium moderately dull, densely punctate, with many short setae. Pygidium shiny, widely convex, with regularly distributed, shallow, wide punctures, and long setae on disk and borders; apical margin with 14 slender setae; basal margin much narrowed, weakly distinct at middle. Legs: Protibia shorter than protarsus (1.0:1.2), with 2 large teeth and a basal small tooth on external border, preapical spur acute, straight, as long as 2nd protarsomere. Mesotibia with an oblique, wellmarked, long setiferous carina and short setiferous carina on external side; upper apical spur with rounded apex, 1.3X longer than lower spur. Metatibia shorter than metatarsus (0.8:1.0), with an oblique setiferous carina and small setiferous tooth on external side; upper apical spur articulated, curved, acutely pointed, longer than basal metatarsomere (1.0:0.8), and 1.5X longer than lower spur; lower apical spur articulated, curved, apex rounded. Protarsomeres 1–4 semicylindrical, elongate, with subapical, inner projection and some short setae; protarsomeres 1–4 with few ventral setae and crown of apical setae. Meso- and metatarsomeres semicylindrical, elongate, each with enlarged apex, crown of apical setae, and 2 rows of setae along ventral side, such rows of setae are better developed in hind tarsi. Tarsal claws dentate, with ventral tooth wider than apical tooth, and prominent basal process, all narrowly separated by deep notches ( Fig. 14 ). Genital capsule: With short, narrowed, curved parameres dorsally fused, distally not fused, widely truncate, with preapical border acutely projecting ( Figs. 15–17 ). Aedeagus with sclerotized, tubular support with lateral preapical rounded lobes; inner sac with preapical sclerotized, curved, rounded, small plate ( Figs. 16–17 ). Tectum wide, uniformly convex. Length of genital capsule from apex of parameres to border of basal piece 3.1 mm.

Female. Unknown.

Type Material. Holotype male: MEXICO: Puebla, Tzicatlacoyan, Cantera , 16-VII-1996, s/cazahuate, 21 hrs. 2000 m, M. A. Morón ( IEXA).

Type Locality. La Cantera, km 3 carr. Tepenene a Huehuetlán, Tzicatlacoyan municipality, state of Puebla, Mexico (18°51′N, 98°04′W) .

Biological Data. This species inhabits a mixed transitional forest with species of Quercus L. ( Fagaceae ), Taxodium Rich. (Cupressaceae) , Juniperus , Ipomoea L. ( Convolvulaceae ), and Yucca L. ( Agavaceae ) located at 2,000 m elevation in the Sierra del Tentzo. The single known specimen was collected at 21:00 h directly on leaves of “cazahuate” ( Ipomoea murucoides Roem. & Schult. ) in July. Another species, Phyllophaga martinezpalaciosi Morón , was collected at the same time and on the same plant.

Remarks. Phyllophaga cazahuata is placed in the blanchardi species-group (sensu Morón 1986) and is similar externally to the small, hairy species of the “ leonina ” complex. The male genital capsule of P. cazahuata differs from these species by the pointed apical keel on the preapical border of the parameres. Its body shape is slightly depressed, not cylindrical as is typical of the species in the “ leonina ” complex. The head of P. cazahuata is also smaller than other species in the “leonina” complex.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the ancient nahuatl word “cazahuate” applied to the tree species I. murucoides , from which the holotype was collected.

Figures

Figs. 13–17. Phyllophaga cazahuata. 13) Head and pronotum; 14) Male protarsal claw; 15) Parameres, distal view; 16) Complete genital capsule, lateral view; 17) Complete genital capsule, dorsal view. Scale bars = 1 mm, except in Fig. 14 = 0.5 mm.

Figs. 18–23. Habitus of Phyllophaga species from Puebla. 18) P. aragoni, dorsal view; 19) P. aragoni, lateral view; 20) P. buapae, lateral view; 21) P. buapae, dorsal view; 22) P. cazahuata, dorsal view; 23) P. cazahuata, lateral view. Scale bars = 1 mm.