Phyllophaga (Phyllophaga) joyana Morón, Rivera y López, 2001

Morón, Miguel-Angel, Rivera-Cervantes, Luis Eugenio & López-Vieyra, Mario, 2001, New Species Of Phyllophaga Harris (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae, Melolonthinae) From Biosphere Reserve Of Manantlán, Jalisco-Colima, México, The Coleopterists Bulletin 55 (4), pp. 485-500 : 492-494

Phyllophaga (Phyllophaga) joyana Morón, Rivera y López , new species

Figs. 14–17

Holotype Male. Head, pronotum and elytra shiny yellowish dark brown; pygidium, sterna, and legs shiny yellowish testaceous. Clypeus clearly bilobed, wider than long (4.8:1), anterior border deeply sinuated, with margins scarcely elevated, surface convex, with large, round punctures, nearly confluent, with long, slender setae. Fronto­clypeal suture slightly sinuose, finely impressed. Frons wider than long (2.2:1) convex, irregularly rugo­punctate, with long, slender setae. Antenna 10 segmented, with 3 segmented club; lamellae as long as the length of five preceeding segments combined (1:1), segment 4 ° nearly as long as segment 3, segment 5 ° with small anterior, rounded projection, segments 6 ° and 7 ° wider than long, each one with acute process directed forward. Frons 6.2 × wider than each eye dorsal diameter. Canthus curved and rounded, with 5–7 setae. Labrum deeply bilobed, with curved, slender setae near borders. Mentum widely concave, polished, with slender setae at center and near lateral borders, anterior border clearly sinuated. Pronotum wider than long (1.9:1) and 1.9 × wider than frons. Pronotal disk with heterogeneous, deep, round punctures separated by 1–3 diameters, with many erect, very long, slender setae; lateral borders widely angled, marginal bead vaguely crenulate, with long, slender setae; anterior angles obtuse, scarcely prominent; posterior angles widely obtuse, not prominent. Scutellum 1.4 × wider than long, with 9 shallow, small punctures. Elytron 2.6 × longer than wide, densely rugo­punctate, without setae; epipleural border narrowed, extended along complete margin, provided with a fringe of setae progressvely shorter toward the apex of elytra; humeral calla rounded, prominent; apical calla rounded. Metathoracic wings completely developed. Propygidium shiny, fine and shallowly punctate, without setae. Pygidium convex, slightly prominent toward base, shiny, with scattered, shallow punctures, without setae on disk; apical margin with 14 slender setae; basal margin effaced at middle. Pterosternon with long, dense, yellowish vestiture. Visible abdominal sternites 2 ° to 4 ° with shallow, wide, longitudinal depression; sternite 5 ° convex, scattered punctures and some slender setae; posterior border slightly excavated toward sides; anal plate wide and shallowly concave, with vague punctures, without setae; posterior border thickened, scarcely notched at middle, with 10 erect, long setae. Protibiae slightly shorter than protarsi (0.9:1), with two large teeth and one acute, small tooth on external border, preapical spur long, straight, acute, slightly shorter than 2 ° protarsomerus (0.8:1). Mesotibiae with some long, slender setae, and one oblique, short, setiferous, transverse carina; upper apical spur straight, narrow, slightly shorter than lower spur (0.8:1). Metatibiae shorter than metatarsi (0.9:1), with some long, slender setae, and one oblique, short setiferous transverse carina; apical spurs articulated with the border, upper spur lanceolate, slightly curved, with rounded apex, nearly as long as 2 ° metatarsomerus, and 1.2 × longer than lower spur. Tarsomeres semicylindrical, elongated, with enlarged apex, and many setae around apex; mesotarsomeres 2 ° to 5 ° ventrally present two lines of scattered, slender setae; metatarsomeres 2 ° to 4 ° ventrally present two lines of setae. Tarsal claws symmetrical, similar on all legs, with median acute­angled tooth located near basal dilatation, but also near apical tooth ( Fig. 14 ). Genital capsule with long, narrowed, curved paramera, fused dorsally at their basis, and ventrally at their apex, with lateral, rounded laminar projections and preapical short, tooth­like, curved projections ( Figs. 15–17 ). Tectum convex with widely sinuated distal border. Aedeagus long, wide, with sclerotized tube­like support and preapical, dorsal, bilobed, excavated, sclerotized plate ( Figs. 15–17 ). Length of genital capsule from apex of parameres to border of basal piece: 3.4 mm. Total body length: 13.0 mm. Humeral width: 5.5 mm.

Allotype. Female. Similar to the male except as follows: antennal club as long as the four preceeding segments combined; pygidium transversally concave at middle with preapical prominence briefly bilobed; visible abdominal sternites 2 ° to 4 ° with mesial sulcus vaguely indicated; sternite 5 ° convex, punctate, with scattered short setae; anal plate convex, punctate, with scattered, short and medium size setae. Protibia with external border clearly tridentate. Apical spurs of metatibiae wide, slightly curvated with rounded apexes. Ventral genital plates widely ovate, moderately sclerotized, nearly symmetrical, poorly convex, without setae; dorsal genital plates nearly rectangular, fused mesially, with scarce setae on distal borders. Total body length: 13.0 mm. Humeral width: 5.6 mm.

Paratype Variation. Males. Specimens from Minatitlán , Colima have pronotal punctures closely approximated, wider and denser than specimens from Las Joyas. Total body length: 13.0– 13.2 mm, humeral width: 5.5–5.6 mm.

Type Series. (Described from 4 males and 1 female). Holotype ♂; MEXICO: Jalisco, Autlán , Est. Las Joyas , bosque mesófilo, Alt. 1,900 m, 5­VIII­1997, trampa luz, M. López ( MXAL) . Allotype ♀: Colima, Minatitlán, El Terrero , bosque mesófilo, Alt. 2,200 m, 25­VII­1998, trampa luz UV, J.García ( MXAL) . Paratypes: same data as holotype (♂) ( IMEJ); same data as allotype (2 ♂♂)( IEXA, MXAL) .

Type Locality. Las Joyas , Biosphere Reserve Sierra de Manantlán , Autlán municipality, state of Jalisco, México (approx. 19 ° 35 ' 13 " N; 104 ° 16 ' 48 " W).

Biological Data. Specimens of P. joyana n.sp. were collected at fluorescent white lights or UV lights in montane cloud forest located at 1,900 –2,200 m altitude, between 20:00 and 20:30 h. Phenology: July (3), August (2). Other species of Phyllophaga flying at the same time and place were P. (Phytalus) jalisciensis n.sp. and P. (s.str.) manantleca n.sp.

Remarks. Phyllophaga joyana n.sp. belongs to the species group ‘‘ blanchardi ,’’ complex ‘‘ xanthe ’’ (sensu Morón 1986). The diagnostic combination of characters for male include: anterior border of clypeus deeply sinuated; frons and pronotum with dense vestiture of erect, long setae; abdominal sternites 2 ° to 4 ° with shallow mesial concavity; abdominal sternite 5 ° with scarce punctuation or vestiture; and pigydium vaguely punctate, without setae on disk. The shape of the paramera and aedeagus have some similarities with P. xanthe Bates , P. verruciventris Moser and P. collaris Moser , but the proportions or positions of each part are much different.

Etymology. Derived from the name of Las Joyas creek, that flow near the middle of the Biological Station Las Joyas, Sierra de Manantlán.

Figures

Figs. 14–17. Phyllophaga joyana. 14) tarsal claw, male; 15) genital capsule, lateral view; 16) paramera, distal view; 17) distal half of genital capsule, dorsal view. Scale lines = 1 mm, except Fig. 14 = 0.5 mm.