Phyllophaga (Phyllophaga) sayloriana 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 : 486-489

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

Figs. 1–8

Description. Holotype. Male. Head, pronotum, elytra and pygidium shiny reddish dark brown, sterna, and legs shiny reddish light brown. Clypeus bilobed, wider than long (4:1), anterior border widely sinuated with margins moderately elevated, surface slightly convex, densely rugo­punctate, with erect, very long, slender setae. Fronto­clypeal suture slightly sinuated and vaguely impressed, obscured by dense punctuation. Frons wider than long (2.1:1) convex, coasely rugo­punctate, with erect, very long, slender setae. Antenna 10 segmented, with 3 segmented club; lamellae slightly longer than length of five preceeding segments combined (1.2:1), segment 4 ° as long as segment 3, segment 5 ° with rounded anterior tubercle, segments 6 ° and 7 ° wider than long, each one with conical or acute process directed forward. Frons 6.5 × wider than each eye dorsal diameter. Canthus curved and rounded, with 7–9 setae. Labrum deeply bilobed, with curved slender setae on the borders. Mentum widely concave, polished, with lateral slender setae, anterior border widely cleft. Pronotum wider than long (1.8:1) and 1.9 × wider than frons. Pronotal disk densely rugo­punctate, with many erect, very long, slender setae; lateral borders widely angulated, marginal bead widely crenulate, with long, slender setae; anterior angles slightly obtuse, rounded, scarcely prominent; posterior angles obtuse, scarcely prominent. Scutellum 1.5 × wider than long, with more than 15 deep and shallow, small, setiferous punctures. Elytron 2.3 × longer than wide, densely rugo­punctate, with many erect, long, slender setae uniformly distributed; epipleural border narrowed, extended along the complete margin, provided with a fringe of long setae; humeral calla rounded, prominent; apical calla rounded. Metathoracic wings completely developed. Propygidium shiny, finely punctate with scattered, short setae. Pygidium convex, shiny, markedly rugose, with erect, long, slender setae, mainly toward the basal border; apical margin with 20 slender setae; basal margin effaced at the middle. Pterosternon with long, dense, yellowish vestiture. Visible abdominal sternites 2 ° to 4 ° with wide and deep mesial sulcus; sternite 5 ° convex, with scattered setiferous punctures and anterior border slightly furrowed; anal plate widely concave, finely granulose­punctate, anterior and posterior borders thickened, with scattered erect, long setae. Protibiae as long as protarsi, with two large teeth and one small tooth on external border, preapical spur long, straight, acute, slightly longer than 2 ° protarsomerus (1.2:1). Mesotibiae with very long, slender setae, and one oblique, short, setiferous, transverse carina; upper apical spur straight, narrow, as long as lower spur. Metatibiae shorter than metatarsi (1:1.2), with very long, slender setae, and one oblique, short setiferous transverse carina; apical spurs articulated with the border, upper spur lanceolate, slightly curved, with nearly rounded apex, nearly as long as 2 ° metatarsomerus, and 1.5 longer than lower spur. Tarsomeres semicylindrical, elongated, with enlarged apex, and many setae around the apex; mesotarsomeres 2 ° to 5 ° ventrally present one line of slender setae ( Fig. 1 ); metatarsomeres 2 ° to 4 ° ventrally present one line of stout setae, nearly comb­like structure ( Fig. 2 ). Tarsal claws symmetrical, similar on all legs, with median acute­angled tooth located near basal dilatation, but also near apical tooth ( Fig. 3 ). Genital capsule with long, narrowed, angled paramera, fused dorsally at their basis, apex angled, with preapical long projections ended in flattened, blade­like structures ( Figs. 4–7 ). Tectum convex with widely sinuated distal border. Aedeagus long, wide, with sclerotized tube­like support and preapical, dorsal, sclerotized plates and blades ( Figs. 4–7 ). Length of genital capsule from the apex of parameres to the border of basal piece: 3.3 mm. Total body length: 13.2 mm. Humeral width: 5.3 mm.

Allotype. Female. Similar to the male except as follows: antennal club 0.8 shorter than the five preceeding segments combined; pygidium with apical fifth concave, polished, without punctures or setae, apex slightly upturned; visible abdominal sternites 2 ° to 4 ° with mesial narrow, shallow sulcus; sternite 5 ° coarsely rugo­punctate, with scattered short setae; anal plate convex, rugopunctate, with basal border slightly uplift, and lines of 10–20 slender setae along basal and apical borders. Protibia with external border clearly tridentate. Apical spurs of metatibiae wide, slightly curvated with rounded apexes. Ventral genital plates ovate, strongly sclerotized, nearly symmetrical, convex, with some short setae; dorsal genital plates ovate, with borders scarcely setose ( Fig. 8 ). Total body length: 13.9 mm. Humeral width: 6.0 mm.

Paratype Variation. Males. Similar to the holotype except as follows: body color dark reddish brown to light reddish brown; abdominal sternites with mesial furrow less deep; total body length: 11.6–13.7 mm, humeral width: 4.8– 5.6 mm. Female paratypes are similar to the allotype except as follows: body color dark reddish brown to dark yellowish brown; pygidial preapical fifth more or less concave; total body length: 13.5–14.9 mm; humeral width: 5.9– 6.2 mm.

Type Series. (Described from 50 males and 92 females). Holotype ♂; MEXICO: Jalisco, Autlán, Est. Las Joyas , bosque mesófilo, Alt. 1,900 m, 7­ VIII­1997, trampa luz, M. López ( MXAL) . Allotype ♀; same data as holotype, except A. Vázquez ( MXAL) . Paratypes: same data as holotype except A. Vázquez (2 ♂♂); same data except 3­VII­1997, J. García, (1 ♂ 2 ♀♀); M. López (3 ♂♂ 5 ♀♀); 4­VII­1997, J. García (3 ♂♂ 1 ♀); 5­VIII­1997, A. Vázquez (2 ♀♀); 6­VIII­1997 (♂); M. López (4 ♀♀); J. García (2 ♀♀); 7­VIII­1997, S. Núñez (2 ♂♂); A. Vázquez (2 ♀♀); M. López (11 ♀♀); A. Partida (1 ♂ 2 ♀♀); J. García (♀); 5­IX­1997, A. Guerra (♀); M. López (♀); 1­X­1997 (♂ / ♀); 30­VII­1999, V. González (2 ♂♂); G. Mesa (♂); 31­VII­1999, M. López (♂ / ♀); J. García (♀); V. González (♀); same data except 21­XI­1985, G. Parada, veg. secundaria (♂); 17­VI­1986, L. Rivera, veg. secundaria (♀); 19­VI­1986, (2 ♂♂); VII­1985, bosque pinos, (♀) ; 10­IX­1987, (♂). Colima, Minatitlán, El Terrero , bosque mesófilo, Alt. 2,300 m, 25­VI­1998, trampa luz, J. García (3 ♂♂); same data except C. Hernández, trampa uv (♀); 26­VI­1998, luz fluor. (♂) ; 27­VI­1998, M. López, trampa uv (♀) ; 23­VII­1998, luz fluor. (9 ♂♂ 7 ♀♀) ; 24­VII­1998, M. López (♀) ; 25­VII­1998, J. García (8 ♂♂ 3 ♀♀) ; M. López (2 ♂♂) ; 20­VIII­1998, M. López, trampa uv (♂) ; 21­VIII­1998, J. García (3 ♀♀) ; luz fluor. (1 ♂ 5 ♀♀) ; 22­VIII­1998 (1 ♂ 16 ♀♀) ; trampa uv (6 ♀♀) ; 25­VIII­1998, M. López (♂ / ♀) ; J. García (♂) ; 27­VIII­1998, M. López (♀) ; 24­IX­1998, J. García, luz fluor. (4 ♀♀) ; 25­IX­1998 (♀) ; 24­X­1998, trampa uv (♀) ; 24­XI­1998, luz fluor. (♂). Paratypes are deposited at AAHC, AMNH, CASC, CNC, FMNH, IBUNAM, IEXA, IMEJ, GNPC, MNHN, MXAL, NHMC, UNSM and ZMHU.

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. sayloriana n.sp. were collected at white fluorescent and UV lights in montane cloud forest, pine forest and secondary vegetation located at 1,900 –2,300 m altitude. Phenology: June (9), July (53), August (67), September (8), October (3), November (2). Other species of Phyllophaga flying at the same time and place were P. (Phytalus) dugesiana n.sp., P. (Phytalus) jalisciensis n.sp., P. (s.str.) manantleca n.sp. and P. (s.str.) chamacayoca Morón.

Remarks. Phyllophaga sayloriana n.sp. belong to the species group ‘‘ blanchardi ,’’ complex ‘‘ pubicauda ’’ (sensu Morón 1986). The diagnostic combination of characters for both sexes include: anterior border of clypeus deep and widely sinuated; frons, pronotum and elytra with dense vestiture of erect, very long setae; abdominal sternites 2 ° to 4 ° with deep mesial sulcus; pygidium noticeably rugose; and metatarsal segments 2 ° to 4 ° with comb­like line of setae in ventral sides. Shape of paramera is similar to P. pubicauda Bates , P. blanchardi Arrow , P. microcerus Arrow , P. rufithorax Moser , P. moei Saylor and P. hidalgoana Saylor , but the proportions of each part of the paramera are different, and in all of these species the pygidium is not rugose and the sternites are not deeply sulcated. The dorsal vestiture and punctuation, body color and mesial sulcus on sternites, suggests some relation with P. hirticollis Moser , known only from ‘‘Buena Vista, Mexico,’’ but the details and proportions of male genital capsule, pygidial sculpture, and metatarsi vestiture, as well as body size, are different. Dorsal aspect of P. sayloriana also resembles some species in the group ‘‘ heteronycha,’’ but the shape of abdominal segments, tarsal claws and male genital capsule are much different.

Etymology. This new species is dedicated to Lawrence W. Saylor, whose numerous descriptions of species of the genus Phyllophaga provided an important step for the study of these beetles in Mexico and Latin America.

Figures

Figs. 1–8. Phyllophaga sayloriana. 1) male mesotarsomeres, latero­ventral view; 2) male metatarsomeres, latero­ventral view; 3) tarsal claw, male; 4) genital capsule, lateral view; 5) paramera, distal view; 6) apex of paramera, distal­ventral view; 7) distal half of genital capsule, dorsal view; 8) ventral genital plates, female. Scale lines: Figs. 1–3 = 0.5 mm; Figs. 4–8 = 1 mm.