Phyllophaga (Phytalus) dugesiana Morón, Rivera and 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 : 494-497

Phyllophaga (Phytalus) dugesiana Morón, Rivera and López , new species

Figs. 18–22

Holotype Male. Head shiny reddish brown; pronotum, elytra, pygidium, sternites and legs shiny yellowish testaceous. Clypeus short ( Fig. 18 ), wider than long (3:1), anterior border widely sinuated with margins strongly elevated, disk surface nearly flat, with deep, round punctures, without setae. Fronto­clypeal suture slightly sinuated, finely impressed. Frons wider than long (1.8:1) convex, with round, deep punctures and without setae. Antenna 9 segmented, with 3 segmented club; lamellae longer than the preceeding four segments combined (1.8:1), segment 5 ° longer than segment 4 °, segment 6 ° very short, all without anterior projections. Frons 2.8 × wider than each eye dorsal diameter. Canthus short and narrowed, with 5 setae. Labrum widely bilobed, deeply sinuated, with slender setae at the borders. Mentum concave, with lateral bulks and slender setae, anterior border widely sinuated. Pronotum wider than long (1.7:1) and 2.2 × wider than frons. Pronotal disk glabrous, slightly convex, but with shallow depressions toward the posterior angles and lateral margins, irregularly punctate, round punctures separated by less of width of puncture to 1–3 punctures; anterior margin without setae; lateral borders widely rounded, marginal bead ( Fig. 18 ) clear and widely crenulate, with scattered, short setae; anterior angles nearly straigth, prominent; posterior angles obtuse, prominent. Scutellum 1.2 × wider than long, with 30 shallow, small, irregular punctures. Each elytron 3.2 × longer than wide, finely rugo­punctate, glabrous; epipleural border with the color of disk surface, narrowed, extended along the complete margin, without setae; humeral calla rounded, prominent; apical calla rounded. Metathoracic wings completely developed. Propygidium shiny, with fine, shallow punctures, glabrous. Pygidium slightly uniformly convex, shiny, shallow and finely punctate, glabrous, apical margin rounded, with 12 slender, short setae; basal margin widely interrupted at the middle. Pterosternon with medium size, moderately dense, yellowish vestiture. Visible abdominal sternites 2 to 4 slightly convex, with some minute setae at the midline; sternite 5 sligthly convex with group of medium size, erect setae at the middle; anal plate convex, with scattered shallow punctures and some slender setae. Protibiae shorter than protarsi (1:1.3), with external border nearly tridentate, preapical spur straight, acute, shorter than 2 ° protarsomerus (1: 1.6). Mesotibiae with one oblique, strong, setiferous, transverse carina, preceeding by vague carina with 2 setae on external side; lower apical spur straight, narrow, slightly shorter than upper spur (1:1.2). Metatibiae nearly as long as metatarsi (1:1.2), with one oblique, poorly marked setiferous, transverse carina, and 3–5 setae on the external side; apical spurs articulated with the border, straight and narrowed with acute apex, upper spur shorter than 2 ° metatarsomere (1:1.3), and 1.2 × longer than lower spur. Tarsomeres semicylindrical, elongated, with enlarged apex, some setae around the apex and two lines of setae ventrally. Tarsal claws symmetrical, deep and narrowly cleft, with lower tooth clearly shorter and separated from the upper tooth ( Fig. 19 ). Genital capsule elongated, basal piece slightly shorter than paramera (1:1.1), tectum with transverse prominence near distal border, paramera elongate, fused at dorsal base, with apex narrowed, slightly curved downward, trema ojival ( Figs. 20–21 ). Aedeagus moderately long, with sclerotized, support structure, without outstanding dorsal or preapical sclerites. Length of genital capsule from apex of parameres to border of basal piece: 1.9 mm. Total body length: 9.1 mm. Humeral width: 3.3 mm.

Allotype. Female. Similar to male except as follows: antennal club slightly longer than preceeding four segments (1.2:1); pronotal punctures more deep; anal plate more convex, deep punctate; protibial external border with three acute teeth. Ventral genital plates slightly sclerotized, symmetrical, with apical border rounded without setae; dorsal genital plates rounded, thiny, with some setae at apical border ( Fig. 22 ). Total body length: 9.2 mm. Humeral width: 3.5 mm.

Paratype Variation. Paratypes of both sexes are similar to types except that some female specimens present darkened pronotum and elytra, or males are yellowish brown and females are reddish brown. Total body length: 7.2– 10.5 mm. Humeral width: 3.0– 3.9 mm.

Type Series. (Described from 202 males and 179 females). Holotype, ♂; MEXICO: Jalisco, Autlán, Estación Las Joyas , 6­VI­1997, 1,900 m, trampa luz, bosque mesófilo, M. López ( MXAL) . Allotype ♀ same data as holotype, except 6­V­1997 ( MXAL). Paratypes: same data as holotype, (64 ♂♂ 26 ♀♀) ; same data except C. Ibarra, (4 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀) ; D. Hernández (3 ♂♂ 1 ♀) ; 4­VI­1997, M. López (7 ♂♂ 6 ♀♀) ; C. Ibarra (2 ♂♂ 3 ♀♀) ; D. Hernández (2 ♂♂ 1 ♀) ; 5­VI­1997, (2 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀) ; M. López (2 ♂♂ 1 ♀) ; C. Ibarra (1 ♂ 2 ♀♀) ; 3­VII­1997, J. García (3 ♀♀) ; M. López (95 ♂♂ 54 ♀♀) ; 4­VII­1997, J. García (3 ♂♂ 1 ♀) ; M. López (1 ♂ 3 ♀♀) ; 5­VIII­1997, S. Núñez (2 ♂♂ 1 ♀) ; A. Vázquez (2 ♀♀) ; 6­VIII­1997, M. López (1 ♂ 20 ♀♀) ; S. Núñez (♀) ; 7­VIII­1997, M. López (4 ♂♂ 12 ♀♀) ; A. Partida (♀) ; 4­IX­1997, A. Guerra (♂) ; 5­IX­1997, M. López (♀) ; A. Guerra (♀) ; 30­IX­1997, M. López (♀) ; D. Pelayo (♀) ; 21­XI­1985, G. Parada, (3 ♀♀) ; 13­VII­1986, L. Rivera, (♀) ; 15­VI­1986, (2 ♂♂ 8 ♀♀) ; 18­VI­1986, (♂) ; 19­VI­1986, (1 ♂ 9 ♀♀) ; 11­VII­1986, (2 ♂♂). Colima, Minatitlán, El Terrero , bosque mesófilo, 2,200 m, 27­VI­1998, luz, J. García (3 ♀♀) ; 23­VII­1998 (♀) ; 24­VII­1998 (♀) ; M. López (♀) ; 25­VII­1998, J. García (♂ / ♀). 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. dugesiana n.sp. were collected at lights in cloud forest located at 1,900 m of altitude. Phenology: June (158), July (167), August (45), September (5), November (3). This species represents nearly 50% of the samples of Phyllophaga specimens in Las Joyas. Other species flying at the same time and place were P. (Phytalus) mesophylla Morón & Rivera , P. (Phytalus) jalisciensis n. sp., P. (s.str.) chamacayoca Morón , P. (s.str.) sayloriana n.sp., P. (s.str.) manantleca n.sp. and two other undescribed species.

Remarks. Phyllophaga dugesiana n.sp. presents the diagnostic characters of the species group ‘‘ bucephala ’’ but are clearly not related with any other species. The very elongated elytra (more than 3 times longer than wide), 9­ segmented antenna with elongated club, bilobed shape of clypeus, pronotum, elytra and pygidium glabrous, punctate pronotum, elytra moderately rugose, and shape of male genital capsule will aid in the recognition of this species.

Etymology. This new species is dedicated to the memory of the Mexican­French coleopterist Eugenio D. Dugés (1833–1895), whose pioneering works with Mexican species of Coleoptera have been recognized in recent years.

Figures

Figs. 18–22. Phyllophaga dugesiana. 18) head and pronotum, dorsal view; 19) tarsal claw, male; 20) genital capsule, lateral view; 21) paramera, distal view; 22) ventral genital plates, female. Scale lines: Figs. 19, 22 = 0.25 mm; Figs. 18, 20–21 = 1 mm.