Epitrichius cupreipes (Bourgoin) Bourgoin, 2008

Li, Chun-Lin, Yang, Ping-Shih & Wang, Kuo-Sheng Hsu Chuan-Chan, 2008, A review of the genus Epitrichius Tagawa, with an analysis of the internal sac armature of the male genitalia (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae), Zootaxa 1895, pp. 10-24 : 15

Epitrichius cupreipes (Bourgoin) , new combination

Trichius cupreipes Bourgoin, 1915: 175 (Type locality: Formose, presently Taiwan. lectotype in BMNH); Miwa 1931: 276 (catalog); Miwa & Chûjô 1939: 30 (catalog); Krikken 1972: 488 (lectotype designated, key, diagnosis); Smetana 2006: 310 (catalog).

Gnorimus formosanus Niijima & Kinoshita, 1923: 236 ; Krikken 1972: 488 (synonymized with Trichius cupreipes ). Trichius uraiensis Kano, 1931: 130 ; Krikken 1972: 488 (synonymized with Trichius cupreipes ).

Specimens examined. TAIWAN. Taipei: Wulai, 9-V-1928 (1 male, holotype of Trichius uraiensis Kano, 1931 , NSMT); Mt. Tsaoshan (presently Yangmingshan), 21-IV-1958, K. S. Lin (15 males, 24 females, TARI); Mt. Yangming, 9-V-1970, Y. Kiyoyama (4 females, NSMT); Mt. Kwaishan, 11-VI-1988, Y.-F. Hsu (1 female, CCLI); ibid, 1-VII-1935 (1 female, NSMT); Shengken, 11-V-1983, C. L. Li (1 female, CCLI); Tauyuan: Balin, 6-VIII-1997, C.-L. Li (1 male, CCLI); Kaoi, 14-VI-1987, C.-L. Li (1 male, CCLI); Balin, 5-VII-1996, C.-L. Li (1 female, CCLI); Hsuanyuan, 20-VI-1938 (1 male, NSMT); ibid, 27-VI-1940 (2 males, NSMT); Nantou: Peishankeng, 16-V-1939 (1 female, NSMT); ibid, 3-IV-1941 (1 male, 3 females, NSMT); Bandai, 27- VI-1938 (1 male, NSMT); ibid, 25-V-1940 (1 female, NSMT); Ilan: Shenmi Lake, 9 June 1993, I.-S. Hsu (2 males, CCLI).

Distribution. Taiwan ( Fig. 19 ).

Remarks. The species can be recognized by the dull green head, pronotum (partly with copper red in females) and scutellum; the dense rugosity on the pronotum and scutellum; the absence of a lateral setose spot on the disc of the pronotum. Also, the major hook of the internal sac is always with a lateral denticle ( Fig. 18 ) thereby distinguishing E. cupreipes from all allied species from mainland China and Indochina. Adults are active from March to August in the low elevation montane areas of Taiwan below 1500 m in elevation (mostly under 1000 m) and feed on the flowers of trees, shrubs or herbs without any specific preference.

Figures

FIGURE 19. Geographical distribution of the Epitrichius species: Epitrichius bowringii (open circle), Epitrichius fraterculus and Epitrichius versutus (black square) and Epitrichius shinshuigensis (black triangle).

FIGURES 17 – 18. Major hooks of the internal sac. 17. Epitrichius bowringii; 18. Epitrichius cupreipes. Scale bar = 0.5 mm. Abbreviations: DD = dorsal denticle; LD = lateral denticle.