Pseudholophylla castaneipennis ( Macleay, 1888 )

Hutchinson, Paul M. & Allsopp, Peter G., 2021, Australian Melolonthini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae): a sixth species of Pseudholophylla Blackburn, 1911, and notes on the other known species, Zootaxa 5082 (1), pp. 30-40 : 34

Pseudholophylla castaneipennis ( Macleay, 1888)

( Figs. 8 , 17 )

Rhopaea castaneipennis Macleay, 1888: 919 .

Pseudholophylla castaneipennis: Britton 1978: 34 , Figs. 97– 99, 274E; Allsopp 2020b: 476 .

Type series. Lectotype ♂, designated by Britton (1978). WESTERN AUSTRALIA. Barrior [Barrier] Range N. W. Aust.; in ANIC [examined].

Paralectotype ♂. WESTERN AUSTRALIA. N.W. Austra [North-west Australia]; in ANIC .

Diagnosis of males. Body approximately 16 mm long. Colour reddish brown to dark brown. Lamella of antennomere 4 approximately one-third length of lamella of antennomere 5. Maxillary palp with apical palpomere slender, with an elongate, flat, dull area on upper surface. Pronotum with greatest width 1.6x mid length; anterior margin defined by groove towards anterior angles, without defined posterior margin; pygidium with evenly distributed sparse setae. Parameres ( Fig. 8 ) without a transverse apical process, dorsal and ventral margins evenly curved and tapering to rounded apex in lateral view, apex folded back in dorsal view.

Distribution ( Fig. 17 ). The precise type locality was not given by Macleay (1888) but the label on the lectotype suggests that it was Barrier Range, now Napier Range. This was where the collector, Walter Froggatt, stayed near Windjana Gorge [17.43°S, 124.98°E] during July–August and December 1887 and early 1888 ( Froggatt 1934). We have used that locality in Fig. 17 ; it has a Köppen-Geiger climate of Bsh (hot semi-arid).

Figures

FIGURE 17. Known distributions of Pseudholophylla species across northern Australia. Upper map shows distribution relative to topography; lower map shows Köppen-Geiger classifications for comparison with climates. Pseudholophylla furfuracea (Burmeister, 1855) is recorded only from “Australia”.

FIGURES 8–13. Pseudholophylla aedeagi. Each set with lateral view left, dorsal view top right, ventral view bottom right. 8, Pseudholophylla castaneipennis (Macleay, 1888); 9, P. cavifrons (Lea, 1919); 10, P. furfuracea (Burmeister, 1855); 11, P. lepidoptera (Blackburn, 1912); 12, P. soror Britton, 1978; 13, P. hurai Hutchinson & Allsopp, new species, holotype male. Figs. 8–12 reproduced from Britton (1978) (CSIRO, used with permission).