Pseudholophylla Blackburn, 1911

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 : 31-39

Pseudholophylla Blackburn, 1911

Holophylla Burmeister, 1855: 426 (junior homonym of Holophylla Erichson, 1847 ). Type species: Holophylla furfuracea Burmeister, 1855 , by monotypy.

Pseudholophylla Blackburn, 1911: 183 (replacement name for Holophylla Burmeister, 1855 ).

Paralepidiota Blackburn, 1911: 196 ; Britton 1978: 33 (synonym). Type species: Paralepidiota lepidoptera Blackburn, 1912 , by subsequent monotypy ( Blackburn 1912).

Diagnosis. Dorsal surface, pronotal hypomera, and anterior faces of profemora and protibiae bearing elliptical or elongate-pointed white scales; surface of clypeus, pronotum, and scutellum without long, backwardly directed setae; labrum deeply excavated anteriorly; antennae of males with antennomeres 4–10 or 5–10 lamellate; clypeus with anterior face moderately deep, greatest width 5.5–7.5 times mid depth, outline broadly rounded, usually slightly depressed in middle of anterior edge; upper surface of clypeus strongly concave; protarsal claws with a prominent tooth; anterior edge of metafemur not concave near base; lower spur of metatibiae narrow, thick and tapered, upper spur broadly expanded.

Key to males (females are largely unknown)

1 Each paramere with a transverse pre-apical process ( Figs. 11, 13 )............................................... 2

- Each paramere without a transverse pre-apical process ( Figs. 8–10, 12 ).......................................... 3

2 Antenna with the lamella of antennomere 4 approximately two-fifths to half length of lamella of antennomere 5; scales on head, pronotum, elytra, metepisternum, abdominal ventrites, and legs elongate and acutely pointed; scales on anterior surface of profemora and pronotal hypomera very elongate to setae-like; sternum, metepisternum, metepimeron, and metacoxae densely clothed with long, pale setae; pygidium with sparse, evenly distributed white microsetae; body colour yellow brown, length approximately 27.4–30.0 mm ( Figs. 1–7 ); parameres with apices rounded and recurved, as in Fig. 13 ; Northern Territory ....................................................... Pseudholophylla hurai Hutchinson & Allsopp , new species

- Antenna with antennomere 4 angulate but not lamellate, antennal club of 6 nearly equal lamellae; dorsal surface with sparse, elliptical white scales, abdominal ventrites with dense white scales; body colour reddish brown, length approximately 23 mm; parameres with apices elongate, as in Fig. 11 ; northeastern Queensland ...... Pseudholophylla lepidoptera ( Blackburn, 1912)

3 Antenna with lamella of antennomere 4 approximately one-third as long as lamella of antennomere 5; terminal palpomere of maxillary palp with flat elliptical area on upper surface; aedeagus as in Fig. 8 ; northwestern Western Australia ........................................................................ Pseudholophylla castaneipennis ( Macleay, 1888)

- Antenna with lamella of antennomere 4 more than half as long as lamella of antennomere 5; terminal palpomere of maxillary palp with an elliptical concavity of the upper surface; northern Australia.......................................... 4

4 Scales on frons and pronotum broadly elliptical, almost circular; antenna with lamella of antennomere 4 approximately twothirds as long as lamella of antennomere 5, pronotal hypomera and anterior face of profemora with a dense clothing of large white scales; body colour pale yellowish brown, length approximately 21 mm ( Weir et al. 2019, Plate 64K; Allsopp 2020b, Figs. 60–62); parameres apical third very constricted in ventral view, as in Fig. 9 ; northeastern Queensland ................................................................................... Pseudholophylla cavifrons ( Lea, 1919)

- Scales on frons and pronotum elongate and acutely pointed; antenna with lamella of antennomere 4 as long as lamella of antennomere 5; scales on pronotal hypomera and anterior face of profemora acutely pointed, almost seta-like; parameres with apices linear or tapering but not constricted in ventral view.......................................................... 5

5 Antenna with antennomere 3 broadly triangular; upper surface of clypeus very sparsely punctate; posterior margin of pronotum with a sparse fringe of fine, erect, pale setae; parameres as in Fig. 10 ; unknown distribution......................................................................................... Pseudholophylla furfuracea ( Burmeister, 1855)

- Antenna with antennomere 3 elongate; upper surface of clypeus densely punctate; posterior margin of pronotum without fringe of erect setae; parameres as in Fig. 12 ; northwestern Western Australia ............. Pseudholophylla soror Britton, 1978

Figures

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).

FIGURES 1–3. Pseudholophylla hurai Hutchinson & Allsopp, new species, holotype male. 1, Dorsal view; 2, ventral view; 3, lateral view.

FIGURES 4–7. Pseudholophylla hurai Hutchinson & Allsopp, new species, holotype male. 4, Frontal view; 5, head and pronotum, dorso-lateral view; 6, posterior view; 7, antennal club.