Cyphochilus hmong, Sabatinelli, 2020

Sabatinelli, Guido, 2020, Taxonomic notes on the genus Cyphochilus Waterhouse, 1867 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea, Melolonthinae) with description of 10 new species, Revue suisse de Zoologie 127 (1), pp. 157-181 : 174

Cyphochilus hmong n. sp.

Figs 21 , 74-76

Holotype: MHNG (MHNG-ENTO-81700); 1 ♂; LAOS: // N. [North] Laos , 10.V.97, Louang / Namtha, leg. M. Strba & / R. Hergovitz ( P on yellow // // HOLOTYPUS ♂ / Cyphochilus / hmong mihi / G. Sabatinelli, 2020 ( T on red) //.

Description of the holotype male: Size – BL: 18.4 mm, BW: 6.6 mm, BWX: 8.4 mm, situated at midpoint of elytra. Color – Integument light brown; surface with white scales aggregated along the sides of pronotum and margins of elytra. Head – CW/L: 3.4; anterolateral edges of clypeus rounded, lateral edges of clypeus curved divergent posteriad; frons large, making eyes relatively small (F/O: 5.3); frons concave; antennal club longer than antennomeres 2-7 (A2-7/CL: 0.7) ( Fig. 21 ). Pronotum – Transverse (PnW/L: 2.2), strongly convex; apical angles and lateral margins largely flattened, apical angles right not protuberant; basal lateral margins straight, basal angles largely rounded. Elytra – Without visible striae. Thoracic sterna – Surface with short, white pubescence and scales, mesosternum slightly developed anteriorly (MstL: 0.23 mm) however visible between the mesocoxae in lateral view. Abdomen – Sternites with sparse scales except the median part of the eight sternite; pygidium convex with apical margin narrowly reflected. Legs – Protibia tridentate with the basal tooth vestigial; slender apical tooth as long as the middle tooth. Aedeagus – Parameres slightly asymmetric with two apical appendices in addition to the terminal parts of parameres ( Figs 74-76 ).

Etymology: Dedicated to the Hmong people, one of the largest ethnic minority in Laos and presently living in the jungle to escape persecutions.

Type locality: Louang Namtha is the capital of the homonymous Province in northern Laos bordering with Yunnan to the north and Burma to the northwest.

Distribution: The species is known only from one locality in the extreme northwest portion of Laos.

Remarks: Cyphochilus hmong can be readily separated from all other congeners by the unique form of the parameres with two apical appendices in addition to the terminal parts.

Figures

Figs 15-22. General morphology of Cyphochilus. (15) Labrum, in frontal view of Cyphochilus farinosus Waterhouse, 1867. (16) Mesosternum, in ventral view of C. farinosus. (17) C. proximus Sharp, 1867. (18) C. candidus (Olivier, 1789). (19) Lateral side of right elytra of C. septentrionalis Waterhouse, 1867. (20) C. farinosus. (21) Antennal club ♂ of C. hmong n. sp. (22) C. septentrionalis ♂.

Figs 71-79. Parameres in right, dorsal, and left view. (71-73) Cyphochilus rohingyae n. sp., holotype. (74-76) C. hmong n. sp., holotype. (77-79) C. orbachi n. sp., holotype. – Scale bars = 1 mm.