Allorrhina nickerli Moser, 1911

Ratcliffe, Brett C., 2015, A Revision of the Neotropical Genus Allorrhina Burmeister, 1842 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Gymnetini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 69 (1), pp. 91-113 : 91-113

Allorrhina nickerli Moser, 1911

( Figs. 22–24 )

Allorrhina nickerli Moser 1911a: 121 (original combination).

Lectotype male at ZMHU, labeled: “ Cuyaba, Brasilia // Allorrhina nickerli Moser , Type, male symbol// G. Ruter det. 1964, Holotype, male symbol” and with my red lectotype label. Lectoallotype female at ZMHU, labeled: “ Cuyaba, Brasilia // Allorrhina nickerli Moser , Type, female symbol//Allotype, female symbol// G. Ruter det. 1964, Allorrhina nickerli Moser, Allotype ”, and with my red lectoallotype label. Seventeen paralectotypes at ZMHU, labeled: “ Cuyaba, Brasilia ” and with my yellow paralectotype labels. Four paralectotypes at MNHN, labeled: “ Cuyaba, Brazil ” and with my yellow paralectotype labels. Lectotypes examined, designated by Ratcliffe (2004).

Description. Length 13.9–15.4 mm; width across humeri 7.6–8.9 mm. Head, elytra, and pygidium opaque. Color of dorsum black or dark reddish brown (pronotum occasionally dark green) with cretaceous marks as follows: clypeus chalky either side of middle; small spot mesad of each eye, slender band on lateral margins of pronotum; posterior half of mesepimeron; slender band on lateral margin of elytra in basal half; small spot behind apical umbone; pygidium with broad band either side of middle. All cretaceous markings may be variably reduced or absent. Venter and legs shiny, black, with cretaceous marks as follows: mesepimeron on posterior half; metepisternum completely chalky; metasternum on anterior half; metacoxa on lateral edge; and abdominal ventrites 2–5 each with broad, transverse band on lateral thirds, band not reaching midline. All cretaceous markings may be variably reduced or absent. Setae of venter and legs tawny. Head: Frons of males rugopunctate either side of midline; clypeus with large, moderately dense punctures and a small, shallow, round depression before apex and anterior end of occipital keel; elevated lateral margins strigulose, gradually curving towards base of clypeal horn; clypeal apex with short, suboval to subquadrate horn projecting forward and obliquely upwards; occipital horn reduced to a longitudinal keel, apex not free, with short, sparse, tawny setae either side of keel in pristine specimens. Frons and clypeus of females densely punctate, punctures moderately large, clypeal apex subtruncate; frons weakly, longitudinally tumid at center. Interocular width equals 5.0 transverse eye diameters. Antenna with 10 antennomeres, club distinctly longer than antennomeres 2–7 in males, only slightly longer in females. Pronotum: Surface opaque, coarsely punctate, punctures large, dense, shiny, transversely suboval to transversely crescentshaped. Lateral margins strongly emarginate between middle and basal angle, lacking distinct bead. Elytra: Surface opaque, with 2 distinctly elevated, parallel costae on disc terminating at prominent apical umbone ( Fig. 22 ), sutural costa prominent in apical half. Interval between sutural and 1st discal costae with 3 confused rows of small, shiny, horseshoe-shaped or transversely vermiform punctures; intervals either side of 2nd discal costa each with 2 similar rows of punctures. Sides and apices behind and either side of apical umbone with small, suboval to crescentshaped punctures. Apices at suture weakly produced. Pygidium: Weakly shiny surface of males with dense, transverse, vermiform rugae and minute, tawny setae; females with sparse, transverse rugae; surface on lateral cretaceous areas with shiny, small, transversely oval to crescent-shaped punctures. In lateral view, surface weakly convex in both sexes. Venter: Metasternum with large, moderately dense, crescent-shaped punctures on lateral thirds, center third nearly impunctate. Mesometasternal process, in lateral view, short, parallel to ventral axis of body; in ventral view, apex angularly rounded. Abdominal ventrites of males on lateral thirds with small to moderate size, moderately dense, oval to crescent-shaped punctures; center third of sternites 1–5 with small, sparse punctures, sternite 6 densely punctate to rugulopunctate; abdominal ventrites of females similar or with slightly larger punctures at center. Legs: Protibia of males slender, tridentate, basal tooth strongly removed from others. Females with protibia tridentate, broader. Parameres: In caudal view, form short, subrectangular, apices rounded, each with small tooth projecting upwards ( Figs. 23–24 ). Basal piece twice as long as parameres.

Distribution. Allorrhina nickerli is known from southwestern Brazil near the borders of Bolivia and Paraguay. Additional collecting might reveal the presence of this species in the latter two countries.

Locality Records. 28 specimens from CMNH, FMNH, MNHM, NMPC, ZMHU, and ZSMC. BRAZIL (28). BAHIA (1): Chapada Diamantina. MATO GROSSO (24): Cuiabá. MATO GROSSO DO SUL (1): Corumbá. NO DATA (2).

Temporal Distribution. January (1). All the specimens studied were old, and all but one lacked temporal data.

Diagnosis. Allorrhina nickerli is unique because of its coarsely punctate pronotum ( Fig. 22 ) in combination with its smaller size (15.5 mm or less), presence of cretaceous marks, and distinctly elevated costae on the disc of the elytra.

Natural History. Nothing is known of the life history of this uncommon species.

Figures

Figs. 22–24. Allorrhina nickerli. 22) Habitus; 23–24) Parameres.