Leucopholis ratcliffei, Calcetas, 2023

Calcetas, Orlando A., 2023, Three new species of the genus Leucopholis Dejean, 1833 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Melolonthinae, Leucopholini) from the Philippines and designation of a neotype for L. semperi Brenske, 1896, European Journal of Taxonomy 890, pp. 184-203 : 197-199

Leucopholis ratcliffei sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:43230871-FB2C-4A6F-AF35-EE5F12830927

Figs 17–20

Differential diagnosis

The new species can be distinguished from all other Philippine Leucopholis by the paramere of the apical process of the male genitalia, which is distinctly elongate, curved downward and broadly spatulate apically. The apical process of the male genitalia of L. ratcliffei sp. nov. is nearly as long as the phallobase while all other species of Philippine Leucopholis with the metaventral process extending in front of the prosternal process have the apical proces either short or distinctly shorter than the phallobase. The anterior margin of the phallobase of the male genitalia of both L. ratcliffei and L. stainesi sp. nov. is bowl-shaped, but its medial margin is slightly convex in L. ratcliffei while it is distinctly convex medially in L. stainesi . Also, the apical process apex is spatulate in L. ratcliffei while it is short and rounded in L. stainesi and L. semperi , and long and tapered in L. bezdeki sp. nov. The medial anterior margin of the pronotum in L. ratcliffei is slightly convex while it is nearly straight in all other species of Philippine Leucopholis with the metaventral process extending in front of the prosternal process.

Etymology

This new species is named after Dr Brett Ratcliffe, Curator of Insects at the University of Nebraska State Museum and a Professor in the Department of Entomology. He is a specialist in the taxonomy, biology, ecology, and biogeography of scarab beetles, especially those of the Neotropics.

Material examined

Holotype PHILIPPINES • 1 ♂; Cagayan de Oro City; 5 Dec. 1932; H.L. Philipps leg.; UNSM.

Type locality

Philippines (Mindanao, Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro City)

Description

BODY LENGTH. 42.5 mm.

BODY WIDTH. 22.5 mm.

COLOUR. Dorsum dichromatic, head, pronotum, scutellum and legs black to blackish brown; elytra and abdomen dark reddish brown to brownish. Venter monochromatic brown ( Fig. 17 ).

HEAD. Clypeus with medial anterior margin slightly convex anteriorly; slightly cleft, slanted at 60° angle laterally; with row of irregular rugose punctures adjacent to posterior margin; each puncture with stiff brownish hair or seta; surface directly above clypeo-labral suture, lustrous, glabrous, impunctate; anterior and lateral margins carinate dorsally; lateral margin thickly carinate; nearly straight medially; anterior angle widely rounded dorsally; dorsal surface covered with yellowish white scales; scales short or long, narrow, elongate, parallel-sided, rounded apically; scales apex slightly bent downward; base of scales with rounded punctures.Apical maXillary palpomere with oval flattened area. Mentum pot-shaped, lustrous, glabrous; with very few hair brushes on each side of medial cleft subanteriorly; with nearly flattened surface, slightly depressed medially. Antennal lamellae length 3.0 mm, nearly as long as entire length of antennomeres II–VII.

PRONOTUM. Anterior margin widely concave, slightly convex medially; anterior angle obtuse, widely rounded; with lustrous, glabrous, impunctate callosity apically; lateral margin widely convex medially; anterolateral margin slightly concave, nearly at 45° angle, crenulate; postero lateral margin wedge-shaped, slightly crenulate; posterior angle obtuse, strongly sinuate, rounded apically; posterior margin bisinuate, widely concave; deeply rounded, margin distinctly extended posteriorly; each side slightly carinate except medially; surface covered with scales of variable shapes and sizes; covered mostly with elongate, spindle-shaped, tapered apically scales medio-subanteriorly and medio subposteriorly; covered mostly with narrow, lanceolate, tapered apically scales submedially; covered mostly with elongate, spindle-shaped, rounded apically scales adjacent to lateral margin.

VENTRAL SIDE OF THORAX. Prosternal process nearly isosceles triangulate, widely rounded apically; surface with flattened impunctate area dorsally. Metaventral process length 4.5 mm, distinctly wide, triangulate basally; elongate towards apex; not constricted subapically; subapical lateral margin distinctly long, nearly parallel-sided; widely rounded apically; lustrous, glabrous, impunctate dorsally; distinctly wide, triangulate basally; elongate, parallel-sided towards apex; rounded apically without subapical constriction; lustrous, glabrous, impunctate, with faint dark line dividing metasternum ( Fig. 18 ); ventral and sides covered with hairs and scales.

LEG. Foretibia bidentate, narrowly rounded apically; posterior metatibia with 23 spicules.

SCUTELLUM. Covered with large and small, elongate, parallel-sided scales; lustrous, impunctate, without scales around posterior margin.

ELYTRON. Anterior margin distinctly wedge-shaped; anterior angle rounded, widely explanate, thickly carinate; upper lateral margin widely explanate, thickly carinate towards anterior angle; lower lateral margin towards posterior angle not eXplanate; posterolateral margin distinctly infleXed towards posterior angle; posterior angle widely rounded; posterior margin slightly sinuate to nearly straight; sutural angle approximately at 90° angle; sutural margin medially and towards sutural angle distinctly carinate; towards scutellum not carinate; each side near sutural angle covered with fringed hairs; surface covered with same scales in pronotum; most scales truncate apically.

ABDOMEN. Abdominal sternites I–IV covered with short, ovoid lanceolate, rounded or truncate basally, scales tapered apically; abdominal sternite V covered mostly with elongate spindle-shaped scales.

PYGIDIUM. Posterior margin bisinuate, concave medially; shortly concave medially; posterior margin slightly concave, narrowly explanate; distinctly depressed medially; subposterior margin vertically flattened laterally; surface covered with minute, elongate ovoid scales.

MALE GENITALIA. Genitalia length 18.5 mm. Phallobase dorsal apical margin wide, bowl-shaped, slightly convex medially ( Fig. 19 ). Paramere with dorsal basal margin bisinuate. Apical process length 6.9 mm, nearly as long as phallobase; distinctly elongate, flattened; curved downward, spatulate apically. Lateral margin of paramere with wide, shallow longitudinal depression on each side ( Fig. 20 ).

Distribution

Philippines (Mindanao).

Figures

Fig. 17–20. Leucopholis ratcliffei sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (UNSM). 17. Habitus, dorsal aspect.18. Metaventral process, dorsal aspect. 19. Male genitalia, dorsal aspect. 20. Male genitalia, lateral aspect.