Symmela nitidicollis Burmeister, 1855

Pacheco, Thaynara L., Wipfler, Benedict, Monné, Marcela L. & Ahrens, Dirk, 2022, The genus Symmela Erichson, 1835 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Sericini): taxonomy and phylogenetic analysis, Journal of Natural History 56 (9 - 12), pp. 607-705 : 668-671

Symmela nitidicollis Burmeister, 1855

( Figures 20 , 29 (d), 31(d), 32(k))

Symmela nitidicollis Burmeister, 1855: 132 (original description); Harold 1869: 1127 (checklist); Frey 1973: 324 (key); Evans 2003: 49; Evans and Smith 2005: 31, 2007: 31, 2009: 31 (checklist)

Type material examined

Lectotype (here designated): ♀ ‘ ♀ / Nov. Frib./ Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg Zentralmagazin Naturw. Sammlungen 08/03/12 5.12.2019 / nitidicollis Burm. Bras. Virm. [collection label, handwritten]’ ( MLUH). Paraletotype: 1 ♀ ‘ ♀ / Nov. Frib./ Martin-LutherUniversität Halle-Wittenberg Zentralmagazin Naturw. Sammlungen 08/03/12 5.12.2019 ’ ( MLUH).

Additional material examined

1 ♀ ‘24979/ Brasil . Richt./ Symela [sic!] nitida [sic!] Burm. [typewritten]’ ( ZMHB), 1 ♂ ‘ Brasilia Nova Friburgo b . Beske/ Symela [sic] nitida, Burm. [type writing machine printed label of Frey]’ ( ZMHB), 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀ ‘ Brasilia Nova Friburgo b . Beske/ Symela [sic] nitida, Burm. [type writing machine printed label of Frey]’ ( ZMHB), 1 ♂ ‘ Brasilia Nova Friburgo b . Beske/ nitida Bm’. ( ZMHB), 1 ♀ ‘ Brasilia San Leopoldo / nitida Burm . [handwritten Moser]’ ( ZMHB), 1 ♀ ‘ Brasilia Doye O ./ Symela [sic] nitida, Burm. [type writing machine printed label of Frey]’ ( ZMHB), 1 ♂ ‘ BRASIL: Rio de Janeiro, Nova Friburgo, Macaé de Cima x .2000 . P. Grossi/ 28 Neotropical Sericini spec’. ( CEMT), 1 ♀ ‘ Serra do Caraca S . Barbara, M. Ger. Brasil, XII .1971 ’ ( CF / NHMB), 1 ♀ ‘ Serra de Bocaina S. Paulo, Bras. 1500 m, XI.1965 / S. nitida Bur. det. G . Frey 1972’ ( CF / NHMB), 1 ♀ ‘454Z/ Fry RioJan °/ Symmela nitidicollis Burm ./ cum type comparatum/ Astaena nitida Bur. det. G . Frey 1972’ ( CF / NHMB), 1 ♀ ‘ La Divisoria 21 .VI .1964 P. Aquilar Coll./ U.A. 502.68/ Symela nitida Bur. det. G . Frey 1974’ ( CF / NHMB), 1 ♀ ‘ Joinville / St . Catharina Brasilien Rttr./ Symmela nitida det . G . Frey 1972’ ( CF / NHMB), 1 ♀ ‘ Hansa Humboldt Sta . Catherina Brasilien Reitter/ Symela nitida Br. det. G. Frey 1972’ ( CF / NHMB).

Redescription

Length: 6.9 mm. Elytral length: 4.9 mm. Width: 3.4 mm. Head black, shiny, with erect dense setae. Labroclypeus as wide as frons, subtrapezoidal; surface flat; plain, without an anterior concavity on each side; anterior margin weakly emarginated medially, weakly reflexed, with a rim of dense, short setae behind anterior margin; lateral margin not incised anteriorly; punctation of surface posteriorly sparse; suture between labrum and clypeus invisible. Smooth area in front of eye distinctly separated from frons by a suture. Frons anteriorly flat, punctation even, dense. Ocular canthus with terminal setae, ratio of length of ocular canthus/eye diameter: 1/4. Eyes evenly spherical, ratio of diameter/ interocular width: 0.54. Antenna with eight antennomeres. Antennal club with three antennomeres, yellowish, straight; width of antennal lamella equal to width of antennomeres of funiculus; apical lamella subequal to basal and median ones; length ratio of antennal club vs remaining antennomeres combined: 1/1.1; length ratio of third vs fourth antennomere: 1/3; fourth antennomere without lateral projection; length ratio of fifth vs fourth antennomere: 1/5. Labrum anteriorly bluntly angled on each side, concave at middle. Setae on mentum very dense.

Head and pronotum without copper iridescent shine. Pronotum unicoloured, shiny, black; widest at middle, width distinctly narrower compared to width of elytral base at humerus; anterior marginal line not interrupted medially, posterior marginal line absent; lateral margin not serrated, generally bent at middle, otherwise straight, behind anterior angles straight, posteriorly straight; setae of lateral margin sparse; basal margin evenly curved; transverse impression beside basal margin absent; anterior angles produced, sharply pointed; antero-lateral and postero-lateral angles flattened dorso-ventrally; posterior angles blunt; surface without median longitudinal impression, transversal furrows or setae; punctation on disc moderately dense, simple and fine, without well-defined impunctate areas. Scutellum without punctures.

Elytra unicoloured, black; surface opaque, without setae and microsculpture; striae and intervals distinct; punctation between striae absent; intervals convex; posterior edge convex; apical margin chitinous, without microtrichomes.

Abdomen: sternites flat in sagittal plane; lateral carina absent; first visible ventrite with row of setae on posterior edge; second visible ventrite with row of setae in medial region; basal ventrites medially with half length as laterally; ultimate and penultimate apical ventrites simple and flat; apical ventrite short (as long as preceding ventrite); penultimate apical ventrite with row of setae like preceding one; beside the robust row of setae, almost glabrous. Pygidium strongly convex.

Legs yellow. Ratio of length of metepisternum/metacoxa: 1/1.29. Metacoxa entirely plain, without elevated lateral longitudinal carina. Metacoxa with longer lateral bristles. Metacoxa, setae on basal surface present, posterior margin glabrous. Metafemur with posterior margin straight. Metatibia widest at apex; ratio of width/length: 1/4.06; dorsal margin not carinated, smooth; interior surface more or less glabrous; median longitudinal punctation present on interior surface; interior margin of apex sharply and deeply truncate towards ventral margin; punctation on entire lateral face present; beside dorsal margin without a row of robust setae along entire length; basal group of spines comprising at least two robust spines at same level of metatibial length; distal groups of spines disposed at 3/4 of metatibia length; ventral margin not serrated. Dorsal surface of tarsi glabrous, with dense punctures. Length ratio of dorsal tibial spur/first metatarsomere: 1/2. Metatarsi at apex weakly widened; first tarsomere straight, its length shorter than second and third tarsomeres combined; laterally not carinate; ventral margin serrated; ventral margin setose, ventral setae standing in a narrow line, fine, short; medial face glabrous. Protibia with three distinct teeth, apical one more distant; third basal tooth smaller than medium tooth. First protarsomere straight, as long as second; second protarsomere narrow and straight; third and fourth protarsomere elongate and narrow (distinctly longer than wide); fifth protarsomere circular in cross section, as long as third and fourth protarsomere combined Protarsi, claws (male) asymmetrical.

Aedeagus: Figure 20 (d,e).

Variation

Protibia, spur straight. Protarsi: width ratio of first protarsomere vs second protarsomere: 1/1. Protarsal claws asymmetrical, shape of inner protarsal claw bifid, apex of basal tooth of inner protarsal claw convex.

Remarks

Protibia in female with three teeth, basal tooth smaller.

Figures

Figure 20. Symmela nitidicolis Burmeister, 1855, (a–c) lectotype ♀, (d, e) non type specimen ♂. (a) Habitus, dorsal view; (b) habitus, lateral view; (c) labels; (d) parameres, dorsal view; (e) aedeagus, lateral view. Scale bars: a, b = 1 mm; d, e = 0.5 mm.

Figure 29. Distribution map of the Symmela species.