Liogenys genieri Smith & Cherman, 2021

Cherman, Mariana A., Basílio, Daniel S., Mise, Kleber M., Frisch, Johannes, Smith, Andrew B. T. & Almeida, Lúcia M., 2021, Liogenys Guerin-Méneville, 1831 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae Diplotaxini) of northern South America and Central America: taxonomic overview with four new species, Zootaxa 4990 (2), pp. 201-226 : 207-209

Liogenys genieri Smith & Cherman , new species

Figs. 3 , 9 .

Type material. Holotype male, labeled: [white, typeset] “ VENEZUELA: Guarico, Hato / Flores Morades, 45 km S / Calabozo , 8.57N, 67.58W / Galry Forest #2, 75 m / 24–26June 1989, uv light / M. Epstein & M. Rodiguez ”, [red, typeset and handwritten] “ LIOGENYS / GENIERI / SMITH & CHERMAN / HOLOTYPE ”, genitalia mounted ( USNM) . Paratypes (8), all bearing the label [yellow, typeset and handwritten] “ LIOGENYS / GENIERI / SMITH & CHERMAN / PARATYPE ”: One male and six females with the same data as the holotype (one male and one female at CMNC, two females at DZUP, three females at USNM). One male with the data: [white, typeset] “ VENEZUELA: Guarico / Hato Masaguaral / (44km S Calabozo) / May 3–10 1985 / Menke & Carpenter” ( USNM). Each female paratype of DZUP with the voucher: [white typeset] “ DZUP / 402748 ” and “ DZUP / 402749 ” .

Holotype and four paratypes deposited at USNM. Two paratypes at CMNC. Two paratypes at DZUP.

Diagnosis. Body light brown, elongate, sides almost parallel; elytra light brown; pronotum reddish brown ( Fig. 3A ); clypeus quadridentate; clypeal emargination deep, angulate, and narrow; distance between lateral and anterior clypeal teeth approximately equal to basal width of one anterior tooth; angle between lateral and anterior clypeal teeth approximately 90º; pronotal corners rounded ( Fig. 3B ); mesotibia subquadrate in cross section; pygidium slightly convex; pygidial disc glabrous, with scattered bristles on apex ( Fig. 3D ); in males protarsomere II more than twice the length of protarsomere I in dorsal view ( Fig. 3C ); parameres more than six times the length of their apex; lateral expansion along the parameres only seen subapically; inner margins convergent; apex expanded with backward-facing spine weakly projected, spine length less than one-third length of apex ( Fig. 3E ).

Holotype. Male. Length: 9.6 mm, width: 4.6 mm. Light brown. Head: distance between eyes nearly twice the width of one eye; frons equal in length to clypeus; clypeal emargination deep, angulate, and wide; outer sides of anterior teeth parallel; outer margin of anterior teeth shorter than the eye in dorsal view; clypeus convex laterally and strongly produced forming a conspicuous tooth-like projection; distance between lateral and anterior teeth approximately equal to basal width of one anterior tooth, distance between lateral tooth and anterior margin of eye approximately equal to one eye length, angle between anterior and lateral teeth approximately 90º; canthus not exceeding the outer margin of the eye; distal maxillary palpomere, maximum width twice the width at apex; antenna with 10 antennomeres, club lighter in color and longer than funicle. Thorax: pronotal anterior margin slightly produced medially, undulate, and flanged; disc glabrous, punctures moderately dense and coarse; anterolateral margin reflexed; pronotal posterior corners rounded; hypomere with long bristles; mesepisternum scaly; anterior portion and sides of metaventrite with bristles; distance between mesocoxae and metacoxae nearly twice the length of the metacoxa; scutellum triangular with sparse, coarse punctures. Elytra: shiny, uniform light brown, lighter in color than the pronotum; elytra near three times the length of pronotum; elytral suture darker than the elytron and weakly elevated; all four elytral ridges weakly defined. Legs: procoxa with abundant, thin and long scales, short scales on outer surface; three protibial teeth, middle and apical teeth equal in size, distance between basal and middle teeth longer than between middle and apical teeth; protibial spur present; mesofemur with a row of long bristles on anterior and posterior margins, mesotibia subquadrate in cross section, surface coarsely sculptured on outer margin, mesotibia with two transverse carinae, the apical carina incomplete; metacoxa with bristles throughout, basal articular lobe of metacoxa produced beyond the outer margin of trochanter; inner margin of metatibia straight, carinate, and produced on apex, apical inner surface with bristles, metatibial surface coarsely sculptured; metatibial transverse carina weakly defined, only present posteriorly; protarsomere II elongate; protarsomeres and mesotarsomeres I–IV enlarged, protarsomeres slightly wider than the mesotarsomeres and two times wider than the metatarsomeres; metatarsomere I slightly shorter than metatarsomere II; claw bifid, symmetrical, outer tooth of a claw longer and as wide as the inner tooth; distance between teeth shorter than the inner tooth. Abdomen: disc of ventrites with bristles; propygidium with bristles, pygidium weakly convex, subquadrate, wide; pygidial width approximately equal to distance between spiracles of propygidium; pygidial disc glabrous except for a few bristles on apex, pygidial disc coarsely punctate; pygidial apex oval. Parameres: basal region dorsally narrowed, equal to both sections of the parameres at its midline; parameral split at 2/3 the length of the basal region; inner margins slightly convergent; parameres more than six times the length of their apex; apex harpoon shaped; laterally expanded with backward-facing spine weakly projected straight downward, spine length less than one-third length of apex. Parameres in lateral view straight, not coplanar ( Fig. 3F ).

Variation. Female length: 10.2–11.2 mm, width 5.0– 5.6 mm. Females as the holotype except in the size; pronotum wider, with anterolateral margin distinctly reflexed; maximum width of distal maxillary palpomere slightly wider than at apex. Male length: 9.4–9.6 mm, width 4.0– 4.8 mm. Males as the holotype except in the punctures of pronotum slightly less dense; protibial teeth sharper and longer (worn in holotype).

Etymology. This species is named after François Génier, scarab taxonomist from the CMNC, in appreciation for his help in photographing specimens for this paper.

Type locality. Hato Masaguaral , Guárico, Venezuela (8.57ºN, 67.58ºW) .

Geographical distribution. VENEZUELA (Guárico).

Remarks. Liogenys genieri Smith & Cherman , new species resembles L. clipeosetosa in the body color and size, shape of the quadridentate clypeus, head and pronotum coarsely punctate, anterior teeth of clypeus long, anterior and lateral teeth forming approximately 90º angle, and posterior corners of pronotum rounded. Males in both species have parameres very long, more than five times the apical length, and apex laterally weakly projected. Liogenys genieri differs ( L. clipeosetosa in parenthesis) in the frontoclypeal surface without bristles (with bristles); clypeal emargination angulate, narrower (rounded, wider); pronotum with anterolateral margin reflexed (not as so); apex of pygidium oval (quadrate); males with parameres slightly shorter, lateral expansion along the parameres not visible dorsally and straight in lateral view (lateral expansion entirely visible dorsally).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Liogenys genieri Smith & Cherman new species male holotype views: A) dorsal, B) clypeus and pronotum, C) detail of anterolateral margin of pronotum reflexed, D) lateral, E) pygidium, and parameres E) dorsal and F) lateral.

FIGURE 9. Geographical distribution of the Liogenys of A) the northern South America and Central America, overlapping records in B) Panama and in C) Venezuela.