Maladera aureola (Murayama, 1938)

Zhao, Ming-Zhi & Ahrens, Dirk, 2023, New species of the tribe Sericini Kirby, 1837 from China, with further updates on their taxonomy and distribution (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Sericinae), Zootaxa 5361 (2), pp. 181-220 : 214

Maladera aureola (Murayama, 1938)

Maladera juxianensis Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, 2021: 145 new synonym

Material examined. 5♂♂, 1♀ ( SCAU), “ CHINA: Hunan, Chenzhou, Guidong, Bamianshan Village , 2021.V.11– 15, 25°58′44″N / 113°42′46″E ~ 1000 m, Ming-Zhi Zhao & Xin-Yang Jia, light trap ”; 1 ♂, 3♀♀ ( CZMZ), “ CHINA: Hunan, Zhuzhou City, Yanling, Xiacun Tp. , Huang-mao-long 26°17′19″N, 113°59′8″E 1372m 2-6.VI.2023 Yu-Zhou Huang lgt.”; 7♂♂ , 5♀♀ ( CZMZ), “ CHINA: Guangdong, Guangzhou, in campus of South China Agricultural University , 2022.V. 3–4, Ming-Zhi Zhao & Xiao-Han Ye leg.”; 4♂♂ , 3♀♀ ( CZMZ, SCAU), “ CHINA: Guangdong, Lianzhou, Sanshui Yao Co. nr. Xinba Vill. 25°7′N, 112°21′E, cca. 580 m, 5-7.VI.2023 light trap Ming-Zhi Zhao leg.” .

Remarks. According to Fabrizi et al. (2021), M. juxianensis is a peculiar species among the thomsoni -group because basal lobe is solely possessed by the right paramere. However, the remaining parts of the aedeagus are identical to those of M. aureola and the left paramere has an erose lower margin, where tiny fragments of the linking membrane can be observed under large magnification. We therefore believe that its lower lobe of left paramere had been damaged. Moreover, there is a specimen of M. aureola collected together with the holotype of M. juxianensis ( Fabrizi et al. 2021) . The combined evidence suggests that M. juxianensis should be a junior subjective synonym of M. aureola . The parameres of M. aureola illustrated by Fabrizi et al. (2021) are deformed. Here we present photos of an undamaged male genitalia extracted from a fresh individual ( Fig. 2D ).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Aedeagus. A, Gastroserica (s. str.) mayunshui Zhao &Ahrens, new species, holotype; B, G. (s. str.) yunnanensis Liu, Ahrens, Bai & Yang, 2011 (Guangdong); C, Amiserica lii Ahrens, 2003 (Hunan); D, M. aureola (Murayama, 1938) (Hunan); E, P. albopunctata Zhao & Ahrens, new species, holotype. a, aedeagus in left lateral view; b, parameres in dorsal view; c, aedeagus in right lateral view; d, aedeagus in dorsal view. Scale bar = 1 mm.