Mimela prodigiosa Zhao, 2021

Zhao, Ming-Zhi, 2021, On the genus Mimela Kirby, 1823 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) from China and adjacent countries, with description of five new species, Zootaxa 4995 (2), pp. 201-230 : 202-205

Mimela prodigiosa Zhao , new species

( Figs. 1A–F , 3A–C )

Type material. Holotype: ♂ ( MYNU), “ CHINA, Yunnan Prov., Dehong Pref., Yingjiang County, Nabang Town, Rongshuwang , 2013.V.18, Xiao-Dong Yang leg.” ; Paratypes (6♂♂, 3♀♀): 1♂ ( CCPC), same data as holotype ; 1♂ ( CCPC), “ CHINA, Yunnan Prov, Dehong Pref. , Yingjiang County, Nabang Town , power station, 2013.V.8, Xiao-Dong Yang leg.” ; 1♂ ( ZMPC), “ CHINA: Yunnan Prov., Dehong Pref., Yingjiang County, Tongbiguan , 2017.V.28, Yi-Tao Wang leg.” ; 1♂, 1♀ ( ZMPC), “ CHINA: Yunnan Prov., Lincang City, Cangyuan County, Nangunhe River , Xinya Hydropower Station , 600m 2019.V.7, at light, Hong-Yu Li leg.” ; 1♀ ( ZMPC), “ Yunnan, Yingjiang County, Nongzhang Town, Mangxian Village 680m 2021.V.13 Gui-Chang Liu leg.” ; 1♂, 1♀ ( ZMPC), ditto, but “ 880m 2021.VI.7 ” ; 1♂ ( ZMPC), “ Yunnan, Yingjiang Co., Taiping Town, Mangyun Township , Husonghe River ~ 800m 2021.VI.3 Zhao-Wei Guo leg” .

Description. Holotype (male, Figs. 1A–F , 3A–C ). Body length 15.5 mm, greatest width 8.6 mm; body shape elongate ovoid, broadened posteriad, rather convex. Color. Entire body strongly metallic blue; ventral surface including legs strongly metallic green, antennal club black, footstalk brown; setae gray. Head. Clypeus about 2.5 times broader than long, trapezoidal, anterior angle rounded, anterior margin almost straight and slightly reflexed, densely rugopunctate; frontoclypeal suture distinct; frons densely punctate, vertex sparsely punctate; antennal club distinctly longer than antennomeres 2–6 combined; several suberect short setae along inner margin of eye. Pronotum. About 1.27 times broader than long; sides straight and distinctly converging anteriad in posterior three fifth, then weakly concave and more strongly converging anteriad; anterior angles acute, shortly protruding; posterior angles obtuse; basal marginal line distinct, interrupted before scutellum, other marginal lines complete; disc with a shallow longitudinal medial furrow; with sparse fine punctures, which being denser laterally; lateral margin with several long erect setae. Scutellum. Apex triangular, side arched in middle, straight in basal fourth; sparsely and finely punctate. Elytra. Intervals almost flat, three inner intervals weakly convex apically; strial punctures annulated, small and close; primary costae impunctate; interstices with sparse punctures, which smaller than strial punctures; surface with additional scattered small punctures; humeral umbo and apical protuberance moderately prominent. Propygidium. Glabrous, with small transverse punctures. Pygidium. Strongly tumid; punctated as propygidium; with several moderately long setae subapically and a transeverse row of long setae along apical margin. Abdominal ventrites. With sparse small punctures, which are denser laterad and somewhat coalescent in the anterior half of ventrite 2 and the whole ventrite 6; ventrite 2–6 each with a transverse row of short to moderately long suberect setae at each side; ventrite 6 with a row of short setae near posterior margin. Ventral thoracic surface. Prosternal process well developed and plough-shaped, convex ventrally, strongly pointed anteriad, with a distinct and sharp posterior ventral corner; mesometasternal process absent; metasternum with moderately dense punctures, nearly smooth medially; with dense long setae, broadly glabrous at middle of metasternum. Legs. Slender; protibia bidentate, terminal tooth extends to anterior level of protarsomere 2, acute at apex, proximal tooth acute; protarsomere 5 with distinct internomedial denticle; inner protarsal claw and outer mesotarsal claw deeply split, forming two branches; lower branch of inner protarsal claw rather wide with lower margin distinctly convex and apex acute, strongly curved downwards basally, upper branch shorter and acute; upper branch of outer mesotarsal claw almost straight, lower branch longer and broader, both acute at apex; inner metatarsal claw slightly more curved and shorter than the outer one; metatibia fusiform. Male genitalia. As in Fig. 3A–C .

Paratypes. Male. Body length: 14.0– 15.5 mm, greatest width 7.9–8.5 mm. Body color varies from blue to deep blue; a specimen from Cangyuan has deep metallic blue tibiae. Lateral portions of elytra weakly bulging in three individuals. The shape of aedeagus is consistent. Female ( Fig. 1D–F ). Body length: 14.7–15.4 mm, greatest width 8.4–8.7 mm. Generally similar to male except for the distinctive coloration, which appears to be a sexual dichroism. Body color metallic green with reddish hue; each elytron with two longitudinal bands: a broad band between suture and the level of humeral umbo, and a vague band on lateral portion; ventral surface with strong reddish luster. Antennal club slightly longer than antennomeres 2–6 combined. Sides of pronotum almost subparallel in basal half, then roundly curved medially, weakly concave and strongly converging anteriad in anterior half. Lateral portions of elytra weakly bulging. Pygidium more convex than in male. Terminal protibial tooth extends to anterior level of protarsomere 3 and blunt at apex, protarsus thinner than in male; internomedial protuberance of protarsomere 5 smaller than in male.

Differential diagnosis. Mimela prodigiosa Zhao , new species is similar to M. lingpingi Sabatinelli, 1994 (from China, Laos and Thailand; Figs. 2A–C , 3D–F ) and M. dalatocoerulea Prokofiev & Zorn, 2016 (from South Vietnam; Figs. 2D–F , 3G–I ). It is, however, clearly separated from these species by the less prominent three inner intervals and apical protuberances of elytra, as well as shorter tarsi. The differences in male genitalia are rather distinctive: parameres of M. prodigiosa new species are strongly deflected apically, apex of ventral plate enlarges as a subtriangular protrusion (apex of ventral plate simply acute in other two species; Fig. 3E, H ).

Remarks. One of the known female of Mimela prodigiosa new species was collected together with a male and therefore assigned to this new species. It should be noted that both M. linpingi and M. dalatocoerulea lack such a strong sexual dichroism. Hence, a blue form of the female of M. prodigiosa new species could be expected.

Distribution. China: Yunnan (Dehong: Yingjiang and Lincang: Cangyuan).

Etymology. The epithet comes from the Latin adjective “ prodigiosus, -a, -um ”, which translates as “marvelous” or “amazing”, referring to the astonishing dichroism of this species.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Mimela prodigiosa Zhao, new species. A–C, holotype; D–F, female paratype; A, D, dorsal view; B, E, ventral view; C, F, lateral view.

FIGURE 2. Habitus of Mimela spp. A–B, M. linpingi Sabatinelli, 1994, male (Jinhong); C, M. linpingi, female (Nam Nao); D, M. dalatocoerulea Prokofiev & Zorn, 2016, male (Vietnam, 40km North of Dalat City); H, M. dalatocoerulea, female (Vietnam, Binh Thuan, Dong Tien); A, C, D, F, dorsal view; B, E, ventral view.

FIGURE 3. Male genitalia of Mimela spp.A–C, M. prodigiosa Zhao, new species, holotype; D–F, M. linpingi Sabatinelli, 1994 (Nabanhe River); G–I, M. dalatocoerulea Prokofiev & Zorn, 2016 (Vietnam, 40km North of Dalat City); A, D, G, dorsal view; B, E, H, ventral view; C, F, I, lateral view.