Maladera uncipenis, Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, 2021

Fabrizi, Silvia, Liu, Wan-Gang, Bai, Ming, Yang, Xing-Ke & Ahrens, Dirk, 2021, A monograph of the genus Maladera Mulsant & Rey, 1871 of China (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Sericini), Zootaxa 4922 (1), pp. 1-400 : 251-252

Maladera uncipenis group

Remarks. This species group includes the genus Paramaldera Nomura, 1974, described from Taiwan. Given the pending systematic status of many polyphyletic Maladera lineages due to lacking comprehensive phylogenetic hypothesis ( Liu et al. 2015b; Eberle et al. 2017), we refrain here from treating Paramaladera or its described species as a subgenus of Maladera , nor do we considered part or all of the species of the M. uncipenis group treated here as species of the genus Paramaladera . Many of the endemic Taiwanese generic groups of Sericini are nested within larger Chinese lineages which often do not bear the diagnostic key apomorphies of the Taiwanese genus group (e.g., Ahrens 2007c, 2009). Continuing to retain those names would probably lead to morphologically undefinable genera and an inflation of generic names. Therefore, all systematic conclusions must be approached with great caution and wider geographical consideration, rather than as taxa of small-scale regional faunas.

Key to species of the Maladera uncipenis group occurring in China (³³)

1 Tarsomeres impunctate dorsally. Labrum anteriorly produced and deeply emarginate medially......................... 2

1’ Tarsomeres punctate dorsally. Labrum anteriorly not produced and shallowly emarginate medially..................... 11

2 Phallobase with at least one lateral process................................................................. 3

2’ Phallobase without lateral processes............................................ Maladera chinensis (Moser, 1915)

3 Phallobase with two ventrolateral processes................................................................. 4

3’ Phallobase with one lateral processes..................................................................... 10

4 Phallobase mesodorsally more or less deeply emarginate between parameres....................................... 8

4’ Phallobase mesodorsally convexly roof-like produced mesally, covering the base of the parameres..................... 5

5 Phallobase at apex with dorsal roof-like median projection convex, margin not incised medially................................................................................................. Maladera serripes (Moser, 1915)

5’ Phallobase at apex with dorsal roof-like median projection more or less straight, sharply incised medially............... 6

6 Left paramere weakly curved. Ventrolateral apical process of phallobase distinctly exceeding the parameres........................................................................ Maladera paraserripes Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu , sp. n.

6’ Left paramere strongly curved. Ventrolateral apical process of phallobase not or slightly exceeding parameres............ 7

7 Ventrolateral apical process of phallobase not exceeding parameres. Left paramere convexly curved, simple........................................................................ Maladera xinqiaoensis Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu , sp. n.

7’ Ventrolateral apical process of phallobase exceeding parameres. Left paramere strongly bent medially, with a short but sharp ventral process at middle....................................... Maladera constellata Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu , sp. n.

8 Parameres long and filiform, curved ventrally. Labroclypeus flat.... Maladera fengyangshanica Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu , sp. n.

8’ Parameres short and robust. Labroclypeus strongly convex.................................................... 9

9 Processes of phallobase more apical, well-separated, narrow, and sharply pointed.............................................................................................. Maladera excisilabrata Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu , sp. n.

9’ Processes of phallobase more ventral and subapical than apical, rather blunt and indistinct.................................................................................... Maladera tiammushanica Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu , sp. n.

10 Lateral process of phallobase narrow and long. Left paramere half as long as right............................................................................................ Maladera dayaoshanica Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu , sp. n.

10’ Lateral process of phallobase wide and large. Parameres subequal in length.. Maladera jaroslavi Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu , sp. n.

11 Phallobase with median process ventrally.........................................( Paramaladera Nomura, 1974 ) 12

11’ Phallobase without median process ventrally............................................................... 17

12 Metafemur (in both sexes) strongly and bluntly widened at base.............. Maladera baii Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu , sp. n.

12’ Metafemur not widened at base......................................................................... 13

13 Antennal club strongly reflexed and twice as long as remaining antennomeres combined. Body more elongate. Median process of phallobase smooth, without longitudinal microstructure.................................................... 14

13’ Antennal club nearly straight and only little longer than remaining antennomeres combined. Body more oval. Median process of phallobase with longitudinal microstructure............................................................. 15

14 Parameres slightly bent medially, slightly longer ( Fig. 66F, I )........ Maladera emeifengensis Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu , sp. n.

14’ Parameres evenly curved, slightly shorter ( Fig. 66K, M )........... Maladera tianzhushanica Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu , sp. n.

15 Left paramere strongly and bluntly widened towards base.............. Maladera beidouensis Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu , sp. n.

15’ Left paramere narrow basally........................................................................... 16

16 Parameres simple.......................................... Maladera bawanglingana Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu , sp. n.

16’ Parameres bifid, split into two branches........................... Maladera nanpingensis Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu , sp. n.

17 Phallobase with two lateral processes............................ Maladera putaodiensis Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu , sp. n.

17’ Phallobase without lateral processes..................................................................... 18

18 Right paramere without short setae at apex................................................................ 22

18’ Right paramere densely covered with fine short setae at apex.................................................. 19

19 Right paramere straight...................................... Maladera shangraoensis Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu , sp. n.

19’ Right paramere strongly curved......................................................................... 20

20 Aedeagus not dorsoventrally flattened at apex.................. Maladera qianqingtangensis Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu , sp. n.

20’ Aedeagus dorsoventrally flattened at apex................................................................. 21

21 Right paramere much more robust and longer than left.................. Maladera uncipenis Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu , sp. n.

21’ Right paramere as fine and as long as left....................... Maladera dadongshanica Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu , sp. n.

22 Parameres fused dorsally....................................... Maladera guanxiensis Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu , sp. n.

22’ Parameres separated dorsally............................................................................ 23

23 Right paramere distinctly shorter than the left....................... Maladera hunanensis Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu , sp. n.

23’ Right paramere only very little shorter than the left......................... Maladera pieli Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu , sp. n.

Figures

FIGURE 66. A–E: Maladera baii Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, sp. n. (holotype); F–J: M. emeifengensis Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, sp. n. (holotype); K–N: M. tianzhushanica Ahrens, Fabrizi & Liu, sp. n. (holotype). A, F, K: aedeagus, left side lateral view; D, I, M: aedeagus, right side lateral view; B, C, G, H, L: parameres, dorsal view; E, J, N: habitus. Scale: 0.5 mm. Habitus not to scale.