Halffterinetis gonzaloi Morón & Nogueira, 2007

Ratcliffe, Brett, 2010, A review of the Blaesiina (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae, Gymnetini), ZooKeys 34 (34), pp. 105-128 : 116-117

Halffterinetis gonzaloi Morón & Nogueira, 2007

Figs 5 –10

Halffterinetis gonzaloi Morón & Nogueira 2007: 52 .

Holotype male and allotype female at MXAL . Holotype labeled MEXICO: Tamaulipas, Palmillas , 1130 m, 23-VII-2005, G. Nogueira; allotype with same data but 19- VII-2005 and 1030 m. Five paratypes with same data deposited at IEXA (2), CMNC (1), and GNGC (2) .

Description. Length 14.9–18.5 mm; width 8.4–10.1 mm. Color black, shining; male with lateral margins of pronotum (Fig. 6), sides of 4 th sternite, and usually a spot on pygidium cretaceous; female lacking cretaceous marks. Head: Surface densely punctate to rugopunctate; punctures small to large, deep. Frontoclypeal region with weak, transverse ridge in male, ridge absent in female. Frons with dense, moderatel long, black setae in male (Fig. 8), setae absent in female. Clypeus with apex broadly truncate, weakly emarginate at middle in male, more so in female, thickened, slightly reflexed, subapex slightly wider than base, surface concave in male, slightly less so in female. Interocular width equals 5.0 transverse eye diameters. Antenna black, with 10 segments, club in male slightly longer than antennomeres 1–7 (Fig. 8), club in female subequal in length to antennomeres 2–7. Pronotum: Surface densely punctate; punctures moderate to large, deep, round to slightly transverse, punctures becoming larger to rugopunctate on sides (more pronounced in female), and with short, black setae. Sides margined. Mesepimeron completely punctate to rugose, with sparse, black setae. Elytra: Surface superficially and irregularly striate, rugopunctate, punctures moderate to large, round to mostly ∩-shaped. Bead present on lateral margin. Apical umbone pronounced. Apices nearly right-angled in male, rounded in female. Pygidium: Surface in male with oval punctures or with short, transverse strigae (on disc) (often reduced) to transversely strigose (on base and sides) (Fig. 9); surface in female densely, concentrically strigulate. Base usually with sparse, short, black setae. In lateral view surface in male weakly convex, female with surface usually strongly convex. Venter: Setae black. Mesometasternal process short, nearly obsolete, flat, apex rounded. Abdominal sternites with transverse, irregular field of large punctures; punctures sparser in central third, mostly large, shallow, with short, black setae. Legs: Meso- and metaemora and meso- and metatibiae with sparse fringe of mostly long, black setae on median surface. Protibia tridentate, apical tooth longer, slightly narrower. Metafemur normal, not enlarged. Metatibia at apex with 2 broad lobes and with 2 long, articulated apical spurs with apices rounded. Metatrochanter triangular, elongate, flush with posterior margin of metafemur, acuminate apex not projecting perpendicularly. Parameres: Fig. 10.

Distribution ( Fig. 5). 8 specimens recorded (7 from Morón & Nogueira 2007). The San Luis Potosí specimen is a NEW STATE RECORD.

MEXICO (8): SAN LUIS POTOSÍ (1): km 200 carretera SLP a Ciudad del Maíz TAMAULIPAS (7): Palmillas.

Temporal Distribution. July (8).

Biology. Morón & Nogueira (2007) reported that the seven specimens were crepuscular, that some were collected in flight, while others were found on dead trunks of mesquite trees ( Prosopis juliflora [Swartz]) ( Mimosaceae ), all near the nests of Atta ants at elevations ranging from 1030–1130 meters. A search of the Atta nest found no larvae or pupae, but these authors surmised there might be some association with the ants. The habitat was semiarid with an annual precipitation of 500–600 mm and an average annual temperature of 20–22°C. Dominant plants consisted of Prosopis species ( Mimosaceae ), Acacia species (Leguminosae), Hechtia species ( Bromeliaceae ), Yucca species (Lilaceae), Opuntia species ( Cactaceae ), Agave species (Amarilidaceae), and Helietta species ( Rutaceae ). Adults were not attracted to banana traps.