Cyclocephala perplexa Ratcliffe, 2008

Ratcliffe, Brett C., 1821, More New Species ofCyclocephalaDejean, 1821 from South America (Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Cyclocephalini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 62 (2), pp. 221-241 : 221-241

Cyclocephala perplexa Ratcliffe , new species

( Figs. 34–36 )

Type Material. Holotype male, labeled ‘‘ San Jose , Dept. La Paz, Bolivia, September 1925, GLHarrington.’’ Holotype deposited at the University of Nebraska State Museum , Lincoln, NE .

Holotype. Male. Length 12.5 mm; width across humeri 7.2 mm. Color dark testaceous, shining, except for black, longitudinal, externally undulating band on pronotum either side of middle and broad, piceous margins (all) of each elytron. Head: Surface completely, densely rugopunctate, setigerous; setae moderately dense, moderately long, tawny. Frontoclypeal suture arcuate. Clypeus with apex broadly rounded on angles, subtruncate, with distinct marginal bead. Eyes small, interocular width equals 3.8 transverse eye diameters. Antenna with 10 segments, club 3- segmented, long, subequal in length to segments 1–7. Pronotum: Surface finely shagreened, moderately densely punctate; punctures moderate in size, setigerous; setae moderate in density and length, tawny. Base with complete marginal bead. Posterior angles broadly rounded. Elytra: Surface coarsely, irregularly roughened, rows of punctures indistinct, setigerous; setae moderate in density and length, tawny. Pygidium: Surface opaque, finely shagreened, with small punctures moderate in density, setigerous; setae moderately dense, long, tawny. In lateral view, surface 238 (caudal and lateral views).

nearly flat. Legs: Protibia tridentate, basal tooth slightly removed from others. Protarsi missing. Metatarsi missing. Venter: Prosternal process long, columnar, apex expanded, transversely oval, with transverse, raised ‘‘button’’ on anterior half. Thoracic sternites with long, dense, tawny setae. Parameres: Figs. 35–36 .

Etymology. The combination of character states for this species is unique (especially the short, robust body form) and the absence of all the tarsomeres presents some degree of uncertainty. Hence, this species is perplexing.

Distribution. Cyclocephala perplexa is known only from, presumably, San José near the Rio Beni to the northeast of La Paz at an elevation of 500–1,000 meters. The habitat has, no doubt, been drastically changed since the specimen was collected more than 80 years ago.

Diagnosis. The combination of relatively short and broad body form, coarse elytral sculpturing, color pattern, long antennal club, small eyes, dense setae both dorsally and ventrally, and the simple parameres is unique for this species. This specimen of C. perplexa will not key past couplet 53 in Endrödi (1985) because it lacks protarsi. However, it is possible to go past this point because the parameres are different than those of species that occur in this section of the key. At couplet 100, the absence of protarsal claws makes it impossible to proceed any further in the key.

Figures

Figs. 34–36. Cyclocephala perplexa: 34) dorsal view of holotype; 35–36) parameres