Phyllophaga (Phyllophaga) cruces Morón and Riley, 2005

Morón, Miguel-Angel & Riley, Edward G., 2005, Four New Species of Phyllophaga from Mexico and Central America (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 59 (3), pp. 391-399 : 397-399

Phyllophaga (Phyllophaga) cruces Morón and Riley , new species

( Figs. 19–24 )

Description. Holotype. Male.Body and legs shiny reddish brown,elytra shiny yellowish brown. Clypeus glabrous, 2.6 3 wider than long, anterior border strongly elevated, anterior margin nearly straight, disk surface wide and deeply concave, with sparse, shallow round punctures. Frontoclypeal suture clearly impressed and closely sinuate on shallow middle depression. Frons 2.3 3 wider than long, widely convex, with irregular round punctuation, and some short erect setae on disk. Antenna 10-segmented, with three segmented club, lamellae 1.7 3 longer than length of preceding six segments combined; segments 3 to 6 progressively longer, with rounded or conical prominences on anterior sides; segment 7 wider than long, with acute prominence on anterior side. Frons 2.3 3 wider than dorsal diameter of eye.Eye canthus long and narrow, with 14 setae.Labrum reniform,shallowly concave, with scattered slender setae along borders. Mentum nearly flat, impunctate, with scarce, slender setae at sides, anterior border straight.

Pronotum 1.6 3 wider than long and 2.8 3 wider than frons. Pronotal disk glabrous, with deep, round punctures irregularly separated by 1–4 diameters; lateral borders widely curved, lateral marginal bead crenulate, mainly on posterior half, with scarce slender, long setae; basal bead indicated by punctures on middle third; anterior angles obtuse, rounded; posterior angles nearly straight, weakly prominent. Scutellum 1.4 3 wider than long, with 8 punctures irregularly distributed, and anterior border widely sinuate. Elytron 2.4 3 longer than wide, glabrous, densely and irregularly punctate; epipleural border progressively narrowed toward apex, with erect, slender setae; humeral callus rounded, prominent; apical callus rounded. Metathoracic wings completely developed. Pterosternum with many yellowish, long setae. Visible abdominal sternites 2 to 4 widely depressed at middle with wide, shallow longitudinal furrow; sternite 5 slightly concave on anterior central border, shiny, with scattered setae; anal plate large, shiny, shallowly concave, with slender setae toward sides and posterior border. Propygidium shiny, sparsely punctate. Pygidium shiny, widely convex, with scarce, shallow punctures, irregularly distributed; apical margin with 28 slender setae; basal margin effaced at middle.

Protibia shorter than protarsus (0.7:1), with two large teeth and one basal small tooth on external border, preapical spur acute, straight, nearly as long as 2nd protarsomere. Mesotibia with one oblique, well marked, setiferous carina on external side; upper apical spur with acute apex, 1.2 3 longer than lower acute spur. Metatibia slightly shorter than metatarsus (0.8:1), with one oblique setiferous carina on external side; upper apical spur articulated, curved, sharply pointed, longer than basal metatarsomere (1.4:1), and 1.3 longer than lower spur; lower apical spur articulated, curved, apex acute. Protarsomeres 1–4 semicylindrical, elongate, with subapical, inner, rounded projection. Meso- and metatarsomeres semicylindrical, elongate, each with enlarged apex, some setae apically, and two fine, keels with scarce setae along ventral side. Tarsal claws dentate, with ventral tooth narrow, acute, located toward base ( Fig. 19 ). Genital capsule with long, wide parameres dorsally and ventrally fused at phallobase, apex enlarged, narrowed, acute, divergent, and curved downward; ventro-basal border with 2 narrow, curved projections ( Figs. 20, 22–24 ). Aedeagus with sclerotized, tube like support and preapical curved spine. Tectum wide, weakly bicallose. Length of genital capsule from apex of parameres to border of basal piece: 6 mm. Total body length: 19.0 mm. Humeral width: 8.1 mm.

Allotype. Female. Similar to male except as follows: anterior border of clypeus briefly elevated; antennal club as long as preceding six segments combined; pronotal punctation deeper. Visible abdominal sternites 2 to 5 convex, with scattered, setiferous punctures, more abundant on sternite 5; anal plate large, widely convex, with scattered slender setae. Both apical spurs of metatibia widened, curved, with rounded apices. Tarsal claws dentate, with lower tooth long, acute, located near middle of ventral border. Ventral genital plates well sclerotized, nearly symmetrical, with rounded lobes on posterior border; dorsal genital plates fused laterally with ventral plates, with wide, rounded apices and some short setae on distal borders ( Fig. 21 ). Total body length: 20.1 mm. Humeral width: 9.0 mm.

Variation. Total body length: 19.1–20.3 mm, humeral width: 8.2–9.2 mm.

Type Series. (Described from 3 males and 5 females). Holotype male; COSTA RICA: Puntarenas, Estación Biologica Las Cruces , 17/ 20-IV-2003, E.G. Riley ( INBio) . Allotype, 2 male and 4 female paratypes with same data as holotype ( TAMU, INBio, MXAL) .

Type Locality. Estacion Biologica Las Cruces , 7 km S San Vito, Province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica (approx. 08 8 47 9 N; 82 8 57 9 W) .

Biological Data. This species inhabits the tropical forest located at 1,200 m altitude. All specimens were collected during April. Other species of Phyllophaga flying at the same time and place were: P. (s. str.) chiriquina (Bates) , P. (s. str.) chorotega Morón, and P. (s. str.) gigantea (Bates).

Remarks. Phyllophaga cruces does not belong to any species group defined by Morón (1986) or Solís and Morón (1998). It is similar to P. nuda Moser from British Guyana, and Bolivar, Venezuela, but the projection of the parameres are broadly rounded, not extended and curved apically as in P. nuda . Also, it is externally similar to P. vandykei Saylor from Panama, but the projections of the ventro-basal border of the parameres of the new species are much longer than the rounded distal projection of the parameres of P. vandykei . The male mesotarsal claws are asymmetrical in P. vandykei whereas they are symmetrical in P. cruces .

Etymology. Specific epithet derived from the name of type locality, Estación Biologica Las Cruces.

Figures

Figs. 19–24. Phyllophaga cruces. 19) Inner protarsal claw, male; 20) genital capsule, lateral view; 21) female genital plates, ventral view; 22) parameres, distal view; 23) parameres, ventral view; 24) tectum, phallobase and parameres, dorsal view. Scale lines: Fig. 19 ¼ 0.5 mm, Figs. 20–24 ¼ 1 mm.