Maladera infuscata ( Moser, 1915 )

Ahrens, Dirk, 2003, The identity of Maladera infuscata (Moser, 1915), with description of a new species from Taiwan (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Sericini), Zootaxa 392, pp. 1-8 : 2-7

Maladera infuscata ( Moser, 1915) ( Figs 1­3 )

Autoserica infuscata Moser, 1915: 340 ; Nijima and Kinoshita 1927: 6.

Aserica infuscata: Murayama 1938: 13 [misidentified].

Serica infuscata: Murayama 1954: 41 [misidentified].

Maladera infuscata: Nomura1959: 40 ; Nomura 1974: 104, 109, fig. 48 [misidentified]; Sun and Zhang 1982: 324; Kim and Lee 1997: 122; Kim and Kim 2003: 89.

Autoserica koreana Moser, 1919: 330 .

Aserica koreana: Murayama 1938: 15 [misidentified].

Serica koreana: Murayama 1954: 65 [misidentified].

Maladera koreana: Kim and Lee 1997: 129 [misidentified], syn. n.

Aserica okamotoi Murayama, 1938: 18 .

Serica okamotoi: Murayama 1954: 35 .

Maladera okamotoi: Kim and Lee, 1997: 126 ; Kim and Kim 2003: 88, syn. n.

Type material examined: Lectotype ( infuscata , here designated): 1 ď “ Korea / Autoserica infuscata Type ď Mos.” ( ZMHB). Paralectotypes ( infuscata , here designated): 1 Ψ “ China Kiantschou/ Autoserica infuscata Type Ψ Mos.” ( ZMHB), 1 ď „ China Kiantschou“ ( ZMHB). Lectotype ( koreana , here designated): 1 ď “ Korea Chemulpo/ Autoserica koreana Type Mos./ koreana ” ( ZMHB).

Additional material examined: 1 ď „Tsingtau Lazarettgarten Prof. Hoffmann/ 22.VI. “ ( ZMHB), 1 ď, 1 Ψ “Tsingtau Prof. Hoffmann/ Februar” ( ZMHB), 1 ex. “Seishin Korea ” (CF), 3 ex. “Ompo Korea ” (CF).

Lectotype­Redescription. Length: 9.1 mm, length of elytra: 6.5 mm, width: 5.2 mm. Body oval, reddish brown, antenna yellow, labroclypeus shiny, remainder of dorsal surface dull, glabrous, except for a few small setae on the head and elytra.

Labroclypeus subtrapezoidal, distinctly wider than long, widest at base, straight and strongly convergent to moderately rounded anterior angles, lateral border and ocular canthus producing a distinct blunt angle, margins weakly reflexed, anteriorly very shallowly sinuate medially; surface weakly convex medially, shiny, finely punctate, distance between punctures irregular sometimes less than their diameter, with a few short, erect setae anteriorly; frontoclypeal suture feebly impressed and weakly curved medially; smooth area in front of eye approximately twice as wide as long; ocular canthus short and moderately broad, finely punctate, with a single short terminal seta. Frons with fine, moderately dense punctures, glabrous except for a few setae beside eyes. Eyes small, ratio of diameter/ interocular width: 0.57. Antenna yellow, with 10 antennomeres; club with three antennomeres, as long as remaining antennomeres together. Mentum anteriorly elevated and flattened.

Pronotum widest at base, lateral margins weakly and evenly convex and convergent anteriorly, anterior angles distinctly produced and sharp, anterior marginal line widely interrupted medially, margin weakly and convexly produced medially; surface moderately densely and finely punctate, with very minute setae in punctures only; anterior and lateral borders setose. Scutellum broad, triangular, with fine and moderately dense punctures, each bearing a single very minute seta.

Elytra oblong, widest at middle, striae distinctly impressed, finely and densely punctate, intervals moderately convex, with fine, moderately dense punctures, penultimate lateral interval with a few fine, erect, short setae, some punctures with very minute setae; epipleural edge robust, ending at the weakly convex external apical angle of elytra, epipleura densely setose, apical border chitinous, with short microtrichomes.

Ventral surface dull, thorax and metacoxa with large dense punctures, sparsely setose, metacoxa glabrous except for a few long setae laterally; each abdominal sternite, in addition to generally distributed fine and moderately dense punctures, with a distinct transverse row of coarse punctures each bearing a short and robust seta, some punctures with microscopic setae, penultimate sternite apically with a shiny smooth chitinous border, which is one third as long as sternite. Mesosternum between mesocoxae as wide as mesofemur. Ratio of length of metepisternum/ metacoxa: 1/ 1.7. Pygidium strongly convex, finely and densely punctate, without smooth midline, punctures with microscopic setae and with a few long setae along apical margin.

Legs moderately broad; femora with two longitudinal rows of setae, finely and moderately densely punctate; metafemur dull, anterior edge acute, lacking an adjacent serrated line, posterior ventral margin medially straight, weakly widened in apical half and not serrate, dorsally not serrated, finely setose. Metatibia moderately broad and long, widest at apex, ratio width/ length: 1/ 3.4, dorsally sharply edged, with two groups of spines, basal one at middle, apical one at three fourth of metatibial length, basally with a few punctures, each bearing short single spines; lateral face longitudinally convex, with sparse and fine punctures in basal half, glabrous; ventral edge serrate, with three strong spines equidistant from each other, medial face not punctate, apex interiorly near tarsal articulation shallowly concave. Tarsomeres very sparsely and finely punctate dorsally, ventrally with sparse, short setae; metatarsomeres ventrally with a strongly serrated ridge, beside which is a strong longitudinal carina, first metatarsomere a little shorter than the two following segments combined and a little longer than the upper tibial spur. Protibia short, bidentate. All claws symmetrical, feebly curved and long, with normally developed basal tooth.

Aedeagus: Figs 1–3 .

Remarks. Since the original descriptions of M. infuscata and M. koreana gave no information about the number of specimens on which the descriptions were based, it is necessary to fix the taxonomic status of both taxa by designating lectotypes. The respective lectotypes selected here represent the only remaining syntypes of each taxon occurring in the Moser collection. The lectotypes of the two taxa and the figure of aedeagus in original description of M. okamotoi ( Murayama 1938) are virtually identical in shape of parameres, consequently I consider them to be synonymous.

Since previous authors have not examined the type specimens of Moser, M. infuscata nor Autoserica koreana , these species have been misidentified consistently.

Maladera howdeni sp. n. ( Figs 4–7 )

Maladera infuscata: Nomura, 1974: 109 .

Type material examined: Holotype: ɗ “ Taiwan, Wushe 29.IV.1983 H. Townes 1150 m ” ( HAHC). Paratypes: 1 ɗ ­ same data as holotype ( HAHC), 3 ɗ, 3 ΨΨ “ Taiwan, Wushe 3.V.1983 H. Townes 1150 m ” ( HAHC, CA), 1 ɗ, 3 ΨΨ “ Taiwan, Wushe 15.V.1983 H. Townes 1150 m ” ( HAHC, CA), 3 ɗɗ “ Taiwan, Wushe 7.IV.1983 H. Townes 1150 m ” ( HAHC, CA), 1 ɗ “Wushe, Taiwan 1150 m 16.III.1983 H. & M. Townes” (CA), 1 ɗ “Wushe, Taiwan 1150 m 23.III.1983 H. & M. Townes” ( HAHC), 1 Ψ “ Taiwan, Wushe 10.V.1983 H. Townes 1150 m ” ( HAHC), 2 ΨΨ “ Taiwan, Wushe 13.IV.1983 H. Townes 1150 m ” ( HAHC), 1 ɗ “ Taiwan, Wushe 22.V.1983 H. Townes 1150 m ” ( HAHC), 1 Ψ “Wushe, Taiwan 1150 m 2.IV.1983 Henry Townes” ( HAHC), 1 ɗ “ Taiwan: Hualien Prov. Taroko N. P. betw. 270­2400 m, at light 2–5.IV.1997 G. Csorba & L. Ronkay” ( HNHM).

Additional Material: 1 ex. “ Taiwan: Prov. Nan­Tou Tayuling, 2550 m, 07–08.1996 leg. Gy. Fábián & F. Nemes” ( HNHM).

Description. Length: 10.5 mm, length of elytra: 7.4 mm, width: 5.9 mm. Body oval, dark reddish brown, antenna yellow, labroclypeus shiny, remainder of dorsal surface dull, glabrous, except for a few small setae on the head and elytra.

Labroclypeus subtrapezoidal, distinctly wider than long, widest at base, lateral margins weakly convex and strongly convergent to strongly rounded anterior angles, lateral border and ocular canthus producing an indistinct blunt angle, margins strongly reflexed, anteriorly shallowly sinuate medially; surface weakly convex medially, shiny, basally narrowly dull, very coarse punctures mixed fine very fine ones, distance between punctures irregular sometimes less than their diameter, with a few long, erect setae anteriorly; frontoclypeal suture feebly impressed and weakly curved medially; smooth area in front of eye approximately twice as wide as long; ocular canthus short and moderately broad, finely and sparsely punctate, with one or two short setae. Frons dull, with fine, sparse punctures, glabrous except for a few setae beside eyes. Eyes small, ratio of diameter/ interocular width: 0.53. Antenna yellow, with 10 antennomeres; club with three antennomeres, as long as remaining antennomeres together. Mentum anteriorly elevated and flattened.

Pronotum widest at base, lateral margins straight, weakly narrowed to the middle, in anterior half strongly convex and convergent anteriorly, anterior angles distinctly produced and sharp, anterior marginal line widely interrupted medially, margin weakly and convexly produced medially; surface moderately densely and finely punctate, with very minute setae in the punctures only; anterior and lateral borders setose. Scutellum broad, triangular, with fine and moderately dense punctures, each bearing a single very minute seta.

Elytra oblong, widest at middle, striae distinctly impressed, finely and densely punctate, intervals almost flat, with fine, moderately dense punctures, penultimate lateral interval with a few fine, erect, short setae, some punctures with very minute setae; epipleural edge robust, ending at the weakly convex external apical angle of elytra, epipleura densely setose, apical border chitinous, with short microtrichomes.

Ventral surface dull, thorax and metacoxa with large and dense punctures, sparsely setose, metacoxa glabrous except for numerous long setae laterally; each abdominal sternite, in addition to generally distributed fine and moderately dense punctures, with a distinct transverse row of coarse punctures each bearing a long and robust seta, some punctures with microscopic setae, penultimate sternite apically with a shiny smooth chitinous border, which is one third as long as sternite. Mesosternum between mesocoxae as wide as mesofemur. Ratio of length of metepisternum/ metacoxa: 1/ 1.67. Pygidium moderately convex, finely and moderately densely punctate, without smooth midline, punctures with microscopic setae and with numerous long setae apically.

Legs moderately broad; femora with two longitudinal rows of setae, finely and moderately densely punctate; metafemur dull, anterior edge acute, lacking an adjacent serrated line, posterior ventral margin medially straight, weakly widened in apical half and not serrate, dorsally not serrated, finely setose. Metatibia moderately broad and long, widest at apex, ratio width/ length: 1/ 3.1, dorsally sharply edged, with two groups of spines, basal one at one third, apical one at three fourths of metatibial length, basally with a few punctures, each bearing short single spines; lateral face longitudinally convex, with moderately dense and fine punctures dorsally and in basal half, glabrous, apically almost smooth; ventral edge serrate, with four strong spines equidistant from each other, medial face not punctate, apex interiorly near tarsal articulation shallowly concave. Tarsomeres very sparsely and finely punctate dorsally, ventrally with sparse, short setae; metatarsomeres ventrally with a strongly serrated ridge, beside which is a strong longitudinal carina, first metatarsomere a little shorter than the following two combined and a little longer than the upper tibial spur. Protibia short, bidentate. All claws symmetrical, feebly curved and long, with normally developed basal tooth.

Aedeagus: Figs 4–7 .

Variability. Length: 9.7–11.3 mm, length of elytra: 7.0– 8.2 mm, width: 5.1–6.2 mm. Color: Dark brown to reddish brown. Female: pygidium strongly convex, antennal club shorter than the remaining joints combined.

Diagnosis. Maladera howdeni sp. n. is very similar to M. fusca Frey, 1972 , and M. sauteri Moser, 1918 , in habitus and shape of the male genitalia. It may be differentiated from both by the shorter phallobase and shorter parameres, as well as by the shape of the right paramere, which, in M. howdeni sp. n., is strongly flattened and not sinuate apically.

Derivatio nominis. The new species is dedicated to my dear colleague H.F. Howden (Ottawa) thanking him for made this interesting material available for study.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7: 1 – 3 Maladera infuscata (Moser, 1915) (Lectotype: “ Korea ”); 4 – 7: Maladera howdeni sp. n. (Holotype: Taiwan, Wushe); 1, 3, 4, 7: aedeagus, lateral view; 2: aedeagus, dorsal view; 5: parameres, dorsal view; 6: parameres, ventral view. Scale: 0.5 mm.