Calloserica bertiae, Ahrens, 2000

Ahrens, Dirk, 2000, New species of Calloserica Brenske, 1894 from Sikkim and Nepal (Coleoptera, Melolonthidae, Sericini), Zoosystema 22 (4), pp. 815-824 : 816-817

Calloserica bertiae n. sp.

( Fig. 1 )

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype:, Sikkim de Padamtsin [Padamchen] à Lingtou Juillet 1901 / Muséum Paris ex. Coll. R. Oberthur ( MNHN). Paratype: 1, Sikkim de Padamtsin [Padamchen] à Lingtou Juillet 1901 /Muséum Paris ex. Coll. R. Oberthur ( CA).

ETYMOLOGY. — The species is named in honour to Nicole Berti (MNHN), who was of great assistance with the search for types during my visits at MNHN.

DESCRIPTION

Length: 11.1-12.1 mm, width: 5.3-5.4 mm, length of elytra: 8.7-9.4 mm.

Body oblong, chestnut with opaque tomentum, elytral striae lighter, labroclypeus shiny, dorsal surface erectly hairy.

Labroclypeus shiny, transverse, sides convexly narrowed anteriorly, all borders strongly reflexed and anterior margin deeply sinuate at middle, front angles abruptly rounded; labrum broadly trapezoidal and anteriorly produced, longest extension medially; clypeal surface densely punctate, punctures slightly elevated, with thin setae. Frontoclypeal suture feebly elevated and weakly curved; smooth area in front of eye 1.5 time as wide as long, ocular canthus long and slender, with few short setae. Punctures on frons vanishing under thick opaque tomentum, only recognizable by their long erect setae. Antenna yellow, 10-segmented; club in male 4-segmented, a trifle longer than combined lengths of remaining segments, seventh segment one-third shorter than club, in female 3-segmented, a trifle shorter than combined lengths of remaining segments. Eyes small, ratio diameter/interocular width: 0.5 (,).

Pronotum transverse, widest at base, lateral margin straightly convergent from base to middle, at middle strongly curved, anteriorly behind bluntly rounded, not protudent anterior angles almost straight, anterior margin straight; general shape similar to that of C. tigrina , but sides only posteriorly feebly sinuate before obtusely rounded hind angles; disc with shallow punctation, double erect pilosity directed forward, mixed short and two times longer setae. Proepisternum weakly grooved, posterior border produces with pronotal base shortly rounded angle. Scutellum oblong, triangular, densely punctate, basally with a deep impression.

Elytra oblong, intervals flat, mixed coarse punctures bearing long, erect, forward directed setae with groups of fine punctures bearing short white scales; apex membranous.

Ventral surface including metacoxal plates, femora, and abdominal sternites clothed with fine, recumbent, yellow setae. Abdominal sternites without any elevation. Mesosternum between mesocoxae equal in width to slender mesofemur. Ratio of length metepisternum/ metacoxa: 1/1.23. Pygidium in male evenly convex, densely and shallowly punctate, with double pilosity, long setae four times longer than the short ones, in female less convex, with a longitudinal median elevation, which is apically more distinctive.

Metatibia slender, ratio width/length: 1/4.75; dorsal edge apically only moderately carinate, with two groups of spines, the proximal one situated at middle of metatibial length, basally few small setae on a longitudinal elevation; outside feebly longitudinally grooved and finely scarcely scattered punctate, ventral edge with four tubercles bearing a strong seta. Metatarsal segments laterally carinate, first metatarsomere almost as long as following two segments combined, onefourth longer than superior metatibial spur; mesotarsal segments laterally not carinate, dorsally without longitudinal impressions. Anterior tibia short, bidentate, external border with a blunt median extension.

REMARKS

The species is externally very similar to C. tigrina Brenske , but is readily distinguished by the genital features of the male ( Fig. 1 ) (Ahrens 1995: 138, figs 1-3).

Figures

FIG. 1. — Calloserica bertiae n. sp. (holotype), male genitalia; A, C, aedeagus, lateral view; B, parameres, dorsal view. Scale bar: 1 mm.