Amithao marginicollis ( Burmeister, 1842 ) Ratcliffe, Brett C., 2013

Ratcliffe, Brett C., 2013, A Revision Of The Neotropical Genus Amithao Thomson, 1878 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Gymnetini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 67 (3), pp. 265-292 : 282-284

Amithao marginicollis ( Burmeister, 1842) , new combination

( Figs. 44–48 )

Gymnetis marginicollis Burmeister 1842: 266 (original combination). Type not found. Type locality: “ Mexico.”

Clinteria undulata Schoch 1895: 62 . Type at ETHZ, not examined. Type locality: “East Indies.” Description. Length 12.8–16.8 mm; width across humeri 7.4–9.9 mm. Color black, pronotum and elytra opaque (velutinous in pristine specimens), with cretaceous marks (normally chalky white, rarely pale yellow, rarely light grey) as follows: head with transverse band between posterior margins of eyes and elongate, longitudinal band on frons and clypeus either side of middle; pronotum with broad band on lateral margins mesad of bead; epimeron with spot or band on posterior margin or nearly completely covered; elytra with large spot mesad of humerus, slender bands on margins of scutellum (each band occasionally connected to spot mesad of humerus), longitudinal band next to post-humeral emargination (band often connected to transverse band behind on lateral margin behind middle (this band angular, occasionally broken into 2 spots), and with large, transverse band behind apical umbone extending to suture (this band also occasionally broken into spots); pygidium with band across base and on each lateral margin; metasternum and metepisternum each partially covered; metacoxa covered on lateral half; femora each with partial band or spots on posterior margin; abdominal ventrites 1–4 each with band on posterolateral margins either side of middle; abdominal ventrites 2–5 each with band on anterior margin either side of middle; ventral surface shiny. All cretaceous markings may be variably reduced, especially in females; rare specimens entirely black. Head: Lateral margins weakly elevated. Frons and clypeus slightly concave either side of weak, median, longitudinal tumescence. Surface moderately to densely punctate; punctures small to moderate in size, minutely setigerous on non-cretaceous areas, setae tawny. Clypeus with apex bilobed, each lobe broadly rounded ( Fig. 44 ), imperceptibly reflexed. Eyes moderate in size, interocular width equals 4.0–4.8 transverse eye diameters. Antenna with 10 antennomeres, club distinctly longer than antennomeres 2–7 in males, slightly longer than antennomeres 2–7 in females. Pronotum: Surface with sculpturing obscured by velutinous covering, exposed punctures moderate in size and density, punctures becoming denser and larger near lateral margins. Sides with slender marginal bead. Elytra: Surface with sculpturing obscured by velutinous covering, when exposed discal costae obsolete, punctures moderately large, in distinct rows on disc. Apices at suture obtusely rounded. Pygidium: Surface in both sexes on non-cretaceous areas densely, concentrically strigulose with minute to short setae; setae tawny in males, black in females. In lateral view, profile weakly convex. Venter: Setae long, tawny in males, darker to black in females. Mesometasternal process bluntly rounded, weakly protuberant in lateral view ( Fig. 46 ). Abdominal ventrites nearly smooth in central third, lateral thirds with sparse, large, crescent-shaped punctures. Legs: Protibia tridentate in both sexes. Parameres ( Figs. 47–48 ): Form subrectangular, apices bluntly rounded, curving towards one another.

Distribution. Amithao marginicollis occurs only in central and southern Mexico.

Locality Records. 130 specimens from BCRC, BMNH, CASC, CNCI, CZUG, DCCC, DEIC, DBTC, EMEC, FMNH, MAMC, MGFT, MNHN, USNM, ZMHU. Some data from Morón and Márquez 2012). MEXICO (126): CHIAPAS (21): El Aguacero (16 km W Ocozocoautla), Sumidero Canyon. COLIMA (6): Colima, Comala. DISTRITO FEDERAL (2): Mexico City. ESTADO DE MÉXICO (46): Tejupilco de Hidalgo, Temascaltepec de González. GUERRERO (3): Acuitlipan, Taxco (8 mi. N), Teloloapan, No data. JALISCO (25): Atoyac, Careyes, Chamela Biological Station . MICHOACÁN (5): El Sabino, Morelia, Teretan, Tuxpan. OAXACA (11): Juchitan (20 mi. N), La Ventosa (5 mi. N and 28 mi. E), Matías Romero (19 mi. S), Puerto Ángel. Tehuantepec (30 mi. NE). VERACRUZ (2): Cotaxtla, Misantla. NO DATA (5). NO DATA (4) .

Temporal Distribution. June (81), July (32), August (2).

Diagnosis. Amithao marginicollis is one of three species of Amithao less than 17 mm in length (the others are A. incertus and A. tristis ), but it is distinctively marked with cretaceous bands and spots as in no other species of Amithao ( Figs. 44–45 ). In addition, the parameres are unique with rounded apices and a small subapical, median notch ( Fig. 47 ).

Nomenclature. After examining many specimens, I concluded that this species is not Guatemalica (characterized by a recurved mesometasternal process; Fig. 3 ) as has long been classified but is, instead, Amithao . All of its character states are congruent with those of Amithao species (distinctly emarginate clypeal apex ( Fig. 44 ), frons that lacks armature and is weakly and longitudinally tumid in the middle, and mesometasternal process that is dorsoventrally flattened and bluntly rounded ( Fig. 46 )). Based on these shared characters, it is transferred to Amithao . The only synonym of this species is Clinteria undulata Schoch, 1935 . Arrow (1925) examined the type at ETHC and determined it was Guatemalica marginicollis from the New World and not the East Indies as suppposed by Schoch (1895).

Natural History. Adults have been collected at elevations of 1,000 –1,700 m and on the flowers of Lantana sp. (Verbenaceae) and Acacia sp. (Fabaceae) (label data and personal observation). Nothing else is known of their life history.

Figures

Figs. 44–45. Amithao marginicollis. 44) Dorsal view; 45) Ventral view.

Figs. 46–48. Amithao marginicollis. 46) Form of mesometasternal process, lateral view; 47) Parameres, dorsal view; 48) Parameres, lateral view.

Figs. 1–3. Mesometasternal process (lateral view) of 1) Amithao haematopus; 2) Desicasta reichei Thomson (image courtesy of the Natural History Museum, London, UK); 3) Guatemalica hueti Chevrolat.