Megistophylla formosana Wang & Li

Li, Chun-Lin, Yang, Ping-Shih & Wang, Chuan-Chan, 2016, Two new species of Megistophylla Burmeister (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) from Taiwan, with notes on the genus, Zootaxa 4126 (2), pp. 240-250 : 244-245

Megistophylla formosana Wang & Li , new species

Figs. 1 , 3–4 , 7 , 9–10 .

Holotype male ( Fig. 1 ). Body length 19.5 mm; width across humeri 8.7 mm. Color dark reddish brown on dorsal surface, venter and legs moderately shiny. Antennomeres reddish brown. Dorsum overall setiferous, setae tiny (high magnification for observation required); setae on disc of pronotum and elytra far smaller than diameter of puncture with exception of a row of long; sparse setae at base of head, anterior, and posterior margins of pronotum and base of elytra, respectively; long setae brown in color, 1–7 times longer than diameter of puncture. Head: Surface densely rugopunctate, punctures large. Clypeus ( Fig. 3 ) with apex distinctly bilobed, anterior margin moderately reflexed, narrowed at base. Clypeofrontal suture clearly defined. Frons moderately raised. Basal carina slightly crescent, strongly raised. Antenna with 10 antennomeres, antennal club with 6 antennomeres, length of club subequal to antennomeres 1–4 combined, first antennomere of club slightly shorter than remaining club antennomeres; fourth basal antennomere greatly enlarged. Thorax: Pronotum widest at middle, anterolateral angles ( Fig. 3 ) moderately to strongly protuberant with basolateral angles obtuse, basal half of lateral margin moderately serrate; lateral declivities with weak gibbosity at middle; anterior margin completely beaded with basal margin smooth; punctures same as those on clypeus, rarely confluent, punctures evenly distributed along midline ( Fig. 4 ). Scutellum ( Fig. 4 ) triangular in shape with 10 punctures in uneven distribution, punctures rarely with long setae. Prosternal process flat, weakly bilobed in shape. Elytra: Discal surface densely rugopunctate, densely confluent at sides of suture; sutural costa gradually broadening apically, densely punctate at margins or transversally rugopunctate over costa; costa becoming flat at apex. Abdomen: Pygidium wider than long; surface with setiferous punctures in uneven distribution, tiny setae same as those of elytral disc. Sternites 1–2, 5–6 with surface densely punctate; punctures in sternites 3–4 sparsely distributed, punctures setiferous; setae on sternites 3–4 tiny, intermixed on sternites 5–6 with much longer setae. Legs: Protibia tridentate. Protarsomeres 2–3 ( Fig. 7 ) with dense setae aggregated at apices. Surface of profemora and mesofemora moderately distributed with hair-like, long setae; setae on metafemora shorter and more robust, metafemora slightly broadened at middle. Metatibia with upper apical spur reaching basal one-fourth of metatarsomere 2; lower apical spur slightly shorter than upper one. Genitalia: Parameres in lateral view with central concave area extended and concentrically wrinkled, apical upper margin distinctly swollen with tip broadly rounded ( Fig. 9 ); upper margin of parameres gradually narrowing apically at apical one-third in dorsal view ( Fig. 10 ).

Female. Unknown.

Variation. Body length 15.7–21.5 mm; width across humeri 7.8–9.5 mm. Dorsal body color dark reddish brown to rufotestaceous; antennae reddish brown to blackish brown; anterior margin of clypeus moderately to weakly reflexed; pronotal punctures usually evenly distributed along midline; scutellum usually with 10 or more punctures in uneven distribution, punctures rarely with long setae; elytral surface sometimes transversally rugopunctate over costa.

Diagnosis. Megistophylla formosana is distinguished from the other Megistophylla species (except for M. xitoui ) by its distinctly straight antennal club with length subequal to basal antennomeres (antennal club slightly to strongly curved and the length of club longer than basal antennomeres in other species); basal half of the pronotal lateral margins serrate (smooth in other species); and central concave area of the parameres wrinkled concentrically (non-concentrically wrinkled in other species).

Type material. Male holotype and 61 male paratypes. The male holotype is pinned and with the following information on the label: “N. Taiwan: Taipei County (presently New Taipei City), Wulai, Nei Dong Logging Road, alt. ca. 850 m, 16/IV/2003 by FIT, collr. C.-L. Li”. The holotype is deposited at the National Natural Science Museum, Taichung, Taiwan. Paratypes: Locality same as holotype, “ 7/IV/2003 by FIT, collr. C.-L. Li” (1 male, in CCLI); “ 5/IV-10/V/2005 by FIT, collr. C.-L. Li” (1 male, CCLI); “ 17/III/2003 by FIT, collr. C.-L. Li” (1 male, CCLI); “ 11/IV/2003 by FIT, collr. C.-L. Li” (1 male, CCLI); “ 18/IV/2003 by FIT, collr. C.-L. Li” (1 male, CCLI); “ 31/III-26/IV/2004 by FIT, collr. C.-L. Li” (2 males, CCLI); “ 5/IV-10/V/2005 by FIT, collr. C.-L. Li” (1 male, deposited at the Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom ( BMNH); “Taoyuan County: Fu-Fu Shan, 121°22’27’’E / 24°43’34’’N, alt. ca. 1,440 m, by FIT, 15-28/IV/2004, collr. C-L. Li” (4 males, CCLI); “Shih Lin, 121°25’20’’E / 24°38’58’’N, alt. ca. 1,180m, by FIT, 9/IV-17/V/2005, collr. C-L. Li” (5 males in Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada ( CMNC), 6 males, CCLI); same locality, “ 1-17/V/2004 ” (20 males in CCLI; 4 males in Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt Universitat, Berlin, Germany ( ZMHB); 2 males in Museum für Tierkunde, Senckenberg Naturhistorische Sammlungen Dresden, Germany ( MTD); 2 males in Zentralmagazin Naturwissenschaftlicher Sammlungen der Martin-Luther-Universität Zoologische Sammlung, Halle (Saale), Germany (ZNS)); same locality, “ 20/V-14/VI/2004 ” (2 males, BMNH); “Ilan County: Fushan Botanical Garden, III-13-1991, Y. B. Fan” (1 male, Taiwan Forest Research Institute, Taipei, Taiwan ( TFRI)); “Nantou County: Lienhuachih, V/6-VI/10/2002, C.S. Lin & W.T. Yang, Malaise trap (KCN)” (2 males, NMNS); same locality, “ II/ 14-III/7 /2 0 0 5, C.S. Lin & W.T. Yang, Malaise trap (KCN)” (2 males, NMNS); same locality, “ III/7-IV/11/2005, C.S. Lin & W.T. Yang, Malaise trap (KCN)” (2 males, NMNS); same locality, “Watersher No. 3, III/4-V/6/2003, C.S. Lin & W.T. Yang, Malaise trap (KCN)” (1 male, NMNS).

Distribution. Northern and central Taiwan ( Fig. 13 ).

Etymology. The specific name refers to the historic name of Taiwan by the Spanish sailors in the 16th century indicating the first Megistophylla species recognized from Taiwan.

Chinese name: 蓬萊脊頭多鰓金龜

Remarks. Megistophylla formosana has wider range in distribution, both in elevation (600–1440 m) and latitude (north throughout central Taiwan) than M. xitoui , the other species from Taiwan.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Distribution map of Megistophylla species in Taiwan: Megistophylla formosana (open circle), Megistophylla xitoui (open triangle).

FIGURES 1 – 2. Dorsal habitus of male Megistophylla. 1. Megistophylla formosana new species, holotype; 2. Megistophylla xitoui new species, holotype.

FIGURES 3 – 6. Close view of dorsum of male Megistophylla (3, 5 head and anterior half of pronotum; 4, 6 basal half of pronotum, scutellum. and elytra). 3 – 4. Megistophylla formosana new species; 5 – 6. Megistophylla xitoui new species.

FIGURES 7 – 8. Ventral view of protarsomeres 2 – 3 of Megistophylla. 7. Megistophylla formosana new species; 8. Megistophylla xitoui new species.

FIGURES 9 – 12. Parameres of Megistophylla. (9, 11, lateral view; 10, 12, dorsal view). 9 – 10. Megistophylla formosana new species; 11 – 12. Megistophylla xitoui new species. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.