Phyllophaga (Phyllophaga) aragoni Morón, 2013

Morón, Miguel-Ángel, 2013, Three New Species of Phyllophaga Harris (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) from the State of Puebla, Mexico, The Coleopterists Bulletin 67 (2), pp. 167-174 : 167-169

Phyllophaga (Phyllophaga) aragoni Morón , new species

( Figs. 1–7 , 18–19 )

Holotype. Male. Length: 20.6 mm. Humeral width: 8.7 mm. Color: Head and pronotum shiny, dark brown; elytra shiny, reddish brown; abdomen and legs shiny, yellowish brown. Head: Clypeus with scattered erect setae, 3.1X wider than long, anterior border moderately elevated, anterior margin widely notched, disk surface wide and deeply concave at sides, raised at middle, with moderately dense, deep, round punctures. Frontoclypeal suture clearly impressed, sinuate at middle. Frons 2.9X wider than long, widely convex, coarsely rugopunctate with sparse medium-sized erect setae on disk. Antenna 10-segmented, with 3-segmented club, lamellae 1.3X longer than length of preceding 6 segments combined; segments 3 and 4 of equal length, segments 5 and 6 shorter than preceding segemnts, with weak, rounded prominences on anterior margins; segment 7 wider than long, with acute prominence on anterior margin. Frons 4.7X wider than dorsal diameter of eye. Canthus long and narrow, with 10 setae ( Fig. 1 ). Labrum reniform, deeply concave, with slender, long setae along borders. Mentum widely concave, longitudinally furrowed, with sparse punctures and slender setae at sides, anterior border deeply notched. Thorax: Pronotum 1.7X wider than long and 2.1X wider than frons. Pronotal disk glabrous, with deep, round punctures irregularly separated by 1–5 diameters; anterior bead complete, with long, curved setae; lateral borders widely angled, lateral marginal bead weakly crenulate, with slen- der, long setae; basal bead indicated by irregular punctures mainly on middle third and curved, long setae; anterior angles briefly obtuse, rounded; posterior angles widely obtuse, weakly prominent ( Fig. 1 ). Scutellum 1.8X wider than long, with 10 punctures irregularly distributed near borders, and anterior border widely sinuate. Elytron 2.9X longer than wide, glabrous, densely and irregularly punctate; epipleural border progressively narrowed toward apex, with scattered short setae; humeral callus rounded, prominent; apical callus rounded ( Fig. 18 ). Metathoracic wings completely developed. Pterosternum with many long, yellowish setae. Abdomen: Visible abdominal sternites 2–4 glabrous, shallowly depressed at middle ( Fig. 19 ); sternite 5 convex, with ovate granulose area at middle, with scattered short setae near posterior border; anal plate large, shiny, irregularly con- cave, smooth and furrowed at middle, granulose at sides, with slender long setae toward sides and posterior border. Propygidium mostly dull, densely punctuate, with many short setae. Pygidium shiny, widely convex, with scattered, shallow punctures, and short setae, irregularly distributed; apical margin with 12 slender setae; basal margin narrow but distinct at middle. Legs: Protibia as long as protarsus (1:1), with 2 large teeth and a basal small tooth on external border, preapical spur acute, straight, shorter than 2nd protarsomere. Mesotibia with an oblique, well marked, setiferous carina and small setiferous tooth on external side; upper apical spur with rounded apex, 1.2X longer than lower spur. Metatibia slightly shorter than metatarsus (0.9:1.0), with an oblique setiferous carina and small setiferous tooth on external side; upper apical spur articulated, curved, round pointed, longer than basal metatarsomere (1.6:1.0), and 1.4X longer than lower spur; lower apical spur articulated, curved, apex rounded. Protarsomeres 1–2 semicylindrical, elongate, with subapical, inner projection and tuft of setae; protarsomeres 3–4 with scattered ventral setae and crown of apical setae. Meso- and metatarsomeres semicylindrical, elongate, each with enlarged apex, crown of apical setae, and sparse setae along ventral side. Tarsal claws dentate, with ventral tooth narrow, acute, located toward base ( Fig. 2 ). Genital capsule: With short, narrowed, curved parameres dorsally fused, apex narrowed, acute, and curved backward ( Figs. 4–5 ). Aedeagus with sclerotized, tubular support apically curved downward; inner sac with preapical sclerotized, rounded, small plate ( Figs. 5–7 ). Tectum wide, uniformly convex. Length of genital capsule from apex of parameres to border of basal piece 3.8 mm.

Paratype. Female. Similar to male except as follows: antennal club as long as preceding 4 segments combined; head and pronotal punctation deeper. Visible abdominal sternites 2–4 nearly convex, with scattered, short setae near midline; sternite 5 with many punctures and long setae; anal plate large, widely convex, with shallow punctures and scattered slender setae. Both apical spurs of metatibia widened, curved, with rounded apices. Ventral genital plates well-sclerotized, nearly symmetrical, widely convex with some apical setae; dorsal genital plates fused at midline, with 3 apical lobes and some short setae on distal borders ( Fig. 3 ). Body length: 20.8 mm. Humeral width: 8.8 mm.

Type Material. Holotype male and paratype female: MEXICO: Puebla, Tochimilco, San Antonio Alpanocan , 21-IX-2000, 2114 m, A. Aragón ( IEXA).

Type Locality. S a n A n t o n i o A l p a n o c a n, Tochimilco municipality, state of Puebla, Mexico (18°52′42″N, 98°42′32″W) .

Biological Data. This species inhabits the disturbed pine-oak forest located at 2,114 m elevation on the southwestern slope of Popocatépetl volcano. Both specimens were attracted to a mercury vapor light trap in September. The date of their capture is very late in the season for Phyllophaga in comparison with the usual phenology of the genus in central Mexico (May–July).

Remarks. Phyllophaga aragoni belongs to the scissa species-group as defined by Morón (2003) and is similar externally to Phyllophaga plairi Saylor and Phyllophaga scissa (Bates) . However, the pronotal and elytral punctation of P. plairi is denser than that of P. aragoni , while the clypeal shape of P. aragoni is also less bilobed than in P. scissa . The distal half of the parameres of P. aragoni is much shorter and narrower than in the other two species, and the apex of the sclerotized aedeagal support is very different between the three species: narrowed and briefly curved in P. scissa ( Fig. 24 ); truncate with lateral spurs in P. plairi ( Fig. 25 ); and broad and curved in P. aragoni ( Fig. 5 ). The scissa species-group is currently under study by the author, including a number of undescribed species represented by few individuals from Mexican mountains.

Etymology. The new species is named after my friend Agustín Aragón García, professor of the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, an enthusiastic promoter of basic and applied studies of scarab beetles in the state of Puebla, who has obtained many important records of new and rare Scarabaeoidea.

Figures

Figs. 1–7. Phyllophaga aragoni. 1) Head and pronotum; 2) Male protarsal claw; 3) Female genital plates, ventral view; 4) Parameres, distal view; 5) Complete genital capsule, lateral view; 6) Complete genital capsule, dorsal view; 7) Detail of apex of inner sac, distal view. Scale bars = 2 mm, except in Fig. 2 = 0.5 mm.

Figs. 18–23. Habitus of Phyllophaga species from Puebla. 18) P. aragoni, dorsal view; 19) P. aragoni, lateral view; 20) P. buapae, lateral view; 21) P. buapae, dorsal view; 22) P. cazahuata, dorsal view; 23) P. cazahuata, lateral view. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figs. 24–25. Lateral view of the genital capsule of Phyllophaga species. 24) P. scissa. 25) P. plairi. Scale bars = 1 mm.