Cotinis aliena Woodruff, 2008

Gasca-Álvarez, Héctor Jaime, Woodruff, Robert E. & López, Cuauhtémoc Deloya, 2019, Description of the larvae of Cotinis aliena Woodruff, 2008 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Gymnetini), with a key to the known larvae of New World Gymnetini, Zootaxa 4585 (1), pp. 142-150 : 143-144

Cotinis aliena Woodruff, 2008 , third instar

( Figs. 1–2 )

Material examined. Three third instars and two exuviae with the following data: “Monroe Co. Upper Matacumbe Key. Islamorada. 19-v-82. R. E. Woodruff. 6–8 Deep in soil”; “ Florida Monroe Co. Islamorada, Manny and Islas Restaurant. 23-iii-78. W. E. Wyles. Soil under Bauhinia”; “ Florida: Monroe Co. Islamorada. 18-vii-78. W. E. Wyles”. Larvae were collected in association with adults in pupal cells.

Description. Dorsal body length 26.47–30.13 mm ( Fig. 1A ). Cranium ( Fig. 1B ): Width of head capsule 3.31– 5.30 mm. Color yellowish brown to reddish black. Surface moderately rugose and punctate. Epicranial suture and frontal suture distinct. Frons ( Fig. 1B ): Surface with 1 external frontal seta and 1 posterior frontal seta on each side, with 2 short anterior frontal setae. Each frontal anterior angle with 1 long seta. Dorsoepicranium with 2 long dorsoepicranial setae followed by 8–10 epicranial small setae distributed irregularly and 1 long anterior epicranial seta on each side. Clypeus ( Fig. 1B ): Shape subtrapezoidal. Surface of postclypeus with 2 external clypeal setae on each side and 2 central setae. Labrum ( Fig. 1B ): Symmetrical, lateral margins rounded, anterior margin trilobed, clithra present. Surface with 4 posterior labral setae and 1 long posterolateral labral seta on each side, with 2 long central setae. Epipharynx ( Fig. 1C ): Form transversely suboval, asymmetrical. Plegmata absent. Haptomeral region with a curved, transverse row of 15 moderately long, fairly stout setae. Right chaetoparia with 68–72 setae and left chaetoparia with 50–55 setae. Acroparia with 7–9 long, stout, slightly curved setae on each side. Corypha with 6 long, stout, slightly curved setae. Right and left acanthoparia with 9 short, curved, spine-like setae. Pedium longer than wide, without setae. Dexiotorma narrow, elongate. Laeotorma shorter than dexiotorma. Pternotorma small, rounded. Haptolochus lacking setae. Nesia with sensorial cone. Left mandible ( Fig. 1 D–G): Scissorial area with 4 well developed teeth, scissorial notch located between tooth 2 and 3 and teeth 3–4 separed by broad furrow. Dorsal surface with 2 long setae at level to basal scissorial notch, and 2 dorsomolar setae in tuft. Scrobis with 7 long setae. Acia absent. Preartis distinct, concave. Ventral surface with elongate-oval stridulatory area with about 10 subparallel ridges ( Fig. 1G ). Ventral process large, rounded. Brustia with about 10 long setae. Molar area with tuft of 6–8 ventral molar setae. Molar lobe large, weakly subdivided. Postartis large, rounded. Right mandible ( Fig. 1 H–K): Scissorial area with 3 teeth well developed, teeth 1–2 separated by a scissorial notch and teeth 2–3 by broad furrow. Dorsal surface with 2 long setae at level to basal scissorial notch and dorsomolar setae. Scrobis with 9 long setae. Preartis distinct, concave. Ventral surface with elongate-oval stridulatory area with about 8 subparallel ridges ( Fig. 1K ). Ventral process well developed, broadly rounded. Brustia with about 6 long setae. Molar area with tuft of 6–8 ventral molar setae. Molar crown trilobed. Postartis large, rounded. Maxilla and labium ( Fig. 2 A–B): Galea and lacinia fused, forming mala. Mala with large uncus at apex and 2 subterminal unci. Dorsal surface of the mala with about 25 setae. Maxillary palpus with 4 palpomeres, palpomere 4 almost as long as previous palpomere; palpomere 3 with 2 lateral setae in ventral view. Cardo subdivided into 3 sclerites. Mentum subdivided into 3 sclerites. Labial palpus with 2 palpomeres. Stridulatory area with row of 7–8 curved acute stridulatory teeth, and a distal truncate process, teeth becoming increasingly smaller basally. Glossa with 20–23 long setae and 17–20 short setae. Hypopharyngeal sclerome asymmetrical, truncate process prominent, elevated. Both lateral lobes with about 16–20 long setae each. Antennae ( Fig. 2C ): Terminal antennomere almost as long as the antennomere 3. Surface of terminal antennomere with 8–11 sensory spots. Thorax ( Fig. 1A ): Prothoracic spiracle 0.7 mm long, 0.5 mm wide; respiratory plate reddish brown, C-shaped, spiracular bulla rounded; respiratory plate with about 30–35 regularly edged holes across diameter at middle, holes irregularly oval ( Fig. 2D ). Dorsal surface of each segment with many short setae and some slender, long setae. Legs ( Fig. 2 F–H): Pretarsus cylindrical, rounded apically. Prothoracic pretarsus short in relation to mesothoracic and metathoracic. Legs gradually increasing in length from first to third pair. Coxa, trochanter, femur, and tibia of all legs with numerous long, stout setae. Abdomen: Abdominal spiracle slightly larger (0.8 mm long, 0.6 mm wide) than prothoracic spiracle, all abdominal spiracles subequal in size. Abdominal segments I–VII each with many short, spine-like setae. Abdominal segment VIII with numerous long, slender setae, and sparse, minute setae. Abdominal segments IX and X fused. All spiracular areas with 5–6 long, slender setae. Raster ( Fig. 2E ): Palidia closed anteriorly and posteriorly, each palidium consists of 2 poorly defined rows of 18–20 irregular sparsely stout, falcate compressed setae. Septula long and very narrow. Lower anal lip with about 30 sparse, short, thick setae and 25 long, slender setae. Anal slit transverse.

Pupal cases ( Fig. 3 ). Oval. Length 21.6–24.1 mm, width 16.1–17.5 mm. Walls 0.51–0.65 mm thick, composed of relatively coarse sand and calcareous bits of coral and shell. Outside surface irregular, inside relatively smooth. The material that constitutes the pupal case walls is apparently bound together by fecal cement applied from the anus of the larva.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Cotinis aliena third instar. A, habitus (scale bar = 3 mm); B, cranium frontal view (scale bar = 1.6 mm); C, epipharynx (scale bar = 0.3 mm); D–F, left mandible, dorsal, lateral and ventral view (scale bar = 0.6 mm); G, detail of stridulatory area; H–J, right mandible, ventral, lateral and dorsal view (scale bar = 0.6 mm); K, detail of stridulatory area.

FIGURE 2. Cotinis aliena third instar. A–B, Maxillae and labium, dorsal and ventral view (scale bar = 0.8 mm); C, Last antennnomere, ventral view (scale bar = 0.3 mm); D, Left prothoracic spiracle; E, Detail of raster; F–H, lateral views of left legs, prothoracic, mesothoracic, and metathoracic leg (scale bar = 0.4 mm).

FIGURE 3. Cotinis aliena, pupal cases with larval skins.