Euphoria biguttata ( Gory and Percheron, 1833 )

Orozco, Jesús, 2012, Monographic Revision of the American Genus Euphoria Burmeister, 1842 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae), The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 11) 66, pp. 1-182 : 17-18

Euphoria biguttata ( Gory and Percheron, 1833)

(Appendix 4: Fig. 2 )

Cetonia biguttata Gory and Percheron 1833: 64 , 274. Original combination.

Holotype at MHNG, examined.

Euphoria lineoligera Blanchard 1850: 13 . New synonymy.

Lectotype at MNHN here designated. Two paralectotypes at MNHN, examined.

Euphoria xanthomelas Thomson 1878: 26 . Synonym.

Holotype at MNHN, examined.

Euphoria biguttata binoculata Casey 1915: 330 . Synonym.

Lectotype and two paralectotypes at USNM designated by Hardy (2001). Lectotype and one paralectotype examined.

Euphoria biguttata biplagiata Casey 1915: 330 . Synonym.

Lectotype and one paralectotype at USNM designated by Hardy (2001), examined.

Description (n = 463). Length 10.8–17.0 mm; width 7.2–10.9 mm. Color: Surface shiny, head black. Pronotum entirely black or with black longitudinal band at middle and red on each side. Elytra entirely black or with reddish and/or brownish areas on basal half. Elytra with yellowish, cretaceous, elongate markings extending transversely from lateral margin, 1 marking on posterior half frequently extending across entire elytral width, rest of markings short, only reaching ¼ of elytral width. Elytral apex covered by cretaceous layer, occasionally with uncovered round area at middle. Abdominal sternites with cretaceous bands on anterolateral margin. Pygidium variably covered by cretaceous layer. Head: Frons strongly strigose to densely punctate; punctures elongated, deep, frequently confluent, moderately densely to densely setose; setae moderate to long, yellowish. Clypeus elongated, strongly strigose to strigopunctate, glabrous to sparsely setose; setae yellowish, short to moderate; sides not raised, moderately convergent, apex vaguely to weakly reflexed, vaguely sinuate. Antennal club as long as stem, subequal in length in both sexes. Pronotum: Surface moderately densely to densely punctate; punctures round to lunulate, denser and confluent towards apex and sides, sides evenly rounded to weakly angulate, base in front of scutellum strongly emarginate; sparsely to moderately densely setose, setae short to moderate, yellowish. Scutellum longer than wide, impunctate, occasionally with medial longitudinal impression. Elytra: Surface moderately densely punctate, medially transversally divided by cretaceous marking; anterior half without striae, punctures moderate in size, lunulate, distributed evenly in spaced rows, posterior half with striae bearing lunulate punctures, geminate punctures, and/or grooves. Surface glabrous to sparsely setose; setae short, yellowish. Pygidium: Surface subconcentrically striate, striae discontinuous, sparsely to moderately densely setose; setae minute to short to moderate, yellowish. Legs: Protibial teeth sharp, apical and medial teeth closer to each other than to basal tooth. Metatibial carina weakly developed. Venter: Mesometasternal process extending anteriorly well beyond mesocoxae, weakly to moderately compressed laterally, apex rounded to slightly pointed, glabrous on mesosternal lobe. Mesepimera, metasternum, and metacoxae setose, setae as on legs. Metasternum rugose, setose laterally, glabrous and impunctate at middle. Median sulcus vaguely to strongly impressed. Metafemora with weakly developed, transverse to oblique carina. Abdominal sternites densely setose laterally, sparsely setose medially; setae on sternites 3–5 distributed exclusively on anterolateral margin, setae on segments 6–7 distributed on entire lateral margin; setae as on legs. Abdomen in lateral view subequal in shape in both sexes. Male genitalia: Parameres as in Fig. 2c .

Diagnosis. Euphoria biguttata is separated from the other species in the group by the larger size, elongate clypeus with sides moderately convergent and truncate apex, pronotum frequently bicolored, base of the pronotum in front of the scutellum strongly emarginate, and the mesometasternal process extending anteriorly well beyond the mesocoxae. Large specimens of E. histrionica can be confused with dark specimens of E. biguttata but can be easily separated based on the subquadrate clypeus of E. histrionica in contrast with the attenuate clypeus of E. biguttata .

Taxonomic History. Gory and Percheron (1833) described the species from a Mexican specimen with red markings on the dorsum. Blanchard (1850) and Thomson (1878) described Euphoria lineoligera and Euphoria xanthomelas , respectively, from specimens without red markings. Bates (1889) included E. xanthomelas as a synonym of E. lineoligera . Casey (1915) described two subspecies ( E. biguttata binoculata and E. biguttata biplagiata ) based on the shape of the cretaceous markings and the size of the adults, but these subspecies were later synonymized by Hardy (2001). The use of Euphoria lineoligera continued, in part, due to the fact that the name was mistakenly applied, on occasion, to large specimens of E. histrionica . This is understandable given that the identity of E. histrionica is just now being clarified. Based on the examination of the types and the character study, I here place E. lineoligera as a synonym of E. biguttata .

Natural History. Adults have been collected on flowers of Helianthu s sp. and Tithonia tubaeformis (Jacq.) (Asteraceae) . Morón et al. (1997) recorded adults feeding on flowers of Mimosa sp. and Calliandra sp. (both Fabaceae ). Adults are also known to be visitors of several Asteraceae ( Deloya et al. 1993) and to copulate in their flowers ( Deloya 1988). The species is known from 360–1720 m elevation.

Deloya (1988) observed the larvae developing in debris piles of Atta mexicana (Smith) ( Hymenoptera : Formicidae ). The life cycle was estimated to be one year.

Temporal Distribution. June (8), July (10), August (4), September (51), October (223), November (20), December (1) ( Fig. 2e ).

Geographic Distribution. Known from Texas, USA through Honduras ( Fig. 2f ). The only known specimen from the United States is a black form collected in Hidalgo County, Texas ( Riley and Wolfe 2003).

Specimens Examined (463). Type material: Euphoria biguttata ( Gory and Percheron, 1833) ; holotype female at MHNG labeled “Gory/ TYPE// biguttata/ G. et P.B./ Mexico // Coll. Melly ” and my holotype label. Euphoria lineoligera Blanchard, 1850 ; lectotype at MNHN here designated labeled “[green disc] 4// Euphoria / lineoligera/ Blanch // Museum Paris/ Mexique / Giesbreght 1844// TYPE// C. lineoligera / Blanch/ Mexique / M. Giesbreght ” and my lectotype label; two paralectotypes at MNHN labeled “[green disk] 2/ Museum Paris// TYPE” and my paralectotype label. Euphoria xanthomelas Thomson, 1878 ; holotype at MNHN labeled “ Cetonia / xanthomelas. mih/ h. Mexico D. Sommer // Th. Type // Ex - Musaeo Dejean// Lineoligera Blanc’/ Xanthomelas/ (Dej). Thoms. type/ T. C. 26/ Mex// Ex – Musaeo/ James Thomson/ TYPE” and my holotype label. Euphoria biguttata binoculata Casey, 1915 ; lectotype at USNM labeled “Guer.// CASEY/bequest/ 1925// TYPE USNM/ 48686// binoculata/ Csy// LECTOTYPE / Euphoria / biguttata/ binoculata/ CASEY by/A. R. Hardy ’78”; paralectotype at USNM labeled “Mex// CASEY/ bequest/ 1925// binoculata. 2/ PARATYPE USNM/ 48686// PARALECTOTYPE / Euphoria / biguttata/ binoculata Csy.” Euphoria biguttata biplagiata Casey 1915 ; lectotype at USNM labeled “g. r.// CASEY/bequest/ 1925// biplagiata. 2/ PARATYPE USNM// 48687// LECTOTYPE / Euphoria / biguttata/ biplagiata/ CASEY = by/ A.R. hardy ’78”; paralectotype at USNM labeled “Joyabaj/ Quitche/ Guatemala// CASEY/bequest/1925// TYPE USNM/ 48687// biplagiata/ Csy// PARALECTOTYPE / Euphoria / biguttata/ biplagiata/ CASEY” . Other material: EL SALVADOR (3): CUSCATLÁN: El Rosario (1); SAN SALVADOR: San Salvador (2). GUATEMALA (27): CHIMALTENANGO: Yepocapa (2); EL PROGRESO: No data (3), “Hwy CA-1. km 100-114” (2); ESCUINTLA: Nueva Concepción (1); GUATEMALA: Guatemala (4); ZACAPA: Sierra de las minas (2), Usumatlán (1), no data (6); NO DATA: “Guado Viejo” (1), “Guatemala” (5). HONDURAS (48): COMAYAGUA: El Taladro (25), Taulabé (1); FRANCISCO MORAZÁN: Suyapa (1), Tegucigalpa (1); LA PAZ: La Paz (19); NO DATA: “ Honduras” (1). MEXICO (351): AGUASCALIENTES: Aguascalientes (1), Calvillo (2); CHIAPAS: Dos Lagos (1), La Trinitaria (1), Parque Nacional Cañon del Sumidero (13), Parque Nacional El Aguacero (1), Tuxtla Gutiérrez (7), Villa Morelos (3), no data (5); CHIHUAHUA: Moctezuma (1); COLIMA: Colima (2); ESTADO DE MÉXICO: Tejupilco de Hidalgo (4); GUANAJUATO: Guanajuato (1); GUERRERO: Chichihualco (22 km E) (1), Chilpancingo (2), Iguala (2), Tasco (3), Tixtla (3); HIDALGO: Venados (2), Zimapán (1); JALISCO: Ajijíc (17), Atotonilco (1), Autlán (3), Cajititlán (2), Chapala (4), Cuatla (2), Guadalajara (15), Magdalena (1), San Gabriel (11), San Juan Cosalá (1), Sayula (20), Tequila (2), Zapopan (4), Volcán Colima (35), no data (3); MICHOACÁN: Uruapán (1); MORELOS: Cuernavaca (17), Tlaltizapán (5), Xochitepec (7); NAYARIT: Compostela (2), Ixtlán del río (3), Jala (1), Las Varas (2), Peñitas (1), Tepic (1), Volcán del Céboruco (35); NUEVO LEÓN: Linares (1), Mamulique (1); OAXACA: Huajuapan de León (9), San Pedro Totolopan (1), Santiago Cacaloxtepec (2), Santiago Chazumba (21); PUEBLA: Huachinango (1), Izúcar de Matamoros (3); QUERÉTARO: Querétaro (1); SAN LUIS POTOSÍ: El Naranjo (12 km NW) (2), Tamazunchale (1); SINALOA: Concordia (5), La Capilla del Texte (1), El Palmito (1); SONORA: Arispe (1), Oputo (3), no data (1); TAMAULIPAS: El Veintidos (2), Ocampo (2); VERACRUZ: Acultzingo (1), Fortín de las Flores (13), Xalapa (1); ZACATECAS: Tlaltenango (1); NO DATA: “Mexico” (23), “Mexico, from Durango to the Pacific” (1). NO DATA (3). SUSPECT RECORDS (22): “Venezuela” (22).

Figures

Fig. 2. Euphoria biguttata. a) Habitus, b) Head, c) Parameres, d) Color variation, e) Temporal distribution, f) Geographic distribution in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.