Euphoria histrionica Thomson, 1878

Orozco, Jesús, 2012, Monographic Revision of the American Genus Euphoria Burmeister, 1842 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae), The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 11) 66, pp. 1-182 : 23-24

Euphoria histrionica Thomson, 1878

(Appendix 4: Fig. 6 )

Euphoria histrionica Thomson 1878: 27 . Original combination.

Holotype at MNHN, examined.

Description (n = 64). Length 10.5–13.5 mm; width 6.4–8.6 mm. Color: Dorsal surface shiny black, rarely reddish brown. Elytra with bright yellow, cretaceous markings dispersed on posterior half; cretaceous markings variable, frequently abruptly interrupted at middle of elytra, mostly limited to lateral margin of subhumeral area, occasionally reduced to a few dots or entirely absent. Cretaceous cover on pygidium variable, frequently covering the entire surface except for apex, absent at times. Abdominal sternites black to reddish brown. Head: Frons flat, strongly strigose to densely punctate; punctures small to moderate in size, frequently confluent, densely setose; setae long, yellowish. Clypeus short, subquadrate, strongly strigose, sides and apex not raised, sparsely setose; setae short, yellowish. Antennal club shorter than stem, subequal in length in both sexes. Pronotum: Surface moderately densely punctate; punctures lunulate, moderate in size, denser towards sides, moderately densely setose; setae moderate in size, whitish. Base in front of scutellum moderately emarginate. Scutellum longer than wide, apex acute, mostly impunctate and glabrous, anterior corners with few lunulate punctures bearing moderate, whitish setae. Elytra: Surface moderately densely punctate, striae consisting of 3 rows of lunulate, moderate in size punctures; costae weakly raised. Posterior half of sutural costa raised in lateral view. Pygidium: Surface subconcentrically striate, striae discontinuous, moderately densely setose; setae short, yellowish. Legs: Protibial teeth sharp, apical and medial teeth closer to each other than to basal tooth. Metatibial carina transverse or oblique. Mesotibial carina well developed into 2 short teeth. Venter: Mesometasternal process weakly compressed laterally, slightly extended beyond mesocoxae, apex evenly rounded; weakly setose on mesosternal area. Mesepimera, metasternum, and metacoxae setose, setae as on legs. Metasternum rugose, setose laterally, glabrous and impunctate at middle; median sulcus vague. Metatibiae with moderately developed, transverse carina. Abdominal sternites densely setose laterally, sparsely setose medially; setae as on rest of body. Male genitalia: Parameres as in Fig. 6c .

Diagnosis. Euphoria histrionica is separated from the other species in the group by the subquadrate clypeus, bright yellow, cretaceous markings, impunctate scutellum, and striae consisting of three rows of lunulate punctures. Specimens devoid of cretaceous markings can potentially be confused with E. devulsa , but the apex of the pygidium is not sexually dimorphic in this species as it is in E. devulsa . Sakai and Nagai (1998) misidentified this species as E. retusa , a synonym of E. kernii (Appendix 5).

Taxonomic History. Euphoria histrionica has been confused in the literature with E. sonorae almost since it was described. Bates (1889) described E. sonorae from Sonora, Mexico, as a variety of the Mexican E. histrionica . Since then, E. histrionica has been used as the valid name for the species found in Arizona and northern Mexico, and the real E. histrionica has been left without an identity. Casey (1915) erroneously synonymized E. sonorae with E. histrionica .

Natural History. Adults have been collected on Helianthus sp. , flowers of Viguiera dentata (Cav.) (Asteraceae) , and by beating species of Fabaceae . Specimens have been collected up to 1,700 m elevation.

Temporal Distribution. January (1), September (6), October (53), November (3) ( Fig. 6d ).

Geographic Distribution. Known from Colima, Chiapas, Guerrero, Jalisco, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Puebla, and Veracruz in Mexico ( Fig. 6e ).

Specimens Examined (64). Ty p e m a t e r i a l: Euphoria histrionica Thomson, 1878 ; holotype male at MNHN labeled “Histrionica/ Thoms. Type/ T. C. 27/ Mex// Th./ TYPE// Ex – Musaeo/ JAMES THOMSON// TYPE// Euphoria (Euphorhipis Casey) / Histrionica J. Thomson / holotype ♂ / G. Ruter det., 1970” and my holotype label. Other material: MEXICO (63): CHIAPAS: Parque Nacional Cañon del Sumidero (13), Chicoasén (2), El Aguacero (11), no data (4); COLIMA: No Data (1); GUERRERO: Chilpancingo (18–23 Km N) (4), Iguala (12–25 Km N) (3); JALISCO: San Gabriel (9 Km NE) (1); NAYARIT: Las Varas (14–29 Km NE) (1); OAXACA: Huajuapan de León (48 km NE) (2), Totolapan (1), Tutla (11 Km NW) (1), no data (1); PUEBLA: El Tepenene (1), Izúcar de Matamoros (3), Petlalcingo (9), Tepexco (12 Km E) (1); VERACRUZ: Córdoba (4).

Figures

Fig. 6. Euphoria histrionica. a) Habitus, b) Head, c) Parameres, d) Temporal distribution, e) Geographic distribution in Mexico.