Euphoria verticalis Species-Group

Orozco, Jesús, 2012, Monographic Revision of the American Genus Euphoria Burmeister, 1842 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae), The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 11) 66, pp. 1-182 : 103-104

Euphoria verticalis Species-Group

(Appendix 3: Plate 5n–o )

Species in this group are distinguished by the bidentate clypeus, antennal club subequal in length in both sexes, pronotum evenly rounded laterally, protibial teeth short and perpendicular, and body devoid of cretaceous markings or tomentous cover (see notes for Euphoria bispinis (Bates)) . Male genitalia are useful for species diagnosis. The areata and discicollis species-groups share a number of characters with this group, including highly compressed mesometasternal process, rounded base of the pronotum, and globose body shape.

Composition. Two species are included in this group: E. bispinis (Bates) and E. verticalis Horn.

Taxonomic History. Species included in this group have also been included in the genus Anatropis . Anatropis was created by Casey (1915) for one female specimen of E. verticalis . Casey noted the similarities in the clypeus of E. verticalis with one female specimen of C. vestita from Utah that he included in the Nearctic genus Tropinota . Cetonia vestita was long thought to be a mislabeled specimen of the Palaearctic Tropinota hirta (Poda) (see Say 1825; Horn 1880) and was never cited in the literature again. As in all the Cetoniini genera created by Casey in the Memoirs on the Coleoptera , the generic description was limited to the characters included in the key. According to Casey’ s key, Anatropis was characterized by having a 1) “mesosternal process always densely pubescent, its anterior end diversified in form”, 2) “clypeus broadly sinuated and laterally dentate at apex”, and 3) “body subglabrous, moderately pubescent beneath, the elytra convex and very differently sculptured; pronotum with a distinct and entire lateral bead, without trace of elevated median line”. Character 1 grouped Anatropis with Stephanucha and Casey’ s Tropinota . Character 2 was unique to Anatropis and his Tropinota , and character 3 was exclusive to Anatropis . Blackwelder and Arnett (1974) listed Anatropis as a valid genus. Hardy (1988) synonymized Anatropis with Stephanucha on the basis of the mislabeled specimen of Tropinota and the similarities in the base of the pronotum with his Stephanucha . The similarities in the base of the pronotum of species in the areata and verticalis species-groups are an indication that these two groups might be closely related. Nevertheless, there are enough differences between these two groups to consider them separately (see diagnosis).

KEY TO THE SPECIES OF THE VERTICALIS SPECIES- GROUP

1. Frons with a small protuberance. Clypeal teeth located on anterolateral angles ( Fig. 60b ). Pronotal punctures moderately dense. Elytra glabrous or with sparse setae ( Fig. 60a ). Venter with moderately dense, tawny setae. Metafemora glabrous at middle................... ........................ E. verticalis Horn (p. 105)

1′. Frons lacking small protuberance. Clypeal teeth located near middle of clypeus ( Fig. 59b ). Pronotal punctures dense. Elytra setose ( Fig. 59a ). Venter with dense, yellowish setae. Metafemora densely setose at middle .............. ............................. E. bispinis (Bates) (p. 104)

CLAVE PARA LAS ESPECIES DEL GRUPO VERTICALIS

1. Frente con una pequeña protuberancia. Dientes clipeales ubicados en los ángulos anterolaterales ( Fig. 60b ). Punteaduras pronotales moderadamente densas. Élitros glabros o con setas dispersas ( Fig. 60a ). Vientre con setas moderadamente densas de color café amarillento. Metafémures glabros en el medio ................. .......................... E. verticalis Horn (p. 105)

1′. Frente sin protuberancia. Dientes clipeales ubicados cerca al medio del clípeo ( Fig. 59b ). Punteaduras pronotales densas. Élitros setosos ( Fig. 59a ). Vientre setoso, setas de color amarillento. Metafémures densamente setosos en el medio...... E. bispinis (Bates) (p. 104)

Figures

Plate 5. Euphoria species. inda species-group: a) E. hirtipes, b, c, d) E. inda. areata species-group: e, f) E. anneae, g, h, i) E. areata, j) E. pilipennis. discicollis species-group: k, l, m) E. discicollis. verticalis species-group: n) E. bispinis, o) E. verticalis.

Fig. 60. Euphoria verticalis. a) Habitus, b) Head, c) Parameres, d) Temporal distribution, e) Geographic distribution in Mexico and the United States.

Fig. 59. Euphoria bispinis. a) Habitus, b) Head, c) Parameres, d) Temporal distribution, e) Geographic distribution in Mexico.