Euphoria vestita ( 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 : 71-72

Euphoria vestita ( Gory and Percheron, 1833) status revised

(Appendix 4: Fig. 38 )

Cetonia vestita Gory and Percheron 1833: 271 . Original combination.

Holotype at MNHN, examined. As synonym of Euphoria schotti LeConte by Hardy (2001).

Description (n = 202). Length 10.6–15.7 mm; width 6.1–9.1 mm. Color: Dorsal surface light brown, dark brown, yellowish brown, or reddish brown, tomentous, rarely shiny. Pronotum with 1 longitudinal, irregular vitta on each side of midline, occasionally covering surface entirely. Elytra with small, brown to black, irregular markings, markings occasionally covering most of elytra. Ventral surface, including legs, light brown to black. Head: Frons frequently weakly raised at middle, densely punctate; punctures round, deep, moderate in size, confluent laterally, moderately densely to densely setose; setae, yellowish, moderate to long. Clypeus subrectangular, sides moderately to strongly raised in males, weakly raised in females, lateral declivity strongly expanded; apex truncate in dorsal view, sinuate in frontal view, strongly reflexed in males, weakly raised in females; surface moderately densely punctate; punctures round, deep, moderately densely to densely setose; setae, yellowish, moderate to long. Antennal club twice as long as stem in males, shorter than stem in females. Pronotum: Surface moderately densely punctate; punctures round to lunulate, small to moderate in size, moderately densely to densely setose; setae short to moderate, yellowish. Sides weakly angulate to evenly rounded, subparallel to convergent towards apex at base, anterior corners with few rugae. Base in front of scutellum weakly to strongly emarginate. Scutellum mostly impunctate, rarely with a few punctures bearing setae. Elytra: Surface moderately densely punctate, striae bearing 2 densely punctate, lateral rows and 1 sparsely punctate, medial row; punctures small, lunulate to irregular, lateral rows frequently with long grooves, glabrous to sparsely setose; setae minute to short, whitish to yellowish; apex and sides posteriorly weakly rugose. Pygidium: Surface subconcentrically striate; striae dense, discontinuous, moderately densely to densely setose, setae short to moderate. Legs: Protibiae slender in males, robust in females, basal tooth frequently obsolete in males. Metatibiae not apically expanded in males, expanded apically in females; metatarsi longer than metatibiae in males, shorter in females; spurs slender in males, lanceolate in females. Venter: Proepimeron deeply excavated anteriorly. Mesometasternal process weakly to moderately compressed laterally, extending anteriorly to same level as mesocoxae or well beyond. Mesepimera, metasternum, and metacoxae densely setose, setae as on legs. Metasternum rugose laterally, moderately densely to densely setose laterally, sparsely to moderately densely punctate and sparsely setose at middle; median sulcus strongly impressed. Abdomen in lateral view flat to weakly convex in males, strongly convex in females. Male genitalia: Parameres as in Fig. 38d .

Diagnosis. This species is separated from other species in the group by the subrectangular clypeus, antennal club of males twice as long as stem, proepimeron deeply excavated anteriorly, and form of the parameres. Adults vary considerably in body size and shape of the mesometasternal process.

Notes. The amount of intraspecific variation observed is higher for E. vestita than for any other member of the genus ( Fig. 38e, f, g ). The mesometasternal process can be weakly to moderately compressed laterally, extending anteriorly to the same level as the mesocoxae or well beyond. Darker specimens ( Fig. 38f ) tend to be more prevalent in the southern part of the species’ geographic distribution but can also be found elsewhere. Specimens can range from 10.6–15.7 mm in length and 6.1–9.1 mm in width.

Euphoria vestita was the name most frequently given in error on identification labels to several species in the avita and geminata species-groups.

Taxonomic History. Olivier (1789) described Cetonia irregularis without any locality information. Say (1825) described Cetonia vestita as occurring in the United States but from a mislabeled specimen of the European Tropinota hirta (Poda) . Gory and Percheron (1833) described Cetonia vestita based on a Mexican specimen without any reference to the species from Say. In the same work, Gory and Percheron (1833) redescribed Cetonia irregularis Olivier based on a misidentified specimen from Mexico.

Burmeister (1842) and Bates (1889) used Cetonia vestita Gory and Percheron as the original combination for the species and included Cetonia irregularis Gory and Percheron as a synonym. Hardy (2001) incorrectly put Cetonia vestita Gory and Percheron in synonymy with Euphoria schotti LeConte.

Currently, Cetonia irregularis Olivier is a synonym of the South African Elaphinis cinereonebulosa De Geer. Cetonia vestita Say (= Tropinota hirta ) has not been used as a valid name since it was published. Instead, Euphoria vestita Gory and Percheron has been consistently used as the presumed valid name in the literature. Cetonia irregularis Gory and Percheron is placed as incertae sedis since the type is unknown to me (probably lost).

Natural History. Adults have been captured on Acacia sp. and Quercus sp. and have been found in dry mesophytic forests. Morón et al. (1997) observed the species resting on Mimosa sp. and Bursera cuneata (Schl.) . Adults have been collected between 1,500 –2,000 m elevation.

Temporal Distribution. May (4), June (67), July (100), August (7), September (1) ( Fig. 38h ).

Geographic Distribution. Known from Durango, Estado de México, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacán, Morelos, Oaxaca, Puebla, and Sinaloa, Mexico ( Fig. 38i ). Morón et al. (1997) also recorded the species from Puebla, Tlaxcala, and Veracruz.

Specimens Examined (202). Type material: Holotype female at MNHN labeled “TYPE// Vestita/ G. P. Type/ irregularis G. P./ Mex// Ex-Musaeo/ Dejean// Ex-Musaeo/ JAMES THOMSON// MUSÉUM PARIS/ COLL. R. OBERTHUR// TYPE”. Other material: MEXICO (201): DURANGO: Durango (1), El Palmito (2), El Salto (1), Revolcaderos (3); ESTADO DE MÉXICO: Ixtapan de la Sal (3), Tonatico (2); GUERRERO: Cacahuamilpa (1), Chilpancingo (1), El Tejocote (1), Taxco (1); JALISCO: Autlán (1), Los Mazos (4), Volcán Colima (2); MICHOACÁN: Carapán (7), Cherán (1), Morelia (2), Tuxpan (1), Tzararacua (1), Uruapan (2); MORELOS: Cuernavaca (8); OAXACA: Díaz Ordaz (2), San Juan Juquila Mixes (1), La Cumbre (30), Miahuatlán (1), Oaxaca (46), San Benito (3), San Felipe del Agua (2), Tlacolula (7), Teotitlán (50); PUEBLA: Atlixco (1), San Hipolito (8); SINALOA: El Palmito (2), Loberas (2); NO DATA: (1).

Figures

Fig. 38. Euphoria vestita. a) Habitus, b) Head, c) Lateral view of head, d) Parameres, e-g) Color variation, h) Temporal distribution, i) Geographic distribution in Mexico.