Euphoria paradisiaca Orozco, 2012

Orozco, Jesús, 2012, Monographic Revision of the American Genus Euphoria Burmeister, 1842 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae), The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 11) 66, pp. 1-182 : 69

Euphoria paradisiaca Orozco , new species

(Appendix 4: Fig. 35 )

Type Material (10). Holotype male labeled “ PANAMA, Chiriqui / Prov. 2Km W Cerro/ Punta 1720m 8°51′N / 82°36′W 1-7. VI. 77/ H. & A. Howden ” and with my red holotype label ( CMNC) . Allotype female labeled “Monte Verde. 4000’/ Puntarenas Prov. / Costa Rica / IX-12-71/ P. Opler Coll // O.T. S. Ecosyst / Analysis/ Specimen # 13363” and with my yellow allotype label ( UCB) . Paratypes (8) with the following data: as holotype (2 CMNC, 1 JOAC, 1 UNSM); “ COSTA RICA. Punt. Monteverde. 1400m / 24.VIII.1987 / H. & A,. Howden.// Euphoria / chontalensis/ Det. ASolis” (1 CMNC); “Nicaragua/ Jinotega / 20-VIII-89/ F. Reinboldt / EUPHORIA / SP./ det. B.C. Ratcliffe 1991 // Euphoria sp. ( Nicaragua,/ Paraguay) (2)// MEL/ MAES 17972 ” (1 JMMC); “ PANAMA: Chiriqui Pr./ Bambito, el. 1650m. 18-21-VI-1994 / A.R. Gillogly// Intercept / Trap” (1 CASC); “ COSTA RICA: Puntar:/ Monteverde, 1400-/ 1500m. 13 14 Aug, 76/ E. M. Fisher, collr.// ARH// Dr. Alan R. Hardy/ 2005 donation to/ California Academy/ of Sciences// precaria?” (1 CASC). All paratypes with my yellow paratype label .

Description. Holotype male ( Fig. 35a ). Length 13.0 mm width 7.9 mm. Color: Dorsal surface yellowish brown with dark brown markings, tomentous. Pronotum with 1 longitudinal, black vitta on each side of midline covering most of its surface; vittae not covering anterior or basal margins, each with a circular, yellowish brown marking at middle. Elytra mostly yellowish brown with dark brown markings distributed on scutellar, humeral, lateral, and apical areas. Ventral surface, including legs, reddish brown. Head: Frons densely punctate; punctures round, deep, moderate in size, confluent laterally, densely setose; setae yellowish, moderate to long. Clypeus subrectangular, sides weakly raised, lateral declivity moderately expanded; apex moderately reflexed, truncate in dorsal view, sinuate in frontal view; surface densely punctate on basal half, moderately densely punctate on apical half. Antennal club longer than stem. Pronotum: Surface moderately densely punctate; punctures round to lunulate, small, densely setose; setae short, yellowish. Sides strongly convergent anteriorly, anterior corners with few rugae. Base in front of scutellum strongly emarginate. Scutellum sparsely punctate, punctures small, mostly on basal portion. Elytra: Surface moderately densely punctate, striae bearing 2–3 irregular rows of small, lunulate or irregular punctures, middle row frequently obsolete, moderately densely setose, setae short to long. Costae moderately developed. Apex and sides posteriorly weakly rugose. Pygidium: Surface subconcentrically striate; striae dense, discontinuous, moderately setose; setae short to moderate, yellowish. Legs: Surface densely setose; setae long, yellowish. Protibiae slender, apical and medial teeth closer to each other than to basal tooth, basal tooth weakly developed. Meso- and metatibial carinae moderately developed. Metatarsi longer than metatibiae. Metatibial spurs slender, apices sharp. Apex of metatibiae not strongly expanded. Venter: Mesometasternal process weakly compressed laterally, extended anteriorly slightly beyond mesocoxae, apex weakly rounded. Mesepimera, metasternum, and metacoxae densely setose, setae as on legs. Metasternum rugose, densely setose laterally, sparsely punctate and setose at middle; median sulcus weakly impressed. Abdomen in lateral view weakly concave. Male genitalia: Parameres as in Fig. 35c .

Allotype. Female. Similar to holotype except in the following: Length 15.5 mm; width 8.2 mm. Color: Pronotal vitta not covering midline. Head: Clypeal sides weakly raised, apex weakly reflexed. Antennal club shorter than stem. Pronotum: Shiny on anterior half and sides. Scutellum mostly impunctate, with few small punctures at base. Legs: Protibiae robust, apical and medial teeth strongly developed, basal tooth weakly developed. Apex of metatibiae strongly expanded. Abdomen in lateral view weakly convex.

Variation. Paratypes (6 males, 2 females) are similar to the holotype and allotype except in the following: Length 13.1–15.6 mm; width 7.8–9.5 mm. Color: Dorsal surface entirely yellowish brown with few dark brown markings to entirely dark brown with few yellowish brown markings. Pronotal vitta variable in shape, from almost covering the pronotum entirely to reduced to small markings. Head: Frons occasionally with weak middle ridge.

Diagnosis. This species is separated from other species in the group by the body size, strongly developed lateral declivity of the clypeus, and form of the parameres. Euphoria paradisiaca appears in Solís (2004) as E. chontalensis (Appendix 5). Euphoria paradisiaca is easily separated from E. chontalensis based on the subparallel sides of the clypeus (arcuate in E. chontalensis ), sinuate apex of the clypeus (entire in E. chontalensis ), absence of cretaceous markings on the pygidium (present in E. chontalensis ), and form of the male parameres.

Natural History. According to Solís (2004), adult specimens are attracted to ripe banana and have been observed feeding on fallen fruits of Ficus sp. at elevations between 1,000 –2,000 m.

Temporal Distribution. June (5), August (2), November (1) ( Fig. 35f ).

Geographic Distribution. Known from Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama ( Fig. 35g ).

Etymology. The specific epithet is the feminine form of the Latin “ paradisiacus ” meaning “of or belonging to paradise” and referring to the geographic area the species inhabits.

Figures

Fig. 35. Euphoria paradisiaca. a) Habitus of holotype, b) Head of holotype, c) Parameres of holotype, d-e) Color variation in paratypes, f) Temporal distribution, g) Geographic distribution in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama.