Euphoria pulchella ( 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 : 90-91

Euphoria pulchella ( Gory and Percheron, 1833)

(Appendix 4: Fig. 52 )

Cet onia pulchella Gory and Percheron 1833: 64 . Original combination.

Lectotype at MHNG here designated. One paralectotype at MHNG, examined.

Cetonia ferrugata Gory and Percheron 1833: 64 . Synonym.

Holotype at MNHN, examined.

Cetonia montesuma Gory and Percheron 1833: 64 . Synonym.

Type not located.

Cetonia children Gory and Percheron 1833: 64 . Synonym.

Type not located.

Cetonia thelasco Gory and Percheron 1833: 64 . Synonym.

Type not located.

Description (n = 1,670). Length 8.7–10.1 mm; width 4.8–6.1 mm. Color: Dorsal surface shiny or tomentous, black, red, dark brown, light brown, orange, or a combination of these colors. Pronotum occasionally with lateral, cretaceous band. Pronotum frequently with 1 black medial vitta on each side of midline. Elytra frequently with reddish areas on disc and a transverse cretaceous band on posterior third. Ventral surface, including legs, black to light brown or a combination of both. Pygidium frequently with cretaceous spots on anterolateral corners. Head: Frons densely punctate, frequently slightly raised at middle; punctures moderate in size, deep, confluent, moderately densely to densely setose; setae yellowish, moderate to long. Clypeus elongated, sides strongly convergent, punctation as on frons, glabrous to sparsely setose; apex not raised, emarginate. Antennal club as long or slightly longer than stem in males, much shorter in females. Pronotum: Surface densely punctate; punctures moderate, lunulate at middle, sides with fine rugae distributed in a concentric pattern from middle of disc, glabrous to densely setose; setae short to long, yellowish. Sides strongly angulate to arcuate, base in front of scutellum weakly to strongly emarginate. Scutellum elongated, apex pointed, sparsely to densely punctate; punctures small, lunulate, setigerous. Elytra: Surface densely punctate, striae bearing 2 rows of grooves surrounding 1–2 rows of lunulate punctures or lunulate punctures surrounding the grooves; punctures moderate in size, bearing short to moderate, yellowish setae, costae well defined. Posterior half of sutural costa raised in lateral view. Pygidium: Surface concentrically striate; striae deep, frequently continuous, moderately densely to densely setose; setae moderate to long, yellowish. Surface strongly to weakly convex, subequal in shape in both sexes. Legs: Protibial teeth frequently worn down, apical tooth strongly developed in females, basal tooth frequently obsolete to subobsolete in males. Protarsi longer in males than in females. Mesotibial carina often ending in 1–2 short spines. Metatibial spurs slender in males, at least 1 stouter or expanded in females. Venter: Mesometasternal process extending anteriorly slightly or well beyond mesocoxae, weakly to strongly constricted laterally, apex variably rounded. Metasternum rugose, densely setose laterally, sparsely to moderately densely punctate at middle, median sulcus shallowly to deeply impressed. Sternites at sides moderately densely to densely setose; setae moderate to long, yellowish, abdomen in lateral view moderately convex in males, flat to strongly convex in females. Male genitalia: Parameres as in Fig. 52c .

Diagnosis. Euphoria pulchella is a highly variable species in color but is separated from the other species in the group based on the strongly attenuate clypeus, base of pronotum moderately to strongly emarginate in front of scutellum, and body frequently with cretaceous markings.

Taxonomic History. Gory and Percheron (1833) described five different species based on color variants. Burmeister (1842) recognized as valid only E. pulchella .

Natural History. This is a frequently collected species. Adults have been found on Buddleja wrightii Robinson (Scrophulariaceae) , Baccharis sp. , Acacia angustissima (Mill.) , Eupatorium sp. , and Gossypium sp. , and on flowers of C. suberosus and Hyptis mociniana Betnh. (Lamiaceae) . Deloya (1988) observed adults copulating on flowers of Bursera subomonoliforme Engl. in Morelos, Mexico. Pacheco et al. (2008) found adults on the flowers of Jatropha curca L. ( Euphorbiaceae ) in Chiapas, Mexico. Adults are attracted to ultraviolet and white light traps as well as fruit traps and have been collected in tropical deciduous forests, dry forests, pasture lands, and scrub forests. Imagos have been found in the debris piles of A. mexicana in Mexico ( Hinton and Ancona 1935; Deloya 1988; Rojas 1989; Deloya and Morón 1994; Deloya et al. 1995; Navarrete-Heredia 2001). Specimens have been collected between 366–2,300 m elevation.

Temporal Distribution. January (4), March (6), April (18), May (101), June (438), July (253), August (95), September (235), October (226), November (6), December (6) ( Fig. 52f ).

Geographic Distribution. Known from northern Mexico through El Salvador ( Fig. 52g ). Morón et al. (1997) recorded the species from Chihuahua, Durango, and Hidalgo, Mexico.

Specimens Examined (1,670). Type material: Cetonia pulchella Gory and Percheron, 1833 ; lectotype at MNHG here designated labeled “Gory/ TYPE// pulchella/ G. et P. B.// Coll. Melly // Mexico ” and my lectotype label; paralectotype at MHNG labeled “Coll. Melly ” and my paralectotype label. Cetonia ferrugata Gory and Percheron, 1833 ; holotype at MHNG labeled “Gory/ TYPE// var. ferrugata / G. et P./ Mexico / Coll. Melly ” and my holotype label . Other material: BELIZE (1): TOLEDO: Columbia Forest Reserve (1). EL SALVADOR (5): CUSCATLÁN: El Rosario (4); SAN SALVADOR: San Salvador (1). GUATEMALA (84): ALTA VERAPAZ: Cobán (1), La Llamaca (“ Chacoj ”) (1); BAJA VERAPAZ: Salamá (11), San Jerónimo (1); EL PROGRESO: El Progreso (6), Morazán (1); EL QUICHÉ: Río Blanco (1), Sacapulas (1); JALAPA: Jalapa (1), PETÉN: Tikal (3); ZACAPA: La Unión (2), San Lorenzo (48); NO DATA: “Guatemala” (7). HONDURAS (78): COMAYAGUA: Comayagua (1), El Taladro (68); CORTÉS: Yojoa (2); LA PAZ: La Paz (1); YORO: Arenal (3); NO DATA: “Honduras” (3). MEXICO (1,494): CAMPECHE: Hopelchen (1); COLIMA: Colima (25), Manzanillo (2); CHIAPAS: Altamirano (1), Arriaga (1), Chicoasén (1), Chorreadero (2), El Aguacero (22), Ixtapa (5), La Sepultura (3), Ocozocoautla (3), Santa Rosa (7), La Sepultura (4), Suchiate (3), Parque Nacional Cañon del Sumidero (72), Tuxtla Gutiérrez (5); DISTRITO FEDERAL: Ciudad de México (3); ESTADO DE MÉXICO: Tejupilco (3), Temascaltepec (3); GUERRERO: Almolonga (11), Arcelia (35), Coayula (51), Cuapongo (4), El Ocotito (8 km W) (1), Iguala (2) (10 km N) (2), Mexcala (1), Michapa (1), Río Balsas (137), Taxco de Alarcón (1), Xochipala (1); JALISCO: Ajijíc (47), Autlán (4), Chamela (26), Chapala (12), Cuitzmala (1), El Tuito (7), Guadalajara (222), Huentitán (14), Jalastitlán (1), La Quemada (4), Magdalena (9), Puerto Los Mazos (1), Puerto Vallarta (1), Tequila (13), Tesistan (22 km N) (1), Tlaquepaque (5), Volcán Colima (27); MICHOACÁN: Acahuato (12), Apatzingán (2), Cotija (1), El Sabino (1); MORELOS: Alpuyeca (17), Amacuzac (6), Cuernavaca (49), Huajintlan (3), Joyutla (1), Puente de Ixtla (4), Tepoztlán (1), Xochicalco (28); NAYARIT: Acaponeta (1), Compostela (1), Jesús María (9), Ixtlán del Río (2), Peñita (1), La Quemada (2), San Blas (15), Santa María (1), Tepic (3), Volcán Ceboruco (3); OAXACA: El Vado (1), El Zopilote (1) Guelatao (1), Juchitán (1), Huajuapan (3), Matias Romero (3), Monte Albán (186), Niltepec (1), Oaxaca (72), Pueblo Nuevo (16), San Juan Juquila Mixes (32), Santiago Chazumba (2), Tehuana (1), Tehuantepec (3), Teotitlán (8), Tepanatepec (2), Tlacotula (7), Xochicalco (2); PUEBLA: Acatlán (6), Pahuatlán (1); SINALOA: Acaponeta (2), Choix (2), Guamúchil (3), Mazatlán (21), San Blas (2), Walamo (23); SONORA: Álamos (6), Guiricoba (5); VERACRUZ: Actopan (3), Balsapote (5), Barranca de Metlac (1), Córdoba (14), Cuitláhuac (1), Descanso (1), Fortín de las Flores (5), Huatusco (5), Jalapa (19), La Tinaja (2), Los Tuxtlas (2), Palma Sola (4), Puente Nacional (9), Rinconada (2), San Martín (1), Santa María del Mar (4), Sontecomapan (5), Tierra Blanca (1), Tinajitas (1); YUCATÁN: No data: (1); ZACATECAS: La Ceja (11), Tepetongo (3); NO DATA: “Mexico” (10). SUSPECT RECORDS (5): “Costa Rica” (1), “Venezuela” (4).

Figures

Fig. 52. Euphoria pulchella. a) Habitus, b) Head, c) Parameres, d-e) Color variation, f) Temporal distribution, g) Geographic distribution in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico; open square indicates state record only.