Leucopholis stainesi, Calcetas, 2023

Calcetas, Orlando A., 2023, Three new species of the genus Leucopholis Dejean, 1833 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Melolonthinae, Leucopholini) from the Philippines and designation of a neotype for L. semperi Brenske, 1896, European Journal of Taxonomy 890, pp. 184-203 : 186-189

Leucopholis stainesi sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:760739D3-424D-4699-83D0-B7B3A2C5E9B0

Figs 1–6

Differential diagnosis

The new species can be distinguished from all other Philippine Leucopholis by the metaventral process that has a subapical constriction and is lanceolate subapically while in L. bezdeki sp. nov., L. semperi and L. ratcliffei sp. nov. it is elongate and nearly parallel-sided and without constriction subapically ( Figs 2 , 7 , 18 ). The abdominal ventrites are covered mostly with elongate ovoid scales in L. stainesi sp. nov. while it is covered mostly with short ovoid scales in all other Philippine Leucopholis with the metaventral process extending in front of the prosternal process. The paramere posterior margin is bisinuate and bowl-shaped in L. stainesi and L. semperi , but it is nearly straight medially in L. stainesi while it is slightly concave medially in L. semperi . The paramere posterior margin is sinuate, bowl-shaped and slightly concave medially in L. bezdeki while it is concave medially and bisinuate in L. ratcliffei .

Etymology

This new species is named after Dr Charles Staines, world expert on hispines at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, Maryland, USA.

Material examined

Holotype PHILIPPINES • ♂; South Cotabato, Tiboli, Salacapa, Mt. Parker ; Apr. 1993; V. Samarita leg.; PNM.

Type locality

Philippines (Mindanao, South Cotabato).

Description

BODY LENGTH. 35.0 mm.

BODY WIDTH. 17.0 mm.

COLOUR. Dorsum dichromatic, head, pronotum, scutellum, elytra and legs blackish; with brownish tinge on posterior margin of elytra; body covered with yellowish white scales. Venter dichromatic blackish with little shade of brown ( Fig. 1 ).

HEAD. Clypeus with medial anterior margin nearly straight anteriorly; slightly cleft, slanted at 60° angle laterally; anterior surface lustrous, glabrous, impunctate subanteriorly; above clypeo-labral suture rugose medially; with row of large, rounded to rugose punctures adjacent to posterior margin; each puncture with stiff brownish hair or seta; anterior and lateral margins widely carinate dorsally; with slight medial cleft laterally; anterior angle widely rounded laterally; dorsal surface covered with short, narrow, elongate, parallel-sided, acicular-like, tapered, blunt apically yellowish white scales; scales slightly bent downward. Apical maXillary palpomere rice grain-like, with oval flattened area. Mentum pot-shaped, lustrous, glabrous; with very few hair brushes on each side of medial cleft subanteriorly; with nearly flattened surface medially. Antennal lamellae length 3.2 mm, longer than entire length of antennomeres II–VII.

PRONOTUM. Anterior margin moderately concave, distinctly long nearly straight margin medially; anterior angle obtuse; without lustrous, glabrous, impunctate callosity subapically; rounded, carinate apically; lateral margin widely convex medially; anterolateral margin at ~45° angle, crenulate; posterolateral margin distinctly wedge-shaped, slightly crenulate; posterior angle at 90° angle, strongly sinuate, rounded apically; posterior margin bisinuate; with deep, rounded margin medially; margin distinctly extended posteriorly; surface covered with variable scales; covered mostly with short, narrow, spindle-shaped, tapered to blunt apically scales medio-subanteriorly; with elongate, very narrow, nearly parallel-sided spindle-shaped, tapered apically scales medio-subposteriorly; with short, narrow, lanceolate, tapered apically scales submedially; with short, ovoid, rounded apex scales on each side adjacent to lateral margin.

VENTRAL SIDE OF THORAX. Prosternal process mound-shaped to nearly isosceles triangulate, widely rounded apically; with flattened, lustrous, impunctate area dorsally ( Fig. 2 ). Metaventral process length 5.0 mm; distinctly wide, triangulate basally; elongate apically; constricted subapically; sublateral margin lanceolate; narrow rounded apically; lustrous, glabrous, impunctate dorsally; with straight, narrow, faint, longitudinal dark line medially; faint line much distinct in metasternum ( Fig. 2 ). Metasternum with medial depression; depression on each side of metaventral process covered with very thin, acicular-like white scales; metasternum covered mostly with short, spindle-shaped, apically blunt scales.

LEG. Foretibia bidentate, widely rounded apex; posterior metatibia with 20 spicules.

SCUTELLUM. Covered with large, moderate, spindle-shaped to ovoid whitish scales; with elongate, parallel-sided acicular whitish scales; lustrous, impunctate medially, with very few rounded punctures on each side.

ELYTRON. Anterior margin distinctly wedge-shaped towards scutellum; anterior angle widely rounded; thickly carinate, explanate ( Fig. 3 ); with narrow suture towards anterior angle; margin evanescent medially; posterolateral margin vertically flattened towards posterior angle; posterior angle obtuse, widely rounded, minutely explanate; with thin crust-like margin; posterior margin smooth, slightly sinuate towards sutural angle; sutural angle approximately at 90° angle; sutural margin medially and towards sutural angle; distinctly carinate towards scutellum, infleXed, not carinate ( Fig. 4 ); each side near sutural angle covered with short, fringed hairs; surface mostly covered with variable sized inverted lanceolate, tapered apically, bent medially yellowish white scales.

ABDOMEN. Abdominal sternites I–V covered with short, inverted lanceolate, tapered basally, rounded apically scales; sternites III and IV each with small patch of scales medially; patch of scales on sternite III much closer compared to IV; with very few elongated, narrow, parallel-sided scales; scales larger mesally compared to each side; sternite VI with minute to small scales.

PYGIDIUM. Anterolateral margin thickly carinate towards anterior angle; disappearing medially; with narrow explanate margin medially, much distinct and wide towards posterior margin; posterior margin widely rounded, narrowly explanate, depressed medially; convex laterally; subposterior margin sloping downward laterally; surface rugosely punctured; covered with short, narrow, minute to small spindle-shaped to parallel-sided scales.

MALE GENITALIA. Genitalia length 9.8 mm. Phallobase with dorsal apical margin wide, bowl-shaped, distinctly convex medially ( Fig. 5 ). Parameres with dorsal basal margin bowl-shaped, slightly convex medially.Apical process length 2.8 mm, distinctly shorter than phallobase; dog head-like, short, triangulate towards apex, rounded apically; with deep, wide, horse saddle-shaped depression medially; basal margin widely explanate. Lateral margin of paramere with very shallow longitudinal depression on each side ( Fig. 6 ).

Distribution

Philippines (Mindanao).

Figures

Fig. 1–3. Leucopholis stainesi sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (PNM). 1. Habitus, dorsal aspect. 2. Metaventral process, dorsal aspect. 3. Elytron, anterior margin and anterior angle.

Fig. 4–6. Leucopholis stainesi sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (PNM). 4. Elytron, dorsal aspect. 5. Male genitalia, dorsal aspect. 6. Male genitalia, lateral aspect.

Fig. 7–10. Leucopholis bezdeki sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (PNM). 7. Habitus, dorsal aspect. 8. Metaventral process, dorsal aspect. 9. Male genitalia, dorsal aspect. 10. Male genitalia, lateral aspect.

Fig. 17–20. Leucopholis ratcliffei sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (UNSM). 17. Habitus, dorsal aspect.18. Metaventral process, dorsal aspect. 19. Male genitalia, dorsal aspect. 20. Male genitalia, lateral aspect.