Phyllophaga (Phyllophaga) densata (Moser, 1918)

Vallejo, Luís Fernando & Wolff, Martha, 2013, The genus Phyllophaga Harris (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) in the Colombian Andean Mountains, Zootaxa 3722 (2), pp. 101-142 : 112

5. Phyllophaga (Phyllophaga) densata (Moser, 1918)

Redescription. Length, 26 mm. Body is elongated, oval, with 12 mm humeral amplitude; dorsal surface is glabrous, bright black. Pronotum ( Fig. 22 ) extended, wider than it is long, surface densely punctate, lateral margins crenulate. Clypeus bilobed, concave, with raised margins, surface densely punctate, and with a roughly punctate vertex. Antennae ( Fig. 23 ) have 10 antennomeres and a wide and elongated antennal club with three antennomeres. Tarsal claws ( Fig. 24, 26 ) are cleft, with a short, dull tooth very close to the unguinal base. Protibia ( Fig. 24 ) are flattened with two pronounced anterior teeth and a third, smaller tooth; tibial spur well defined. Metatibia ( Fig. 25 ) has sinuous, transversal carinae, more defined in the dorsolateral region, with two very sharp spurs, the inner shorter than the outer, both fused with tibia. The pygidial plate ( Figs 27–28 ) is convex, with minute setae on its frontal and ventral extremes; anterodistal punctures are present in the ventral position. The male genital capsule ( Figs. 29–30 ) is strongly sclerotized, compact, cylindrical, and curved. Parameres are long and wide, strongly curved at their distal extreme, with a very distinctive angular projection on each side; the aedeagus is membranous, its distal portion retracts to the internal side of each paramere forming a sort of an accordion; it is not adorned.

Comments. The specimen collected in Parque Nacional Natural Tatamá apparently represents a glabrous form of the species, given that the population from southern Mexico to the Canal Zone, Panama, usually has a dense dorsal vestiture of microtrichia. Other diagnostic features are the shape of the tarsal claws, tibiae, and clypeus. The structure of the genitalia in the Colombian specimen is very similar to that in the specimens from Costa Rica or Panama.

New geographic record. Departamento de Risaralda: Municipio de Santuario, Parque Nacional Natural Tatamá (Risaralda-Chocó) (1100 m) July 2000, Fernando Vallejo, 2 males.

Figures

FIGURES 22 – 30. Phyllophaga densata adult male. Pronotum, dorsal view (22), left antenna (23), right protibia (24); right metatibia (25); right protarsal claw (26) distal appearance of abdomen, frontal view (27), ventral view (28), male genital capsule, lateral view (29), transversal view (30). Scale: 1 mm.