Phyllophaga (Phyllophaga) yucana Saylor, 1937

Vallejo, Luís Fernando & Wolff, Martha, 2013, The genus Phyllophaga Harris (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) in the Colombian Andean Mountains, Zootaxa 3722 (2), pp. 101-142 : 126-128

21. Phyllophaga (Phyllophaga) yucana Saylor, 1937

Redescription. Length 16.4–17.2 mm in males and 17.3–19.0 in females. Elongate body, dorsal surface dullpruinose with numerous minute punctures; there are variations in color, from light chestnut-brown to yellowish chestnut-brown on the dorsal surface and dark chestnut-brown on the pronotum. The pronotum ( Fig. 83 ) is expanded, wider than it is long, and its surface is covered with long, fine setae. The clypeus is parabolic, concave with raised margins and a densely punctate surface. Antennae ( Fig. 84 ) have 10 antennomeres with wide antennal clubs. Protibiae ( Fig. 85 ) are flat, with two pronounced anterior teeth and a third smaller one; metatibiae ( Fig. 86 ) have transversal, oblique carinae, more prominent in the dorsolateral region, with two sharp spurs, the inner shorter than the outer spur, both fused with the tibia. Pygidial plate ( Figs. 87–88 ) is convex, more prominent in males, with minute anterodistal punctures in the ventral position. The male genital structure ( Figs. 89–90 ) is very adorned; the genital capsule is compact, straight, and cylindrical; parameres are short and wide, with a short spine, articulated by a membrane at the base; the aedeagus is also very adorned, its basal position is completely covered by a wide ring of minute spines, giving a sand-paper appearance. A sclerotized membrane is present, with extremities ending in a crown of long, thick spines pointing in all directions. The structure ends with a large whip, very sclerotized at its base and a large quantity of minute spines in the mid region. It finishes with 4–8 thick, long setae which form a sharp tip.

Comments. Phyllophaga yucana is a replacement name for the homonym Ancylonycha sericata Blanchard. The original description (Blanchard 1851) was missing data on the sex and number of specimens revised, but the origin of the type series was recorded as “ Venezuela ”, which was repeated by Blackwelder (1944). Frey (1975), based on Blanchard’s syntypes deposited at the National Natural History Museum in Paris, illustrated the male genitals and gave the general distribution as Colombia and Venezuela. Observations from this study reveal that P. yucana has a wide range of variation in size, color, and surface texture, leading to possible confusion with P. bicolor Moser.

Geographic records. Departamento de Caldas: Municipio de Manizales (2,200 m) January-May 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, Fernando Vallejo, 22 males, 13 females; municipio de Aguadas (2,170 m) February-June 2006, 2007, Fernando Vallejo, 32 males, 23 females; municipio de Riosucio (1,800 m), March 2006, Fernando Vallejo, 12 males, 7 females; municipio de Palestina, vereda Santágueda, Granja Montelindo (propiedad de la Universidad de Caldas (1,150 m), March-June 2006, 2007, Fernando Vallejo, 27 males, 19 females; municipios de Chinchiná y Manizales, Reserva Natural Plan-Alto, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones de Café -CENICAFE (1,460 m), April-June 2006, 2007, Fernando Vallejo, 28 males, 14 females. Departamento de Risaralda: Municipio de Quinchía (1,825 m) March-May 2006, 2007, Octavio Útima, 21 males, 12 females. Departamento del Tolima: Municipio de Fresno, vereda Alegrías (1,560 m), September 2008, Fernando Vallejo, 2 males, 1 female. Departamento de Quindío: Municipio de Salento (1,960 m), May-June 2006, 2007, Fernando Vallejo, 2 males, 1 female. Departamento del Cauca: Municipio de Buenos Aires (1,640 m), October 1998, November 1999, Luis Carlos Pardo-Locarno, 1 male, 2 females.

Figures

FIGURES 83 – 90. Phyllophaga yucana, pronotum, dorsal view (83); right antenna (84); pro, meso, and metatibiae (85); right metatibia (86); abdomen apex, posterior view (87), frontal view (88); male genital capsule, lateral view (89), frontal view (90). Scale: 1 mm.