Mimela admixta Zhao, 2021

Zhao, Ming-Zhi, 2021, On the genus Mimela Kirby, 1823 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) from China and adjacent countries, with description of five new species, Zootaxa 4995 (2), pp. 201-230 : 212-215

Mimela admixta Zhao , new species

( Figs. 10A–E , 13A, G, M )

Type material. Holotype: ♂ ( MYNU), “ CHINA: YUNNAN, Honghe, Pingbian, Mt. Daweishan 2015-V-17 2100m Jian-Yue Qiu leg.” ; Paratypes (7♂♂, 13♀♀): 3♂♂, 2♀♀ (1♂, 1♀ MYNU, 2♂♂, 1♀ ZMPC), same data as holotype ; 1♂ ( MYNU), “ CHINA: YUNNAN, Honghe, Pingbian, Mt. Daweishan 2015-V-18 2100m Jian-Yue Qiu leg.” ; 2♂♂, 1♀ ( ZMPC), “ CHINA: YUNNAN, Honghe, Pingbian, Mt. Daweishan 2016.V.16-18 2100m Lu Qiu leg.” ; 1♀ ( ZMPC), “ Hotel on the top, Mt. Daweishan , Pingbian County, Yunnan, 2093m 2018.V.27 Lu Qiu , Zhi-Wei Dong leg.” ; 2♀♀ ( ZMPC), “ CHINA: YUNNAN, Honghe, Pingbian, Mt. Daweishan 2017.VII.5 Zhi-Wei Dong leg.” ; 1♀ ( ZMPC), “ China: Yunnan Province, Honghe Prefecture, Pingbian, Mt. Daweishan , Shuiweicheng 2020.V.2 light trap Zheng Zhou leg.” ; 1♀ ( ZMPC), “ Yunnan, Pingbian, Mt. Daweishan 2-14-VII-15 Jun Xue leg.” ; 1♀ ( ZRPC), “ CHINA: Yunnan, Honghe, Pingbian, Mt. Daweishan 2017.VI.21-27 Bill Yang leg.” ; 1♀ ( LCPC), “ Pingbian Daweishan 2014.05.28 Chao Li leg.” ; 1♂, 3♀♀ ( KIZ), “ Yunnan Prov., Wenshan Pref., Maguan County, Gulinqing Township 2021.IV” .

Description. Holotype (male). Body length 16.1 mm, greatest width 8.9 mm; body shape elongated ovoid, slightly broadened posteriad, moderately convex. Color. Body metallic, very glossy; dorsal surface including propygidium and pygidium dark violet; abdominal ventrites, inner apices of all tibiae as well as tarsi greenish blue; antenna, anterior half of clypeus, mouth parts, lateral margin of pronotum, coxae, femora, tibiae, and ventral thoracic surface yellowish brown; protarsal teeth and tarsal claws reddish brown; ventral metathoracic surface with greenish blue hue. Head: Clypeus about 2.54 times broader than long, trapezoidal, anterior angle rounded, anterior margin moderately reflexed; fronto-clypeal suture distinct; clypeus shallowly and densely punctate, frons and vertex with sparse small punctures; antennal club slightly longer than antennomeres 1–6 combined; with two semierect short setae along inner margin of eye. Pronotum. About 1.75 times broader than long; sides weakly curved, distinctly convergent anteriad to anterior angle; anterior and posterior angles blunt, anterior angle distinctly protruding; anterior marginal line broadly interrupted medially, basal marginal line absent, lateral marginal lines obsolete near posterior angle; with sparse small punctures; disc with a distinct, short longitudinal medial furrow; lateral portion with two depressions, the first rounded and situated medially, the second elongated and oblique, situated near posterior angles. Scutellum. Semicircular, with rather sparse minute punctures. Elytra. Intervals almost flat, three inner intervals weakly convex apically; strial punctures large and close; primary costae almost smooth; interstices with scattered large punctures, becoming sparser apically; humeral umbo and apical protuberance indistinct, smooth; lateral carina narrow. Propygidium. Glabrous, with sparse and shallow small punctures. Pygidium. Each side of posterior margin with a distinct concavity; finely and sparsely punctate, punctures being denser laterally; apex with several short setae. Abdominal ventrites. With scattered small punctures, becoming denser laterally; each ventrite with a transverse row of sparse short setae. Ventral thoracic surface. Prosternal process well developed and plough-shaped, convex ventrally, strongly pointed anteriad, posterior ventral corner acute; mesometasternal process absent; metasternum densely punctate; meso- and metasternum with moderately dense long setae, broadly glabrous at middle of metasternum. Legs. Slender; protibia bidentate, terminal tooth extends to anterior level of protarsomere 2 and acute at apex, proximal tooth smaller and triangular; protarsus thickened, protarsomere 1–4 abbreviated, protarsomere 5 with a strong internomedial denticle; inner protarsal claw and outer mesotarsal claw deeply split apically with the former wider, forming two branches; upper branches shorter and sharp, lower branches longer and broader with apices acute; inner metatarsal claw slightly more arched and shorter than the outer one; metatibia fusiform. Aedeagus. As in Fig. 13A, G, M .

Paratypes. Male. Body length: 16.1–17.8 mm, greatest width 9.1–9.5 mm. External features and genitalia consistent. Sometimes head and pronotum with greenish tinge. Pronotum sometimes with indistinct basal marginal line at each sides. Female. Body length: 17.7–18.3 mm, greatest width 10.0– 10.7 mm. Generally similar to male but body stouter. Coloration sometimes similar to that of males (three female paratypes), but normally the violet and greenish blue portions are predominantly green, usually with stronger lacquered luster (ten female paratypes; Fig. 10D–E ). Length of antennal club almost equal to combined length of antennomeres 1–6 combined. Pronotum sometimes with indistinct basal marginal line at each sides. Pygidium more triangular in shape. Terminal tooth of protibia blunt at apex, rather long and extending to half-length of protarsomere 3, proximal tooth of protibia blunt; protarsus thinner than in male; internomedial denticle of protarsomere 5 less prominent.

Differential diagnosis. Lin (1993) defined the Mimela chinensis species-group by the body dorsally green or entirely yellowish brown, dorsal surface extensively bears almost imperceptible tiny punctures, basal marginal line complete or interrupted medially, elytra with distinct striae and mesosternal process not protruding. Mimela chinensis Kirby, 1823 , M. fusania Bates, 1888 , M. taiwana Sawada, 1943 , M. specularis Ohaus, 1902 and M. dentifera Lin, 1990 form a subgroup with normally unicolor and strongly convex body. While Mimela admixta Zhao , new species, M. latimarginata Zhao , new species, M. foveola Benderitter, 1929 ( Figs. 11E–F , 13S–X ), M. hauseri Ohaus, 1943 ( Figs. 11A–D , 13D–L ) and M. opalina Ohaus, 1902 ( Figs. 12D–F , 13P–R ) form another subgroup with bicolor body and moderately convex body. The examination of aedeagi showed that the male genitalia of M. hauseri and M. foveola are not consistent in shape, especially for M. hauseri , which has a strong variation. However, these five bicolor species are easily diagnosed by their distinctive external features.

Mimela admixta new species is closely allied to M. hauseri from southern China. It can be distinguished by the very fine dorsal punctures, the shorter fore legs in male, the narrower lateral carinae of elytra, as well as the more convex and oval body. The greenish form of M. admixta new species also resembles M. opalina from southern China and northern Vietnam. The duller dorsal surface and coarser dorsal punctuation of the latter species, however, allow an easy separation.

Distribution. China: Yunnan (Honghe: Mt. Daweishan; Wenshan: Gulinqing).

Etymology. The specific epithet derives from Latin adjective “ admixtus, - a, - um ”, which means “mixed”, referring to the common appearance it shares with M. hauseri and M. opalina .

Figures

FIGURE 10. Habitus of Mimela admixta Zhao, new species. A–B, holotype; C–E, female paratypes (Daweishan); A, C–D, dorsal view; B, E, ventral view.

FIGURE 11. Habitus of Mimela spp. A–D, M. hauseri Ohaus, 1943; A–B, male (Biaoshuiyan); C, female (Mt. Maoershan); D, male (Mt. Dayaoshan); E–F, M. foveola Benderitter, 1929 (Biaoshuiyan); A, C–E, dorsal view; B, F, ventral view.

FIGURE 12. Habitus of Mimela spp. A–C, M. latimarginata Zhao, new species. A–B, holotype; C, female paratype; D–F, M. opalina Ohaus, 1902 (Guangxi, Jinxiu, Mt. Dayaoshan); A, C–D, F, dorsal view; B, E, ventral view.

FIGURE 13. Male genitalia of Mimela spp. from China. A–C, M. admixta Zhao, new species, holotype; D–F, M. hauseri Ohaus, 1943 (Biaoshuiyan); G–I, M. hauseri (Mt. Maoershan); J–L, M. hauseri (Mt. Dayaoshan); M–O, M. latimarginata Zhao, new species, holotype; P–R, M. opalina Ohaus, 1902 (Guangxi, Jinxiu, Mt. Dayaoshan); S–U, M. foveola Benderitter, 1929 (Biaoshuiyan); V–X, M. foveola, syntype (Chapa; images ©Matthias Seidel); first row, dorsal view; second row, right lateral view; bottom row, ventral view.