Macrodactylus montanus Arce­Pérez and Morón, 2000

Arce-Pérez, Roberto & Morón, Miguel-Angel, 2005, New species and new records of species of Macrodactylus Dejean (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Macrodactyini) from Honduras and Nicaragua, Zootaxa 1012 (1012), pp. 23-37 : 35

Macrodactylus montanus Arce­Pérez and Morón, 2000

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished by the following combination of characters: antennal club reddish­brown with the apex darkened; pronotum black with scattered setae on the borders; elytra orange­yellow with sericeous shine ( Fig. 9); pygidium glabrous, orange­yellow; abdomen black; femora and tibiae reddish­brown; tarsi nearly black with scattered white setae; parameres with apex lanceolate and setae on the external borders; female with scattered erect setae on the pronotum ( Figs. 12).

Material examined (11 males, 16 females). MEXICO. Chiapas state, San Cristobal de Las Casas municipality, Reserva Huitepec , 2250m, 30 May 1996, Col. O. Gómez (holotype and allotype) ( IEXA). NEW COUNTRY RECORDS : HONDURAS. Ocotepeque department, Guisayote, 20.5 km Ocotepeque, 2170 m, 16 June 1994, Col. R . Anderson , 7 males, 6 females ( CMNC, MXAL) . Lempira department, Corquin, Cerro de Celaque , 1800 m, 17 July 1999, Col. J. Monzón, 3 males, 9 females ( UVGC, IEXA) .

Biology. This species inhabits cloud forests and pine oak forests located at altitudes from 1800 to 2250 m. Months of collection: May (2), June (13), July (12). The type series was collected on an unidentified Styracaceae .

Distribution. Northeastern Chiapas, México to western Honduras (14° 05'– 16° 44' N, 88° 40'– 92° 38' W).

Remarks. This species was originally described with one pair of specimens from “Reserva Huitepec”, Chiapas, México. The large series of specimens collected in Honduras have some differences from the types as follows: body length 12–13 mm, humeral width 3.5–4.0 mm; clypeus, antennal funicle, elytra, pygidium, and legs reddish­brown ( Fig. 11); abdominal sternites 2–5 each with 6–8 spine­like, erect, reddish­brown, long setae at the sides of midline; apex of meso­ and metatibia and tarsal segments darkened; parameres slightly larger with the crest on the inner border more developed ( Figs. 19–20). Female pronotum with scattered mixture of short and long erect setae ( Fig. 12); genital plates ( Fig. 21) slightly longer and narrower than in the allotype. The new records in Honduras extend the distribution 250 km to southeast of San Cristobal Las Casas, Chiapas across the high mountain ranges in Chiapas, Guatemala, and Honduras. It is likely that this species will be found in Guatemalan humid forests located above 2000 m in altitude.