Macrodactylus hondurensis Arce­Pérez and Morón, 2005

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 : 32-35

Macrodactylus hondurensis Arce­Pérez and Morón , new species

( Figs. 8, 11, 16–18)

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished by the following combination of characters: antennal club bicolored; pronotum, elytra, and pygidium with dense vestiture of scale­like, mustard yellow setae; abdomen and legs black; tarsi with rings of white setae; parameres with lanceolate apex and long setae on the external borders; female with scale­like, mustard yellow setae only at the sides of the pronotum.

Description. Holotype. Male: Body length 10.0 mm; humeral width 3.5 mm. Color ( Fig. 8): clypeus, most of antennae, mouthparts, elytra, pygidium, last sternite, femora, and most of tibiae reddish­yellow; head, distal half of antennal club, pronotum, scutellum, pterothorax, abdomen, apex of tibiae, and tarsi black. Surface: clypeus and frons with scattered scale­like, yellow setae; pronotum with dense vestiture of scale­like, yellow, short setae that cover most of integument; elytra weakly striated without scale­like setae along sutural and lateral borders; elytral disc with recumbent scale­like, yellow, short setae that do not completely cover the integument; ventrally with short, white setae. Disc of pygidium with scale­like, yellow setae, surrounded by glabrous, wide margins. Head: clypeus trapezoidal, anterior border nearly straight; antennal club yellow with apical half black; mentum elongate with scattered, longitudinally furrowed setae; anterior border straight; anterolateral emargination exposing basal segment of labial palpus. Thorax: pronotum hexagonal, convex, 3.2 mm length, 2.9 mm width; prosternal process short, narrowed, slightly depressed, with acute apex hidden in frontal view; scutellum elongate with rounded apex. Metasternum with two longitudinal, irregular rows of long, yellow setae between meso­ and metacoxae. Procoxa conical, prominent. Protibia with two rounded teeth at the apex of external border. Protibial articulated spur absent. Protarsus shortened with spine­like setae at the apex of each segment and rings of white setae. Meso­ and metafemur with short, spine­like setae scattered on ventral surface. Mesotibia widened toward the apex with two long, narrow, weakly curved, acute spurs, and long spine­like setae around the apex. Metatibia widened toward the apex with numerous preapical long, black setae on the inner surface and long, spine­like setae around the apex. Meso­ and metatarsi enlarged, each segment with rings of white setae on basal half and long spinelike setae around the apex. All tarsal claws narrowly cleft. Abdomen: sternites 2­5 moderately concave at middle, each with 4–5 spine­like, erect, reddish, short setae at the sides of midline; length of sternite 5 twice the length of sternite 4, without setae near the posterior border; sternite 6 ovate with scattered white setae on the surface and numerous long, black setae on the apical border. Pygidium elongate, strongly convex. Genitalia: total length 2.95 mm; parameres stout with long setae on the distal half of lateral borders, completely fused dorsobasally, widely curved toward the apex, horse­shoe shape in distal view with 1.14 mm length and 0.96 mm width; each apex clearly lanceolate ( Figs. 16­17).

Allotype. Female: Body length 11 mm; humeral width 4 mm ( Fig. 11). Similar to male except as follows: pronotum 2.8 mm in length, 2.9 mm in width with scale­like dark yellow setae only at the sides of the pronotum; protibia with preapical articulated spur; abdominal sternites 2–4 convex at middle without erect, long setae; pygidium short, nearly triangular, weakly convex, slightly projected before the apex. Genital plates narrowed, apex rounded and external border briefly sinuate ( Fig. 18).

Variation (6 paratypes). Body length 9.8­11.5 mm; humeral width 3.4–4.1 mm; antennal club dark and abdominal sternites reddish­yellow to dark yellow in some specimens.

Material examined (2 males, 6 females). Holotype male: HONDURAS. Cortes department, San Pedro Sula, Parque Nacional Cusuco, Danto Trail , 2 March 1995, Col. R. Cordero ( CMNC) . Allotype female ( CMNC), 1 male and 5 females paratypes ( CMNC, MXAL) with same data as holotype .

Biology. This species inhabits secondary montane moist forest of Pinus, Liquidambar, Trema , and Quercus species located at 1800 m in altitude. Month of collection: March (8).

Geographical distribution. Mountains in western Honduras (15° 30' N, 88° 05' W) .

Taxonomic comments. Macrodactylus hondurensis is included in the “ M. subspinosus ” group (sensu Arce­Pérez and Morón, 2000) because the dorsal surface and pygidium have scale­like setae, the metasternum has rows of long setae between meso­ and metacoxae, the largest mesotibial apical spur is curved, the tarsal segments have rings of white setae, the parameres have setae on the external borders, and the genital plates of the females are narrowed with the lateral borders not expanded.

Etymology. Latinized name of the country where the species was collected.