Zagurya Fuhrmann, 2021

Fuhrmann, Juares, 2021, Zagurya, a new genus from Brazil with notes on claw movement in Macrodactylini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae), Zootaxa 5016 (3), pp. 395-406 : 396-400

Zagurya Fuhrmann , new genus

Type species. Plectris eusquamosa Frey, 1975 , here designated.

Diagnosis. Dorsal surface with glabrous and shiny areas mixed with areas covered by scale-like setae, some sparse hair-like setae present ( Figs. 2, 9–17); posterior angles of clypeus not forming part of canthus area ( Fig. 4); contact of mesoscutum−scutellum angulate ( Fig. 5); protibiae and mesotibiae of males wide and flat ( Figs. 11, 21, 23); protibia with two outer teeth and with a spur ( Fig. 21); mesotarsomere I of males with an inner hook-like tooth ( Figs. 23–24); metatarsomere IV with two well-defined groups of inner spiny setae, one of these at apex and other at proximal area ( Fig. 34); inner side of metatarsomere V with a raised carina ( Figs. 27, 34–35).

Etymology. Zagurya is named in honor of Dr. Fernando Zagury Vaz-de-Mello (CEMT). The name is feminine in gender.

Remarks. Within all South American Melolonthinae, Mallotarsus and Zagurya are the only genera that have mesotarsomere I of males with an inner hook-like tooth, metatarsomere V with an inner raised carina or tubercle, and all tarsi with inner distal sulci (“claws sulci”) long (length of sulci at least one-fourth of length of inner area of metatarsomere V, Figs. 35, 37, 39, 42).

Zagurya is distinguished from Mallotarsus by (characters of Mallotarsus given in parentheses): dorsal surface with groups of scale-like setae (never with scale-like setae); protibia with two outer teeth (with three teeth); protibia and mesotibia of males wide and 1.6 or two time longer than wide (long and more than three times longer than wide); mesotibia of males with one spur (with two spurs); metafemur without row of spiny setae (with a longitudinal row of spiny setae); inner area of metatarsomere IV with proximal spiny setae (without proximal spiny setae); inner distal area of metatarsomere IV with spiny setae and without spine (without spiny setae and with a spine, Fig. 38); metatarsus with claws symmetrical (anterior claw smaller than posterior claw, Fig. 39).

The new genus includes a species formerly included in Plectris . Zagurya is distinguished from Plectris by (character of Plectris given in parentheses): protibia and mesotibia of males wide and 1.6 or two time longer than wide (long and more than three times longer than wide); metatarsomere IV with two well-defined groups of inner spiny setae: proximal and distal (without spiny setae, Fig. 36); metatarsus with claws symmetrical (symmetrical or anterior claw smaller than posterior claw, Fig. 37).