Pseudholophylla hurai Hutchinson & Allsopp, 2021

Hutchinson, Paul M. & Allsopp, Peter G., 2021, Australian Melolonthini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae): a sixth species of Pseudholophylla Blackburn, 1911, and notes on the other known species, Zootaxa 5082 (1), pp. 30-40 : 31-33

Pseudholophylla hurai Hutchinson & Allsopp , new species

( Figs. 1–7 , 13–14 , 19)

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Type series. Holotype ♂. NORTHERN TERRITORY. Newcastle Waters RS [railway siding, 17.32°S, 133.06°E], 289 km NNW of Tennant Ck. N.T. 28.Sept.2020 M. Hura [handwritten] | PMH Coll #MEL 1500 [handwritten]; in WAM.

Paratypes (5 males). NORTHERN TERRITORY . 2♂, Newcastle Waters RS [railway siding] 289 km NNW of Tennant Ck. NT 28.Sept.2020 M. Hura | Pseudholophylla 17°19.125’S, 133° 03.506’E | PMH Coll # MEL 1498, 1499, in PMH, QM (register number T225965) . 3♂, 14024, 14025 or 14026 28 September 2020 289 km NNW of Tennant Creek , NT 17°19.125’S, 133° 03.506’E | 02:30-03:30 hrs At light Mark A. Hura; in MAH .

Description of holotype male ( Figs. 1–7 , 13 ). Body 30 mm, width of pronotum (widest at base) 10.6 mm, width of elytra (widest post midlength) 13.6 mm; head dark brown; antennomeres 1–3, pronotum, scutellum, elytra, femora, meso- and metatibiae, tarsomeres brown; antennal clubs, sternum, abdominal ventrites, pygidium yellow brown; protibiae dark brown with denticles black; scales white. Scales on head, pronotum, elytra, metepisternum, abdominal ventrites, and legs elongate and acutely pointed; scales on anterior surface of profemora and pronotal hypomera very elongate to setae-like; sternum, metepisternum, metepimeron, and metacoxae densely clothed with long, pale setae; pygidium with sparse, evenly distributed white microsetae. Maxillary palp with apical palpomere broad, length 2.25x width, bearing flat depression on entire dorsal surface. Antennomeres 4–10 lamellate; antennomere 4 apically notched and lamella about half length of lamella of antennomere 5; lamella of antennomere 5 about 0.9x length of lamella of antennomere 6. Clypeus anterior face width: midlength ratio 6.0:1. Pronotum with greatest width 1.68x mid length; posterior and anterior angles well defined, obtuse; laterally angulate at midlength; anterior and posterior margins complete but ill-defined and bearing sparse, short, erect setae laterally; surface with narrow impunctate midline, disc sparsely punctate becoming denser laterally. Elytral surface faintly rugulose. Parameres (in lateral view) basally deeply bisinuate, dorsal margin sinuate, ventral margin concave arcuate, almost met apically by longitudinal medial ridge; apically broadened beyond dorsal and ventral margin with apex perpendicular to longitudinal axis of parameres; pre-apically with transverse, ovoid sclerotised structure.

Variation (n = 5). Body 27.4–30.0 mm long. Lamella of antennomere 4 approximately two-fifths length of lamella of antennomere 5. Some scales on legs and abdominal ventrites setae-like.

Diagnosis of males. Body 27.4–30.0 mm long. Colour predominantly yellow-brown to brown. Lamella of antennomere 4 approximately one-third to half length of lamella of antennomere 5. Maxillary palp with apical palpomere broad, with a depression consuming entire dorsal surface. Pronotum laterally angulate at midlength; anterior and posterior margins with complete but ill-defined margins and bearing short pale setae. Parameres with transverse apical process perpendicular to length, with a longitudinal ridge and pre-apical sclerotised ovoid process.

Etymology. The species name acknowledges Mark Hura’s ingenuity in collecting the type series in the early morning whilst waiting for the railway traffic ahead to clear.

Distribution ( Figs. 14 , 17 ). Known only from the type locality. The area has a Köppen-Geiger climate of BSh (hot, semi-arid) with an average annual rainfall of about 600 mm, mostly falling during summer.

Figures

FIGURE 14. Type locality of Pseudholophylla hurai Hutchinson & Allsopp, new species. Photograph by Mark Hura.

FIGURE 17. Known distributions of Pseudholophylla species across northern Australia. Upper map shows distribution relative to topography; lower map shows Köppen-Geiger classifications for comparison with climates. Pseudholophylla furfuracea (Burmeister, 1855) is recorded only from “Australia”.

FIGURES 1–3. Pseudholophylla hurai Hutchinson & Allsopp, new species, holotype male. 1, Dorsal view; 2, ventral view; 3, lateral view.

FIGURES 4–7. Pseudholophylla hurai Hutchinson & Allsopp, new species, holotype male. 4, Frontal view; 5, head and pronotum, dorso-lateral view; 6, posterior view; 7, antennal club.

FIGURES 8–13. Pseudholophylla aedeagi. Each set with lateral view left, dorsal view top right, ventral view bottom right. 8, Pseudholophylla castaneipennis (Macleay, 1888); 9, P. cavifrons (Lea, 1919); 10, P. furfuracea (Burmeister, 1855); 11, P. lepidoptera (Blackburn, 1912); 12, P. soror Britton, 1978; 13, P. hurai Hutchinson & Allsopp, new species, holotype male. Figs. 8–12 reproduced from Britton (1978) (CSIRO, used with permission).