Chipita Soula, 2008

Moore, Matthew R., Jameson, Mary L., Garner, Beulah H., Audibert, Cedric, Smith, Andrew B. T. & Seidel, Matthias, 2017, Synopsis of the pelidnotine scarabs (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Rutelinae, Rutelini) and annotated catalog of the species and subspecies, ZooKeys 666, pp. 1-349 : 1

Chipita Soula, 2008 Fig. 7

Type species.

Byrsopolis mexicana Ohaus, 1905.

Species.

1 species; length 14-18 mm.

The monotypic genus Chipita was proposed by Soula (2008) for Chipita mexicana (formerly Parhoplognathus mexicanus ), which is known from Sinaloa, Guerrero, Jalisco, Nayarit, and Oaxaca states in Mexico. Following Ohaus’s (1934b) classification of the genus Parhoplognathus , Soula (2008) created this monotypic genus. Several characters provide sufficient rationale for the genus: form of the thorax (broadest at base versus broadest at the middle in Parhoplognathus ), elytra (striate versus not striate in Parhoplognathus ), mesosternum not produced anteriorly (produced or not produced anteriorly in Parhoplognathus ), and protibia with 2 external teeth (with 3 external teeth in Parhoplognathus ). The taxon shares several similarities with species in the genus Platyrutela Bates (an anticheirine scarab), thus requiring examination within a phylogenetic framework.

Chipita mexicana is diagnosed by the following characters: profemur produced anteriorly and widest at middle (autapomorphic for the genus); protibia with 2 external teeth (shared with Platyrutela ); mandibular palp with deep, horizontal sulcus (shared with Platyrutela ); clypeus quadrate and apex reflexed (shared with Platyrutela ); clypeus greatly declivous with respect to plane of frons; pronotum broadest at base (shared with Platyrutela ); elytra striate; elytral epipleuron rounded; claws simple on all legs (male and female; shared with Platyrutela ); male protarsal and mesotarsal claws with inner, apical tubercle; meso- and metatarsomere 5 with internomedial tooth; apex of metatibia with short spines (versus long setae in Platyrutela ); color gray or castaneous with or without metallic green sheen.

Adult C. mexicana inhabit tropical deciduous and sub-deciduous forests at elevations between sea level and 200 m ( Morón et al. 1997). Adults are temporally distributed between June and November, and are attracted to lights at night ( Morón et al. 1997). The larvae of C. mexicana are undescribed and their biology is unknown. Male specimens of Chipita mexicana are rare in collections, and may be indicative of unusual natural history.

Figures

Figure 7. Chipita mexicana (Ohaus) female specimen from FSCA. A Dorsal habitus B Lateral habitus.