Protaetia (Macroliocola) dianae Mückstein, 2021

Mückstein, Petr, 2021, A new species and a new country record in the genus Protaetia Burmeister, 1842 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae) from Vietnam, Zootaxa 4952 (1), pp. 192-200 : 196-199

Protaetia (Macroliocola) dianae Mückstein , new species

( Figs. 1–6 , 16–18 )

Type locality. Lai Châu province, Northwest region , Vietnam .

Type material (2 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀). Holotype, ♂ ( BMNH, Figs. 1–3 , 16–18 ), labelled: “ Vietnam / Northwest region / Lai Châu province / June 2020 / local collector leg.” . Paratypes: 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀ ( PMCH): same label data as the holotype, one of the females was labelled as allotype ( Figs. 4–6 ) .

Description of holotype (male) ( Figs. 1–3 ). Robust and convex body, somewhat elongate and narrowed apically, with rather short and stout legs; color bright metallic golden-green with strong reflection. Head, pronotum, elytra, ventrum and pygidium completely lacking any noticeable white macula.

Head. Metallic green with strong reflection and rather straight lateral declivity of clypeus. Apical margin of clypeus raised, almost straight with a slight shallow depression in the middle. Surface of frons and clypeus completely bare without setation, covered only with simple scattered punctation, with somewhat coarse and denser punctures on the sides of clypeus. Mentum and gula with dense, moderately long, fulvous setae. Antennae normal size, scapus and antennal club greenish, rest of antenomeres blackish. Inner lamellae of antennal club with one row of short, brush-like, fulvous bristles.

Pronotum. Metallic green to golden coloured, with strong reflection. Obtusely bordered, convex, narrowed apically, widest at base. Antescutellar and posterolateral margins strongly sinuated. Disc, medial line and base of pronotum smooth, almost without punctation. Anterolateral margin very coarsely punctured, with scattered deep and wide rounded punctures.

Scutellum . Elongated, sides slightly arcuate, apex rounded, surface bare, impunctate and strongly reflective.

Elytra. Metallic green, with strong golden reflection. Smooth, with very sparse scattered thin punctures and indistinctly marked striolate line beside sutural ridge in anterior third. Subhumeral emargination shallow, from there gently narrowing to elytral apex. Apex rounded, apical and humeral calli obtuse. Sutural ridge flat throughout its length, slightly elevated in posterior half, with obtuse termination (without pointed end). Macropterous.

Pygidium. Metallic dark green, with a very fine wrinkled structure on the entire surface.

Ventral surface. Metallic green, with strong golden reflection ( Fig. 2 ). Disc of metasternal ventrites glabrous and impunctate, metasternal sides with sparse punctation of wide horseshoe-shaped punctures, merged posteriorly. Abdominal ventrites smooth, bare and impuctate; except for the two posterior ventrites bearing very fine punctation and striolation laterally. Mesometasternal process wider than long, smooth and bare, impunctate, with obtusely rounded apex ( Fig. 16 ). Metepimeron green, with golden-red lustre and very fine striolation. Mesepimeron and metepisternum the same colour, with a few larger punctures. Anal sternites with shallow depression medially ( Figs. 2–3 ).

Legs. Rather short and stout, colored metallic bronze to purpureous red with golden/green reflection. Probia tridentate in both sexes, protibial teeth well developed, sharp, larger in females. Position of protibial teeth equidistant in both sexes. Mesotibia and metatibia with one simple carina in posterior half and brush of fulvous setation on inner sides.

Aedeagus ( Figs. 17–18 ). Parameres elongate, symmetrical, glabrous, shorter than phallobase. Inner paramere rims wide flat, widest in basal half, then slightly narrowing, narrowing more before apex and terminated widely and obtuse at apical end. Outer paramere rims widest in the basal part, gradually narrowing in basal half, then the sclerotized part continues to well-developed internal sac terminated with lobes densely covered with short fulvous bristles.

Sexual dimorphism. Female similar to male ( Figs. 1–6 ), but differing in the following characters: antennal clubs shorter; protibia slightly wider with teeth on the outer margin distinctly larger and pointed; anal sternites without shallow medial depression.

Measurements. Body length 23.8–26.1 mm (holotype 26.1 mm), width 12.4–13.7 mm (holotype 13.7 mm).

Variability. The body reflections can vary from golden green to coppery.

Differential diagnosis. The newly described species is very similar to P. (M.) montana ( Figs. 7–9 ) from which can be separated by the following characters: pronotal sides with large, coarse punctation in both sexes; shape of mesometasternal process more rounded, without significant angles ( Figs 13 , 19 ); metasternal sides only with sparse punctation of large horseshoe-shaped punctures, merged posteriorly (without any striolation); clearly different shape of parameres ( Figs. 17–18, 20–21 ).

Etymology. Matronymic, this new species is dedicated to my wife Diana, in thanks for her great tolerance of my entomological passions.

Distribution. Vietnam.

Remarks. Based on morphological characters and the shape of the male genitalia, P. dianae Mückstein , new species is classified in the subgenus Protaetia (Macroliocola) Alexis & Delpont, 1998 .

Figures

FIGURES 1‒6. Habitus of Protaetia (Macroliocola) dianae Mückstein, new species. 1, holotype, dorsal view; 2, holotype, ventral view; 3, holotype, lateral view; 4, allotype, dorsal view; 5, allotype, ventral view; 6, allotype, lateral view. Not to scale.

FIGURES 16‒24. Shape of mesometasternal process and aedeagus (in lateral and dorsal view): 16‒18, Protaetia (Macroliocola) dianae Mückstein, new species, holotype; 19‒21, Protaetia (M.) montana (Nonfried, 1892), Vietnam, Yen Bai province, Mú Cang Chái (PMCH); 22‒24, Protaetia (M.) nigropurpurea Yawata, 1941, Taiwan, Taoyuan county, Lala Shan Mts. (PMCH). Not to scale.

FIGURES 7‒9. Habitus of Protaetia (Macroliocola) montana (Nonfried, 1892), Vietnam, Yen Bai province, Mú Cang Chái, (PMCH). 7 male, dorsal view; 8, male, ventral view; 9, male, lateral view. Not to scale.

FIGURES 10‒15. Male holotype of Protaetia (M.) nigropurpurea Yawata, 1941 (NSMT). 10, dorsal view; 11, ventral view; 12, lateral view; 13, aedeagus in dorsal view; 14, aedeagus in lateral view; 15, labels. Not to scale.