Liogenys flavida Moser, 1918

Cherman, Mariana A., Basílio, Daniel S., Mise, Kleber M., Frisch, Johannes, Smith, Andrew B. T. & Almeida, Lúcia M., 2020, Liogenys Guérin-Méneville, 1831 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) from the southern South American Transition Zone and boundaries: taxonomic overview with four new species, Zootaxa 4896 (1), pp. 46-84 : 57-59

Liogenys flavida Moser, 1918

Figs. 4 , 11 C–D, 14

Liogenys flavidus Moser, 1918: 106 ; Frey 1969: 38 (key); Krajčík 2012: 144 (checklist); Cherman et al. 2017: 4 (generic history).

Liogenys flavida: Blackwelder 1944: 227 (checklist); Evans 2003: 209 (checklist); Evans & smith 2009: 177 (checklist); Cherman et al. 2016: 759 (systematics); Cherman et al. 2017: 16, 51, 69 (taxonomy).

Type material. Male lectotype of Liogenys flavida here designated ( ZMHB): [white handwritten] “ Liogenys / flavidus / Mos / Type ³”, [white handwritten] “Patagonien”, [light red typeset] “Typus”, [white typeset] “ Liogenys / flavidus / Mos.”, [red typeset] “ SYNTYPUS / Liogenys / flavida Moser, 1918 / labelled by MNHUB 2012”, [white, outlined in red, typeset] “ LECTOTYPE / Liogenys flavida / Moser, 1918 / [des.] Cherman M. A. 2013”, genitalia mounted. One female paralectotype ( ZMHB) bearing the following labels: [white handwritten] “ Liogenys / flavidus / Mos / Type ♀ ”, [white handwritten] “Patagonien”, [light red typeset] “Typus”, [white typeset] “ Liogenys / flavidus / Mos.”, [red typeset] “ SYNTYPUS / Liogenys / flavida Moser, 1918 / labelled by MNHUB 2012”, [white, outlined in red, typeset] “ PARALECTOTYPE / Liogenys flavida / Moser, 1918 / Cherman M. A. 2013”.

Non-type material (78). ARGENTINA. Salta: La Viña, 24.IX.1983, L. Peña, 1 female ( INPA) ; Córdoba: Rio Cuarto , without date, Bremer, 1 female ( ZMHB) ; Buenos Aires: Azul , I.1975, Dacluk, 1 male ( CMNC) ; Estancia Barraú (30 km SW Villa Iris), XI.1946, A. Martínez, 3 females ( CMNC) ; Mendoza: Reserva la Payunia, Los Relinchos , 36º00’59’’S, 68º48’39’’W, 6.I.2003, 1714 m, F. Ocampo & A.B. T. Smith, 7 males and 12 females ( CMNC) ; El Nihuil , 35º11’54’’S, 68º43’09’’W, 5.I.2003, 1311 m, F. Ocampo & A.B. T. Smith, 2 males and 4 females ( CMNC) ; San Rafael , 6.XII.1988, L. Peña, 3 males and 1 female ( INPA) ; Malvinas , 10.IX.1987, L. Peña, 2 females ( INPA) ; Malarg ̹e, without date, Hurk, 1 male ( ZMHB) ; San Luis: Arizona (18 km S), 250 m, 18–23.I.1982, H. & A. Howden, 1 male and 1 female ( CMNC) ; Neuquén: without locality, date, and collector, 1 male ( MLPA) ; Arroyo Picún Leufú, Ruta Nacional 40, 1.1965, A. Martínez, 1 male ( CMNC) ; Chos Malal , 37°22’17’’S, 70°16’30’’W, 1.VIII. 2003, 850 m, F.C. Ocampo & A.B. T. Smith, 1 female ( CMNC) ; Bariloche, Fortín Chacabuco, 17.I.1964, Pair on Senecio , Lloyd, 1 male and 1 female ( CMNC) ; Laguna Blanca , XII.1975, A. Martínez, 1 female ( CASC) ; Loncopué, Ñireco , 1200 m, 17. II.1974, M. Gentilli, 2 females, ( CMNC) ; Paso Coihue , 18.I.1975, M. Gentilli, 2 females, ( CMNC) ; Reserva Epu Lauquen , 36°49’5’’S, 71°4’25’’W, 1.IX.2003, 1474 m, F.C Ocampo & A.B. T. Smith, 1 male ( CMNC) ; San Martín de los Andes , XII.1955, A. Giai, 1 female ( CMNC) ; Sierra Cuchillo Curá , 38°37’S, 70°22’0’’W, 15.XII. 1974, 975 m, M. Gentili, 1 male and 1 female ( CMNC) ; Sierra Vaca Muerta , 14.XII. 1974, 950 m, M. Gentili, 1 female ( CMNC) ; Añelo , [38°21’S, 68°47’W], 26.X.1981, Kovac, 3 males and 2 females ( NHMW) ; Río Malleo, [39°49’60’’S, 70°52’60’’W], 27.XII.1973, 1000 m, M. Gentili, 1 male and 1 female ( CMNC); RP 49 , Cañadon a 15,800 del LT2S5 Estepa de Neneo y suelo con canto rodado> 10 cm, 40°5’39.83’’S, 70°53’27.64’’W, 31.I. 2005, 727 m, P. Sackmann, 1 male ; Río Negro: Colonia Catriel, Ruta Nacional 151, 37°52’33’’S, 67°49’50’’W, 23.I. 2006, 315 m, F.C. Ocampo, E. Ruiz, G. Zalazar; at light, 1 male ( CMNC) ; General Roca , I.1962, Bachmann, 1 female ( CMNC) ; Paso Flores [40°33’40.75’’S, 70°38’11.43’’W], 8.XII.1955, S. Schajovskoy, 5 males ( CMNC) ; Paso Flores [40°33’40.75’’S, 70°38’11.43’’W], 13. II.1956, S. Schajovskoy, 1 male and 3 females ( CMNC) ; San Antonio Ouest , 15.XII.1966, E.I. Schlinger & M.E. Irwin, 1 female ( CASC) ; San Antonio Oeste, Los Grutas, XII.1973, C. Bordón, 1 male ( CMNC); RP 23 , llegando a Pilcaniyeu , Estepa de Neneo y Anartrophylum , 41°7’28.51’’S, 70°45’21.87’’W, 31.I. 2005, 976 m, P. Sackmann, 1 male ( CMNC) ; Chubut: Comodoro Rivadavia, Patagonia, without date, Merkle, 2 females ( MLPA) and 1 female ( MACN) ; Peninsula Valdés, Golfo Nuevo, Estancia San Pablo , 42°41’42’’S, 64°10’46’’W, 15.XII.2005, 50 m, G. Cheli, 1 male ( CMNC) ; Puerto Pirámides , XII.1992, 5 males ( CMNC) ; Trelew , 1.IX.1996, D. Rojas Lanus, 1 female ( VMDC) ; Santa Cruz: Bahia del Fondo , [46°3’16’’S, 67°37’23’’W], without date and collector, 1 female ( MLPA) .

Diagnosis. Body elongate, sides parallel; dull yellow, pronotum unicolored with elytra; elytra shiny or semiopaque, with a few inconspicuous, short bristles throughout the elytron ( Fig. 4A ); clypeal emargination very shallow, wide and rounded; clypeal lateral margins straight ( Fig. 4F ); antenna with 9 antennomeres; pronotal posterior corners sharp, obtusely angulate; males with two protibial teeth ( Fig. 4D ), females with three protibial teeth; meso-tibia subquadrate in cross section in males ( Fig. 4C ); cylindrical in females; pygidium flat, elongate, subrounded; pygidial disc smooth, long bristles throughout ( Fig. 4E ); in males inner margin of metatibia carinate and slightly curved frontwards; the smaller metatibial spur with apex wider, blunt; protarsomere II as wide as it is long; parameres long, inner margins straight; apex projected laterally forming an acute angle ( Fig. 4G ).

Redescription. Length: 8.5–9.0 mm; width 4.1–4.4 mm. Dull yellow. Head. Distance between eyes at least three times the width of one eye; frons swollen in females ( Fig. 11D ); clypeus longer in males, disc sometimes with a few bristles; clypeal emargination very shallow, wide and rounded, in males outer sides of anterior teeth parallel, outer margin of anterior teeth as long as the eye; in females teeth undistinguishable, following the lateral margin of clypeus; clypeal lateral margins straight; distal maxillary palpomere, maximum width near two times the apical width; fovea deep, rounded, not reaching the midline; antenna with 9 antennomeres; club lighter in color and equal in length to the funicle in males, shorter in females. Thorax. anterior margin of pronotum slightly produced medially; pronotum anteriorly slightly narrowed forming a depressed ring; pronotal posterior corners sharp, obtusely angulate; hypomere with few long bristles; disc of metaventrite with spine-like bristles; scutellum ogival in males, triangular and longer in females, smooth or punctate at the sides. Elytra: shiny or semiopaque, inconspicuous bristles throughout the elytron, bristles more abundant around the outer ridge; elytral suture and elytron unicolored, slightly elevated; all four elytral ridges weakly defined. Legs. procoxa with bristles, smooth; males with two protibial teeth, females with three protibial teeth, basal tooth vestigial, distance between basal and medial tooth slightly shorter than that between medial and apical tooth; mesofemural and metafemural inner margin with spine-like bristles; mesotibia subquadrate in cross section in males; cylindrical in females; mesotibia with two transverse carinae, the apical carina complete only in females; in males inner margin of metatibia carinate and slightly curved frontwards; metatibia with two transverse carinae present posteriorly; metatibial apical spurs of different lengths, the longer spur equal to the diameter of the tibial apex, males with the shorter spur wider and truncate; metatarsomere I and II equal in size; protarsomeres and mesotarsomeres I–IV enlarged in males, protarsomere II as wide as it is long; protarsomeres slightly wider than the mesotarsomeres; claw bifid, symmetrical, superior tooth of claw longer and as wide as the inferior tooth; distance between teeth shorter than the length of inferior tooth. Abdomen: disc of ventrites with abundant bristles in males, in females abundant only on ventrite I and on the anterior half of ventrite II; propygidium with abundant bristles; pygidium flat, elongate; pygidial disc smooth, with bristles throughout, bristles long; pygidial apex rounded. Parameres: Outer margins expanded laterally along the entire length; width of basal region slightly wider than both sections of the parameres at its maximum width; parameral split at 2/3 the length of the basal region; inner margins straight; apex projected laterally forming an acute angle with apex blunt; parameres in lateral view slightly concave, not coplanar ( Fig. 4H ).

Type locality. ARGENTINA.“Patagonien”, which may be Viedma , Río Negro (see the Remarks section of Liogenys xanthocera ) .

Geographical distribution. ARGENTINA (Salta, Córdoba, Buenos Aires, Mendoza, San Luis, Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut, Santa Cruz) .

Remarks. Liogenys flavida resembles other species ( L. flaveola , L. calcarata ) with dull yellow body; disc of metaventrite and posterior margin of the mesofemur and metafemur with spine-like bristles; and males with metatibial spurs uneven in shape. This species differs from the most similar ones in the clypeal emargination shallower; antenna with 9 antennomeres (10 antennomeres); males with two protibial teeth (as in L. kuntzeni , L. calcarata and L. flaveola with three teeth), females with three teeth, but basal tooth weakly defined; and pygidium longer than wide and with bristles (similar to L. rufoflava , although longer in the latter, for more detail see remarks of L. rufoflava ). In the other species the pygidium is as long as wide, L. calcarata with bristles and L. flaveola glabrous. Liogenys flavida is somewhat similar to L. lucialmeidae new species (see remarks of the latter species).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Liogenys flavida Moser, 1918, male lectotype views: A) dorsal, B) labels, C) lateral, D) frontal, E) pygidium, F) clypeus, and parameres views: G) dorsal, H) lateral.

FIGURE 11. Dimorphism in clypeus. Liogenys flaveola Moser, 1924: A) male, B) female; L. flavida Moser, 1918: C) male, D) female; L. kuntzeni Moser, 1921: E) male, F) female; L. rufoflava Moser, 1918: G) male, H) female.