Mimela dalatocoerulea, Prokofiev & Zorn, 2016

Prokofiev, Artem M. & Zorn, Carsten, 2016, Review of the Mimela species of the Dalat Plateau in southern Vietnam (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Rutelinae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 66 (2), pp. 329-346 : 332-333

Mimela dalatocoerulea spec. nov.

( Figs 4 , 26–28 )

Holotype:  “S VIETNAM, 30 km NW Dalat Long Lanh v. 1400 m, 12.04.07, P. Udovichenko leg. [holotype label]” ( CCZ).

Paratypes: 2 , 3  “ VIETNAM, 30 km NW Dalat Long Lanh v. 1400 m, 12.04.07, P. Udovichenko leg. | paratype label” ( CAP, CCZ) .

Description (holotype): Length 14.6 mm; greatest width 8.8 mm. Entirely dark blue; legs, especially tibiae with metallic green luster depending on incident angle of light; pilosity pale.

Clypeus trapezoidal with the anterior angles rounded; anterior margin nearly straight, moderately raised.Frontoclypeal suture distinct; with few erect setae along inner margin of eye; clypeus densely rugosely punctate; frons densely punctate; punctures becoming gradually finer and scarcer toward vertex which is almost smooth at base; pronotum ca. 1.72 times broader than long; sides parallel in the posterior 2/3; strongly convergent toward the acute and produced anterior angles; lateral area distinctly bulging; posterior angles obtuse but well-marked; anterior margin nearly straight in the middle, marginal line entire, only somewhat indistinct in the very middle; posterior margin very weakly bisinuate, produced in the middle, with strong marginal line which is interrupted before the scutellum; scutellum broadly ogival; punctation of pronotum and scutellum extremely fine, moderately dense; elytra with larger, but shallow punctures arranged in double rows (primary costae) and irregularly in the 4 inner interstices plus a very minute and scarce intermixed irregular punctation; three inner rows distinctly sulcate at apex; humeral umbo and apical protuberance very prominent; sides of elytra strongly bulging between anterior third and apical protuberance; lateral margin not visible from above in this area; pygidium strongly convex, bulging, with somewhat indistinct transverse punctures in the basal third, otherwise almost smooth with scarce microscopic punctures; with few scarce, rather short setae at apex and anterolateral angles.

Prosternal process well developed, plough-shaped, pointed anteriorly, with a sharp posterior ventral corner, forming a little dent; mesometasternal process absent. Sides of sterna finely, rugosely punctate and setose; with rather short, semi-erect, moderately dense hairs; disc smooth, glabrous, with impressed middle line. Abdominal sternites with somewhat denser punctation laterally, otherwise almost glabrous with very faint, scarce punctures; each sternite with an indistinct transverse row of distant semi-erect hairs; distal margin of last visible sternite sinuate, with a row of dense hairs.

Protibia bidentate, teeth closely spaced; inner spur attached at level of apex of basal tooth; last joint of fore tarsi thickened, weekly toothed in the middle of its concave margin; inner fore claw broadened, its ventral margin excavated at base and with an obtuse dent in the middle, with lobes almost parallel; outer claw of middle tarsi cleft, lower lobe 3–4 times broader than the upper at base.

Aedeagus: Figs 26–28 .

Female: Antennal club shorter. Lateral portion of pronotum distinctly bulged. Apical tooth of protibia much longer and spatulate. Inner spur attached well behind basal tooth of protibia. Last joint of fore tarsi only slightly indented at middle of its concave margin; inner claw narrow, with lower lobe only 1.5 times broader than the upper one at base.

Variation (both sexes): Length 14.0– 15.8 mm, width 8.9–9.4 mm.

Differential diagnosis: Mimela dalatocoerulea spec. nov. is a sibling species of M. linpingi SABATINELLI, 1994 described from northern Thailand but also occurring in Yunnan and Laos. It is externally different from the latter by the longitudinal bulge at the sides of elytra which is hiding the lateral margin in dorsal view. The parameres of M. dalatocoerulea are distinctly longer with a subapical dent at the upper inner margin. The dagger-shaped apical process of the ventral plate is longer (compare figs 9–10 in SABATINELLI (1994) and figs 64–66.

Etymology: The species epithet is a combination of Dalat (the region of origin) and the Latin adjective “ coeruleus, - a, - um ”, meaning “blue from Dalat”.

Figures

Figs 1–14: Mimela spp.– 1, 2 M. amphichroma spec. nov.(1 greenform,holotype; 2 violet form, paratype,male).3 M. campyloclados spec. nov., holotype. 4 M. dalatocoerulea spec. nov., holotype. 5 M. dehaani, male, Vietnam: Lamdong prov. 6 M. galbinata spec. nov., holotype. 7 M. germana spec. nov., holotype. 8 M. indosinica spec. nov., holotype. 9 M. krasava spec. nov., holotype. 10 M. langbianica spec. nov., holotype. 11 M. pacholatkoi spec. nov., holotype. 12 M. signaticollis, male, Vietnam: Nha Trang. 13, 14 M. vietnamensis spec. nov. (13. male, holotype. 14. female, paratype).

Figs 15–28: Mimela spp., aedeagi. – 15–17: M. amphichroma spec. nov., holotype (15 lateral view. 16 parameres, dorsal view. 17 parameres, ventral view). 18–22: M. campyloclados spec. nov., holotype (18 lateral view, right side. 19 lateral view, left side. 20 parameres, dorsal view. 21 parameres, ventral view. 22 distal tip of right paramere, dorsal view). 23–25: M. ignistriata, China: Yunnan prov., Ximeng. (23 lateral view, right side. 24 lateral view, left side. 25 dorsal view of parameres). 26–28: M. dalatocoerulea spec. nov., holotype (26 lateral view. 27 parameres, dorsal view. 28 parameres, ventral view). Scale bars:18–21 – 2 mm, 22 – 0.5 mm, others – 1 mm.