Mimela pacholatkoi, 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 : 339-340

Mimela pacholatkoi spec. nov.

( Figs 11 , 51–53 )

Holotype:  “S VIETNAM, 12.03N 108.27E 12 km N of Dalat - Lang Bian 1580–1750 m, 17–21–iv.1995 Pacholátko & Dembický leg. | AV 56 | [holotype label]” ( CPP) . Paratypes: 3  «S VIETNAM, 12.03N 108.27E 12 km N of Dalat - Lang Bian 1580–1750 m, 17–21–iv.1995 Pacholátko & Dembický leg. | [paratype label]” ( CCZ, CPP). 1  «S VIETNAM, 12.03N 108.27E 12 km N of Dalat - Lang Bian 1580–1750 m, 17–21–iv.1995 Pacholátko & Dembický leg. | AV 56 | [paratype label]” ( CPP) .

Description (holotype): Length 15.2 mm, greatest width 9.5 mm. Dorsally orange-brown (elytra slightly lighter) with vivid metallic iridescent reflections; elytra with fiery red discoidal and lateral longitudinal stripes alternating with green-blue stripes stretching along suture and from humeral umbo to apical protuberance, expression of stripes very much depending on perspective and incidence angle of light; clypeus and forehead with fiery red to coppery shine, vertex and periocular area dark metallic green; pronotum with two vague green-blue patches near the hind angle; pygidium with fiery red to coppery disk, dark green along its margins; antenna orange brown with dark club; ventral face dark metallic green with fiery red to purple patches at sides of abdominal sternites; legs brown (femora slightly lighter) with metallic shine; apices of tibiae and tarsi very dark metallic green, almost black.

Clypeus trapezoidal, anterior angles broadly rounded, anterior margin slightly curved, weakly raised; frontoclypeal suture distinct, slightly sinuate; with scarce erect setae along inner margin of eye; clypeus rugosely punctate; frons very densely, partly confluently punctate, punctures rather fine; vertex with very fine, scarce punctation; pronotum ca. 1.9 times broader than long; sides subparallel in basal half, distinctly convergent in anterior half toward the acute and produced front angles; posterior angles obtuse, slightly rounded; anterior and posterior marginal beads broadly interrupted in the middle; posterior protruding in the middle third, nearly straight at the sides; sides with few distant hairs; disc with very fine, distant, shallow punctures; scutellum slightly transverse with very scarce and faint punctures; posterior margin ogival with rounded apex; elytra with moderately coarse and dense punctures, with regular double rows of punctures (primary costae) and irregularly punctate interstices; only the three inner rows sulcate at apex; sides of elytra with marginal line except the most apical section; epipleura with a row of distant short setae; pygidium convex, irregularly and somewhat transversely punctured, almost glabrous with scarce setae only at apex and baso-lateral angles.

Prosternal process well developed, plough-shaped. rather strongly pointed anteriorly; mesometasternal process not produced; sides of sterna coarsely, very densely and rugosely punctate, with long, semi-erect hairs; disc of metasternum glabrous, impressed; sides of abdominal sternites densely rugosely punctate, punctures becoming fine and scarce toward the middle; each sternite with a transverse row of hairs; which are scarce medially and dense at the sides.

Protibia bidentate, both teeth distinct and acute; inner spur attached distinctly behind the level of base of basal tooth; last joint of protarsus not thickened; inner fore claw broadened and strongly excavated at the base of its ventral margin; lower lobe three times broader than the upper at base; lower lobe distinctly pointing downward; outer claw of middle tarsi cleft.

Aedeagus: Figs 51–53 .

Females: Pygidium more flat and transverse; antennal club slightly shorter; terminal tooth of protibia spatulate; inner protarsal claw slender, its lower branch only slightly broader than the upper.

Variations (females): length 14.8–15.7 mm, greatest width 8.5–9.3 mm. The extent of the blue-green markings on head and pronotum are variable, they are missing completely in one female.

Differential diagnosis: According to the very similar aedeagus the new species appears to be the closest known relative of M. ohausi ARROW, 1908 , occurring in northern Thailand, Laos and Yunnan, but can be discriminated from the latter by being somewhat larger and usually by the orange-brown ground color with the described color pattern. However, there are also similar lighter color forms in the very variable M. ohausi . The extremely elongate aedeagus is quite similar to that of M. ohausi (fig. 54), but the apices of the parameres are less extended and rather straight (bent downward in M. ohausi ).

Etymology: This species is dedicated to Petr Pacholátko, Brno, who generously provided the extensive Vietnamese Anomaline material of his collection to one of us (CZ).

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 44–60: Mimela spp., aedeagi. – 44–46: M. krasava spec. nov., holotype (44 lateral view. 45 parameres, dorsal view. 46 parameres, ventral view). 47–50: M. langbianica spec. nov., holotype (47 lateral view, left side. 48 lateral view of parameres, right side. 49 dorsal view of parameres. 50 ventral view of parameres). 51–53: M. pacholatkoi spec. nov., holotype (51 lateral view. 52 parameres, dorsal view. 53 parameres, ventral view). 54 M. ohausi, Laos: Xieng Khouang prov., lateral view. 55–57: M. signaticollis, Vietnam: Nha Trang (55 lateral view. 56 parameres, dorsal view. 57 parameres, ventral view). 58–60: M. vietnamensis spec. nov., holotype (58 lateral view. 59 parameres, dorsal view. 60 parameres, ventral view). Scale bars: 1 mm.