Polyphylla, Harris, 1841

Skelley, Paul E., 2009, A new species of Polyphylla Harris from peninsular Florida Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) with a key to species of the pubescens species group, Insecta Mundi 2009 (85), pp. 1-14 : 1-2

Polyphylla - pubescens species group

Diagnosis. Species of the pubescens group share some characters that distinguish them from all other Polyphylla . The most notable characters are the vestiture of setae (not scales), pronounced sexual dimorphism ( Fig. 22-29 ), and male genitalic form.

Male. Length 15.3-25.0 mm, width 6.9-12.0 mm. As with all Polyphylla , males have seven lamellate antennomeres in the club ( Fig. 6, 8 ). Males of the pubescens species group are unique in Polyphylla by having dense, short dorsal pubescence made of setae (devoid of scales), relatively narrowed protibiae with 2 lateral teeth (rarely a weak basal tooth is visible), and genitalia with apex laterally flattened and semicircular in lateral view.

Female. Length 15.0-25.0 mm, width 6.9-14.0. In addition to being distinctly more robust overall, females of the pubescens species group differ from males in having the apical clypeal ridge reduced, five weakly lamellate antennomeres in the club ( Fig. 7, 9 ), greatly reduced dorsal pubescence, protibiae with two lateral teeth much more pronounced, metafemora much more robust, metatibiae greatly dilated at apex (Fig. 14-21), and more spatulate meso- and metatibial spurs. Although flight wings are present, female body and appendage morphologies indicate they do not fly, which is corroborated by all behavioral observations.

Figures

Figure 22-29. Polyphylla - pubescens species group, male (left) and female (right). 22-23) P. starkae. 24-25) P. donaldsoni. 26-27) P. pubescens. 28-29) P. woodruffi. These images were taken and reproduced at the same magnification.

Figure 6-9. Polyphylla spp. head and pronotum, males on left, females on right. 6-7) Polyphylla starkae. 8-9) Polyphylla pubescens.