Mecopelidnota F. Bates, 1904

Moore, Matthew R., Jameson, Mary L., Garner, Beulah H., Audibert, Cedric, Smith, Andrew B. T. & Seidel, Matthias, 2017, Synopsis of the pelidnotine scarabs (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Rutelinae, Rutelini) and annotated catalog of the species and subspecies, ZooKeys 666, pp. 1-349 : 1

Mecopelidnota F. Bates, 1904 Figs 2C , 38

Type species.

Mecopelidnota arrowi F. Bates, 1904.

Species.

8 species; length 17-26 mm.

Species in the genus Mecopelidnota are distinctive for their dark metallic green coloration, large size, elongate body form, and emargination at the base of the metatibia in the male. As currently constituted, the genus includes eight species ( Soula 2008), but this may be an over-estimate. Members are distributed both on the east and west sides of the Andes in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The record for M. cylindrica from Guatemala is questionable ( Monzón 1996).

The form of the male metatibia (base with an emargination) serves as a synapomorph for the group. Based on our analyses of external morphological characters, the genus includes two lineages: one to the west side of the Andes and one on the east of the Andes. Species on the west of the Andes ( M. arrowi , M. cylindrica (Waterhouse), M. marxi Soula, and M. obscura [Taschenberg]) share the form of the male parameres (with enlarged “thumb” in lateral view) and greatly enlarged female gonocoxites. Species on the east side of the Andes ( M. witti Ohaus, M. gerardi Soula, M. mezai Soula, and M. dewynteri Soula) share the form of the male parameres (lacking the enlarged “thumb” in lateral view) and reduced female gonocoxites. Both lineages exhibit north-south clinal variation in the form of the male parameres, and Soula (2008: 23) also alludes to this “transitional” variation in species on either side of the Andes.

Species in the genus are recorded from less than 10 m elevation ( M. cylindrica and M. obscura ; Paucar-Cabrera 2005) to 2700 m ( M. obscura ). Ohaus (1908b) recorded M. arrowi in the flowers of yellow Mimosa sp. ( Leguminosae ) in Guayaquil, Ecuador, during the rainy season. In Ecuador, species were collected January to April in tropical regions ( Paucar-Cabrera 2005). Larvae and sister-group relationships are not known.

Figures

Figure 2. Characters of the mesofemora and metatibiae in pelidnotine genera. A Epichalcoplethis aciculata (F. Bates), metatibia somewhat flattened (dorsal view) B Pelidnota virescens, metatibia not flattened (dorsal view) C Mecopelidnota sp., metatibia at base with a semicircular notch D Pseudogeniates cordobaensis Moore et al., metatibia simple at base E Mesomerodon gilletti Soula male, acute production of posterior margin of mesotibia (ventral view).

Figure 38. Pelidnota (Pelidnota) egregia Frey (valid name Mecopelidnota arrowi F. Bates) paratype male from CMNC. A Dorsal habitus B Ventral habitus C Lateral habitus D Male parameres, right lateral view E Male parameres, left lateral view F Male parameres, caudal view. Images by Francois Genier.