Chilotrogus schoolmeestersi Miessen, Uliana & Keith, 2020

Miessen, Geoffrey, Uliana, Marco & Keith, Denis, 2020, Review of the genus Chilotrogus Reitter (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae Rhizotrogini) in Iran with description of two new species, Zootaxa 4742 (1), pp. 181-193 : 190-192

Chilotrogus schoolmeestersi Miessen, Uliana & Keith , new species

( Figs. 4 , 40–44 , 47 )

Type material. Holotype, ♂ ( MHNG), labelled: “env. Laleh-Zar | Kerman—Iran | 20.V.2017 [printed] || leg. & ven- dit | S. Azadbakhsh | collection | G. Miessen [printed]” . Paratypes: 5♂♂ ( CGM, CMU, CRS), same data as for the holotype ; 1♂ ( CDK) labelled: “ Iran Kerman | Babidan, W. Radiabar | 2800 m, 28.III.[20]06 | Heinz, NW Djirouft [printed]” .

Description of the holotype (♂). Length 15.2 mm. Body entirely shiny, dark brown, head and pronotum darker ( Fig. 4 ).

Clypeus well rounded, larger than the distance separating the eyes. Clypeus and forehead setose, the pilosity raised, longer behind and on sides, punctuation large, strong and dense. Antenna with 10 antennomeres, trimerous antennal club longer than funicle and scape together.

Pronotum with fine and dense punctuation, less dense on disc. Short and reclined setae on the whole surface. Lateral margins feebly crenulate, wearing very long and thin setae, comparable to those of epipleuron in the humeral area.

Elytra weakly satined, with coarse punctuation, less dense on the interstriae. Pilosity very short and sparse, distributed over the entire surface. Epipleuron with very long and thin pilosity, gradually shortening towards apex. Protibiae tridentate, the basal tooth at the middle, the median slightly closer to the apical. Inner spur inserted slightly behind the median tooth. Metatarsi short, slightly longer than metatibiae which are toothed on upper face. At the base of each tooth is one thick and long seta.

Pygidium with raised setae in lateral view.

Aedeagus of characteristic shape ( Figs. 40 – 44 ); parameres in lateral view well curved. In frontal view, similar to those of Ch. panotrogoides . Internal piece (figs. 43-44) in dorsal view subtubular, with a dorsal opening revealing an internal sclerotized lamelliform structure.

Variability of males. Length: 14.4 – 16.7 mm.

Female. Unknown.

Etymology. Dedicated to our friend and colleague Paul Schoolmeesters (Herent, Belgium) for his 70th birthday (born December 23, 1948) and for his permanent sharing of all the bibliographic references useful for our work.

Distribution. The two collecting sites are located in the Hazaran massif (Laleh-Zar, where it apparently occurs sympatrically and synchronically with Ch. panotrogoides ) and in the nearby northern area of the Jebal Barez mountain range ( Fig. 47 ).

Differential diagnosis. Chilotrogus schoolmeestersi new species is similar to Ch. farsensis as to its general shape but differs by the weak crenulation on the lateral margins of pronotum (which is conversely always strong in Ch. farsensis ), and for the diffuse setation of the dorsal side. Ch. farsensis is glabrous on pronotum and elytral surface, even on the pygidium in lateral view; the setae on head, when present, are microscopic. Conversely, Ch. schoolmeestersi new species is diffusely setose on the whole dorsal side and on pygidium. The lateral ciliation of Ch. farsensis , although variable, is always considerably shorter, and its metatarsi are longer. The aedeagi are also very different.

Figures

FIGURE 47. Known distribution of Iranian Chilotrogus Reitter, 1905, based on verified records.

FIGURES 1–4. Male habitus of Iranian Chilotrogus Reitter, 1905. 1, Ch. panotrogoides Reitter, 1905, specimen from Iran: Sarbijan (Shinagara); 2, Ch. matejiceki Miessen, Uliana & Keith, new species, paratype from Iran: Mijam; 3, Ch. farsensis Keith, 2003, specimen from 40 Km NW Shiraz, Sangar; 4, Ch. schoolmeestersi Miessen, Uliana & Keith, new species, holotype.

FIGURES 40–44. Male genitalia of Ch. schoolmeestersi Miessen, Uliana & Keith, new species, holotype. 40, aedeagus (endophallic sclerite dissected), right lateral view; 41, same, dorsal view; 42, same, apical view; 43, endophallic sclerite, dorsal view; 44, same, right lateral view.