Pachyserica scalaris Arrow, 1946

Ahrens, Dirk, Zhao, Ming-Zhi, Pham, Phu Van & Liu, Wan-Gang, 2024, Taxonomic updates on Pachyserica Brenske, 1898 and Serica MacLeay, 1819 reveal 38 new species and new challenges of Sericini systematics regarding DNA barcodes and genus-level diagnostic key characters (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Sericinae), Zootaxa 5491 (1), pp. 1-89 : 41

Pachyserica scalaris Arrow, 1946

Fig. 16A–E

Type material examined. Lectotype (here designated) ♀ “ Type / N. E. Burma Kambaiti 7000 ft. 25–27/4/ 1934 R. Malaise / Pachyserica scalaris sp. n. Arrow” ( BMNH) . Paralectotype: 1 ♀ “N. E. Burma Kambaiti 7000 ft. 19/5/ 1934 R. Malaise / Pachyserica scalaris co-type Arrow” ( BMNH) .

Additional material examined. 1 ♂ “ China: Yunnan Prov. Zizhi vill. 29.vi.–2.vii.2016 25°43.7′N, 98°34.1′E, 1995 m at light in village J. Hájek & J. Růžička leg. / Asia Sericini 1058 spec.” ( NMPC) .

Remarks. Thanks to a newly examined specimen from the close vicinity of the type locality of Pachyserica scalaris Arrow, 1946 (i.e., Kambaiti, Myanmar), we were able to correct the misinterpretation of this species in Ahrens (2006). To date, only female specimens could have been examined from the type locality, therefore the recognition of the true identity of the species based on only female external charaters was difficult.

The male specimen from Sapa ( Vietnam) mistakenly taken (and with its genitalia illustrated) as Pachyserica scalaris Arrow, 1946 (see Ahrens 2006) is in fact a new, yet undescribed species.

Figures

FIGURE 16. A–E: Pachyserica scalaris Arrow, 1946 (China: Yunnan: Zizhi vill.); F–K: P. motuo new species (holotype); A, H: aedeagus, left side lateral view; C, K: aedeagus, right side lateral view; B, J: parameres, dorsal view; I: aedeagus, dorsal view; D, E: habitus, dorsal view; F, G: habitus, lateral view. Scale bar: 0.5 mm. Habitus images not to scale.