Phyllophaga (Phyllophaga) brevisetosa (Moser, 1918)

Vallejo, Luís Fernando & Wolff, Martha, 2013, The genus Phyllophaga Harris (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) in the Colombian Andean Mountains, Zootaxa 3722 (2), pp. 101-142 : 112-114

6. Phyllophaga (Phyllophaga) brevisetosa (Moser, 1918)

Redescription. Body length 21.0–22.0 mm. Dark chestnut-brown, chestnut-brown grayish, or chestnut-brown reddish in color. The clypeus is short, with a rounded and slightly sinuous, raised anterior margin; punctures minute, deep. Antennae have 10 antennomeres, the antennal club is longer than the preceding three antennomeres. Pronotum is pruinose, with very short setae, wider than it is long. The scutellum is impunctate; elytra, with prominent, rounded humeral and apical calla; epipleural margin progressively narrows towards the apex with fringes formed by numerous or scarce long or short setae. Pygidial plate is convex, with 6–12 thin setae on the apical margin. Sexual dimorphism moderate, not pronounced in length of antennal club, and convexity of pygidium. Both male and female have articulated metatibial apical spurs; the upper spur is longer than lower spur. Tarsal claws ( Fig. 31 ) are very similar between males and females with a sharp denticle on the inner margin close to the basal prominence, shorter than the apical denticle, and usually inclined towards the base of the claw. Parameres ( Figs. 32–33 ) are usually short and wide, always fused at the dorsal-basal end and, sometimes, fused at their ventral-basal ends. Aedeagus, wide and long with sclerotized support structures, and pre-apical or apical laminar or spiniform sclerotized microscopic structures ( Fig. 33 ).

Comments. The species was described from a male collected in "Cali, Columbien" by A.H. Fassl in March 1909. Moser indicated that this species is similar to P. ro r u l e n t a (Burmeister) even though this similarity is only superficial because it does not have a fused metatibial spur. Externally it is similar to P. rugipennis but its antennal club is shorter, and its proportions and male genital capsule are different. Morón (2001) examined three specimens, the holotype from Cali deposited in ZMHU, and two males collected in Calima, Valle del Cauca, in March 1993 by L.C. Pardo-Locarno, which are deposited in MXAL and IEXA.

Geographic record. Departamento de Valle del Cauca: Municipio de Cali, vía al Puerto de Buenaventura: veredas Saladito (1,500 m) November 1996, Luis Carlos Pardo-Locarno, 2 males y vereda Felidia (1,500 m) October 1996, Luis Carlos Pardo-Locarno, 1 male, 1 female.

Figures

FIGURES 31 – 33. Phyllophaga brevisetosa diagnostic structures, left metatarsal claw (31) male genital capsule, frontal view (32), lateral view (33). (after Morón 2001). Scale: 1 mm.