Zagurya Fuhrmann, 2021

Fuhrmann, Juares, 2021, Zagurya, a new genus from Brazil with notes on claw movement in Macrodactylini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae), Zootaxa 5016 (3), pp. 395-406 : 396-400

Zagurya Fuhrmann , new genus

Type species. Plectris eusquamosa Frey, 1975 , here designated.

Diagnosis. Dorsal surface with glabrous and shiny areas mixed with areas covered by scale-like setae, some sparse hair-like setae present ( Figs. 2 , 9–17 ); posterior angles of clypeus not forming part of canthus area ( Fig. 4 ); contact of mesoscutum−scutellum angulate ( Fig. 5 ); protibiae and mesotibiae of males wide and flat ( Figs. 11 , 21, 23 ); protibia with two outer teeth and with a spur ( Fig. 21 ); mesotarsomere I of males with an inner hook-like tooth ( Figs. 23–24 ); metatarsomere IV with two well-defined groups of inner spiny setae, one of these at apex and other at proximal area ( Fig. 34 ); inner side of metatarsomere V with a raised carina ( Figs. 27 , 34–35 ).

Etymology. Zagurya is named in honor of Dr. Fernando Zagury Vaz-de-Mello (CEMT). The name is feminine in gender.

Remarks. Within all South American Melolonthinae, Mallotarsus and Zagurya are the only genera that have mesotarsomere I of males with an inner hook-like tooth, metatarsomere V with an inner raised carina or tubercle, and all tarsi with inner distal sulci (“claws sulci”) long (length of sulci at least one-fourth of length of inner area of metatarsomere V, Figs. 35, 37, 39, 42 ).

Zagurya is distinguished from Mallotarsus by (characters of Mallotarsus given in parentheses): dorsal surface with groups of scale-like setae (never with scale-like setae); protibia with two outer teeth (with three teeth); protibia and mesotibia of males wide and 1.6 or two time longer than wide (long and more than three times longer than wide); mesotibia of males with one spur (with two spurs); metafemur without row of spiny setae (with a longitudinal row of spiny setae); inner area of metatarsomere IV with proximal spiny setae (without proximal spiny setae); inner distal area of metatarsomere IV with spiny setae and without spine (without spiny setae and with a spine, Fig. 38 ); metatarsus with claws symmetrical (anterior claw smaller than posterior claw, Fig. 39 ).

The new genus includes a species formerly included in Plectris . Zagurya is distinguished from Plectris by (character of Plectris given in parentheses): protibia and mesotibia of males wide and 1.6 or two time longer than wide (long and more than three times longer than wide); metatarsomere IV with two well-defined groups of inner spiny setae: proximal and distal (without spiny setae, Fig. 36 ); metatarsus with claws symmetrical (symmetrical or anterior claw smaller than posterior claw, Fig. 37 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Specimen and habitat of Zagurya eusquamosa (Frey, 1975), new combination. 1, Banho do Belchior, Santuário do Caraça (credits: Santuário do Caraça); 2–3, female holotype (dorsal and labels; credits: Christoph Germann); 4, head of male (left side showing posterior angle of clypeus (red) not in canthus area (green)); 5, scutellum (arrow showing the angulate contact of mesoscutum−scutellum); 6–7, male at Banho do Belchior locality (credits: Fernando Frieiro-Costa); 8, female at Refúgio do Peixe Tolo locality (credits: Frederico Falcão Salles). Scale = 1 mm.

FIGURES 9–17. Zagurya eusquamosa (Frey, 1975), new combination, habitus. 9–13, male (dorsal, latero-dorsal, antero-dorsal, lateral, posterior); 14–17, female (dorsal, antero-dorsal, lateral, posterior). Scale = 4 mm.

FIGURES 18–27. Zagurya eusquamosa (Frey, 1975), new combination, appendages. 18–19, antennae (male, female); 20, labium, ventral (left side with setae omitted); 21–22, protibia–tarsus, anterior (male, female); 23–24, male mesotibia–tarsus (anterior, posterior; some setae omitted); 25, female mesotibia–tarsus, anterior; 26–27, metatibia–tarsus, anterior (male, female). Scale = 1 mm.

FIGURES 34–52. Macrodactylini and other phytophagous Scarabaeidae, distal metatarsomeres and claws, some setae omitted. 34–35, Zagurya eusquamosa (Frey, 1975), new combination (anterior, inner); 36–37, Plectris tomentosa LePeletier & Audinet-Serville, 1828 (anterior, inner); 38–39, Mallotarsus spadiceus Blanchard, 1850 (anterior, inner); 40–44, Ancistrosoma klugi Curtis, 1835; 40–41, anterior (with and without some setae); 42, inner; 43–44, internal section (with empodium protracted and retracted); 45–49, Alvarinus pallidipennis Blanchard, 1850; 45, anterior; 46, internal section; 47–49, inner (with empodium protracted, partially retracted, and fully retracted); 50–51, Hoplia argentea (Poda, 1761), Hopliini (anterior, inner); 52, Rutela lineola (Linnaeus, 1767), Rutelini, inner. Scale = 1 mm.