Cyclocephala mesophylla Mora-Aguilar and Delgado

Mora-Aguilar, Eder F. & Delgado, Leonardo, 2012, A New Species of Cyclocephala Dejean (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Cyclocephalini) from the Cloud Forests of Southeastern Mexico and Description of the Female of Cyclocephala berti Delgado, The Coleopterists Bulletin 66 (2), pp. 139-142 : 139-142

Cyclocephala mesophylla Mora-Aguilar and Delgado , new species

( Figs. 1–4, 6)

Type Material. Holotype male, labeled:“ MÉXICO:

Veracruz,Zongolica, La Quinta,Amatitla 29-30-V-2011.

1250 msnm. Bosque Mesófilo de Montaña. Luz mercurial. E. Mora, L. Delgado y L. Lara cols.” Two male and four female paratypes with same data as holotype. One male paratype and one female paratype with same data, except: 31-VII-2011. One male paratype labeled: “ MÉXICO: Oaxaca, Santiago Comaltepec, San Bernardino, Luz Vapor de Mercurio, 1715 m, Bosque de Oreomunnea mexicana, E. Mora col.”

The holotype and one female paratype are deposited in the entomological collection of the Instituto de Ecología, A. C. ( Xalapa , Mexico). Paratypes are deposited in the following collections: Martin-Luther-Universitat Wissenschaftsbereich Zoologie Sektion (Halle, Germany) 1♀ ; University of Nebraska State Museum (Nebraska, USA) 1 ♂ 1♀ ; Instituto de Biología de la Universidad Autónoma de México (Mexico City) 1 ♂ ; L. Delgado Collection (Mexico City) 1 ♂ 1♀ ; and E. Mora-Aguilar Collection ( Xalapa , Mexico) 1 ♂ 1♀ .

Description. Holotype. Male ( Fig. 1). Total length 16.5 mm; width across humeri 7.3 mm. Color testaceous except for fuscous on posterior half of frons, marginal bead of pronotum, sutural border of elytra, and lateral borders of scutellum. Dorsal pattern with 2 fuscous, longitudinal, diffuse spots at sides of midline on pronotum; each elytron with 4 fuscous spots as follows: 1 larger, oval, postscutellar; 1 semitriangular, posthumeral, on lateral edge of disc; 2 semitriangular, nearly adjacent on the posterior third and inner half. Head: Frons and clypeus glabrous with surface densely and uniformly punctate, punctures shallow, small. Apex of clypeus slightly emarginate, weakly reflexed ( Fig. 2 ). Interocular width equals 4.3 transverse eye diameters. Antenna with 10 antennomeres, club subequal in length to antennomeres 2–7. Pronotum: Surface glabrous, with punctures shallow, moderate in size, sparser to midline; base with complete marginal bead. Elytra: Surface with dense, moderately large punctures; striae punctate, punctures of same size as those of intervals; elytra mostly glabrous except for minute, small, pale setae at the apex and to the sides of the posterior third. Pygidium: Surface moderately rugopunctate, punctures setiferous, setae minute, pale; surface evenly convex. Legs: Protibia tridentate, basal tooth small, slightly removed from others. Protarsus enlarged, tarsomeres 2–4 each larger than preceding tarsomere; 5th large, curved, with elongate, narrow, concave depression on inner side; median claw large, strongly curved, with rounded process at base, apex narrowly cleft. Metatarsus slightly longer than metatibia. Venter: Prosternal process columnar, apex with fringe of long setae and flattened into transversal oval disc with anterior half elevated into a raised “button”. Parameres: Moderately elongate, slightly convergent to apex, apices truncate ( Figs. 4, 6 ).

Paratypes. 4 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀. Total length: 15.0– 16.5 mm; width across humeri: 7.2–7.5 mm. Dorsal and ventral color varies from light to dark testaceous. Pronotal and elytral spots are more or less dark to diffuse, sometimes reduced, almost obsolete. In both sexes, the apex of the clypeus varies from slightly emarginate to truncate ( Figs. 2–3 ). Elytra in females are almost glabrous; the epipleuron (in ventral view) is weakly expanded and thickened at the level of abdominal sternites 1–2. The pygidium is nearly flat, microreticulate, with small punctures, and sparse, minute setae on base. The protarsus is simple, and the metatarsus is equal in length to the metatibia.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Greek mesophyllous, in relation to the distribution of this new species in cloud or mesophyll forest.

Distribution. Cyclocephala mesophylla is known from cloud forests in the region of Zongolica, in the state of Veracruz, and Sierra Norte in the state of Oaxaca. This species was collected at 1,250 m elevation in Veracruz and at 1,750 m elevation in Oaxaca. The forest of Oaxaca is characterized by Oreomunnea mexicana (Standley) (Juglandaceae) as the dominant tree species and is considered as relict and paleoendemic vegetation founded in areas that presumably served as Pleistocene refuges of flora and fauna in Mexico ( Rzedowski 1991). The isolated and fragmented distribution of C. mesophylla and other Mexican and Central American species, such as Cyclocephala alexi Ratcliffe and Delgado , Cyclocephala batesi Delgado and Castañeda , C. berti , Cyclocephala caelestis Delgado and Ratcliffe , Cyclocephala jalapensis Casey , and Cyclocephala picopijola Ratcliffe and Cave , suggests that these species are endemic and restricted to cloud forests.

Taxonomic Remarks. Cyclocephala mesophylla is similar to C. batesi . Both species share the following characters: tridentate protibia, testaceous body color, two diffuse spots on the pronotum, small, fuscous spots on elytra, shape of the pygidium, and shape of elytral epipleuron in females. However, C. mesophylla is distinguished from C. batesi by the following characters: clypeal apex slightly emarginate or truncate ( Figs. 2–3 ) (not distinctly and broadly emarginated as in C. batesi ); pronotum with basal bead always complete (not lacking at least at center in C. batesi ), each elytron with four small spots (elytron with three spots in C. batesi ); and the shape of the parameres ( Figs. 4–7 ).

Additionally, the distributions of C. mesophylla and C. batesi are allopatric. Cyclocephala mesophylla is known from Veracruz and Oaxaca in Mexico, whereas C. batesi inhabits eastern Guatemala and Honduras. The closest populations of these species (Oaxaca, Mexico - Zacapa, Guatemala) are separated by more than 800 km, interrupted by the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, an important biogeographic barrier.

In the Endrödi’ s (1985) keys, C. mesophylla will key out in two ways depending on whether the clypeus is emarginate or truncate. In the key for males, the “clypeus emarginated” character will key to couplet 88, where we propose the following modifications:

88 (87) Inner claw of anterior tarsi finely incised at apex, hind tarsi not much longer than tibiae. [DELETE LAST PHRASE]

88a (88b) Dorsal surface of elytra with 8 black or dark spots. México...... C. mesophylla ............ Mora-Aguilar and Delgado, ........................................ new species

88b (88a) Surface without black or dark spots.

The “clypeus truncate” character in the key for males will key to couplet 155, where we propose the following modifications (take note of clarifica-

tions indicated in Ratcliffe [1989] to couplets 135, 138, and 142):

155 (156) Apex of clypeus truncate or only very weakly convex. [DELETE REST OF PARAGRAPH].

155a (155b) Each elytron with three elongate spots. Elytra distinctly furrowed. Parameres elongate, with apices angled, sharp. Ecuador, Bolivia......... C. mannheimsi ...................................... Endrödi 1964

155b (155a) Each elytron with four oval, subtriangular spots. Elytra not furrowed. Parameres oval, with apices truncate. Mexico............. C. mesophylla Mora- ... Aguilar and Delgado, new species

156 (155) Anterior angles and apex of clypeus rounded.

In the key for females, the first way, the “clypeus emarginated” character will key to couplet 64, where we propose the following modifications:

64 (63) Anterior angles of clypeus broadly rounded, apical emargination usually distinct.

65 (66) Pronotum mostly black. Clypeus thickened. Double rows of elytra deeply furrowed .... C. marginalis Kirsch 1870

66 (65) Pronotum mostly testaceous, clypeus normal, double rows of elytra not furrowed.

66a (66b) Elytra with black elongate spots, lateral margin with a very strong lateral knob. Mexico to Bolivia...... C. stictica .................................. Burmeister 1847

66b (66a) Elytra with fuscous, and oval or subtriangular spots, lateral margin without knob. Mexico..... C. mesophylla Mora- ...... Aguilar and Delgado, new species

The “clypeus truncate” character in the key for females will key to couplet 171, where we propose the following modifications:

171 (178) Elytra with 1– 4 small spots.

172 (173) Small species from Mexico. [Remain- der as in Endrödi 1985]....... C. freudei ........................................ Endrödi 1963

173 (172) Combination of characters different

174 (175) Body surface strongly punctate, clypeus densely wrinkled. Jamaica..... C. tetrica ................................... Burmeister 1847

175 (174) Body surface finely punctuate.

176 (177) Clypeus punctate. Striae of elytra not obscured.

176a (176b) Lateral margin of elytra with long thickening. Length 11–12 mm. Brazil, Antilles........ C. striata Endrödi 1963

176b (176a) Lateral margin of elytra weakly and shortly expanded. Length 15–17 mm. Mexico.............. C. mesophylla Mora- .... Aguilar and Delgado, new species

177 (176) Clypeus strongly wrinkled. Striae of elytra obscured. Santo Domingo .................... C. vidua Endrödi, 1966

Figures

Figs. 2–7. Cyclocephala spp. 2) Clypeus of C. mesophylla, dorsal view, holotype; 3) Clypeus of C. mesophylla, dorsal view, paratype; 4) Parameres of C. mesophylla, caudal view, holotype; 5) Parameres of C. batesi, caudal view (modified from Delgado and Castañeda 1994); 6) Parameres of C. mesophylla, lateral view, holotype; 7) Parameres of C. batesi, lateral view (modified from Delgado and Castañeda 1994).