Macrodactylus sericeicollis Bates, 1887

Arce-Pérez, Roberto & Morón, Miguel-Angel, 2005, New species and new records of species of Macrodactylus Dejean (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Macrodactyini) from Honduras and Nicaragua, Zootaxa 1012 (1012), pp. 23-37 : 26-27

Macrodactylus sericeicollis Bates, 1887

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished by the following combination of characters: antennal club reddish­brown with distal half darkened; pronotum black with numerous scale­like setae uniformly distributed on the disc; elytra reddish­brown with numerous scale­like setae along the inner half and scattered, short setae irregularly distributed along the outer half ( Fig. 2); pygidium black or dark brown with scattered scale­like setae; abdomen black; femora and tibiae reddish­brown, apex of tibiae noticeably darkened; tarsi black with scattered white setae; parameres with lanceolate apex, without setae on the external borders; female vestiture and color similar to male.

Material examined (32 males, 30 females) NEW COUNTRY RECORDS: HON­ DURAS: Siguatepec, 1 September 1957, Col. Baires, 1 male ( AMNH); Francisco Morazán, El Zamorano, Mt. Uyuca, cloud forest 2000 m, 24 December 1965, Cols. P. H. Freytag & H. J. Harlan, 23 males, 21 females ( HAHC, IEXA, MXAL). NICARAGUA: Matagalpa, Fuerte Pura 28 December 1994, Cols. J.Maes, J Hernández and L . R. Hernández 5 males, 4 females ( MELN, MXAL); km 147 carr. Matagalpa­ Jinotega, 20 November 1994, Cols. Maes , Tellez y Johnson, 3 males, 5 females ( MELN, MXAL) .

Biology. This species inhabits cloud forests and coffee plantations located at altitudes from 1800 to 2000 m. Months of collection: September (1), November (8), December (53). The adults of this species fly during late autumn, which is notable because other Central American species are usually active during spring and summer.

Distribution. Central Guatemala to northwestern Nicaragua (13° 00'– 15° 24' N, 85° 50'– 91° 10' W).

Remarks. This species was originally described using a large series from San Gerónimo, Purula, Coban, and Cubilguitz from Vera Paz, Guatemala. The specimens studied from Honduras and Nicaragua do not exhibit any major differences when compared to the Guatemalan specimens. The new records in Nicaragua extend the distribution 260 km to the southeast of Coban, Guatemala across several chains of mountains in Guatemala and Honduras.