Chrysina mercedesae Barria, 2022

Barria, Manuel, 2022, A new species of Chrysina Kirby, 1828 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae: Rutelini) from Ecuador and inclusion into proposed veraguana species-group, Revista Chilena de Entomología (Rev. Chil. Entomol.) 48 (2), pp. 313-319 : 314-318

Chrysina mercedesae Barria , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1-2 )

Material examined. Male holotype ( LOUNAZ), labeled: “ ECUADOR: Provincia de Esmeraldas, Reserva Canandé, 400 m, 0°31’26.0”N 79°12’51.0”W, 6/IV/2022, Barria M.D. & Robacker D.C. coll., Metal-halide Hg lamp & UV light trap // (red label) HOLOTIPO ♂ Chrysina mercedesae Barria 2022 ”. Female allotype ( LOUNAZ), labeled: “ ECUADOR: Provincia de Esmeraldas, Reserva Canandé, 400 m, 0°31’30.0”N 79°12’49.1”W, 3/IV/2022, Barria M.D. & Robacker D.C. coll., Hg & UV light trap // (red label) ALOTIPO ♀ Chrysina mercedesae Barria 2022 ”. Paratype. 1 male ( MDBC), labeled: “ ECUADOR: Provincia de Esmeraldas, Reserva Canandé, 400 m, 0°31’26.0”N 79°12’51.0”W, 7/IV/2022, Barria M.D. & Robacker D.C. coll., Metal-halide Hg lamp & UV light trap // (yellow label) PARATIPO ♂ Chrysina mercedesae Barria 2022 ” .

Description. Male holotype ( Figs. 1 a-c): Length: 27 mm. Humeral width: 11.7 mm.

Maximum elytra width: 14.8 mm. Color: Dorsally, bright pale yellowish-green; antennal scape, external border of clypeus, ocular margins, lateral pronotal margin beads pinkish-violet; dorsal and ventral side of the tibiae pinkish-violet; in dorsal and ventral view, meso- and metatibia mostly pinkish-brown with greenish tones; in lateral view, meso- and metatibiae pinkish-violaceous; elytra epipleura margins pinkish; elytral calli and external borders metallic golden; internal borders of the tibiae and lateral sides of the mesosternal process metallic greenish; femora ventral side greenish, internal borders pinkish-brownish;

protarsomeres and mesotarsomeres pinkish-violet, metatarsomeres greenish; venter and abdominal sternites matte metallic greenish with pinkish reflections. Head: Frons depressed, surface densely and finely punctate; clypeus subtrapezoidal, apex slightly truncated, reflexed; labium with anterior margin strongly emarginated. Pronotum: Surface like the frons; basal bead diffused centrally. Elytra: Surface with about 8-9 striate; epipleura narrow, reaching level of second abdominal sternite. Scutellum : Wider than long; posterior margin parabolic; surface sparsely punctate. Pygidium : Plate (lateral view) weakly and uniformly convex; surface (frontal view) transversely and finely rugopunctate, with a few setae along rounded apex. Venter: Surface glabrous; prosternal plate subtriangular with rounded apex, central region slightly concave; mesometasternal process moderately long, surpassing base of mesocoxae; in lateral view, process semiconical, poorly robust, process directed forward; fifth abdominal sternite with a broad emargination at its posterior end, with a slightly sclerosed subtriangular isosceliform membrane between fifth and sixth sternites; sixth abdominal sternite with an arcuate emargination at posterior margin, followed by a slightly sclerosed membrane; posterior margins of abdominal sternites with several transversely arranged setae. Legs: Protibia tridentate. Genitalia ( Figs. 2 a- c): Males parameres short and symmetrical, with two recurved and divergent dentiform processes becoming progressively more robust apically (appreciable in lateral view, Fig. 2a ), ventral plates protruding beyond parameres.

Female allotype ( Figs. 1 d-f): Length: 31 mm. Humeral width: 14.2 mm. Maximum elytra width: 17.1 mm. Similar in coloration to the male; more robust and larger than males; the apex of the clypeus is mostly rounded (not truncated as in the male); without emargination between the fifth and sixth sternites, sixth abdominal sternite with a small arched emargination at apex; anterolateral surface of abdominal sternites coarsely punctate. Genitalia ( Fig. 1f ): Female inferior plates pear-shaped, slightly narrower towards the apex, apical margins strongly serrate-ondulate with many erect rufous setae.

Variation. Male paratype: Length: 27.6 mm; humeral width: 12.2 mm. Maximum elytra width: 14.9 mm. All tarsomeres of the male paratype are metallic greenish.

Diagnosis. Chrysina mercedesae is distinguished from the other species of the genus by the combination of the following characters: striated elytra, pale yellowish-green dorsal coloration, venter matte metallic green with pinkish-violet reflections, tarsomeres pinkish-violet or greenish. The genitalia of the male have two symmetrical and recurved processes becoming progressively more robust apically, ventral processes of the phallus protrude beyond the parameres. Chrysina mercedesae differs from C. galbina and C. veraguana in coloration and the genitalia C. galbina does not have a metallic venter, but it is yellowish-green, similar to dorsum, the male parameres are asymmetrical, with two dentiform projections oriented ventrally and to the right (third projection fused with central projection), left projection more robust and less acute than right. C. veraguana has silvery sternites and bluish tarsomeres, the male parameres present three projections, one short central dentiform process and two medians lateral dentiform processes, strongly curved towards ventral region, left process slightly more robust than right, both species are restricted to the central region of Panama.

Etymology. The new species name is dedicated to my grandmother Mercedes A. Ortega, who during all my years of life and career as a student and researcher has always supported me and believed in me. The specific epithet is a singular feminine noun in the genitive case.

Distribution. Ecuador: Reserva Canandé (Esmeraldas Province) ( Fig. 3 ).

Distribution remarks. I received a photo (January 2022) in dorsal view of a female specimen from east of Riosucio (Chocó, Colombia), south of Pavarando Grande, very close to the limits between the department of Chocó and Antioquia ( Fig. 3 , black asterisk). The female specimen appears identical to the one described in this work; however, I was unable to trace the collection where it was deposited to dissect the genitalia and confirm the identity. If this record is confirmed in the future, it would mean a great extension of the distribution of the species to the north of Chocó in Colombia. Assuming this, it could be thought that the species is distributed throughout the biogeographical Chocó, from the north in Colombia to the south in Ecuador.

especies veraguana . Biology. Immatures are unknown. The species inhabit in tropical premontane forest about the 300-600 m ( Fig. 4 ). Adults were captured at night with mercury vapor light and ultraviolet light traps.

veraguana species-group

Diagnostic description. Green dorsal coloration; striated elytra; abdominal sternites with or without metallic sheen; prosternal process short and subtriangular; male parameres ending in three or apparently two dentiform processes, parameres mostly “short” and robust.

Remarks. The veraguana species-group is very close to the marginata group in that the male genitalia have pronounced dentiform processes in both groups. Also, abdominal sternites of some species in each group are metallic while other species have matte appearance. Differences between the groups include elytral striation in the veraguana group compared with smooth elytra in the marginata group and much shorter and more robust male parameres in the veraguana group.

Figures

Figures 1a-f. Chrysina mercedesae sp. nov. a-c) Male holotype, dorsal, ventral and lateral views. 1d-e) Female allotype, dorsal and ventral views. f) Female genital plates. / a-c) Holotipo macho, vistas dorsal, ventral y lateral. 1d-e) Alotipo hembra, vistas dorsal y ventral. f) Placas genitales de la hembra.

Figure 2. Chrysina mercedesae sp. nov. a-c) Aedeagus holotype, lateral, caudal and dorsal views. / a-c) Edeago del holotipo, vistas lateral, caudal y dorsal.

Figure 3. Distribution map of the veraguana species-group. / Mapa de distribución del grupo de

Figure 4. Habitat of Chrysina mercedesae sp. nov., Reserva Canandé, Prov. Esmeraldas, Ecuador. / Hábitat de Chrysina mercedesae sp. nov., Reserva Canandé, Prov. Esmeraldas, Ecuador.