Cyphochilus tricolor Waterhouse, 1867

Sabatinelli, Guido, 2020, Taxonomic notes on the genus Cyphochilus Waterhouse, 1867 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea, Melolonthinae) with description of 10 new species, Revue suisse de Zoologie 127 (1), pp. 157-181 : 173-174

Cyphochilus tricolor Waterhouse, 1867

Figs 11, 12 , 56-58

Cyphochilus tricolor Waterhouse, 1867: 142 .

Cyphochilus vestitus Sharp, 1876: 82 . new synonym

C. tricolor type material examined: Lectotype by present designation: BMNH; 1 ♂; SIAM: // C. tricolor, Waterh. Type ( H) // Siam ( H) // Type ( P on white with red border) // Bowring. 63’47* ( P on white) //. ( Fig. 12 ).

C. vestitus type material examined: Holotype: MNHN; 1 ♂; // Cyphochilus vestitus / Cambodia Type / D. S. ( H on red) // Camb ( H) / Mouhot ( P) // Ex Musaeo / D. Sharp 1890 ( P on white) // Muséum Paris / Coll. R. Oberthur ( P on white) // Typus ( H on red) //. ( Fig. 11 ).

Additional material examined: 2 specimens.

CAMBODIA: MSNG; 1 ♂; Cambodia .

LAOS: ISNB; 1 ♂; Takek; ex coll. Le Moult.

Description of the lectotype male: Size – BL: 13.5 mm, BW: 5.8 mm, BWX: 7.5 mm, situated at midpoint of elytra. Color – Integument light brown; dorsal surface with scales densely aggregated along sides of pronotum and margins of elytra; scales are white on discus, ochre on head, sides of pronotum and of elytra and yellowish on the margins of elytra. Head – CW/L: 3.2; clypeus largely rounded; (F/O: 5.7); antennal club slightly shorter than antennomeres 2-7 (A2-7/CL: 1.1). Pronotum – (PnW/L: 2); apical angles and lateral margins flattened, apical angles right and protuberant; basal lateral margins straight, basal angles obtuse. Elytra – Without any visible striae. Thoracic sterna – Surface with short, white pubescence and scales; mesosternum feebly developed (MstL: 0.45 mm) however visible between mesocoxae in lateral view. Abdomen – Sternites with uniformly sparse scales; pygidium convex with apical margin narrowly reflected. Legs – Protibia tridentate with basal tooth vestigial; slender apical tooth as long as the middle tooth. Aedeagus – Parameres strongly asymmetric with 5 appendices ( Figs 56-58 ).

Variability: BL: 13-14.5 mm.

Females: Unknown.

Type locality: The type locality given on the labels of the lectotype is “ Siam ”, an old geographical name referable to the territories of Thailand and Cambodia.

Distribution: This species is known from three specimens with generic collection data: Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, the most precise locality being Thakhek in Laos at the border with Thailand (17°24’N 104°48’E).

Remarks: Although it seems that Waterhouse described C. tricolor on a single specimen this is unfortunately not explicitly stated. Therefore, I prefer to designate the only available type specimen as the lectotype. Cyphochilus vestitus Sharp was explicitly described based on a single specimen, which is hence the holotype. The comparison of these types shows that C. vestitus is a junior synonym of C. tricolor . The species can be readily separated from all other congeners by the unique conformation of the strongly asymmetric parameres with five appendices ( Figs 56-58 ).

Figures

Figs 1-14. Original labels of type material. (1) Cyphochilus pygidialis Nonfried, 1893. (2) C. pygidialis Brenske [sic]. (3) C. septentrionalis Waterhouse, 1867. (4) C. obscurus Sharp, 1876. (5) C. proximus Sharp, 1876. (6) C. flavomarginatus Frey, 1971. (7) C. cylindricus Brenske, 1903. (8) Melolontha candida (Olivier, 1789). (9) Cyphochilus pygidialis v. angeri Nonfried, 1893. (10) C. feae Brenske, 1903. (11) C. vestitus Sharp, 1876. (12) C. tricolor Waterhouse, 1867. (13) C. testaceipes Fairmaire, 1902. (14) C. peninsularis Arrow, 1938.

Figs 47-58. Parameres in right, dorsal, and left view. (47-49) Cyphochilus carinchebanus Brenske, 1903. (50-52) C. obscurus Sharp, 1876, holotype. (53-55) C. proximus Sharp, 1876, holotype. (56-58) C. tricolor Waterhouse, 1867, lectotype. – Scale bars = 1 mm.