Phyllophaga (Phytalus) jalisciensis Morón, Rivera and López, 2001

Morón, Miguel-Angel, Rivera-Cervantes, Luis Eugenio & López-Vieyra, Mario, 2001, New Species Of Phyllophaga Harris (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae, Melolonthinae) From Biosphere Reserve Of Manantlán, Jalisco-Colima, México, The Coleopterists Bulletin 55 (4), pp. 485-500 : 497-499

Phyllophaga (Phytalus) jalisciensis Morón, Rivera and López , new species

Figs. 23–25

Holotype Male. Frons, disk of pronotum and elytra, shiny dark brown; clypeus, lateral borders of pronotum, pygidium, sternites and legs shiny yellowish testaceous. Clypeus short ( Fig. 23 ), wider than long (4.2:1), anterior border widely sinuated with margins strongly elevated, disk surface slightly concave, with wide, shallow, round punctures, without setae. Fronto­clypeal suture vaguely sinuated, finely impressed. Frons wider than long (2.5:1) convex, with sparce, round, shallow punctures and scarce, erect, slender setae. Antenna 9 segmented, with 3 segmented club; lamellae longer than the preceeding four segments combined (1.6:1), segment 5 ° as long as segment 4 °, both without anterior projections; segment 6 ° short, with acute projection directed forward. Frons 4.3 × wider than each eye dorsal diameter. Canthus much short and narrowed, with 4 setae. Labrum widely bilobed, deeply sinuated, with slender setae at the borders. Mentum concave, with lateral bulks and slender setae, anterior border wide and deeply sinuated. Pronotum wider than long (2:1) and 2 × wider than frons. Pronotal disk glabrous, slightly convex, irregularly punctate, round punctures separated by width of 1–2 punctures; anterior margin without setae; lateral borders wide and slightly rounded, marginal bead widely crenulate ( Fig. 23 ), with scattered, short setae; anterior angles nearly straigth, not prominent, rounded; posterior angles obtuse, not prominent, rounded. Scutellum 1.1 × wider than long, with 18 shallow, small, irregular punctures. Each elytron 2.8 × longer than wide, densely rugo­punctate, glabrous; epipleural border with color of disk surface, narrowed, extended along the complete margin, with scattered, short setae; humeral calla rounded, prominent; apical calla rounded. Metathoracic wings completely developed. Propygidium shiny, with fine, sparse punctures and 5 oblique striae, glabrous. Pygidium uniformly convex, shiny, regularly civered with round punctures, glabrous, apical margin rounded, with 13 slender, short setae; basal margin widely interrupted at the middle. Pterosternon with medium size, moderately dense to scarce, yellowish vestiture. Visible abdominal sternites 2 to 4 slightly convex, with short setae at the midline and toward sides; sternite 5 sligthly convex, with medium size, erect setae at middle; anal plate convex, with scattered shallow punctures and some slender, erect setae. Protibiae shorter than protarsi (1:1.2), with external border nearly tridentate, because basal tooth is vaguely indicated; preapical spur straight, acute, much shorter than 2 ° protarsomerus (1:2.8). Mesotibiae with one oblique, strong, setiferous, transverse carina, preceeding by vague carina with 3 setae on external side; lower apical spur straight, narrow, shorter than upper spur (1: 1.4). Metatibiae nearly as long as metatarsi (1:1.1), with one oblique, vague, setiferous, transverse carina, and 5 setae on external side; apical spurs articulated with border, straight and narrowed with rounded apex, upper spur much shorter than 2 ° metatarsomere (1:2.3), and 1.2 × longer than lower spur. Tarsomeres semicylindrical, elongated, with enlarged apex, some setae around the apex and many setae on ventrally slightly flattened side. Tarsal claws symmetrical, deep and narrowly cleft, with lower tooth clearly shorter and separated from the upper tooth ( Fig. 24 ). Genital capsule elongated, basal piece slightly shorter than paramera (1:1.1), tectum with 2 wide, lateral prominences near distal border, paramera elongate, fused at dorsal base, with distal half narrowed, slightly curved downward, apex nearly rounded, trema ojival ( Figs. 25–26 ). Aedeagus moderately long, with poorly sclerotized support structure, without outstanding dorsal or preapical sclerites. Length of genital capsule from apex of parameres to border of basal piece: 2.4 mm. Total body length: 8.1 mm. Humeral width: 3.3 mm.

Allotype. Female. Similar to male except as follows: antennal club as long as preceeding four segments (1:1); frontal and pronotal punctures more deep; anal plate deep punctate; protibial external border with 3 teeth clearly marked. Ventral genital plates slightly sclerotized, symmetrical, with apical border widely rounded, without setae; dorsal genital plates rounded, slightly narrowed, with some erect setae at apical border ( Fig. 27 ). Total body length: 8.9 mm. Humeral width: 3.5 mm.

Paratype Variation. Paratypes of both sexes are similar to types except that some specimens present pronotum completely darkned. Total body length: 7.9–9.5 mm. Humeral width: 3.0– 3.6 mm.

Type Series. (described from 42 males and 21 females). Holotype, ♂; MEXICO: Jalisco, Autlán, Estación Las Joyas , 4­VII­1997, 1,900 m, trampa luz, bosque mesófilo, M. López ( MXAL) . Allotype, ♀ same data as holotype, except 5­VIII­1997, A. Vázquez ( MXAL) . Paratypes: same data as holotype (♂) ; same data as allotype, except S. Nuñez (♀) ; 3­VII­1997, J. García (2 ♂♂ 1 ♀) ; M. López (♂ / ♀) ; 5­VIII­1997, J. García (♂) ; 6­VIII­1997 (3 ♂♂ 1 ♀) ; A. Partida (6 ♂♂) ; M. López (♀) ; 7­VIII­1997, J. García (7 ♂♂ 1 ♀) ; A. Partida (3 ♂♂ 3 ♀♀) ; S. Núñez (♂) ; M. López (♀) ; 4­IX­1997, A. Guerra, (2 ♂♂) ; M. López, (2 ♂♂ 1 ♀) ; 5­IX­1997, M. López (♂) ; 30­IX­1997, M. López (2 ♂♂) ; 1­X­1997 (♂ / ♀) ; D. Pelayo (♂) ; 2­X­1997 (♀) ; M. López (♂) ; 30­VII­1999, G. Mesa (♂ / ♀) ; J. García (♂ / ♀) ; V. González (♂) ; M. López (♀) ; 31­VII­1999, V. González (♂) ; 19­VI­1986, L. Rivera, (♂ / ♀) ; 12­VII­1986, barbechos, L. Rivera,(♂). Paratypes are deposited at AAHC, AMNH, CASC, CNC, FMNH, IBUNAM, IEXA, IMEJ, GNPC, MNHN, MXAL, NHMC, UNSM and ZMHU.

Type Locality. Las Joyas , Biosphere Reserve Sierra de Manantlán , Autlán municipality, state of Jalisco, México (approx. 19 ° 35 ' 13 " N; 104 ° 16 ' 48 " W).

Biological Data. Specimens of P. jalisciensis n.sp. were collected at lights in cloud forest located at 1,900 m of altitude. Phenology: June (2), July (15), August (32), September (9), October (5). Other species flying at the same time and place were P. (Phytalus) mesophylla Morón & Rivera , P. (Phytalus) dugesiana n. sp., P. (s.str.) sayloriana n.sp., P. (s.str.) manantleca , P. (s.str.) joyana n.sp. and one undescribed species.

Remarks. Phyllophaga jalisciensis n.sp. presents the diagnostic characters of the species group ‘‘ bucephala,’’ with some similarity with P. omiltemia Bates and P. teosinteophaga Morón & Cervantes. The dense, ventral vestiture of the tarsal segments and male genital capsule are very different from the P. omiltemia . The bicolored pronotum and shape of parameres are different from P. teosinteophaga .

Etymology. Derived from the name of state of Jalisco or Xallisco, old Nahuatl language name meaning Xalli, ‘‘sand,’’ co ‘‘in,’’ ‘‘in sandy land’’ ( Simeón 1988) and Latin suffix ­ ensis, ‘‘belonging ’’ ( Jaeger 1978); jalisciensis ‘‘belonging to sandy land.’’

Figures

Figs. 23–27. Phyllophaga jalisciensis. 23) Head and pronotum, dorsal view; 24) tarsal claw, male; 25) paramera, distal view; 26) genital capsule, lateral view; 27) ventral genital plates, female. Scale lines: Figs. 24, 27 = 0.25 mm; Figs. 23, 25–26 = 1 mm.