Euphoria candezei Janson, 1875

Orozco, Jesús, 2012, Monographic Revision of the American Genus Euphoria Burmeister, 1842 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae), The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 11) 66, pp. 1-182 : 53-54

Euphoria candezei Janson, 1875

(Appendix 4: Fig. 22 )

Euphoria candezei Janson 1875: 375 . Original combination.

Lectotype at RMNH, here designated. One paralectotype at RMNH, examined.

Euphoria belti Sharp 1877: 137 . Synonym.

Lectotype at BMNH designated by Hardy (2001), examined. Two paralectotypes at BMNH, not examined.

Euphoria vazquezae Deloya and Woodruff 1995: 83 . New synonymy.

Holotype, allotype, and one paratype at FSCA. One additional paratype at CCDX and another in M.A. Morón Collection ( Xalapa , Veracruz, Mexico) (fide Deloya and Woodruff 1995). Paratype at FSCA, examined.

Description (n = 310). Length 17.1–21.5 mm; width 9.9–12.2 mm. Color: Dorsal and ventral surfaces shiny, bright to dark green, rarely with violaceous or red areas. Head: Frons depressed, with 1 central or 2 longitudinal depressions separated by ridge, densely punctate; punctures small to moderate, round, deeply impressed, at times coalescent; sparsely to moderately setose; setae short to moderate, yellowish. Clypeal surface moderately to densely punctate; punctures moderate in size, round; clypeus short, lateral margins strongly raised, sides moderately convergent at apex, lateral declivity moderately developed; apex strongly reflexed, moderately to strongly sinuate in frontal view, frequently forming 2 small denticles, glabrous to moderately densely setose; setae yellowish to whitish, short to moderate. Pronotum: Surface sparsely to moderately densely punctate; punctures minute to moderate, round to lunulate, denser and larger towards sides; glabrous. Lateral pronotal margins moderately to weakly angulate, females frequently with margins subparallel at base, males generally with margins convergent at base. Base in front of scutellum moderately to strongly emarginate. Scutellum longer than wide, impunctate. Elytra: Surface sparsely to moderately densely punctate; punctures round to lunulate, minute to moderate, larger towards apex and sides; costae obsolete to subobsolete. Posterior half of sutural costa strongly raised in lateral view. Surface glabrous. Apex occasionally with short sutural spine. Pygidium: Surface subconcentrically striate, striae discontinuous, moderately to strongly impressed, sparsely to moderately densely setose; setae short, yellowish. Legs: Protibial teeth well developed in both sexes, apical and medial teeth closer to each other than to basal tooth, basal tooth variably developed. Meso- and metatibial carinae moderately to well developed. Metatarsi compressed in females, much shorter than metatibiae, slightly shorter than metatibiae in males. Venter: Mesometasternal process extended anteriorly well beyond mesocoxae, glabrous on mesosternal lobe, apex variably rounded. Mesepimera, metasternum, and metacoxae setose, setae as on legs. Metasternum rugose, setose laterally, glabrous and impunctate at middle. Median sulcus well impressed. Abdominal sternites moderately densely setose laterally, glabrous to sparsely setose medially, sides rounded. Male genitalia: Parameres as in Fig. 22c .

Diagnosis. Euphoria candezei is easily separated from other species in the group based on the large and shiny green body without markings, vertex without a protuberance, and form of the parameres. Dark purple specimens ( Fig. 22d ) show a green reflection when examined under a strong light.

Taxonomic History. Janson (1875) described this species from specimens from Guatemala and Nicaragua. The species was named after Dr. Ernest Candéze, who collected the first specimen. Sharp (1877) described Euphoria belti from specimens collected by Mr. Thomas Belt in Nicaragua. Bates (1889) treated E. belti as a synonym of E. candezei .

Deloya and Woodruff (1995) described E. vazquezae from five specimens collected on Cerro Uyuca, Honduras. The characters listed to separate E. vazquezae from E. candezei (color reflections of the dorsum, development of the basal protibial tooth, development of teeth on mesotibial carina, and angle of the parameres apex) all vary intraspecifically. Based on the study of the intraspecific variation of 310 specimens, I place E. vazquezae in synonymy with E. candezei .

Natural History. Adults have been found between 91–2,000 m elevation in mesophytic and cloud forests. Adult E. candezei have been observed swarming at ground level over a newly cut area or digging in the soil. This behavior suggests copula probably takes place in the soil. Solís (2004) observed the species feeding on Rubus sp. , mangos, banana, and fermented honey in Costa Rica. He also observed adults in large numbers perching on trees at the forest edge. Morón et al. (1997) recorded the species from a variety of habitats in Mexico, from undisturbed to highly disturbed forests.

Temporal Distribution. January (2), February (2), March (1), April (2), May (78), June (29), July (23), August (25), September (25), October (23), November (46), December (4) ( Fig. 22e ).

Geographic Distribution. Known from southern Mexico to northern Panama ( Fig. 22f ).

Specimens Examined (310). Type material: Euphoria candezei Janson, 1875 ; lectotype male at RMNH here designated labeled “ Chont. / Nicarag // Museum Leiden / verz. F.T. Valck / Lucassen / (O.E. Janson)// type// ♂ / TYPE// Erirhipis candezei, O. Jns / Type. // type// candezei/ O. Jans. ” and my lectotype label; paralectotype female at RMNH labeled “ Chontal / Nicarag.// Museum Leiden/ verz. F.T. Valck / Lucassen / (O.E. Janson)// type// ♀ / TYPE// type// type” and my paralectotype label. Euphoria belti Sharp, 1877 ; lectotype male at BMNH labeled “LECTO-/TYPE/ SYN-/TYPE// Chontales/ Nicaragua/ T. Belt.// Euphoria /belti/ Ind. Typ./ D.S.// B.C.A. Col., II(2)./ Euphoria / candezei// LECTOTYPE / Euphoria / belti/ Sharp = By / A.R. Hardy, 78”. Euphoria vazquezae Deloya and Woodruff, 1995 ; paratype male at FSCA labeled “ HONDURAS:/ Dept. Francisco / Morazon [sic], Cerro Uyuca/ 6,500ft., 6-VI-1993 / coll. M.C. Thomas// EUPHORIA / VAZQUEZAE/ DELOYA Y WOODRUFF/ A. C. Deloya, det.// Euphoria vazquezae / PARATIPO/ Deloya & Woodruff/ 1995”. Other material: COSTA RICA (74): ALAJUELA: Cariblanco (1), Parque Nacional Peñas Blancas (4) Upala (2); CARTAGO: Cartago (5), Orosí (2), Navarro (1), Pavones (1), Río Macho (4), Tres Ríos (3), Turrialba (2), Volcán Irazú (4); GUANACASTE: Bebedero (1), Parque Nacional Guanacaste (5), La Palma (1); HEREDIA: La Caja (1); SAN JOSÉ: Coronado (5), San José (18), Tibas (2); PUNTARENAS: San Vito (3), Surubres (2); SAN RAFAEL: Parque Nacional La Amistad (1); NO DATA: “Costa Rica” (6). GUATEMALA (5): BAJA VERAPAZ: Cobán (“Road to”) (2); ALTA VERAPAZ: Baleu (1), Cobán (1), Santa Cruz El Chol (1). HONDURAS (76): ATLÁNTIDA: La Ceiba (2); COMAYAGUA: Comayagua (2), Forestry School (3), Siguatepeque (21), Taulabé (1); COPÁN: No data (1); CORTÉS: La Lima (1), Omoa (1), Río Lindo (1), Yojoa (10); EL PARAÍSO: Yuscarán (1); FRANCISCO MORAZÁN: Cerro Uyuca (29), Valle de Ángeles (1); YORO: Yoro (2). MEXICO (105): CHIAPAS: La Revancha (5), Ocozocoautla de Espinosa (12), Oxchuc (10), Parque Laguna Bélgica (1), Pueblo Nuevo (8), Rancho Santa Rosa (29), San Antonio Buenavista (30), San Cristóbal de las Casas (4), Santa Rosa (3), no data (1); QUINTANA ROO: No data (1); VERACRUZ: Catemaco (1). NICARAGUA (7): CHONTALES: Chontales (1); JINOTEGA: Jinotega (1); NO DATA (5). PANAMA (39): CHIRIQUÍ: Finca La Suiza (4), Los Planes (21), Valle Hornito (11), Potrerillos (3).

Figures

Fig. 22. Euphoria candezei. a) Habitus, b) Head, c) Parameres, d) Color variation, e) Temporal distribution, f) Geographic distribution in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama; open square indicates state record only.