Euphoria chontalensis Bates, 1889

Orozco, Jesús, 2012, Monographic Revision of the American Genus Euphoria Burmeister, 1842 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae), The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 11) 66, pp. 1-182 : 62-63

Euphoria chontalensis Bates, 1889

(Appendix 4: Fig. 28 )

Euphoria chontalensis Bates 1889: 368 . Original combination.

Lectotype at BMNH designated by Hardy (2001), examined. One paralectotype at BMNH, not examined.

Euphoria comminuta Casey 1915: 307 . New synonymy.

Holotype at USNM, examined.

Description (n = 38). Length 13.3–16.2 mm; width 7.8–10.1 mm. Color: Dorsal surface yellowish brown, reddish brown, orangish brown, or dark brown, tomentous or shiny. Pronotum frequently with 2 longitudinal, irregular, dark vittae covering most or all surface, vittae frequently divided basally, appearing as 4 vittae. Elytra with small, black or dark green markings variably covering surface. Ventral surface, including legs, light brown to black. Pygidium frequently with 2 whitish, longitudinal, cretaceous markings on each side. Head: Frons frequently slightly raised at middle, densely punctate; punctures deep, moderate in size, frequently confluent, moderately densely to densely setose; setae sparse to dense, long to moderate, whitish to yellowish. Clypeal sides moderately to strongly arcuate, moderately raised in males, vaguely to weakly raised in females; apex strongly reflexed in males, weakly to moderately raised in females, truncate in dorsal view, surface as on frons. Antennal club as long as stem in males, shorter in females. Pronotum: Surface moderately densely punctate; punctures lunulate, small to moderate, sparsely to densely setose; setose short to moderate, yellowish. Sides at base frequently convergent in males, subparallel in females. Base in front of scutellum strongly emarginate. Scutellum impunctate. Elytra: Surface moderately densely punctate, striae bearing 3 rows of small, lunulate punctures and/or short grooves, sparsely to moderately densely setose, setae short to moderate. Costae evident to weak. Apex and sides on posterior half weakly rugose. Pygidium: Surface subconcentrically striate, striae discontinuous, weakly to moderately setose, setae minute to short. Legs: Protibiae slender in males, robust in females, apical and medial teeth closer to each other than to basal tooth, basal tooth frequently obsolete in males. Mesotibial carina weakly developed in both sexes. Metatibiae not apically expanded in males, moderately expanded in females; metatarsi as long as or longer than metatibiae in males, shorter in females. Venter: Mesometasternal process extending anteriorly beyond mesocoxae, weakly constricted laterally, apex variably rounded, glabrous. Metasternum rugose, setose laterally, glabrous and impunctate at middle, median sulcus weakly impressed. Abdomen in lateral view flat to weakly concave in males, weakly convex in females. Male genitalia: Parameres as in Fig. 28c .

Diagnosis. This species is separated from other species in the group by the arcuate sides of the clypeus, glabrous mesosternal lobe of the mesometasternal process, strongly proximal apical and medial protibial teeth, elytral striae consisting of three rows of small, lunulate punctures and/or short grooves, and form of the parameres.

Euphoria chontalensis has been confused in the literature with E. precaria , a synonym of E. abreona . For instance, Solís’ (2004) E. precaria corresponds to E. chontalensis (Appendix 5), and his E. chontalensis corresponds to the new species E. paradisiaca .

Taxonomic History. Bates (1889) described five dark male specimens from Chontales, Nicaragua as E. chontalensis . Casey (1915) described a dull coppery brown female from Chiriquí, Panama as E. comminuta . Hardy (2001) erroneously listed E. comminuta as a synonym of E. precaria (= E. abreona ). Based on character study and examination of the type material, I place E. comminuta in synonymy with E. chontalensis .

Natural History. Solís (2004) reported the species (as E. precaria ) feeding on the sap of Citrus sp. and on fallen fruits of Ficus sp. The species is known to occur in Costa Rica from sea level to 1,750 m.

Temporal Distribution. June (1), July (1), August (2) ( Fig. 28d ).

Geographic Distribution. Known from Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama ( Fig. 28e ).

Specimens Examined (38). Type material: Euphoria chontalensis Bates, 1889 . Lectotype male at BMNH labeled “LECTO-/TYPE/ SYN-/ TYPE// Chontales/ Nicaragua/T. Belt.// B.C.A. Col., II(2)./ Euphoria / chontalensis Bates // LECTOTYPE / Euphoria / chontalensis Bates = By/ A.R. Hardy, 78”. Euphoria comminuta Casey, 1915 . Holotype female at USNM labeled “Eu./ vestita?/ Chir. Gr.// comminuta/ Csy// CASEY/ bequest/ 1925// TYPE USNM/ 48667// Euphoria / comminuta/ Casey”. Other material: COSTA RICA (2): CARTAGO: Turrialba (1), no data (1). NICARAGUA (1): CHONTALES: Chontales (1). PANAMA (33): CHIRIQUÍ: Chiriquí (2), Lino (26), Santa Clara (5).

Figures

Fig. 28. Euphoria chontalensis. a) Habitus, b) Head, c) Parameres, d) Temporal distribution, e) Geographic distribution in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama.