Euphoria bispinis ( 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 : 104-105

Euphoria bispinis ( Bates, 1889)

(Appendix 4: Fig. 59 )

Stephanucha bispinis Bates 1889: 362 Original Combination.

Lectotype at MNHN here designated. Other syntypes not found; no paralectotypes designated.

Description (n = 11). Length 10.8–12.8 mm; width 6.8–7.8 mm. Color: Entirely shiny black, rarely with brown areas on elytra (see Notes). Head: Frontal surface flat to slightly raised at middle; strongly strigose to strigo-punctate, strigae deeply impressed; setose; setae moderate in length, light yellowish. Clypeus strongly strigose, punctate, or strigopunctate, apex narrowed anteriorly, anterior border emarginate, with 2 short teeth. Clypeus weakly to moderately setose, setae short, light yellowish; with medial, raised, longitudinal ridge. Labium thickened anteriorly. Antennal club subequal in length in both sexes Pronotum: Surface densely punctate with sparse to dense setae; punctures lunulate, confluent towards sides; setae short to moderate, light yellowish. Sides evenly rounded from base to apex; lateral line deeply impressed, continuous from apex to base. Base in front of scutellum vaguely sinuate. Elytra: Surface moderately densely setose, densely punctate; punctures small to moderate, lunulate. Striae with 4–5 irregular rows of punctures; setae short, light yellowish. Costae subobsolete to moderately developed. Apex strongly rounded. Pygidium: Surface moderately to strongly striate, striae discontinuous, subconcentric, setigerous, setae as on pronotum. Legs: Protibiae not sexually dimorphic; teeth perpendicular, subequal in size, apical and medial teeth closer to each other than to basal tooth. Metatibiae apically expanded; internal spur frequently longer. Claws shorter than last tarsomere. Metafemora and metatibiae moderately densely to densely to punctate, punctures small to moderate, irregular. Venter: Surface setigerous, setae long, abundant, light yellow. Mesometasternal process strongly compressed laterally, short, not extending anteriorly beyond level of mesocoxae, mostly setose, setae light yellow. Abdominal sternites with moderately dense setigerous punctures. Abdomen in lateral view flat in males, strongly convex in females. Male genitalia: Parameres as in Fig. 59c .

Diagnosis. Adults are separated from E. verticalis based on the frons lacking a small protuberance, clypeal teeth located near middle of clypeus, pronotal punctures dense, elytra setose, venter with dense yellowish setae, metafemora densely setose at middle, and form of the parameres.

Notes. Daniel Curoe brought to my attention a series of eight specimens collected in Durango, Mexico and deposited in the Museo de Historia Natural , Mexico City. Seven of the specimens are dorsally tomentous with the elytra bright orange except for the area around the scutellum; the other specimen is entirely black. Examination of the parameres, clypeus, and body shape, together with geographic distribution, suggests that these specimens correspond to E. bispinis . I have only seen photographs of the specimens, so a closer examination would be required to confirm the identification of these specimens.

Taxonomic History. Euphoria bispinis was originally described by Bates (1889) in the genus Stephanucha based upon specimens from Ventanas, Durango, Mexico. He recognized the similarities with E. verticalis but still put the species in Stephanucha and left E. verticalis in Euphoria . Casey (1915) created Anatropis , but his definition of the genus did not allow him to include E. bispinis , and he left it unplaced: “[337]… I think it [ A. bispinis ] can probably enter this genus [ Anatropis ]”. Hardy (1988) synonymized Anatropis with Stephanucha and placed A. bispinis in the latter genus. Ratcliffe and Paulsen (2008) placed Stephanucha in synonymy with Euphoria , thus moving E. bispinis to that genus.

Natural History. Morón et al. (1997) recorded the species from tropical deciduous, pine, and oak forests between 200–800 m elevation.

Temporal Distribution. September (5) ( Fig. 59d ).

Geographic Distribution. Known from Durango, Jalisco, and Michoacán, Mexico ( Fig. 59e ).

Specimens Examined (11). Type material: Lectotype female at MNHN here designated labeled “Ventanas, Mx.,/ 2000 ft / Forrer// Stephanucha / bispinis/ Bates// H. W. Bates / Biol. Cent. Amer” and my lectotype label. Other material: MEXICO (10): DURANGO: Ventanas (1); JALISCO: Ajijíc (3), Guadalajara (1), San Patricio (2), Tenacatita (1); MICHOACÁN: Santa Bárbara (1); NO DATA: “ Mexico ” (1).

Figures

Fig. 59. Euphoria bispinis. a) Habitus, b) Head, c) Parameres, d) Temporal distribution, e) Geographic distribution in Mexico.