Peruquime chiwasapra Figueroa & Paz 2024, new species

Abstract

<i>Peruquime chiwasapra</i> Figueroa & Paz, new species <p>(Figs. 1–2)</p> <p> <b>Type material</b>. Holotype male labeled: (MUSM): “ Perú: AN. [Ancash] La Merced // 9°45’16.33’’S / 77°34’52.34’’W 3713m // 14.viii.2020 // E. Gamboa ”. Paratype male (MUSM), same label data as the holotype.</p> <p> <b>Holotype</b>. Male: length: 8.6 mm, width: 5.1 mm (Fig. 1A). Color: head, pronotum, and scutellum dark green with iridescent reflections. Legs, ventral region, and pygidium dark brown. Elytra testaceous and shiny, elytral margins and suture darker. Head: Front slightly convex; dorsal surface glabrous with a row of short setae on margins and eye canthus, setae moderately dense. Clypeus parabolic with anterior margin elevated; dorsal surface glabrous, strongly rugulosepunctate (Fig. 1D); length of clypeus 1.2 times the length of frons. Frontoclypeal suture straight, incomplete at the middle. Labrum free, visible dorsally, densely punctate (Fig. 1D–E, see black arrow). Head and mouthparts ventrally covered with long, moderately dense setae. Labium dorsally flat with rounded apex, moderately covered by setae. Antenna with 10 antennomers, antennal club more than twice the length of antennomers 2–7. Pronotum: Surface with mostly large punctures interspersed with fine punctures, moderately denser on apical half; surface covered by moderately dense, elongate, pale-yellow setae. Elytra: Surface with fine punctures, moderately dense and evenly distributed over the elytral disc; setae long, moderately dense, covering basal third of elytral disc; elytral margin covered with short, brown setae. Legs: protibia tridentate, apical and middle teeth developed, basal tooth reduced; protarsal claws short, inner pretarsal claw thickened, tapered at apex, and with a small preapical tooth; external claw thin and elongate. Mesotibia and metatibia laterally compressed; apex oval in caudal view, edged with short, sharp spines; outer and inner edges covered with long, moderately dense setae. Mesotarsus and metatarsus of similar length as mesotibia and metatibia. Pygidium: disc glabrous, with setae along latero-posterior margins. Male genitalia: parameres long, fused, apex slightly divided (Figs. 1B–C).</p> <p> <b>Diagnosis</b>. <i>Peruquime chiwasapra</i> can be distinguish from <i>P. arequipensis</i> by having the labrum not fused with the clypeus (versus fused); length of the clypeus 1.2 times the length of frons (versus 1.0 times); labrum visible dorsally (versus not visible); and pygidium with setae distributed along the latero-posterior margin (versus setae distributed along the entire surface but denser in the anterior half and scattered in the posterior half).</p> <p> <b>Etymology</b>. The specific epithet “chiwasapra ” is in reference to a character from the typical dance from Ancash Department called Huanquilla.</p> <p> <b>Female</b>. unknown.</p> <p> <b>Distribution.</b> This species is distributed in La Merced, in the department of Ancash, at 3713 m (Fig. 2).</p> <p> <b>Discussion</b>. The genus <i>Peruquime</i> is one of the most conspicuous genera within the high Andean Rutelinae, due to characteristics such as abundant body setae, the size of the antennal club, the fusion of the clypeus with the labrum, and the concave dorsal aspect of the clypeus (Mondaca & Valencia 2016). However, with the discovery of the new species of <i>Peruquime,</i> the combination of diagnostic features needs adjustments. The labrum fused to the clypeus was defined as a principal diagnostic character for the genus (Mondaca & Valencia 2016; Moore <i>et al</i>. 2017), but the new taxon has the labrum free from the clypeus and visible dorsally. Therefore, we suggest the following modification to the differential characteristics of the genus: clypeus longer than frons, inclined anteriorly, with its apex mostly parabolic; margin of clypeus strongly or moderately elevated; concave dorsally. Labrum flat, horizontal, visible or not in dorsal view, fused or not with the apex of the clypeus. Labium elongate, pyriform. Antenna long, with 10 antennomeres; antennal club with three antennomeres, club twice the length of the funicle. Pretarsal claw of prothoracic leg with inner claw curved, thickened, with bevel-shaped, truncate apex, and with outer edge with a small preapical or apical tooth.</p>Published as part of <i>Figueroa, Luis & Paz, Fernando, 2024, A new species of Peruquime Mondaca & Valencia, 2016 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) in the Peruvian Andes, pp. 297-300 in Zootaxa 5403 (2)</i> on pages 297-300, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5403.2.10, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/10561677">http://zenodo.org/record/10561677</a&gt