Chrysina sagacita Hawks 2017, new species
Creators: name: Hawks, David C.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Rutelidae
Chrysina
Chrysina sagacita

description: Chrysina sagacita Hawks, new species   Figures 5, 17, 18.  
 Type data. Holotype male (Fig. 5; deposited at CASC) labeled: a) “ MEXICO: Oaxaca / Sierra Juarez, near / San Concepcion / Papalo; 24.iv.1995 / Alfredo Lau, coll.”; b) on red paper, “ Chrysina / sagacita male symbol / Hawks, 2017 / HOLOTYPE ”. Paratypes (11M) labeled: a) as holotype. Paratypes (4M) labeled: a) “ MEXICO: OAXACA / La Esperanza / 2 April 1995 / D. Thomas & D. Robacker”. Paratypes (2M) labeled: a) “Mex: Oaxaca / San Juan Papalo / 8500’ 24 V 95 / A. Lau”. All paratypes (17M) with paratype label on yellow paper, “ Chrysina / sagacita male symbol / Hawks, 2017 / PARATYPE ”.   
 Description, holotype male. Length 26 mm, width 12.5 mm. Color of dorsal surface of head green with golden reflection; pronotum and elytra mostly iridescent yellowish green; pronotum and elytral margins gold; apical calli metallic green; pygidium green with cupreous reflection; ventral surface of body and femora iridescent golden green to cupreous; tibiae purplish brown with green iridescence; tarsi brown with weak green iridescence; antennal scape brown with weak green iridescence dorsally; remainder of antenna brown.   
 Head. Form overall narrow, clypeus subtriangular with rounded apex; almost flat in lateral view. Dorsal surface of frons with coarse, setose punctures laterally, becoming fine, impunctate on disc. Clypeus with surface rugopunctate. Anterior border of labrum deeply emarginate medially. Mandibles oval, convex; visible in dorsal view. Eye size large, with ratio of interocular distance to width of pronotum at base = 1: 3. Ratio of antennal club length to interocular distance = 1: 0.9.   
 Thorax. Pronotal basal margin entire. Pronotal surface densely punctate with mixed small and fine punctures. Mesosternal process nearly obsolete. Each elytron with 9 distinct punctate striae; punctures larger than on pronotum; interstriae with only fine punctures not visible without magnification; epipleural fold narrow, terminating at middle of metacoxae.   
 Abdomen. Pygidium finely rugopunctate. Venter densely setose with long golden brown setae. Genitalia: Genital capsule length 7.5 mm. Parameres almost symmetrical, subspatulate, weakly notched at apex; sinuate in lateral view; ventral keel absent. Ventral plates fused into parabola with rounded apex; weakly emarginate medially.   
 Male paratype variation (n= 17). Length 23.5–26.5 mm. Width 12–13 mm. Male paratypes differ from the holotype in the following characters. Five specimens are a pinkish or purplish brown color morph. Mesosternal process usually present as small knob. Ventral plates more strongly rounded, not emarginate medially.   
 Diagnosis. Chrysina sagacita is most similar to C. orizabae (Bates), but averages smaller and more slender as viewed both dorsally and laterally. Chrysina sagacita tends to be a lighter green. The clypeus is more triangular, the legs are much more slender, the pygidium is more coarsely rugopunctate, and the parameres more slender than in C. orizabae.   
 Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin sagax, meaning “of quick perception, of acute senses,” in reference to the distinctive large eyes and antennal club. It is used as a feminine adjective in the nominative singular.   
 Remarks. Females are unknown. Like C. orizabae, which is distributed throughout the Transverse Volcanic Range in Mexico, C. sagacita is a high elevation, spring-emerging species. Both species are unique within the genus in that the adults do not feed, and possess atrophied digestive tracts (Hawks, pers. obs.).
description: Published as part of Hawks, David C., 2017, Five new species of Chrysina Kirby (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae), pp. 1-9 in Insecta Mundi 2017 (544) on pages 6-7, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5172560