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

description: Chrysina juxtaprasina Hawks, new species   Figures 3, 12, 13, 19.  
 Type data. Holotype male (deposited at CASC), labeled: a) “ MEXICO: Oaxaca / Sierra de Juarez / 2-4. vi.1995; 1750 m / G. Nogueira, coll.”; b) on red paper, “ Chrysina / juxtaprasina male symbol / Hawks, 2017 / HOLOTYPE ”. Paratypes (17M, 1F) labeled: a) as holotype. Paratype female labeled: a) “7000’, 32 mi. S. / Valle Nacional, / Oax. Mex. V.21-24. / 1971 H. Howden”. Paratypes (4M) labeled: “Mex: Oaxaca / 45 rd km S of Valle / Nacional 2100m / 28 vi-2 vii-1992 / Curoe, Blackaller col./ Metal halide light”. Paratypes (1M, 1F) labeled: a) handwritten “ MX: Oaxaca / 5 km S. of / Totontepec / 27 June 1995 / 2000 m ”. Paratype male labeled: a) “ MEX: Oaxaca / 5 km S Totontepec / N 17º 15.8’ 2000 m / W 96º 02.828’ / 27 VI 1995 / D. Curoe, Hopkins”. Paratype male labeled: a) handwritten “ MEX: OAXACA / 10 km S La Espe- / ranza 1900 m / 8 VII 94 Curoe col.”. Paratype female labeled: a) “Mex Oaxaca / La Esperanza / VII.92 / Curoe col.”. Paratype female labeled: “Mex: Oaxaca / 10 Km S La Esperanza / N 17° 35.452’ / W 96° 25.879’ 2042m / 27 vi 95 Curoe, Hopkins”. Paratypes (6m, 1F) labeled: “Mex: Oaxaca / 10 Km S La Esperanza / 2040m 8 vii 94/ D. Curoe col.”. Paratype male labeled: a) handwritten “ MX: Oaxaca / 5 km S. of / Totontepec / 27 June 1995 / 2000 m Hopkins”. Paratypes (6M 1F) labeled: “Mex: Oaxaca / 5 Km S Totontepec / N 17° 15.8’ / W 96° 02.828’ 2000m / 27 vi 95/ Curoe, Hopkins”. All paratypes (37M, 7F) with paratype label on yellow paper, “ Chrysina / juxtaprasina male or female symbol / Hawks, 2017/ PARATYPE ”.   
 Description, holotype male. Length 29 mm, width 16 mm. Color of dorsal surface of head, pronotum, elytra, apical calli, and pygidium mostly iridescent green and yellowish green; pronotal and elytral margins yellow; ventral surface of body, femora iridescent green; tibiae pinkish purple; tarsi gold; antennal scape iridescent gold on dorsal surface; remainder of antenna brown.   
 Head. Form narrowly rounded. Dorsal surface of head with sparse, small punctures mixed with fine punctures (visible only with magnification). Clypeus almost flat in lateral view. Anterior border of labrum simply emarginate at center. Mandibles externally rounded, dorsally concave, slightly asymmetrical with internal tooth; visible in dorsal view. Eye size moderate with ratio of interocular distance to width of pronotum at base = 1: 2.4. Ratio of antennal club length to interocular distance = 1: 2.   
 Thorax. Pronotal basal margin entire. Pronotal punctures like that of head, somewhat finer. Mesosternal process moderately short, rounded at apex. Each elytron with distinct sutural, marginal striae; 5 discal striae becoming less distinct laterally; interstriae irregularly punctate, punctures subequal to strial punctures, larger than on pronotum; epipleural fold broad, terminating near elytral apex.   
 Abdomen. Surface punctate, setose; punctures dense, moderately large; long, pale setae abundant on disc. Genitalia: Genital capsule: Length 9.5 mm. Parameres (Fig. 12, 13) not reflexed ventrally, slightly asymmetrical, distinctly notched (0.7 mm) at apex; sinuate in lateral view; ventrally-projecting keel absent. Ventral plates nearly symmetrical, gradually expanding to truncate apex; weakly sclerotized.   
 Male paratype variation (n= 37). Length 27–30.5 mm, width 14–15.5 mm. Male paratypes (Fig. 3) differ from the holotype in the following ways. One specimen with elytral punctation deeper, surface appearing subrugose, but with pygidium and pronotum appearing less punctate, smoother. The ventral plates in some specimens are acutely produced externally as a small tooth at truncate apex.   
 Female paratype variation (n= 7). Length 28.5–29.5 mm, width 15.5–16 mm. Females are virtually identical to males in terms of gross morphological and coloration characteristics. As is common in the genus, the female body is slightly more convex in lateral view, legs and tarsi are relatively slightly smaller, and the antennal club is shorter. Ratio of interocular distance to width of pronotum at base = 1: 2.3. Ratio of antennal club length to interocular distance = 1: 2.4. Inferior genital plates (Fig. 19) subcircular, strongly convex, irregularly emarginate along apical margin.   
 Diagnosis. Chrysina juxtaprasina is a member of the peruviana group (Hawks 2001), and is most similar to C. prasina (Boucard). It can be distinguished by its smaller average size, lighter yellowish-green coloration, more conspicuous elytral punctation and striae, more densely setose venter and pygidium, and more slender legs. Parameres are somewhat variable in both species, and are difficult to distinguish with consistency. Chrysina juxtaprasina and C. prasina are not known to be sympatric.   
 Etymology. The name is formed from the Latin preposition juxta-, meaning ‘near to’ or ‘almost the same as’, in combination with the epithet of C. prasina, with which the species had been confused (Morón 1990). It is used as a feminine adjective in the nominative singular.   
 Remarks. A photograph of a male specimen of Chrysina juxtaprasina was included in Morón (1990) as a “male of the «yellow» variety obtained in the Sierra de Juarez, Oaxaca.”
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 3-4, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5172560