Phyllophaga (Cnemarachis) sarlacca Smith and Paulsen 2015, new species
Creators: name: Smith, Andrew B. T.
name: Paulsen, M. J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Scarabaeidae
Phyllophaga
Phyllophaga sarlacca

description: Phyllophaga (Cnemarachis) sarlacca Smith and Paulsen, new species
(Figs. 1–5)
Type Series. Holotype, allotype, 198 paratypes. 58 males (29 CMNC [including holotype], 25 UNSM, 4 USNM), 61 females (31 CMNC [including allotype], 26 UNSM, 4 USNM) labeled: “ CUBA: Holguín Prov. / Parque Nacional La Mensura / mixed pine forest, 716 m / 20.48275°N, 75.80745°W / 12-V-2013; A.B.T.Smith, / A.Deler- Hernández, G.Zhang ”. 41 males (14 CMNC, 2 FCSA, 2 IESH, 2 MNHC, 21 UNSM), 40 females (14 CMNC, 2 FCSA, 2 IESH, 2 MNHC, 20 UNSM) labeled: “ CUBA: Holguín Prov. / Parque Nacional La Mensura / 20.48275°N, 75.80745°W / 716 m; MV lights; 10-V-2013 / A.B.T.Smith, F.Cala-Riquelme ”.
Diagnosis. Dorsal surface shiny, without pruinosity (Fig. 1); clypeus distinctly sinuate; antennal club much shorter than funicle and scape; pronotal lateral margin coarsely crenulate; prosternum with two spines basal to procoxae; metasternum and abdominal sternites setose, without pruinosity; pygidium hirsute; male genitalia distinct as in Figs. 2–4.
Holotype Description. Length 28 mm, width 14 mm. Dorsal surface shiny, without pruinosity; head and pronotum dark reddish brown, elytra dark tan (Fig. 1). Head: Surface moderately to densely punctate with deep, well-defined punctures; glabrous. Clypeus with apex weakly reflexed, strongly sinuate (bilobed) with middle approximately half length of lobes; densely punctate. Frontoclypeal suture welldefined, clypeus and frons on same plane. Frons moderately to densely punctate. Antennae with 9 antennomeres; club approximately 1/3 length of funicle and scape; club, funicle, scape shiny. Pronotum: Surface densely punctate with deep, well-defined, elongate punctures; glabrous. Apical angles weakly acute; lateral margins coarsely crenulate, widest at medial point. Elytra: Surface moderately to densely punctate with shallow, well-defined punctures; glabrous except with row of setae along suture near apex. Striae poorly defined, obscure. Legs: Protibia with 3 teeth, 2 nd tooth slightly closer to apical tooth. Meso- and metatibiae without medial carinae, with spines on lateral margin. Metatibial spurs unmodified, shorter spur approximately 2/3 length of longer spur. Claws symmetrical with medial triangular tooth, apex unmodified. Venter: Prosternum with 2 spines behind procoxae. Metasternum setose with long setae, without pruinosity. Abdominal sternites moderately setose, without pruinosity. Pygidium: Surface convex; densely punctate with large, well-defined punctures; densely setose with long setae; shiny without pruinosity. Male genitalia: As in Figs. 2–4.
Variation. Male length 25–30 mm, width 13–15 mm; female length 27–31 mm, width 14–16 mm. Terminal abdominal segment longer and more inflated in females than in males.
Etymology. Named for the open-jawed appearance of the parameres in frontal view (Fig. 4), which looks similar to the gaping mouth of the sarlacc character in the movie Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. This Latinized name should be treated as an adjective in the nominative singular, i.e., the sarlaccian Phyllophaga.
Distribution (Fig. 5). C U B A: H o l g u í n: Parque Nacional Mensura-Piloto, 20.48275°N, 75.80745°W (200).
Temporal Data. May (200).
Remarks. This species does not effectively key past couplet 5 in Chapin (1932) and does not match the description or genitalic illustrations of Phyllophaga onchophora Chapin or any species resolved after that point in the key.
description: Published as part of Smith, Andrew B. T. & Paulsen, M. J., 2015, Ten New Species of Phyllophaga Harris (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) from Cuba, pp. 435-452 in The Coleopterists Bulletin 69 (3) on pages 436-438, DOI: 10.1649/0010-065x-69.3.435, http://zenodo.org/record/10105922