Phalangogonia hawksi Smith, 2003, new species
Creators: name: Smith, Andrew B. T.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2003
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Rutelidae
Phalangogonia
Phalangogonia hawksi

description: Phalangogonia hawksi new species (Figs. 1–3)
Type specimen. Male holotype deposited at the Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (INBio), Santo Domingo de Heredia, Costa Rica. Holotype labeled “ COSTA RICA: PUNTARENAS Rancho Quemado, 300 m 25 May 2001 M. Posla” (typeface) and “PHA­ LANGOGONIA HAWKSI SMITH ɗ HOLOTYPE ” (handwriting and typeface, black border). Type locality: Rancho Quemado (8°40'N, 83°34'W; Osa Peninsula), Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
Diagnosis. This species is distinguished from all other species in the genus Phalangogonia by the following combination of characters: dorsal colour tan with prominent black pattern on head, pronotum, and elytra (Fig. 1); frons glabrous; eye bulbous, protruding from side of head in dorsal view; pronotum moderately punctate; pygidial disc shagreened to granular, setose; mesometasternal process robust, not declivous with respect to venter; male genitalia as in Figs. 2–3.
Description of holotype. Male. Length 21.0 mm, width 11.0 mm. Colour tan with prominent black pattern on head, pronotum, and elytra (Fig. 1); ventral surface and pygidium black. Head: Dorsal surface densely punctate. Clypeus setose, weakly rounded, apex reflexed. Frontoclypeal suture complete, straight. Eye large, bulbous, length in lateral view 0.3 x head length in lateral view. Labrum with apex vertically produced with respect to clypeus, produced at middle, triangular. Mentum setose, apex strongly reflexed into oral cavity. Antenna with 10 antennomeres; club length greater than length of antennomeres 2–6. Pronotum: Surface glabrous, moderately punctate (densely punctate near lateral border). Lateral border distinct; apical, basal borders indistinct. Elytron: Surface glabrous. Striae weakly defined, punctate. Epipleuron with ventral surface flat. Pygidium: Surface shagreened, setose; setae long, cream­coloured. Ve nt er: Thorax glabrous medially, setose laterally; setae long, yellowish­brown. Mesometasternal process projecting parallel to body, apex adjacent to procoxae. Abdominal sternites sparsely setose. Legs: Protibia with 3 teeth. Mesotibia and metatibia with medial carina. Tarsomeres 1–4 wider than long, cup­shaped. Mesotarsomere and metatarsomere 1–3 with ventral pad of thick, yellowish­brown setae. Tarsomere 5 elongate, with weak ventrobasal tooth. Tarsal claws with modified claw thickened when compared to other claw, apex bifurcate. Male genitalia: Figs. 2–3. Phallobase fused to parameres. Parameres fused together except at apex; dorsomedially without keel or swelling; apex constricted, curved ventrally.
Variation. Unknown. The holotype is the only specimen examined.
Etymology. I am very pleased to name this species after David C. Hawks (University of California­Riverside). It was during a visit to Riverside when I discovered the holotype of this species in Dave's collection.
Distribution. Known only from the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica.
Key to the species of Phalangogonia (modified from Smith and Morón [2003])
1. Pygidial disc appearing smooth, without noticeable microsculpturing (some scattered punctures and setae present); mesometasternal process robust, declivous (sloping away) with respect to venter........................................................................................ 2
­ Pygidial disc shagreened, rugose or granular; mesometasternal process weak to robust, apex parallel with respect to venter................................................................ 3
2(1). Metatarsomeres 1–3 with well developed pad of ventral spines and setae; male parameres with distinct dorsomedial keel, apices with strong tooth; Puebla, Veracruz,
Oaxaca and Veracruz, México ....................................................... P. lacordairei Bates ­ Metatarsomeres 1–3 with weak pad of ventral spines and setae; male parameres with poorly defined dorsomedial keel, apices with weak tooth; eastern Guatemala to northwestern Honduras ........................................................................ P. dispar Ohaus 3(1). Eyes small, almost flush with side of head in dorsal view.......................................... 4
­ Eyes bulbous, distinctly protruding from side of head in dorsal view ........................ 5
4(3). Pronotum with sparse, scattered punctures; clypeus with surface mainly glabrous (sometimes with sparse, scattered setae); southern México to Guatemala ................... ....................................................................................................... P. obesa Burmeister
­ Pronotum with dense, sometimes confluent punctures; clypeus with surface uniformally setose; El Salvador .................................................................. P. punctata Franz
5(3). Mesometasternal process produced to or surpassing base of procoxae ..................... 6
­ Mesometasternal process not reaching base of procoxae........................................... 8
6(5). Dorsal colour tan with prominent black markings on head, pronotum, and elytra (Fig. 1); male parameres as in Figs. 2–3; Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica .......... P. hawksi Smith
­ Dorsal surface with uniform coloration....................................................................... 7
7(6). Dorsal colour mostly pale green; Oaxaca, México .... P. jamesonae Smith and Morón
­ Dorsal colour tan or light to dark yellowish­brown (sometimes creamy white when alive); Honduras to Panama ................................................................ P. sperata Sharp
8(5). Head dorsally glabrous; pygidium brown to black, granulate; length 18–24 mm; Quezaltenango, Guatemala ................................................................... P. parilis Bates
­ Head dorsally setose; pygidium tan, not granulate but with obvious microsculpturing; length 24–31 mm; Oaxaca to Chiapas, México .............. P. ratcliffei Smith and Morón
description: Published as part of Smith, Andrew B. T., 2003, A new species of Phalangogonia Burmeister (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae: Anoplognathini) from Costa Rica, pp. 1-4 in Zootaxa 316 on pages 1-4, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.156322