Pseudoserica Guérin-Méneville, 1838, revalidated

Pseudoserica Guérin-Méneville, 1838: 86 .

Gama Blanchard, 1850: 118, syn. nov. Type species: Gama grandicornis Blanchard, 1850 (designation: Lacordaire 1856: 265).

Harpodactyla Burmeister, 1855: 17, syn. nov. Type species: Harpodactyla grandicornis Burmeister, 1855 (designation: Evans 2003: 268).

Pachylotoma Blanchard, 1850: 121, syn. nov. Type species: Pachylotoma viridis Blanchard, 1850 (designation: monotypy).

Pseudoserica – Blanchard 1850: 128 (synonymy with Plectris).

Harpodactyla – Gemminger & Harold 1869: 1411 (synonymy with Gama).

Pachylotoma – Katovich 2008: 6 (synonymy with Gama).

Type species

Serica marmorea Guérin-Méneville, 1831 (designation: monotypy).

Diagnosis

Clypeal posterior angle partially covering the canthus (Fig. 13 A); pronotal anterior margin beaded, posterior margin not beaded and with two acute projections over the anterior elytron–scutellum contact, posterior angle acute (Fig. 13 A); prosternum anteriorly concave (similar to Fig. 12 K) or an anterior longitudinal carina; protibia with 1–3 external teeth and with or without spur; elytron with posterior margin not beaded; male mesotarsomere I with an internal hook-like spine (Fig. 13 B); abdomen with intersegmental membrane VII–VIII concealed.

Remarks

The genus is recognized by having the posterior pronotal margin with two lateromedial teeth which project over the anterior elytron–scutellum contact. In addition, the male mesotarsomere I has a hooklike spine (Fig. 13 B), that also occurs in Mallotarsus (Fig. 13 C) and part of Dicrania (e.g., D. ebenina).

The present study revalidates Pseudoserica, formerly a synonym of Plectris, based on the following characters (opposition to Plectris): posterior pronotal margin with two lateromedial teeth over the anterior elytron–scutellum contact (margin straight); male mesotarsomere I with a hook-like spine (without spines); internal area of metatarsomere V without spine-like setae (with spine-like setae).