Cotalpa, Burmeister

Young, Ronald M., 2002, A New Cotalpa Burmeister Taken On Post Oak In Eastern Texas With Notes And A Key To Species In The Genus (Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 56 (4), pp. 473-479 : 477-478

Key to the Species of Cotalpa

1 Inner apex of elytra produced posteriorly into acuminate spine ( Fig. 4a, c ) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2

1 ' Inner apex of elytra posteriorly truncate or rounded ( Fig. 4b ) (weakly acuminate in occasional C. consobrina ) -------------------------------------------------------------------- 3

2 Elytra translucent. Tarsi testaceous. Elytral spine present only in males, gracile, needle­like ( Fig. 4c ). Ventrally directed mandibular tooth triangular, visible externally ( Fig. 3a ). Parameres slightly asymmetrical ( Fig. 2b ). Typical length 17–18 mm, Yuma Co., Arizona --------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- C. ashleyae La Rue

2 ' Elytra opaque, golden yellow. Tarsi black. Elytral spine short, blunt ( Fig. 4a ), present in both sexes. Ventrally directed mandibular tooth strongly compressed laterally ( Fig. 3d ), not visible externally. Parameres symmetrical ( Fig. 2c ). Typical length 24–25 mm. Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- C. flavida Horn

3 Outer margin of mandible straight to weakly curved; ventrally directed mandibular tooth triangular, visible externally ( Fig. 3c ). Arizona to Sonora, Mexico ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- C. consobrina Horn

3 ' Outer margin of mandible broadly rounded ( Fig. 3b, e, f ). Ventrally directed ( Fig. 3f ). Mandibular tooth not visible externally ------------------------------ 4

4 Pronotal posterior corners nearly right angled, lateral margins parallel ( Fig. 5b ). Elytra somewhat dull. Abdominal sternites with metallic green or blue shine. Central Kansas (Sand Hills State Park) to Cimarron County, Oklahoma ( North Canadian River ) --------------------------- C. subcribata Wickham

4 ' Pronotal posterior corners obtuse, lateral margins widening ( Fig. 5a ). Elytral aspect shining. Color of abdominal sternites, distribution variable ---------------- 5

5 Pronotum, elytra opaque light testaceous to golden yellow. Tarsi brown to copper, occasionally with green highlights. Mesosternal process a blunt triangle. Outer edge of mandible broadly rounded, tooth quadrate ( Fig. 3e ), not visible externally. New England to Florida, west to eastern Texas, north to Saskatchewan (Great Sand Hills) ---------------------------------------- C. lanigera (L.)

5 ' Elytra light testaceous, translucent areas often appearing as longitudinal dark bands. Tarsi iridescent green to black. Mesosternal process a simple knob. Outer edge of mandible sharply rounded, tooth quadrate, not visible externally ( Fig. 3b ). Eastern Texas --------------------------------- C. conclamara n. sp.

New Distribution Records. A new country record for C. consobrina is established by one male and three females from ‘‘ Mexico: Sonora, 1 mi. NW Navojoa, VIII­7­1963, at light, E. Sleeper, W. Agnew, G. Noonan, P. Sullivan’’ and one male ‘‘Cd. Obregon, I­VIII­1961, at electric light, W. Gibson.’’ All are in the author’s collection.

A new state record for C. subcribata is ‘‘ Oklahoma: Cimarron Co., North Canadian River, 2 mi. N. Felt, 20 May 1971, MG­77, Murray and Gaumer,’’ (one female, Texas A & M University).

Saylor (1940) referred to C. lanigera as occurring ‘‘south to Texas,’’ but I was not aware of any Texas records until recently. Texas localities are ‘‘Milam Co.: Cameron, 5 mi SW, April, 1994, BL, J. Kostrom’’ (one male, Texas A& M University) and ‘‘Bexar Co., vic. I­37 and Mathis road, 18 May 1987, D. W. Sundberg’’ (one male, C. S. Wolf collection).

A new provincial record for C. lanigera is ‘‘Saskatchewan, 0.7 mi N & 15.6 mi E. Fox Valley, G­50, VII­11–1972, G. C. Gaumer, leg.’’ (one female, Texas A&M University). Fox Valley is in the Great Sand Hills of southwestern Saskatchewan, which join the Middle Sand Hills of southeastern Alberta. These sand fields lie between 50 and 51 degrees north latitude; they may mark the northern­most distribution of Cotalpa species.

Figures

Fig. 4. Inner elytral apex of Cotalpa. a) Acuminate, C. flavida; b) truncate, C. consobrina; c) gracile, needle­like, C. ashleyae.

Fig. 3. Left mandibles of Cotalpa species. a) C. ashleyae; b) C. conclamara; c) C. consobrina; d) C. flavida; e) C. lanigera; f) C. subcribata.

Fig. 2. Parameres of selected Cotalpa species. a) C. conclamara holotype; b) C. ashleyae (after LaRue 1986); c) C. flavida.

Fig. 5. Pronotal posterior angles and lateral margins. a) Obtuse, margins widening, C. lanigera and C. conclamara, holotype; b) right angled, margins parallel, C. subcribata.