A new species of the genus Trochaloschema Reitter, 1896 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Sericinae) from Tajikistan

Abstract

Trochaloschema dubium sp. n. is described from the forest belt of Vakhsh Ridge (Tajikistan) from the altitude 1900 m. A new species differs from other similar taxa mainly in the structure of male genitalia and sculpture of pronotum. Parameres of T. dubium sp. n. differs from those in T. armeniacum Brenske, 1897, T. saryhissoricum Januschev, 1973, T. medvedevi Nikolajev, 1987 and T. vachschianum Nikolajev, 1987 by the narrower sclerotized part in the base. Trochaloschema vachschianum differs from the new species by the smooth integument. The sculpture of the dorsal side of body in T. dubium sp. n. is similar to those in T. armeniacum, T. saryhissoricum and T. medvedevi, which have the coarsely sculptured clypeus having punctures with erected setae, well expressed frontal suture and densely punctated pronotum. The new species differs from T. saryhissoricum by more smooth pronotum without clear sinuate ridges, from T. armeniacum by finer punctation on head and pronotum. Trochaloschema medvedevi and T. dubium sp. n. is different only by the structure of external male genitalia

Keywords

• coleoptera
• scarabaeidae
• sericinae
• trochaloschema
• new species
• tajikistan