New species and records of the South American genera Raysymmela Saylor, 1947 and Symmela Erichson, 1835 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Sericinae)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11606/1807-0205/2026.66.special-issue-1.015Keywords:
Brazil, Beetles, Biodiversity, Identification key, Neotropics, Taxonomy, PeruAbstract
Here we describe two new species of Raysymmela Saylor, 1947 from Peru, R. hajeki Pacheco & Ahrens, sp. nov. and R. tarapoto Pacheco & Ahrens, sp. nov., as well as three new species of Symmela Erichson, 1835 from Brazil, S. drumonti Pacheco & Ahrens, sp. nov., S. monnei Pacheco & Ahrens, sp. nov., and S. seideli Pacheco & Ahrens, sp. nov. We updated identification keys to species for both genera, and for the new species, we provided distributions maps and illustrated the external morphological features, as well as the aedeagus. Furthermore, we analyzed additional material for the known species from both genera, thus generating new distribution records.
Downloads
References
Ahrens, D. 2006. The phylogeny of Sericini and their position within the Scarabaeidae based on morphological characters (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Systematic Entomology, 31(1): 113-144. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3113.2005.00307.x.
Girardi, G. 2018. De pai para filha, uma vida pelos besouros do Museu Nacional. Available: https://www.terra.com.br/byte/ciencia/de-pai-para-filha-uma-vida-pelos-besouros-do-museu-nacional,b39c24c9314708200596d8d8cc98ab07m0nn8wxj.html. Access: 08/09/2025.
Maddison, W.P. & Maddison, D.R. 2018. Mesquite: a modular system for evolutionary analysis. Version 3.51. Available: https://www.mesquiteproject.org. Access: 11/03/2023.
Pacheco, T.L. & Ahrens, D. 2023. Addendum to the revision of the South American genus Symmela Erichson, 1835 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Sericini): a further new species from Brazil. Zootaxa, 5263(2): 297-300. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5263.2.8.
Pacheco, T.L. & Ahrens, D. 2024. Omaloplia nitida Mannerheim, 1829 is a species of Blepharotoma Blanchard, 1850 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Sericoidinae). Zootaxa, 5447(2): 298-300. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5447.2.12.
Pacheco, T.L.; Monné, M.L. & Ahrens, D. 2023. Morphology-based phylogenetic analysis of South American Sericini chafers (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) contrasts patterns of morphological disparity and current classification. Zoologischer Anzeiger, 302: 43-57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcz.2022.11.004.
Pacheco, T.L.; Monné, M.L.; Vaz-de-Mello, F.Z. & Ahrens, D. 2020. Notes on the taxonomy of some “Astaena” species described by Burmeister, 1855 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Melolonthinae). Zootaxa, 4885: 143-145. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4885.1.11.
Pacheco, T.L.; Monné, M.L.; Vaz-de-Mello, F.Z. & Ahrens, D. 2021. Revision of type specimens of Astaena (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Sericini) described by L.W. Saylor. European Journal of Taxonomy, 750: 94-123. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2021.750.1365.
Pacheco, T.L.; Monné, M.L.; & Ahrens, D. 2022a. Comparative analysis of morphospace of Neotropical Sericini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae): disparity in the light of species diversity and active patterns. Organisms, Diversity and Evolution, 22: 177-188. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13127-021-00530-y.
Pacheco, T.L.; Monné, M.L.; Vaz-de-Mello, F.Z. & Ahrens, D. 2022b. First non-feeding Sericini beetles (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae): new genus from Amazon and phylogenetic position. Organisms, Diversity and Evolution, 22: 733-748. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13127-022-00555-x.
Pacheco, T.L.; Wipfler, B.; Monné, M.L. & Ahrens, D. 2022c. The genus Raysymmela Saylor, 1947 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Melolonthinae, Sericini): taxonomy and phylogenetic analysis. Insect Systematics & Evolution, 53(4): 400-441. https://doi.org/10.1163/1876312X-bja10031.
Pacheco, T.L.; Wipfler, B.; Monné, M.L. & Ahrens, D. 2022d. The genus Symmela Erichson, 1835 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Sericini): taxonomy and phylogenetic analysis. Journal of Natural History, 56(9-12): 607-705. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2022.2084649.
Pacheco, T.L; Lago, P. & Ahrens, D. 2025. On the identity of Serica elongata Nonfried from Honduras (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Sericini). Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae, 65(1): 153-156. https://doi.org/10.37520/aemnp.2025.010.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Thaynara Lara Pacheco, Dirk Ahrens
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Responsibility: The scientific content and the opinions expressed in the manuscript are the sole responsibility of the author(s).
Copyrights: The Authors. The journal is licensed under a Creative Commons attribution-type CC-BY.
