Euphoria hera Burmeister, 1842

(Appendix 4: Fig. 25)

Euphoria hera Burmeister 1842: 371. Original combination.

Lectotype at MHNG, here designated. Other syntypes not found; no paralectotypes designated.

Description (n = 85). Length 15.0– 18.4 mm; width 9.1–11.3 mm. Color: Dorsal surface tomentous. Pronotum yellowish brown, reddish brown, or black; rarely with 1 dark vitta present at each side of midline covering most of pronotum. Elytra yellowish to reddish brown with moderately black markings; markings scarce to abundant, rarely covering the elytra almost entirely. Basal half of elytra frequently entirely black; venter, including legs light brown to black. Head: Frons densely punctate; punctures small to moderate, round, deeply impressed, at times coalescent; surface with 1 strong, longitudinal ridge; moderately densely to densely setose; setae short to moderate, yellowish. Clypeal surface rugose, lateral margins weakly to moderately raised, sides strongly arcuate, moderately convergent at apex; lateral declivity weakly to moderately developed; apex strongly emarginate, sides raised into 2 small denticles; moderately densely to densely setose; setae yellowish to whitish, short to moderate. Antennal club as long as or slightly shorter than stem in males, shorter than stem in females. Pronotum: Surface sparsely to moderately densely punctate; punctures round to lunulate, minute to moderate, denser and larger towards sides, glabrous to sparsely setose; setae minute to short, yellowish, limited to anterolateral angles. Pronotal sides moderately to weakly angulate, females frequently with subparallel sides at base, males generally with convergent sides at base. Base in front of scutellum moderately to strongly emarginate. Scutellum longer than wide, impunctate. Elytra: Surface glabrous, sparsely punctate; striae subobsolete, punctures minute, costae obsolete to subobsolete. Posterior half of sutural costa strongly raised in lateral view. Pygidium: Surface subconcentrically striate, striae discontinuous, strongly proximal, moderately to strongly impressed, moderately densely to densely setose; setae short to moderate, yellowish. Legs: Protibial teeth well developed, equidistant or medial and basal tooth slightly closer to each other than to apical teeth. Meso- and metatibial carinae weakly to moderately developed in males, well developed in females. Metatarsi shorter than metatibiae in both sexes, slender in males, compressed in females. Metatibial spurs subequal in both sexes. Venter: Mesometasternal process extended anteriorly well beyond mesocoxae, weakly laterally compressed, glabrous on mesosternal lobe. Mesepimera, metasternum, and metacoxae setose, setae as on legs. Metasternum rugose, setose laterally, glabrous, impunctate at middle. Median sulcus strongly impressed. Abdominal sternites moderately densely setose laterally, glabrous to sparsely setose medially, sides rounded. In lateral view male abdomen flat to vaguely concave, female abdomen flat to vaguely convex. Male genitalia: Parameres as in Fig. 25c.

Diagnosis. Euphoria hera is separated from other species in the genus based on the strongly raised frontal ridge, emarginate apex of the clypeus with the sides raised, metatarsi shorter in both sexes, and the shape of the parameres.

Taxonomic History. Burmeister (1842) described this species from several specimens from Colombia. Casey (1915) created the genus Euphoriopsis to include this species exclusively. According to Casey (1915), Euphoriopsis was separated from Euphoria based on the lack of a lateral marginal bead on the pronotum and the presence of clypeal denticles. Orozco (2009) synonymized Euphoriopsis with Euphoria based on a character study of 37 specimens. Orozco (2009) demonstrated the presence of a marginal pronotal bead and clypeal denticles in other species of Euphoria, thus justifying its inclusion in Euphoria.

Natural History. Euphoria hera has been collected in habitats between 1,200–3,000 m elevation. The larvae have been found under dry cow dung in Colombia (Jhon César Neita Moreno, personal communication).

Temporal Distribution. July (2) (Fig. 25g).

Geographic Distribution. Known from Colombia and Venezuela (Fig. 25h).

Specimens Examined (45). Type material: Lectotype female at MHNG here designated labeled “ Columb // Ex Musaeo/ Thorey” and my lectotype label. Other material: COLOMBIA (24): ANTIOQUIA: Medellín (1); BOYACÁ: Arcabuco (1); CAUCA: No data (9); CUNDINAMARCA: La Mesa (1), Sasaima (1); HUILA: Río Aguacatal (3), Rivera (2); SANTANDER: No data (1); VALLE DEL CAUCA: Valle del Calima (3); No data (2). VENEZUELA (20): MÉRIDA: No data (13); TÁCHIRA: La Revancha (5); VARGAS: Galipán (2).