Monday, April 10, 2023

[Entomology • 2023] Melolontha arunachalensis & M. lachungensis • Review of Melolontha Fabricius, 1775 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) from India with the Description of Two New Species


 Melolontha arunachalensis &  M. lachungensis 
Gupta, Keith, Bhunia, Das, Ghosh & Chandra, 2023 

 
Abstract
The genus Melolontha Fabricius, 1775 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) from India is reviewed. Two new species, Melolontha arunachalensis Gupta, Keith, Bhunia, Das, Ghosh & Chandra, new species and Melolontha lachungensis Gupta, Keith, Bhunia, Das, Ghosh & Chandra, new species are described. Melolontha chinensis Guérin-Méneville, 1838 is reported for the first time from India. Taxonomic notes on the identification of previously known species of Melolontha from India are provided, together with a key to the species (males). 

Keywords: Coleoptera, Taxonomy, new species, chafers, Oriental region, Palearctic region

 Habitus of Melolontha species.
 M. arunachalensis new species (holotype); M. lachungensis new species (holotype).


Devanshu Gupta, Denis Keith, Debika Bhunia, Priyanka Das, Joyjit Ghosh, Kailash Chandra. 2023. Review of Melolontha Fabricius, 1775 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) from India with the Description of Two New Species. Zootaxa. 5263(2); 191-216. DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.5263.2.2