A new species of Chlorota Burmeister (Melolonthidae: Rutelinae: Rutelini) from Cerrado and Amazon biomes transition

Chlorota cleidecostae sp.  nov. is described based on a unique female collected at Maranhão State, Carolina municipality, in the “Meio Norte” region, a biotope comprising Cerrado, Caatinga and Amazon biomes. The new species is distinguished from all other Chlorota species by having the striped elytral pattern with red costae, and surface of pronotum dull, dark, metallic, and smooth. An updated map and a key for species and subspecies that occur in Brazil are also presented. Key-Words. Anticheirina; Distribution; Maranhão; Neotropical region; Taxonomy.

In the present contribution, we describe a remarkable new species of Chlorota of the aulica group, C. cleidecostae sp. nov., from Brazil. We also present a map with updated known distribution for species and subspecies found in Brazil (Fig. 1), and a key to the Brazilian taxa.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Specimens were examined from the collections: Coleção Entomológica da Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil (CERPE) and Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France (MNHN) (examined through images); and the new species was deposited on CERPE.
Transcription of the labels follows: quotation marks (" ") at the beginning and the end of the information present on the label(s) of the specimen examined; "/" change of line on the same label; labels were sequentially numbered.
Photographs were taken with a digital camera Nikon D5300 attached to a Zeiss 508 DOC stereomicroscope, and a Nikon D90 with 40 mm macro lens with aid of the software Helicon Remote. Images were processed with the software Combine ZP. A digital caliper was used for measurements.
The map was made with the software Google Earth Pro®, GPS points has been collected based on literature, and specimens' labels, then exported to the site www.simplemappr.net (Shorthouse, 2010). When the locality data on the label were insufficient, the city hall of the locale on the label was used. New distribution data are presented for Chlorota cuprea Burmeister, 1844 and Chlorota haemorrhoidalis touzoti Soula, 2002. The terminology used follows Jameson (1990) and Grossi & Vaz-de-Mello (2015). Venter: Mesosternal process subtriangular, apex glabrous, smooth, and rounded, obscured in lateral view; discrimen marked by a weak longitudinal line, not forked.
Abdomen: Sternites III-VI distinctly wrinkled at apex and with an anterior row of setose punctures, row interrupted at middle; sternite VII transversely wrinkled and with scattered posterior setae near apex (Fig. 2B); sternite VIII rugopunctate, covered by small to long setae. Pygidium with strong wrinkles, apex with dense, medium-sized setae; small setae sparsely distributed in anterior and medial areas.
Legs: Metafemur strongly widened, more than two times wider than mesofemur ( Fig. 2C), anterior margin convex, posterior margin moderately emarginated. Protibiae with three outer teeth, spur with 1.5 mm in length, 0.3 mm in width ( Fig. 2A); mesotibiae with two transversal carinae, metatibiae with one transversal carina; inner spur of mesotibiae with one ventral carina, and each metatibial spur with one ventral carina.

Male: Unknown.
Etymology: We dedicate the new species to Professor Cleide Costa as a recognition of her tremendous work on Coleoptera systematics and friendship to the second author of this paper.

Remarks:
The unique specimen of C. cleidecostae sp. nov. was collected in a suspended trap in canopy. This is also the first time that a Chlorota species was collected in Maranhão state (new state record) (Fig. 1). Furthermore, this is the first species within the genus with elytral pattern with orange interstriae.

DISCUSSION
Chlorota cleidecostae sp. nov. is found in the central region of Brazil, filling a gap that existed between the previously described species, present in the northern region, northeast and southeast regions (Soula, 2002b). The biome of the region is Cerrado, and the specimen was found on Chapada das Mesas National Park, Maranhão state (Fig. 1).
The new species is similar to C. tristis (Fig. 2D), and both species have dark coloring; clypeus parabolic with apex acuminate; elytral pattern with elytral disc and interstriae deeply punctate, elytral interstriae smooth and carinate; small scutellum and mesoventral process; and venter moderately setose. Chlorota cleidecostae sp. nov. is identified by the pronotum almost smooth; elytra reddish-brown and with orange longitudinal costae; and scutellum as long as wide; C. tristis have pronotum densely and finely punctate; violet brown elytra with black interstriae; and scutellum wider than long (Fig. 2D). Thorax: Anterior angles of pronotum rounded, posterior angles almost straight; disc convex, moderately punctured; punctures obsolete and more evident near anterior and posterior angles. Scutellum as long as wide, subtriangular, anterior margin straight, surface sparsely punctured.
Chlorota abdominalis is recorded in Amazonas state near the basin of the Madeira and Solimões Rivers, near Manaus municipality, and Bahia state on Ituberá and Santa Terezinha (Serra da Jiboia) municipalities, in fragments of the Atlantic Forest biome (Soula, 2002b;Ferreira et al., 2018).
Chlorota aulica presents uniform greenish color with green-metallic reflections (Figs. 3A-C). This species was originally described from Guyana, and is distributed mainly in Brazilian Atlantic Forest, from Pernambuco to São Paulo states (Soula, 2002b). The records for Guyana consist only of historical material, which could be probably mislabeled specimens. Despite being cited as distributed in many countries in Central and South America (Ferreira et al., 2018), the only published records for this species are from Guyana and Brazil.
Chlorota cuprea is very similar to C. aulica, which can be diagnosed by the coloration with more copper reflexes than the former (Figs. 3D-F), and apex of mesosternal process suboval (Fig. 3E). As C. aulica, it is known from Atlantic Forest only, but occurs in highest elevations like Serra da Mantiqueira, Serra do Mar and Serra dos Órgãos (Soula, 2002b).
Chlorota espiritosantensis has lighter elytral color than other species of this group. It is mainly found in Espírito Santo and Bahia states, above Doce River basin, and within Atlantic Forest Biome (Soula, 2002b).
Chlorota paulistana presents head, pronotum and scutellum with green color, and reflexes, without lighter elytral suture coloration. It can be found in Southeast and Northeast Regions, ranging from Pernambuco to São Paulo states, all located within Atlantic Forest Biome (Soula, 2002b;Ferreira et al., 2018;Carvalho et al., 2019).