Sericospilus cumberi

fig. 1: Sericospilus n. sp. nr. cumberi (male)

Taxonavigation

Ordo: Coleoptera
Familia: Scarabaeidae

Sericospilus cumberi belongs to a complex of small-sized species, which I shall dub the rossii-complex
the rossii-complex includes S. cumberi, S. minor, S. rossii, possibly S. brevis, and at least two undescribed species
except for S. brevis, the complex appears to occupy a compact but discontinuous range along the northeastern coast of the North Island, from Te Paki to East Cape, but has not been found near Auckland
as well as their small size, the species of this complex also appear to be characteristically diurnal, and females are very rarely collected indeed
S. cumberi was described by Given (1953), and Hoy (1955) described the purported larva, but my examination of the aedeagus of the reared material found it to be an undescribed species from the Te Paki area

Given, B.B. 1953: Notes on Melolonthinae (Coleoptera). 1. (Including description of a new species.) New Zealand entomologist, 1(3): 18-20. PDF
Hoy, J.M. 1955: The final instar larva of Sericospilus cumberi Given (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae). New Zealand entomologist, 1(5): 1-3. PDF

Stephen Thorpe 05:39, 14 March 2011 (CET)