Polyphylla donaldsoni

Skelley, 2003

Donaldson's lined June beetle

Polyphylla donaldsoni is a of scarab beetle in the Scarabaeidae, described by Skelley in 2003. It is a member of the lined June beetle Polyphylla, which is most diverse in the southwestern United States. are medium-sized beetles that closely resemble Polyphylla pubescens but can be distinguished by specific morphological features. The species has an extremely restricted distribution, known only from central Georgia.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Polyphylla donaldsoni: /ˌpɒlɪˈfɪlə ˌdɒnəldˈsəʊnaɪ/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Distinguished from the very similar Polyphylla pubescens by pale brown (versus darker in P. pubescens), widely scattered punctures on the scutellar disc with a mostly smooth and surface, and the presence of a strong lateral margin on the .

Appearance

measure 16.5–21.5 mm in length. The are pale brown. The scutellum has widely scattered punctures on the disc with a mostly smooth and surface. The possess a strong lateral margin.

Distribution

to central Georgia, United States. The has one of the most restricted distributions in the Polyphylla.

Similar Taxa

  • Polyphylla pubescensVery similar in overall appearance; distinguished by P. donaldsoni having pale brown , scattered scutellar punctures with smooth surface, and strong elytral lateral margin

More Details

Taxonomic history

Described by Paul E. Skelley in 2003, making it one of the more recently described in the .

Conservation status

The extremely restricted range in central Georgia suggests potential vulnerability to loss, though no formal conservation assessment has been documented.

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Sources and further reading