A Review of Central American Astaena (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Sericini), with Descriptions of New Species

ABSTRACT The genus Astaena (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Sericini) is reviewed for Central America. The known fauna comprises 34 species, 30 of which are described as new. The new species are diagnosed, critical morphological characters illustrated, and a key to species is presented. The following new species are described: Astaena aliena Lago, n. sp., Astaena alternata Lago, n. sp., Astaena brevisetosa Lago, n. sp., Astaena ciliata Lago, n. sp., Astaena confusa Lago, n. sp., Astaena convexipyga Lago, n. sp., Astaena corrugata Lago, n. sp., Astaena depressa Lago, n. sp., Astaena dichromia Lago, n. sp., Astaena diversisetosa Lago, n. sp., Astaena diversipennis Lago, n. sp., Astaena fortuna Lago, n. sp., Astaena freyi Lago, n. sp., Astaena howdeni Lago, n. sp., Astaena inbio Lago, n. sp., Astaena inflata Lago, n. sp., Astaena maddeni Lago, n. sp., Astaena minuta Lago, n. sp., Astaena moroni Lago, n. sp., Astaena nigrocephala Lago, n. sp., Astaena ocellata Lago, n. sp., Astaena omega Lago, n. sp., Astaena paracorrugata Lago, n. sp., Astaena pseudociliata Lago, n. sp., Astaena ratcliffei Lago, n. sp., Astaena sigma Lago, n. sp., Astaena stockwelli Lago, n. sp., Astaena testacea Lago, n. sp., Astaena vilifrons Lago, n. sp., and Astaena villosa Lago, n. sp. Holotypes of Astaena hiekei Frey, Astaena macilenta Bates, Astaena opalicauda Bates are redescribed. A redescription Astaena pusilla Frey is also presented. The only other Central American genus of Sericini, Symmela, represented by a single species, S. costaricensis Moser, is also diagnosed and illustrated.