Abstract
The present paper revises the species belonging to the Neoserica (sensu lato) abnormis group, so far known only with two nominal species. Twenty new species are herein described from Indochina and southern China: N. abnormoides sp. n. (Vietnam, China), N. allolaotica sp. n., N. namthaensis sp. n., N. simplicissima sp. n. (Laos), N. thailandensis sp. n. (Thailand), N. alloputaoana sp. n., N. kanphantensis sp. n., N. natmatoungensis sp. n., N. putaoana sp. n., N. taunggyiana sp. n. (Myanmar), N. lamellosa sp. n., N. tonkinea sp. n. (Vietnam), N. bairailingshanica sp. n., N. euyunnanica sp. n., N. huangi sp. n., N. jiangxiensis sp. n., N. trifida sp. n., N. yaoi sp. n., N. yingjiangensis sp. n. (China), N. cardamomensis sp. n. (Indochina and southern China). One new combination is established: Neoserica ponderosa Arrow, 1946, comb. n. The lectotypes of Neoserica abnormis Moser, 1908 and the taxonomically uncertain N. inclinata Brenske, 1898, which very likely also belongs to this species group, are designated herein. A key to the species and to species groups is given, the genitalia of all species including their habitus are illustrated. Maps of species distribution are included.
Highlights
Neoserica Brenske, 1897 comprises ca. 200 taxa and is one of the most species-rich groups of Sericini
We investigated all the taxa closely related to Neoserica abnormis Moser, 1908, which is among the largest species of Sericine chafers worldwide, with a body size up to 17 mm
These taxa include Neoserica huangi, N. trifida, N. yingjiangensis, N. bairailingshanica, and N. natmatoungensis. Their systematic position could not be defined here in detail. They would fall in that group of taxa more or less widely related with the Neoserica abnormis group, and with Nepaloserica, Chrysoserica, and Neoserica barberi group from India
Summary
Neoserica Brenske, 1897 comprises ca. 200 taxa and is one of the most species-rich groups of Sericini. Since the revision of the type species (Pope 1960) and the redefinition of the genus (Ahrens 2003), many other species so far grouped under Neoserica and being not directly related to Neoserica sensu stricto (Ahrens 2003). They are currently grouped preliminarily as Neoserica sensu lato While the Neoserica abnormis group was identified as the sister of Chrysoserica Brenske, 1897 by a morphology-based phylogenetic analysis (Ahrens 2012), a molecular phylogeny (Ahrens and Vogler 2008) placed it (with a single included species) as sister of Nepaloserica Frey, 1965
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