A crop pest species of Cyclocephala Dejean (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae: Dynastinae) misidentified for over twenty years in Southern Brazil

Abstract

A common white grub species associated with a wide range of crops in Southern Brazil has been named as Cyclocephala flavipennis Arrow for over twenty years. This work aimed to revise the identity of this species based on the study of primary types, identified material collected in previous works and descriptions on literature. The confirmed name for this white grub from Southern Brazilian crops was fixed to C. signaticollis Burmeister, an important pest of several no-tilling crops in Argentina, Uruguay and also in Australia, where it was introduced and is widely established. Taxonomical remarks on adults and larvae are included, in conjunction with depicted images of diagnostic characters. The geographical distribution of C. flavipennis from Southern South America is disregarded. New strategies of pest management for C. signaticollis should be assessed in Southern Brazil taking into account all the background of knowledge on this species from the neighboring countries.