Gonaphodiellus cerropuntanus new species

(Fig. 13-17)

Type locality. 2-3 km E Cerro Punta, m 2000-2200, Chiriquí Prov., Panama.

Type repository. Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada (Howden collection).

Description. Length 5.5-6.0 mm, oblong, moderately convex, shiny, glabrous. Brownish; clypeal margin, pronotum sides, base and preapical declivity of elytra yellowish; legs brownish; antennal club dark testaceous. Head with epistome weakly convex on disc, rather finely, regularly, not densely punctured; clypeus almost semicircular, anteriorly faintly truncate, finely bordered, edge with extremely short and sparse bristles; genae round, very shortly ciliate, not protruding from the eyes; frontal suture finely impressed; front finely, regularly punctured. Pronotum transverse, moderately convex, dually, somewhat irregularly punctured; punctation coarser and denser on sides; large punctures, twice larger than small ones, missing on disc; small punctures almost regularly sparse throughout, more superficial on disc; lateral margins feebly arcuate, distinctly bordered, edge glabrous; hind angles truncate; truncature not sinuate inwardly; base bisinuate. Scutellum elongately triangular, sparsely irregularly punctured on basal half. Elytra oval-elongate, minutely denticulate at shoulder; striae fine, superficially punctured, subcrenulate; interstriae feebly convex, very finely sparsely punctured. Hind tibiae upper spur somewhat longer than half of first tarsal segment; first tarsal segment as long as following four segments combined. Male: fore tibiae relatively more slender and elongate, their spur somewhat shorter; metasternal plate longitudinally moderately excavate; aedeagus Fig. 16-17. Female: fore tibiae relatively shorter, their spur somewhat slender; metasternal plate almost flat.

Type material. COSTA RICA: Mirador de Quetzales, 09°38’N- 83°50’W, m 2705, 11-15.II.2004, leg. Holzer E. (1 ex., paratype, DCGI) . PANAMA: Chiriqui Prov., Bosquete, Bajo Mono, m 1700, 05- 07.VI.2000, leg Curoe D. & Eya B. (1 paratype, DCGI) ; Chiriqui Prov., 2-3 Km E Cerro Punta, m 2000-2200, 23.V.1977, leg. Howden H. & A., dung traps (male holotype, and allotype, CMNO; 4 paratypes, DCGI); Chiriqui Prov., 2 Km W Cerro Punta, m 1300, 8°51’N- 82°36’W, 30.V.1977, leg. Howden H. & A., megatrap (59 paratypes, CMNO) ; idem, m 2000-2300, 01.VI.1977, leg. Howden H. & A., 3 dung traps (2 paratypes, CMNO); Chiriqui Prov., 2 Km W Cerro Punta, Baldwin Forest, 03.VI.1977, leg. Howden H., 10 cup traps (12 paratypes, CMNO) ; Chiriqui Prov., 2 Km W Cerro Punta, Baldwin Forest, m 1760, 03.VI.1977, leg. Peck S. & J., Berl 381 (1 paratype, CMNO) ; Chiriqui Prov., Las Lagunas, 4 Km W Hato del Volcan, m 1360, 01.VI.1977, leg. Howden H. & A. (1 paratype, CMNO) ; Irazu [Volcán], 6-7000’, leg. Rogers H. (1 paratype, DCGI) .

Distribution. Costa Rica, Panama.

Etymology. Named after the type locality.

Bionomics. Almost unknown; the specimens of the type series were collected in late winter and in spring.