Plocamocera iota, OPITZ, 2004

OPITZ, WESTON, 2004, Classification, Natural History, And Evolution Of The Epiphloeinae (Coleoptera: Cleridae). Part Ii. The Genera Chaetophloeus Opitz And Plocamocera Spinola, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2004 (280), pp. 1-82 : 38-39

Plocamocera iota , new species Figures 149, 185 ; map 6

HOLOTYPE: Female. Brazil: Matto Grosso : Rio Caraguata, 21 ° 48 ̍; 52 ° 27 ̍, XI­15–1953, 400 meters, Fritz Plaumann ( FMNH). (Specimen point mounted, sex label affixed to paper point, white, machine printed; support card, white; locality label, white, machine and hand printed; FMNH repository label, white, machine printed; holotype label, red, machine printed.)

PARATYPE: None.

DIAGNOSIS: The robustness of the antennal club antennomeres (fig. 149) distinguish the members of this species within the manausensis species group.

DESCRIPTION: Size: Length 3.5 mm; width 1.2 mm. Integument: Cranium black; pronotum predominantly piceous, borders castaneous; elytra variegated, disc somewhat roseate, with flavotestaceous fascia only faintly visible, three irregular patches of white setae, setae on piceous regions of elytral disc gold to dark brown; legs bicolorous, pro­mesofemora piceous at middle, flavotestaceous at extremities, metafemora flavotestaceous in basal half, piceous in remainder, tibiae increasingly infuscated from pro­to metatibiae; tarsus flavotestaceous. Head: Antennal club as in figure 149. Thorax: Pronotal anterior margin projected at middle, disc shallowly tumescent at middle, arch scabrous; epipleural margin with four conspicuous trichobothria. Abdomen: Female pygidium broad scutiform, somewhat truncated.

VARIATION: Not observed.

NATURAL HISTORY: The holotype, the only available specimen of this species, was collected from Central Brazil, during November, at 400 m.

DISTRIBUTION (map 6): Central Brazil.

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet, iota , is a Greek adjectival that describes ‘‘anything very small’’. I refer to the small body size of this beetle.

Plocamocera aliguantula , new species Figures 43 , 58, 59, 78, 92, 113; map 5

HOLOTYPE: Male. Costa Rica, F. Nevermann, 31­VI­24, Hamburgfarm, Reventazon, Ebene Limon, an trocken Holz, Inga (USNM) . (Specimen point mounted, sex label and left antenna affixed to paper point, white, cursive; support card, white; two locality labels, green, machine and hand print­ ed; natural history label, beige, machine and hand printed; USNM repository label, white, machine printed; holotype label, red, machine printed; plastic vial with aedeagus and abdomen.)

PARATYPES: Twenty­four specimens from the same locality as the holotype ( BMNH 1 ; FMNH 2 ; USNM 16 ; WOPC, 5) .

DIAGNOSIS: The single tibial spine on the protibia serves to identify members of this species. The males are also identified by the configuration of the phallobasic apodeme of the tegmen. Unlike in specimens of P. manausensis and P. minima , in which the phallobasic apodeme is slender and elongated, in P. aliguantula specimens the apodeme is short and obtuse (figs. 113–115).

DESCRIPTION: Size: Length 3.0–3.7 mm; width 1.0–1.4 mm. Integument: Cranium piceous, pronotum flavotestaceous at sides, disc with large piceous macula; elytra (fig. 58) with flavotestaceous humeral and discal macula, and with three setal fascia; legs flavotestaceous. Head: Antenna as in figure 43. Thorax: Anterior margin of pronotum projected at middle, discal swellings very shallow; elytra with three conspicuous trichobothria on epipleural margin (fig. 59); anterior margin of protibia with one spine (fig. 78). Abdomen: Male pygidium (fig. 92) posterior margin evenly arcuate; aedeagus (fig. 113) with short and obtuse phallobasic apodeme.

VARIATION: The dark fascies of the dorsum is more pronounced in some specimens.

NATURAL HISTORY: Twenty­four specimens were collected on dry wood (an trockenem holtz, Inga ) from species of Inga and Guarea , during July. One specimen was collected during April.

DISTRIBUTION (map 5): Known only from Central Costa Rica.

ETYMOLOGY: From aliguantulus, a Latin adjective meaning ‘‘little’’. I refer to the small size of these beetles.

Figures

Figs. 181–195. Antennal clubs. 181. Plocamocera confrater. 182. P. procera. 183. P. manausensis.

Figs. 40–51. Antennae. 40, Plocamocera castanea. 41, P. pupula. 42, P. confrater. 43, P. aliguantula. 44, P. minima. 45. P. manausensis. 46, P. coactilis. 47, P. sericella. 48, P. argentea. 49, P. auratilis. 50, P. sesquipedalis. 51, P. lucis.