Muisca menda, Opitz, Pitz Pinola Weston, 2018

Opitz, Pitz Pinola Weston, 2018, Classification, Natural History, and Evolution of the Subfamily Peloniinae O (Coleoptera: Cleroidea: Cleridae). Part IX. Taxonomic revision of the New World genus Muisca S, Linzer biologische Beiträge 50 (1), pp. 587-653 : 610

Muisca menda OPITZ nov.sp. ( Figs 28 , 56, 94, 136)

Holotype: ♀. COLOMBIA, Cundinamarca, PNN Chingaza, Bosque Palacio 4°31' N 73°45'W, 3930 m Malaise 17.I-4.II.2001, E. Niño ( FSCA).

D i a g n o s i s: The members of this species resemble superficially those of M. angulicollis , but M. menda specimens differ in that the pronotal disc is not punctate at the midline. The pronotal midline is clearly punctate in specimens of M. angulicollis .

D e s c r i p t i o n: Size: Length 6.0 mm; width 2.0 mm. Form: As in Fig. 136 . Color: Castaneous, except elytral disc with brown blotches in posterior 1/2. Head: Funicular antennomeres subfiliform, capitular antennomeres 9 and 10 triangular ( Fig. 28 ), antennomere 11 obovate; eyes small; frons wider than width of eye ( EW /FW 15/43). Thorax: Pronotum (Fig. 56) quadrate ( PW /PL 82/82), side margin with well-developed tubercle, disc widely subglabrous and undulate at middle; elytral asetiferous punctation substriate, punctures extend to elytral apical 4/5 th ( EL /EW 260/70). Abdomen: Pygidium scutiform.

N a t u r a l h i s t o r y: The holotype was collected between January 17 and February 4, in a Malaise trap set at 2930 m.

E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet, menda (= blemish), is a Latin noun. I refer to the brown blemish-like patches on the elytral disc.

D i s t r i b u t i o n ( Fig. 94 ): This species is known from Colombia.

Figures

Figs 14-33: Antennae. (14) Muisca dilatata, male. (15) M. apicalis, male. (16) M. hirtula, male. (17) M. xanthura, male. (18) M. angulicollis, male. (19) M. signa, male. (20) M. fera, male. (21) M. octonotata, male. (22) M. maculosa, male. (23) M. anachyma, male. (24) M. insigna, male. (25) M. dozieri, male. (26) M. togata, male. (27) M. irrorata, male. (28) M. menda, female. (29) M. hexa, female. (30) M. heppneri, male. (31) M. magdalena, female. (32) M. mestolinea, male. (33) M. omma, male.

Figs 133-136: Habitus. (133) Muisca fera. (134) M. signa. (135) M. angulicollis. (136) M. menda.

Fig. 94: Geographic distribution of Muisca species as listed.