Aphelocerus chiriqui, OPITZ, 2005

OPITZ, WESTON, 2005, Classification, Natural History, And Evolution Of The Genus Aphelocerus Kirsch (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Clerinae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2005 (293), pp. 1-128 : 48-50

Aphelocerus chiriqui , new species Figures 75 , 159, 175, 258; map 21

HOLOTYPE: Male. Panama. V. de Chiriqui, 25–40009, Champion ( BMNH). (Specimen point mounted; sex label affixed to paper point, white, machine printed; support card; collection label, white, machine printed; repository label, white, machine printed; holotype label, red, machine and hand printed; plastic vial with aedeagus.)

PARATYPES: Two hundred and eight specimens. Twenty­seven specimens from the same locality as the holotype ; 762–1219 m ( BMNH, 5; MNHN, 6) ; 914 –1219 m ( AMNH, 1; BMNH, 3; DEIC, 2; MCZC, 1; MNHN, 1) ; 609–914 m ( BMNH, 3; MNHN, 2; USNM, 1; FMNH, 2). Costa Rica: Puntarenas: Est. Pittier, Send. Ario Canasta, 1.4 km NNO de la Estacion, 1750–1800 m, 2– 8­I­1996, M. Moranga, Sombrereta ( INBC, 1): Las Cruces , 7­ II­1998, F. Hovore ( JNRC, 3; WOPC, 2) ; Las Alturas, 6–7­I­1998, F. Hovore ( JNRC, 1). Panama: Chiriqui: W Volcan, Hacienda Lagunas del Volcan , 88469N, 828409W, 1360 m, 24­XII­2001, beating viny bushes, W. Opitz ( WOPC, 9) ; Las Lagunas , 1360 m, 4 km W Hato del Volcan, 1360 m, 17­IV­1985, H. Stockwell ( WOPC, 1) ; Hacienda Lagunas del Volcan , 7­VIII­2000, 1400 m, beating lakeside forest, vinery verdure, W. Opitz ( WOPC, 5) ; 8­VIII­ 2000, W. Opitz ( WOPC, 6) ; 14­VIII­2000, W. Opitz ( WOPC, 2) ; 15­VIII­2000, W. Opitz ( WOPC, 6) ; 18­V­2001, beating intermixture of vines and herbaceous verdure, W. Opitz ( WOPC, 2) ; Hwy 13, rd. to Finca Tizingal, 1350 m, 88499N, 828419W, 25­XII­2001, beating overhanging vegetation, W. Opitz ( MRAC, 2; RGCG, 1; WOPC, 8) ; Finca Ti­ zingal, 1380 m, 17­V­2001, beating woody shrubs intertwined with vines and herbaceous verdure ( WOPC, 22) ; Hato del Volcan , 13­ VIII­2000, beating roadside vegetation, intermixture of lianas and herbaceous verdure ,

W. Opitz ( MIUP, 2; WOPC, 2) ; 14­VIII­ 2000, W. Opitz ( WOPC, 4) ; 5 km N Hato del Volcan , mountain slope, 7­VIII­2000, beating roadside vegetation, W. Opitz ( WOPC, 6) ; Hwy 13, 6 km NW Volcan, 24­XII­2001 ,

1565 m, 88499N, 828419W, beating overhanging roadside veg. W. Opitz ( WOPC, 7) ; same locality except 26­XII­2001 ( WOPC, 14), 27­XII­2001 ( UMRM, 2; MRSN, 2; RGCG, 1; WOPC, 11), 25­XII­2001 ( WOPC, 21) ; 10 km N Hato del Volcan , 10­VIII­2000, beating roadside vegetation, intermixture of lianas and herbaceous verdure, W. Opitz ( WOPC, 2) ; Mountain roadfrom Rio Sereno to Volcan, 8­VIII­2000, beating tree branches in roadside forest, W. Opitz ( WOPC, 3) ; slopes of mountain, 10 km, N Volcan , 1475 m, 17­V­2001, beating overhanging branches of shrubs intertwined with herbaceous verdure, W. Opitz ( WOPC, 16) ; Cerro Pando , 24­IV­1973, 1535 m, G. Ekis ( WOPC, 4) ; 1.5 km S Volcan de Chiriqui , 29­IX­1970, 1219 m, H. P. Stockwell ( WOPC, 2) ; north of Santa Clara , 88519N, 828469W, 4­VII­ 1976, H. Stockwell ( STRI, 1) ; 10­IV­1976 ( WOPC, 1) ; 2 km N Santa Clara, 1300 m, Hartman’s Finca , 88519N, 828369W, 24–25­V­ 1977 ( CMNC,1) ; 4 km E. Santa Clara , 5­VII­ 1996, 1125, Gillogly & Schaffner ( TAMU, 2) ; 30 km NW Volcan , 23­VII­1976, W. E. Clark ( WOPC, 3) ; Las Lagunas , 1400 m, 22­ IV­1973, G. Ekis ( WOPC, 1) ; El Volcan , Las Lagunas, 9­VII­1974, C. W. O’Brien ( WOPC, 1) ; Finca La Suiza, 16­IV­1996, R. Turnbow ( WOPC, 1) ; Boquete , 22­V­2001, beating hedgerow bush intertwined with herbaceous vines, W. Opitz ( WOPC, 2) ; Boquete , 25­VI­1974, O’Briens & Marshall ( WOPC, 1) ; Bugaba , Champion ( BMNH, 1) .

DIAGNOSIS: The posterior patch of the bipartite elytral discal setal tuft is greatly expanded (fig. 175).

DESCRIPTION: Size: Length 3.8–4.3 mm; width 1.5–2.0 mm. Integument: Piceous. Vestiture: Head, pterothorax, elytron, and protibia vested predominantly with dark setae, femora, and meso­metatibiae vested predominately with pale setae; tarsi vested with dark setae; elytral discal setal tuft bipartite, with posterior patch well developed. Head: Width across eyes slightly narrower than width across pronotum (22:23), finely punctate; interocular depression and frontal umbo shallow; eyes subspherical, moderately convex; antenna as in figure 75. Thorax: Pronotum equal in width and length (24:24), narrower than width across humeri (24:29), finely punctate, side margins boldly arcurate, subapical depression indistinct; elytra depth at humerus 12, greatest depth in posterior half 15; elytral middiscal setal patch as in figure 258. Abdomen: Posterior margin of pygidium evenly rounded in both sexes. Male genitalia: As in figure 159.

VARIATION: The known Costa Rican specimens of this species have the posterior patch of the elytral setal tuft reduced near the epipleural margin. Further, the parameres of the Costa Rican males are slightly shorter. I attribute this difference to geographical variation.

NATURAL HISTORY: Specimens were collected from May to September, at altitudes ranging from 762 to 1800 m.

DISTRIBUTION (map 21): The known distribution of this species extends from southern Costa Rica to the highlands of western Panama.

ETYMOLOGY: The trivial name, chiriqui , constitutes a noun in apposition and refers to the type locality.

Figures

Figs. 62–84. Antennae. 62. Aphelocerus sagittarius. 63. A. irroratus. 64. A. naevius. 65. A. triangulus. 66. A. extensivus. 67. A. humerus. 68. A. argus. 69. A. protenus. 70. A. arenatus. 71. A. patulus. 72. A. monteverde. 73. A. chondrus. 74. A. catie. 75. A. chiriqui. 76. A. immarginatus. 77. A. anticus. 78. A. yungas. 79. A. batesi. 80. A. bufustis. 81. A. acanthus. 82. A. sturnus. 83. A. myrmecoides. 84. A. scutellaris.