Aphelocerus sabulosus, 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 : 51

Aphelocerus sabulosus , new species Figures 199 , 239 ; map 27

HOLOTYPE: Female. Costa Rica. Punt. Prov. , 6 km SE Santa Elena, 7–8 June 1987, F. T. Hovore, coll on Croton blossoms ( AMNH). (Specimen point mounted, sex label affixed to paper point, white machine printed; support card, white; locality label, white machine printed; AMNH repository label, white, machine printed; holotype label, red, machine printed.)

PARATYPES: Eight specimens, two from the same locality as the holotype ( WOPC, 2). Costa Rica: Cartago: Cartago, 11­VI­1987, F. Hovore ( WFBC, 1) ; Puntarenas: 10 NE Ciudad Neilly , 28­VI­1994, F. T. Hovore ( JNRC, 1; WOPC, 2) ; vic. Las Alturas , 23– 24­I­1996, F. T. Hovore ( WOPC, 1) ; Est. Agujas. Send. Leyba. 300–350 m, 29­VIII– 12­IX­1998, M. Labo, Tp., Malaise Seca ( INBC, 1) .

DIAGNOSIS: Distinguishable from other species of Aphelocerus that have the pronotal disc microsculptured by the extent of development of the posterior patch of the elytral middiscal tuft (fig. 239).

DESCRIPTION: Size: Length 3.5–4.8 mm; width 1.3–2.2 mm. Integument: Black. Vestiture: Integument densely vested with prominent light and dark setae; elytral middiscal setal tuft comprised of two patches, posterior patch much wider than anterior patch. Head: Finely punctate; interocular depression and frontal umbo moderately developed; eyes oval, moderately convex; width across eyes slightly narrower than width across pronotum (33:38); antenna shorter than length of pronotum (30:38). Thorax: Pronotum as long as wide (38:38), disc finely punctate and very finely microsculptured, anterior transverse depression poorly defined, side margins moderately arcuate; elytra moderately convex, depth at humerus 22, greatest depth in posterior half 25. Abdomen: Posterior margin of pygidium evenly arcuate in female, truncate in male. Male genitalia: As in figure 199; parameral apices accuminate.

VARIATION: The specimens examined were quite homogeneous.

NATURAL HISTORY: Frank T. Hovore collected all the available specimens during June, on blossoms of Croton . One specimen was collected with a Malaise trap located at 300– 350 m.

DISTRIBUTION (map 27): Known only from southernmost province of Costa Rica.

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet is a Latin adjective that stems from sabulo (gravel). I refer to the gravel­like microsculpture on the pronotal disc.

Figures

Figs. 193–214. Tegmina and phalli. 193. Aphelocerus delicatulus, tegmen. 194–195. A. bispineus (194, tegmen; 195, phallus). 196. A. aeneus, tegmen. 197. A. acuticolis, tegmen. 198. A. sculptillus, tegmen. 199. A. sabulosus, tegmen. 200–201. A. akis (200, phallus; 201, tegmen). 202–203. A. chelonus (202, tegmen; 203, phallus). 204. A. scalenus, tegmen. 205. A. ebenus, tegmen. 206. A. hespenheidei, tegmen. 207–208. A. ciliaris (207, tegmen; 208, phallus). 209. A. turnbowi, tegmen. 210. A. improcerus. 211. A. anticus, tegmen. 212. A. inbatus, tegmen. 213. A. chondrus, tegmen. 214. A. monteverde. tegmen.

Figs. 230–240. Elytral middiscal setal tufts. 230. Aphelocerus yungas. 231. A. improcerus. 232. A. domus. 233. A. turnbowi. 234. A. nitidus. 235. A. acuticolis. 236. A. scalenus. 237. A. nitidus. 238. A. cohibilis. 239. A. sabulosus. 240. A. sculptillus.