Aphelocerus olanchoensis, 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 : 58

Aphelocerus olanchoensis , new species Figures 276, 277 ; map 27

HOLOTYPE: Male. Honduras: Olancho, Parq. Nac. La Murulla , III­13 & 14–1997, B. Ratcliffe & M. Jameson ( UNSM). (Specimen pin mounted, sex label affixed to support card, white, machine printed; support card, white; locality label, white, machine printed; ­ UNSM repository label, white, machine printed; holotype label, red, machine printed; plastic vial with abdomen and aedeagus.)

PARATYPE: One specimen. Honduras: Olancho: P. N. La Muralla, 25­IV­1995, R. Turnbow ( RHTC, 1).

DIAGNOSIS: Among the aphelocerans that show a bluish tinge on the pronotum A. olanchoensis , n.sp., specimens are most similar to specimens of A. torosus , n.sp., from which they may be distinguished by the less convex, nearly subparallel outer margins of the pronotum (compare figs. 275, 276).

DESCRIPTION: Size: Length 4.8–5.0 mm; width 2.0 mm. Integument: Forebody black, with bluish tinge; remainder of integument piceous. Vestiture: Predominantly black: elytral setae dark, except elytral disc with two small patches of 28 white setae. Head: Width across eyes about equal to width across pronotum (30:30), finely punctate; interocular depression and frontal umbo moderately developed; eyes subspherical, moderately convex. Thorax: Pronotum slightly longer than wide (40:38), considerably narrower than width of elytra across humeri (38:47), pronotal arch finely punctate, pronotal disc finely sparsely punctate, side margins feebly convex, anterior transverse depression not particularly prominent; elytra moderately convex when viewed from side; depth at humerus 20, greatest depth in posterior half 25, humeral tumescence moderately developed. Abdomen: Pygidium posterior margin evenly arcuate; aedeagus as in figure 277.

VARIATION: The two specimens examined did not vary appreciably

NATURAL HISTORY: The holotype was collected in March, the paratype in May.

DISTRIBUTION (map 27): Known only from north­central Honduras.

ETYMOLOGY: The name olanchoensis is a geographical patronym. It stems from Olancho, a department of Honduras, and the Latin suffix ­ ensis.

Figures

Figs. 269–277. Pronota, elytral setal patches, tegmen. 269. Aphelocerus inconstans, pronotum. 270. A. cirritus, pronotum. 271. A. nitidus, elytral setal patches. 272. A. batesi, pronotum. 273. A. bufustis, pronotum. 274. A. cirritus elytral setal patch. 275. A. torosus, pronotum. 276–277. A. olanchoensis (276, pronotum; 277, tegmen).