Aphelocerus improcerus, 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 : 91-93

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1206/0003-0090(2005)293<0001:CNHAEO>2.0.CO;2
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03E787FE-995B-113C-FD73-FE63FE61FC6B
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Aphelocerus improcerus
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Aphelocerus improcerus , new species Figures 210 View Figs , 225, 231, 250; map 25

HOLOTYPE: Male. Mexico. Veracruz, Las Minas , 7V1994, J. E. Wappes ( AMNH). (Specimen point mounted, sex label affixed to the paper point, white, machine printed; AMNH repository label, white, machine printed; holotype label, red, machine printed; plastic vial with abdomen and aedeagus.)

PARATYPES: None.

DIAGNOSIS: The holotype superficially resembles members of A. cheliferous , n.sp., and A. scutellaris (Chevrolat) . However, in A. improcerus , n. sp., beetles the epipleural tuft does not span the entire length of the epipleuron as it does in A. cheliferous , n.sp., specimens and the pronotum is not conspicuously oblong as is the case with A. scutellaris (Chevrolat) beetles.

DESCRIPTION: Size: Length 6.0 mm; width 2.7 mm. Integument: Black, antennal apex and tarsi piceous. Vestiture: Lateral margins of frons vested with long white setae, pronotal and metepisternal tuft well developed, epipleural tuft moderately developed, sutural tuft short but prominent; mesocutellum matted with white setae, elytal region with white setae, remainder of dorsum sparsely vested with dark erect setae, protibiae with few dark setae, rest of legs vested with long white setae, pterothorax vested with white setae. Head: Gena and epicranium only slightly expanded, postocular portion of gena wrinkled; interocular depressions and frontal umbo not prominent, frons scabrous, eyes subspherical, moderately convex; width across eyes about equal to width of pronotum (52:53); antenna (fig. 225) elongate, nearly as long as length of pronotum (52:55). Thorax: Pronotum feebly elongate (55:53), disc finely wrinkled transversely in posterior region, coarsely punctuate in remainder; side margins mod erately arcuate, faintly indented along anterior angles (fig. 250) anterior transverse depression faintly indicated, pronotum considerably narrower than width of elytra across humeri (53:65); elytral middiscal setal patch small (fig. 231), elytra moderately convex in posterior half, humeral angle pronounced, finely punctate, punctations serially arranged near sutural margin, depth at humerus 20, greatest depth at posterior half 32; legs prominently elongate, metafemur extends beyond elytra apex. Abdomen: Posterior margin of male pygidum feebly truncated. Male genitalia: Tegmen as in figure 210; inner margin of parameres denticulated, phallobasic apodeme very narrow.

VARIATION: No available information.

NATURAL HISTORY: The holotype was captured during May.

DISTRIBUTION (map 25): Known only from the type locality.

ETYMOLOGY: The Latin specific epithet improcerus means undersized. I selected the name because my initial impression of this specimen was that it was a small individual of A. scutellaris (Chevrolat) .