Embates gracilis Prena, 2005

Prena, Jens, 2005, The Middle American species of Embates Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Baridinae), Zootaxa 1100 (1), pp. 1-151 : 1-151

29. Embates gracilis Prena sp. n.

(Fig. 112–113)

Ambates sp. 3 . Marquis 1991: 200

Holotype male (dissected), Costa Rica , labeled: “ COSTA RICA, Heredia:/ La Selva Biol. Sta./ 3 km S Pto. Viejo, 100 m / 20°26'N 84°01'W ”, “ 17.IV.2001 / leg. J. Prena ” ( INBC).

Paratypes 34 (17 males, 17 females), labeled: as holotype ( JPPC 6 ) ; as holotype except 19.IV.2001 ( JPPC) , 7.IV.2003 ( JPPC) ; “ COSTA RICA, Pr. Heredia / Pto. Viejo­La Selva B.S./ No. [#] [date]/ R.J. Marquis coll.”; with following identifiers and dates: 1, 16­VII 1980 ( INBC 3 ) ; 84, 31­VIII 1980; 128, 23­X 1980; 405, 26­V 1981; 406, 26­V 1981; 407, 26­V 1981; 517, 1­X 1981; 538, 17­X 1981 ( NMNH 6 ) ; “ COSTA RICA / Pr. Heredia / Puerto Viejo / Finca La Selva ”, “ R.J. Marquis, coll./ No. [#] [date]”, with following identifiers and dates: 188, 28­II 1981; 256 20­III 1981; 259, 21­III 1981; 291, 3­IV 1981; 316, 11­4 1981; 538, 7­X 1981; 838, 15­II 1982 ( NMNH 7 ) ; “ COSTA RICA, Her. / Biol. Sta. La Selva, 50 m. / STR Trail , IX­1­1998,/ W.W. & L.B. O’Brien ” ( CWOB 5 ) ; “ COSTA RICA. Prov. / Heredia, F. La Selva / 3 km S Pto Viejo / 10° 26' N 84° 01' W ”, “ 2.iv.1980 / H.A. Hespenheide”; same label except “ 28.iii.1980 / H.A. Hespenheide ” (2 x); “IV­V.1993/ P. Hanson / Malaise Trap ” ( CHAH 4 ) .

Description. Habitus: similar to Fig. 105 (sides of pronotum less curved), total length 3.3–4.3 mm (m=3.8, n=35). Color: integument piceous, basic vestiture of medium­sized, irregularly clustered ochreous and brown scales, the former condensed in two small spots at elytral interstria 5 (Fig. 112) and in dorsolateral pronotal vitta. Head: frontal fovea absent, rostrum moderately stout, subcylindrical (Fig. 113), costate dorsomedially and dorsolaterally, basolateral margin edged, length of rostrum ♂♂ 1.03–1.26 x (m=1.12, n=18), ♀♀ 1.08–1.26 x (m=1.15, n=17) pronotal length, length of ante­antennal portion ♂♂ 0.30– 0.37 x (m=0.34, n=17), ♀♀ 0.38–0.41 x (m=0.39, n=16) total rostral length, dorsal margin of antennal scrobe reaching rostral base before eye; length of funicular segments 1 and 2 subequal, club oblong ovate. Pronotum: length 0.75–0.90 x (m=0.86, n=35) maximum width, sides subparallel in basal half, anterior portion tubulate; disk densely and shallowly punctate. Elytra: length 1.76–1.96 x (m=1.88, n=35) width at humeri, width 1.24–1.40 x (m=1.31, n=35) maximum pronotal width, sides subparallel in basal half, then increasingly narrowed toward apex, apices rounded conjointly, preapical callus developed moderately, striae fine, punctures moderate, interstriae flat, 7 and 9 partially costate. Legs: tibiae nearly straight, ventral margin slightly bisinuate, distally with cluster of cupreous hairs, tarsal claws arcuate and separate at base. Male: similar E. pictipennis , with apodemes 3.5 x longer than body of aedeagus.

Plant association. Piper sp. near sancti­felicis (Marquis 16, Prena 10), Piper glabrescens (Marquis 1), Piper sp. (Hespenheide 3).

Distribution. Costa Rica, Atlantic side (lower part of ALAS­transect in Fig. 239).

Specific epithet. The name is a Latin adjective meaning “slender”.

Discussion. Embates gracilis is one of the smallest species of the genus. Specimens were collected only at La Selva, where they occur on a probably undescribed species near Piper hispidum (in the herbarium of La Selva labeled as a form of P. sancti­felicis ). This piper has leaves very similar to those of P. sancti­felicis , but lacks a ligular bract and the stem is covered with short tubercles. The plant seems to be uncommon, and I could not find any specimens outside La Selva. The short body of the aedeagus, the habitus and the plant association place E. gracilis near E. discordabilis , E. pictipennis and E. euscheme .