Embates marchionis Prena, 2005

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

31. Embates marchionis Prena sp. n.

(Fig. 117–120, 255)

Ambates sp. 6 . Marquis 1991: 200

Holotype male (dissected), Costa Rica , labeled: “Sector Cocori, 30 km N. de Cariari, Finca/ E. Rojas, Prov. Limón, COSTA RICA./ 150 m. Abr 1994. E. Rojas,/ L N 286000_567500 #2824”, CRI001 786208 ( INBC).

Paratypes 36 (26 males, 10 females), labeled: “Sector Cerro Cocori, Fca. de E./ Rojas, 150 m, Prov. Limón,/ COSTA RICA. Mar 1993. E. Rojas / L­N­286000 567500”, CRI001 406484 ( INBC) ; “ COSTA RICA, Pr. Heredia / Pto. Viejo­La Selva B.S./ No. [#] [date]/ R.J. Marquis coll.”, with the following identifiers and dates: 160, 16­II 1982; 529, 7­X 1981; 534, 7­X 1981; 615, 15­X 1981; 746, 10­I 1982 ( NMNH 6 ) ; 179, 25­II 1980; 431, 31­V 1981; 448, 1­VI 1981; 708, 29­XI 1981 ( INBC 4 ) ; “ COSTA RICA / Pr. Heredia / Puerto Viejo / Finca La Selva ”, “ R.J. Marquis, coll./ No. [#] [date]”, with following identifiers and dates: 24, 17­VII 1980; 454, 3­VI 1981; 483, 27­V 1982; 1004, 6­VI 1982 ( NMNH 4 ) ; 89, 24­IX 1980 ( INBC) ; “ COSTA RICA: Prov. / Heredia, F. La Selva / 3 km S Pto. Viejo / 10° 26' N 84° 01' W ”; “ 13.vii.1982 / H.A. Hespenheide ”; same label except 1.iv.1985, 4.iv.1985 (2 x), 16.vi.1985, 16.vii.1993 (3 x), 26.vii.1996, 31.vii.1993, 25.vi.1991 ( CHAH 10 ) ; “ COSTA RICA: La Selva/ Biol. Sta. , successional/ plot: 3–4 years, 26.III.2002 / D. Furth ” ( CMNC) ; “ Costa Rica, HEREDIA: 3/ km S Puerto Viejo, Est./ Biol. La Selva , 100 m,/ 19.– 22.2.2000, leg. Prena ” ( JPPC 2 ) ; “ COSTA RICA, Heredia:/ La Selva Biol. Sta. / 3 km S Pto. Viejo, 100 m / 20°26'N 84°01'W ”, “ 16.III.2001 / leg. J. Prena ”; same label except 17.IV.2001 (3 x), 19.IV.2001 (3 x), ( CWOB, JPPC 6 ) .

Description. Habitus: Fig. 117, total length 6.2–9.1 mm (m=7.5, n=34). Color: integument piceous; basic vestiture of brown and ochreous scales, the latter condensed along elytral striae, scales light yellow in two V­shaped elytral fasciae (Fig. 117), in dorsolateral and dorsomedian pronotal vittae and on flank. Head: frontal fovea absent, rostrum stout, subcylindrical (Fig. 118), subcostate dorsomedially in males, basolateral margin rounded, length of rostrum ♂♂ 0.80–0.95 x (m=0.88, n=25), ♀♀ 0.90–0.98 x (m=0.93, n=9) pronotal length, length of ante­antennal portion ♂♂ 0.27–0.33 x (m=0.30, n=25), ♀♀ 0.33–0.36 x (m=0.34, n=9) total rostral length, dorsal margin of antennal scrobe reaching rostral base before eye; funicular segment 2 longer than 1, club oblong ovate. Pronotum: length 0.85– 0.93 x (m=0.89, n=34) maximum width, sides rounded, greatest width shortly behind middle, anterior portion tubulate, disk densely and shallowly punctate. Elytra: length 1.75– 1.90 x (m=1.82, n=33) width at humeri, width 1.12–1.25 x (m=1.18, n=33) maximum pronotal width, sides subparallel in basal half, then increasingly narrowed toward apex, apices rounded conjointly, preapical callus developed moderately, striae fine, punctures indistinct, interstriae flat, 9 subcostate. Legs: tibiae straight and parallel­sided, distally with cluster of yellow hairs, tarsal claws arcuate and separate at base. Male: apex of aedeagus subtriangular, middle sclerotized, anterolateral portion membranous (Fig. 119), body of aedeagus of moderate length, basal third angular in lateral view, apodemes 2.0 x longer than body of aedeagus, flagellum thin, as long as apodemes, transition to curved base abrupt, basal appendage moderate, fused laterally with base of flagellum, projecting beyond base (Fig. 120).

Plant association. Piper colonense (Marquis 1, Prena 10), P. culebranum (Marquis 2), P. decurrens (Marquis 1), P. sancti­felicis (Marquis 1), P. sinugaudens (Marquis 2), Piper sp. (Hespenheide 4, Marquis 2).

Distribution. Costa Rica, Atlantic side (Fig. 255).

Specific epithet. The species name is the genitive case of marchio, Latin for Marquis. I dedicate this species to Dr. Robert J. Marquis, St. Louis for his studies on the interactions of insects with species of Piper at La Selva.

Discussion. Embates marchionis is recognized readily by its color­pattern, large size and short rostrum. The relationship to the other species of the genus remains unclear.