Embates pictipennis (Champion)

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

25. Embates pictipennis (Champion)

(Fig. 102–104, 255)

Ambates pictipennis Champion 1907: 164 . Holotype male, Panama, labeled: “Type”, “ ♂ ”, “Spec. figured”, “Bugaba 800–1500 ft / Champion” (BMNH). Paralectotypes 2, here designated: Volcán (BMNH 2). Hustache 1938 (cat., Batames to subgenus); O’Brien & Wibmer 1982 (cat.)

Batames pictipennis (Champion) . Casey 1922: 4

Embates [ pictipennis ]. Alonso­Zarazaga & Lyal 1999 (global combination of all species of Ambates Schönherr 1836 with Embates Chevrolat 1833 )

Redescription. Habitus: Similar to Fig. 109, illustrated in original description, total length 4.2–5.8 mm (m=4.8, n=53). Color: integument rufous­castaneous to piceous, basic vestiture of brown and some yellow scales; elytron with variously shaped black macula slightly behind middle, yellow scales condensed in oblique post­macular fascia of various lengths and curvature (Fig. 102), in short streak near elytral apices and dorsolateral pronotal vitta. Head: frontal fovea minute or absent, rostrum slender, subcylindrical, slightly more curved over antennal insertion, costate dorsomedially, basolateral margin roundly edged, length of rostrum ♂♂ 1.15–1.38 x (m=1.28, n=23), ♀♀ 1.19–1.43 x (m=1.34, n=30) pronotal length, length of ante­antennal portion ♂♂ 0.36–0.41 x (m=0.38, n=23), ♀♀ 0.38–0.45 x (m=0.41, n=30) 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 0.89–1.00 x (m=0.94, n=53) maximum width, sides subparallel to slightly rounded, apical portion rather strongly narrowed and tubulate in front; punctation dense and shallow. Elytra: length 1.85–2.04 x (m=1.95, n=53) width at humeri, width 1.26–1.52 x (m=1.39, n=53) maximum pronotal width, sides subparallel in basal half (sometimes slightly diverging), then increasingly narrowed toward apex, apices rounded conjointly, preapical callus moderate, striae fine, punctures indistinct, interstriae flat, 9 subcostate distally. Legs: tibiae nearly straight, ventral margin of metatibia more or less curved (Fig. 103), ventrodistally with cluster or indistinct fringe of cupreous hairs, tarsal claws arcuate and separate at base. Male: apex of aedeagus broadly rounded, middle sclerotized, anterolateral portion membranous (Fig. 104), body of aedeagus short, basal third angular, apodemes approximately 4.0 x longer than body of aedeagus, flagellum very thin, nearly as long as apodemes, transition to curved base gradual, basal appendage slender, fused laterally with base of flagellum, barely projecting beyond base (as Fig. 108).

Plant association. Piper sancti­felicis (Prena 6), P. hispidum s. l. (Prena 14), P. dilatatum (Prena 11), P. glabrescens (Prena 5), P. pseudo­fuligineum (Prena 3), P. tenuimucronatum (Prena 2).

Distribution. Costa Rica and Panama, both sides of Cordilleras (Fig. 255).

Material examined. COSTA RICA. Alajuela: Dos Ríos, 600 m ( INBC) ; R.B. San Ramon, Río San Lorencito , 900 m ( JPPC 2 ) . Cartago: Turrialba, M.N. Guayabo, 1100 m ( JPPC) ; Tuís , 900 m ( JPPC 2 ) . Guanacaste: Est. La Casona , 1520 m ( INBC) . Heredia: P.N. Braulio Carrillo, Est. El Ceibo, 400 m ( INBC 3 , JPPC 4 ) . Puntarenas: Buenos Aires, Est. Altamira ( INBC, JPPC 2 ) ; Fundación Dúrika , 1700 m ( JPPC 8 ) ; 6 km S San Vito ( CHAH, JPPC 12 , SNSD) ; Osa Península, P.N. Corcovado ( CHAH, INBC 2 , JPPC 13 , NMNH) ; 12 km NE San Isidro, Cerro Chucuyo , 1350 m ( JPPC 13 ) ; Manuel Antonio N.P., 80 m ( INBC 4 , JPPC 8 ) ; Monteverde , 1500 m ( CMNC 2 , CWOB, HAHC) . PANAMA. Chiriquí: Volcán , 1300–2000 m ( BMNH 2 ) ; N Sta Clara ( HPSC 2 ) ; Las Lagunas , 4 km W Hato del Volcán, 1360 m ( CWOB, HAHC 3 , HPSC 2 ) ; Cerro Punta ( CWOB) . Total 99 specimens .

Discussion. Embates pictipennis represents a puzzling complex of several local populations with black elytral macula, variously developed oblique post­macular fascia and more or less completely reduced ante­macular fascia (occasionally vestigial in interstriae 5 and 6) (Fig. 102). The short median lobe of the aedeagus, the meristic data and transitions in the color­pattern suggest a relationship to several species without black elytral macula, such as E. discordabilis , E. euscheme , E. todillofasciatus and E. gracilis . From species of the E. biguttatus complex, E. pictipennis can be distinguished by its usually more slender shape and the short aedeagus.