Embates bisignatus (Chevrolat)

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

4. Embates bisignatus (Chevrolat)

(Fig. 41, 244)

Ambates bisignatus Chevrolat 1877: 341 . Holotype female, Mexico, labeled: “ Paratypus ”, “ Ambates / bisignatus Chevr. / Prena det. 1996”, green label at bottom of box “ Mexico Corina/ D. Sallé“ (NHRS). Champion 1907: 165; Hustache 1938 (cat., Batames to subgenus); O’Brien & Wibmer 1982 (cat.)

Batames bisignatus (Champion) . Casey 1922: 4

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

Redescription. Habitus: Fig. 41, total length 4.5–5.3 mm (m=5.0, n=13). Color: integu­ ment piceous, legs partially rufous; basic vestiture of beige and brown scales, scales black in elytral macula between interstriae 2–5 (Fig. 41), scales yellow in thin dorsolateral pronotal vitta and in variously developed post­macular fascia; venter with spot of yellow scales in ante­coxal portion of prosternum, vestiture sparse elsewhere. Head: frontal fovea absent, rostrum thick, falciform (as Fig. 45), costate dorsomedially and rugose laterally, basolateral margin strongly produced, length of rostrum ♂♂ 1.29–1.37 x (m=1.35, n=9), ♀♀ 1.31–1.40 x (m=1.36, n=4) pronotal length, length of ante­antennal portion ♂♂ 0.31– 0.35 x (m=0.33, n=9), ♀♀ 0.34–0.37 x (m=0.36, n=4) total rostral length, dorsal margin of antennal scrobe reaching rostral base well before eye; length of funicular segments 1 and 2 subequal, club oblong ovate (♀♀) to subcylindrical (♂♂). Pronotum: length 0.74–0.83 x (m=0.80, n=13) maximum width, greatest width near base, sides gradually converging in basal half, anterior portion roundly narrowed and tubulate in front; disk densely punctate, intervals granulose to rugose. Elytra: length 1.49–1.56 x (m=1.53, n=13) width at humeri, width 1.43–1.52 x (m=1.47, n=13) maximum pronotal width, sides gradually converging in basal half, apices rounded conjointly, preapical callus developed moderately, striae fine, punctures distinct, interstriae flat, 9 costate, 7 and 8 subcostate. Legs: tibiae curved and parallel­sided, distally with cluster of yellow hairs, tarsal claws arcuate and separate at base. Male: aedeagus as E. rugosus .

Plant association. Not known.

Distribution. Atlantic side of southern Mexico (Fig. 244).

Material examined. MEXICO. Without site: ( NHRS, SNSD 2 ) . Chiapas: 3 mi S Solusuchiapa ( TAMU) ; 7.4 km N Bochil ( CWOB) . Puebla: 15.5 mi S Tenampulco ( RDCC 2 , JPPC) . Queretaro: El Lobo to Río Tarcuilin , 1100 m ( CWOB) . Tabasco: Teapa ( BMNH, NMNH 2 , ZMHB 2 ) . Veracruz: Córdoba ( BMNH, NMNH) ; Lake Catemaco ( CNCI) ; Los Tuxtlas ( CMNC 2 , CWOB 2 , JPPC) ; San Andrés Tuxtla (BMNH); La Palma (CNMC); Tebanca (CWOB); Orizaba (NHMW); Tuxpan? [labeled Toxpam] (BMNH); Corinto? [labeled Corina] (NHRS). Total 28 specimens.

Note. The single specimen of E. bisignatus in the Chevrolat Collection (NHRS) has no label attached (except a paratype label) and is pinned next to a green bottom label with handwritten text. I believe, that this is the type specimen of Ambates bisignatus , because Champion (1907, p.165) gave no collecting site for the type but did so for all other specimens.

Discussion. Embates bisignatus is a close relative of E. solani , from which it can be distinguished by less elongate elytral maculae and usually parallel­sided tibiae.