Embates maculifer Prena, 2005

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

66. Embates maculifer Prena sp. n.

(Fig. 225–228, 260)

Holotype female, Costa Rica, labeled: “Quebrada Segunda, P.N. Tapantí,/ 1250 m, Prov. Cart., COSTA/ RICA. May 1993. G. Mora. / L­N­194000, 560000”, CRI001 206066 ( INBC).

Paratypes 4 (2 males, 2 females), Costa Rica, labeled: “Estac. Pitilla, 700 m, 9 km S/ Santa Cecilia , Guanacaste / COSTA RICA, Feb 1990 / P. Rios, C. Moraga &/ R. Blanco. 330200­/ 380200”, CRI000 125036, right elytron damaged ( INBC); “ COSTA RICA: Prov./ Heredia, F. La Selva / 3 km S Pto. Viejo / 10° 26' N 84° 01' W ”, “ 29.vi.1986 / H.A. Hespenheide ”, “117” ( CHAH); “ COSTA RICA: Prov. Heredia:/ 10km SE La Virgen, 450– / 550m, 10°20'N 84°05'W / 14.– 16.3.2003 / INBio­OET­ALAS transect”, “ malaise trap / M. Sharkey & K. Pitz ”, INB0003229960 ( JPPC); “ COSTA RICA. Atlantic/ slope. 1400 m / 6 km N. Santa Elena/ Punt. 11.V.1979 / H & A Howden” ( HAHC) .

Description. Habitus: Fig. 225, total length 3.8–5.3 mm (m=4.7, n=5). Color: integument dark brown, antenna dark rufous; basic vestiture brown with few yellow scales clustered along elytral striae; scales yellow in lateral pronotal vitta, in 2 pairs of maculae on pronotum and 4 pairs (humeral and apical maculae may be absent) on elytra (Fig. 225); venter with yellow scales in prosternal channel, on mesosternal process and in spots on flank of metasternum and ventrites 1–4. Head: frontal fovea absent, rostrum moderately thick, subcylindrical (Fig. 226), subcostate dorsomedially, basolateral margin edged, length of rostrum ♂♂ 1.16–1.17 x (n=2), ♀♀ 1.16–1.29 x (m=1.22, n=3) pronotal length, length of ante­antennal portion ♂♂ 0.43 x (n=2), ♀♀ 0.42–0.43 x (m=0.42, n=3) total rostral length, dorsal margin of antennal scrobe reaching rostral base before eye; funicular segment 2 slightly longer than 1, club oblong ovate. Pronotum: length 0.75–0.84 x (m=0.79, n=5) maximum width, greatest width behind middle, sides rounded; disk densely punctate, intervals granulose, dorsomedian carina absent. Elytra: length 1.39–1.56 x (m=1.47, n=5) width at humeri, width 1.27–1.40 x (m=1.32, n=5) maximum pronotal width, sides subparallel in basal half, then increasingly narrowed toward apex, apices rounded conjointly, preapical callus developed moderately, striae fine, punctures rather indistinct, interstriae flat, none subcostate. Legs: tibiae nearly straight, ventral margin very feebly produced near middle, distally with cluster (♀♀) or indistinct fringe (♂♂) of cupreous hairs, tarsal claws arcuate and separate at base. Male: apex of aedeagus round, middle sclerotized, anterolateral portion membranous (Fig. 227), body of aedeagus of moderate length, basal third angular in lateral view, apodemes 2.0 x longer than body of aedeagus, flagellum thin, half as long as apodemes, transition to curved base gradual, basal appendage elongate, fused distally with base of flagellum, projecting beyond base (Fig. 228).

Plant association. Not known.

Specific epithet. The name is a compound Latin adjective derived from macula (spot) and fero (to bear).

Distribution. Costa Rica, Atlantic side (Fig. 260).

Discussion. The color­pattern makes E. maculifer quite distinct among the Middle American species of Embates . The dorsolateral arrangement of the yellow spots suggests that the hypothetic ancestor might have exhibited a compound dorsolateral vitta, which has been reduced secondarily to its single components. The genital character states suggest a relationship to the species of the E. leucopleura complex.