Embates latevittatus (Champion)

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

57. Embates latevittatus (Champion)

(Fig. 191–195, 260)

Ambates latevittatus Champion 1907: 159 . Lectotype male, Panama, here designated, labeled: “sp. figured“, circular plate with red margin “Type”, “ ♂ ”, “V. de Chiriqui / 25–4000 ft. ” (BMNH). 12 Paralectotypes, Panama, here designated: Volcán (BMNH 9, NHRS, SNSD, NMNH). Hustache 1938 (cat.); Blackwelder 1947 (cat.); Wibmer & O’Brien 1986 (cat.)

Ambates sp. 9 . Marquis 1991: 200

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

Redescription. Habitus: Fig. 191, total length 4.4–5.8 mm (m=5.0, n=18). Color: integu­ ment rufous to piceous; basic vestiture of dark brown scales intermixed with few yellow scales along elytral striae, yellow scales condensed in narrow to broad dorsolateral vitta between head and preapical callus or on to elytral apices, vitta compound and not always with continuous outline, light yellow scales in lateral pronotal vitta; venter with light yellow scales on prosternum and along flank (restricted to metasternum and epimera in specimens from La Selva). Head: frontal fovea minute or absent, rostrum moderate, subcylindrical (Fig. 192), sides attenuated between apex and antennal insertion, costate dorsomedially, basolateral margin edged, length of rostrum ♂♂ 0.97–1.13 x (m=1.05, n=11), ♀♀ 1.08–1.24 x (m=1.17, n=8) pronotal length, length of ante­antennal portion ♂♂ 0.31–0.36 x (m=0.33, n=10), ♀♀ 0.32–0.36 x (m=0.34, n=8) 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 0.88–0.97 x (m=0.92, n=18) maximum width, sides rounded, widest in basal half, anterior portion tubulate; punctures confluent. Elytra: length 1.75–1.85 x (m=1.80, n=17) width at humeri, width 1.13–1.36 x (m=1.27, n=17) maximum pronotal width, sides subparallel in basal half, apices rounded conjointly, preapical callus developed moderately, striae fine, punctures indistinct, interstriae flat, 9 subcostate. Legs: tibiae curved, ventral margin slightly bisinuate, distally with cluster (♀♀) or fringe (♂♂, Fig. 193) of yellow hairs, tarsal claws arcuate and separate at base. Male: apex of aedeagus round, middle sclerotized, anterolateral portion membranous (Fig. 194), body of aedeagus of moderate length, basal third angular in lateral view, apodemes 2.0 x longer than body of aedeagus, flagellum thin, shorter than apodemes, transition to curved base gradual, basal appendage of moderate size, fused laterally with base of flagellum, not much projecting beyond base (Fig. 195).

Plant association. Piper arboreum (Marquis 2, Prena 4), P. imperiale (Marquis 1), P. sancti­felicis (Marquis 1, association probably accidental).

Distribution. Costa Rica and Panama, scattered (Fig. 260).

Material examined. COSTA RICA. Heredia: Puerto Viejo, La Selva, 100 m ( JPPC, NMNH 3 ) . Puntarenas: Las Mellizas, 1300 m ( INBC 6 , JPPC 4 ) ; Buenos Aires , Sector Altamira, 1150–1400 m ( INBC) . PANAMA. Chiriquí: Volcán, below 1300 m ( BMNH 10 , NHRS, NMNH, SNSD) . Coclé: La Mesa above El Valle, 850 m ( CWOB, HPSC) . Colón: Portobelo, 50 m ( NMNH) . Darién: Cana, 450 m ( HPSC) . Total 32 specimens .

Discussion. Champion applied the name to a population occurring on the Pacific side of the Cordillera de Talamanca. A few specimens are known now from other sites, such as from the provinces of Heredia and Darién. Those specimens show modifications in the color­pattern: the dorsolateral vitta is narrower and does not always reach the elytral apices; the ventral vestiture of the specimens from Heredia is confined to metasternum and epimera. Despite those differences I believe that they all belong to E. latevittatus in the wider sense. Piper arboreum seems to be the primary host plant on both sides of the Cordilleras. A more detailed study of those deviating populations would require additional material from other sites.