Embates flavoplagiatus Prena, 2005

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

45. Embates flavoplagiatus Prena sp. n.

(Fig. 159, 240)

Holotype male (dissected), Nicaragua , labeled: “ NICARAGUA, Mat. 7 mi. / N. Matagalpa, 4900'/ VII­15­1974 C.W. & L./ O’Brien & Marshall” ( CWOB).

Paratypes 5 (3 males, 2 females), Nicaragua and Honduras, labeled: “ Nica (Matagalpa):/ Fuente Pura / 10–iv­94/ Col. J.M. Maes &/ A. De La Fuente ” ( JPPC); “ Nica ( Matagalpa ):/ Fuente Pura / 26–vi­94/ Maes / Tellez &/ Johnson ” ( SEAN); “ HONDURAS: Dept. Atlantida / Rio Congregal , 10 km S./ Januca , 400 ft. 27–V­1993 / coll. M.C. Thomas ” ( CWOB); “ HONDURAS:/ La Ceiba/ May 23–30, 1978 / Garry V. Manley ” ( NMNH); “ HONDURAS: El Paraiso / Los Lavanderos/ Guinope/ 5 June 1988 / RD Cave colr” ( JPPC) .

Description. Habitus: as Fig. 152, total length 8.6–10.4 mm (m=9.4, n=6). Color: integument dark brown; basic vestiture of minute, cupreous scales; scales light yellow in ovate elytral fascia (Fig. 159); venter with slender whitish scales. Head: frontal fovea deep, rostrum moderate, subcylindrical, sides attenuated between apex and antennal insertion, costate dorsomedially, subcostate dorsolaterally in males, basolateral margin moderately edged, length of rostrum ♂♂ 1.12–1.48 x (m=1.29, n=4), ♀♀ 1.46–148 x (n=2) pronotal length, length of ante­antennal portion ♂♂ 0.33–0.43 x (m=0.39, n=4), ♀♀ 0.37– 0.39 x (n=2) total rostral length, dorsal margin of antennal scrobe reaching rostral base well before eye; funicular segment 2 distinctly longer than 1, club oblong ovate. Pronotum: length 0.79–0.90 x (m=0.84, n=6) maximum width, widest in basal fourth, then roundly narrowed, anterior portion tubulate; disk finely punctate, intervals rugose. Elytra: length 1.79–1.94 x (m=1.85, n=6) width at humeri, width 1.17–1.32 x (m=1.25, n=6) maximum pronotal width, sides subparallel in basal half, apices rounded conjointly, preapical callus weakly developed, striae fine to obsolete, punctures distinct, interstriae flat, 9 convex. Legs: slender, tibia nearly straight, ventral margin with distal cluster of cupreous hairs, tarsal claws arcuate and separate at base. Male: aedeagus as E. obliquus .

Plant association. Not known.

Distribution. Honduras and Nicaragua, evergreen montane forests (Fig. 240).

Specific epithet. The name is a compound Latin participle derived from flavus (yellow, blond) and plagiatus (spotted).

Discussion. Embates flavoplagiatus is related most closely to A. fasciolatus . The two specimens from Honduras exhibit a slightly shorter rostrum than the specimens of the corresponding sex from Nicaragua.