Microzygops nigrofasciatus Champion, 1906

Hespenheide, Henry A., 2018, A Review of Microzygops Champion, 1906 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Conoderinae), with Description of a New Species, The Coleopterists Bulletin 72 (1), pp. 113-117 : 113-116

Microzygops nigrofasciatus Champion, 1906 ( Figs. 1–5 )

Microzygops nigrofasciatus Champion 1906: 46 Microzygops flavatus Rheinheimer 2011: 68 . New synonymy

Diagnosis. Female. Very slender, narrowly oval, pale reddish brown throughout, except elytra with broad black fascia occupying medial 1/2 and darker on

metatibiae, head variably darker, and pronotum usually with transverse dark band of varying size. Uniformly but sparsely covered with complex pattern of small linear scales ( Figs. 1 and 2 ), mostly inconspicuous except white on elytra posterior to dark fascia and in narrow, weakly arcuate, transverse fascia from posterior to scutellum anterior to dark fascia; scales white or silvery on sides and beneath to ventrite 2 and at middle of abdominal ventrite 5. Head in lateral view with juncture of eyes and base of rostrum only slightly indented ( Fig. 4 ). Legs slender, very long, metafemora with or without tooth.

Male. Like female except base of rostrum extended dorsally, forming more or less conspicuous obtuse angle with plane of eyes ( Fig. 5 ); genitalia as in Fig. 3 .

Specimens Examined. Costa Rica: Prov. Heredia, F. La Selva, 3 km S Pto. Viejo , 10° 26 ʹ N 84° 01 ʹ W , 4.07.1986, H.A. Hespenheide, tree trunk ( CHAH), Heredia Pr: La Selva Biol. Sta., 3 km S Pto. Viejo, 10 o 26 ʹ N 84° 01 ʹ W, 5 - 15.05.1969, B Brown & D. Feener , 15 - 21.05.1969, B.V. Brown, Malaise trap, SOR@SHO, Second Growth ( CHAH, LACM), 21.01 - 3.02.1991, J.S. Noyes, Malaise trap ( CHAH); Est. Biol. La Selva. , 50-150 m 10° 26 ʹ N 84° 01 ʹ W, INBio-OET, Malaise Trap, M/02/ 137 , 1.07.1993 ( MNCR, INBIOCRI001277733 ) , M/02/193, 1.09.1993 ( MNCR, INBIOCRI001278920 ) , M/02/249, 1.11.1993 ( MNCR, INBIOCRI001267266 ) , M/02/388, 20.06.1994 (2, MNCR, INBIOCRI002286818 , -9) , M/02/400, 17.07.1995 (2, MNCR, INBIOCRI002065345 , -6) , M/02/448, 14.09.1995 ( MNCR, INBIOCRI002289492 ) , M/02/460, 29.09.1995 ( MNCR, INBIOCRI002300936 ) , M/02/484, 1.11.1995 (2, MNCR, INBIOCRI002289946 , -7) , M/03/629, 2.05.1996 ( MNCR, INBIOCRI002304571 ) , M/03/653, 31.05.1996 ( MNCR, INBIOCRI002304876 ) , M/04/450, 14.05.1995 ( MNCR, INBIOCRI002300641 ) , M/05/415, 1.08.1994 ( MNCR, INBIOCRI002301488 ) , M/05/475, 16.10.1995 ( MNCR, INBIOCRI002300372 ) , M/06/235, 4.10.1993 ( MNCR, INBIOCRI002259979 ) , M/07/512, 1.12.1995 ( MNCR, INBIOCRI002296220 ) , M/07/536, 2.01.1996 ( MNCR, INBIOCRI002271463 ) , M/08/489, 1.11.1995 ( MNCR, INBIOCRI002289595 ) , M/09/159, 15.07.1993 ( MNCR, INBIOCRI002259978 ) , M/09/171, 3.08.1993 ( MNCR, INBIOCRI002064641 ) , M/09/526, 15.12.1995 ( MNCR, INBIOCRI002296440 ) , M/09/610, 1.04.1996 ( MNCR, INBIOCRI002304395 ) , M/13/147, 1.07.1993 ( MNCR, INBIOCRI002276134 ) , M/15/094, 5.05.1993 ( MNCR, INBIOCRI002271741 ) , M/15/289, 1.12.1993 ( MNCR, INBIOCRI002259980 ) , M/18/693, 11.12.1997 ( MNCR, INBIOCRI002283055 ) , M/18/700, 23.01.1998 ( MNCR, INBIOCRI002282149 ) , M/29/811, 18.04.2004 ( MNCR, INB0003689116 ) , Flight Intercept Trap, TN/20/011,21.03.2004 ( MNCR, INB0003688315 ), TN/20/021 , 18.04.2004 ( MNCR, INB0003688450 ) ; Prov. Heredia, 11 km ESE La Virgen , 250-350 m, 10° 21 ʹ N 84° 03 ʹ W, INBio-OET- ALAS transect, Malaise Trap, 03/M/01/081 , 6.04.2004

(MNCR, INB0003616969), 03/M/14/094, 18.04.2004 ( INB0003617533 ) , 03/M/15/015, 22.02.2004 ( MNCR, INB0003610969 ) , 03/M/18/038, 9.03.2004 ( MNCR, INB0003612007 ) , Flight Intercept Trap, 03/ TN/14/017, 22.03.2004 ( MNCR, INB0003618979 ) , Prov. Heredia : 10km SE La Virgen, 450-550m, 10° 20 ʹ N 84° 05 ʹ W, INBio-OET-ALAS transect, Malaise Trap, 05/M/08/028 , 11.03.2003 ( MNCR, INB0003231322 ) , Flight Intercept Trap, 05/TN/03/ 013, 23.03.2003 ( INB0003240602 ) ; Puntarenas , R.F. Golfo Dulce, 10 km W Piedras Blancas, 100m, 02- 03.1989, Hanson ( MUCR) , 10 km W Pan-Amer. Hwy., road to Rincon de la Osa , 100 m, 03- 04.1989, Hanson & Gould, Malaise trap (4, CHAH, NUCR) , Golfo Dulce , 3 km SW Rincon, 10m, 10(1), 12.1991(3), 07.1992(3) P. Hanson ( MUCR) , Pen. Osa, Rancho Quem [ado], Rio Riyito , 20m, 11.1990, Hanson & Godoy ( MUCR) . French Guiana [= France, Dept. Guyane]: Montagne des Chevaux , 4 o 36 ʹ 37.6”N 52 o 16 ʹ 44.5”W, altitude = 225 m. a.s.l. 10, 11.2009, Window trap, (1, BMNH (E) 2010-62), Nouragues Saut-Pararé , 4°02 ʹ 16.1”N 52°40 ʹ 21.1”W, 09.2009, Window trap, S. Brûlé (2, BMNH (E) 2010-62), Réserve Trésor, cca 225 m , 4°36 ʹ 37.6 ʹʹ N 52°16 ʹ 44.5 ʹʹ W, 12.2009, S. Brûlé Window trap, (1, BMNH (E) 2010-62). New Country Record. Panama: Volcan de Chiriqui, 3000 feet, Champion (Holotype, BMNH) ; [Panamá Prov.], Canal Zone, Barro Colorado Is. , 09° 10 ʹ N 79° 50 ʹ W , 10.03.1970, H.A. Hespenheide ( CHAH) . Peru: Cusco Dept., Villa Carmen Fld Stn , cafeteria ~ 1.7 km west, research transect, 12.89250°S 71.41917°W, 555 m, 22 - 24.05.2011, DJ Bennett & E Razuri , flight intercept trap, PER-11-FIT-009 ( SEMC1018261 ) ; Madre de Dios Dept., CICRA Field Station , trail 6, research plot, 12.55207°S 70.10962°W, 295 m, 11 - 13.06.2011, Chaboo team, flight intercept trap, PER-11-FIT-027 (2, SEMC1019752 , -669). New Country Record .

Discussion. Of his new species M. flavatus, Rheinheimer (2011) says “L’ espèce nouvelle se distingue de M. nigrofasciatus Champion, 1906 par la tête et le pronotum entièrement jaune-rouge et les côtés du pronotum droits.” [The new species is distinguished from M. nigrofasciatus Champion, 1906 by the head and pronotum entirely yellowish red and the sides of the pronotum straight.]. Although I have not examined the type, the published figure ( Rheinheimer 2011) and specimens from French Guiana cited here do not differ significantly from M. nigrofasciatus . The genitalia figured from a French Guiana specimen ( Fig. 3 ) do not differ from those of two Costa Rican specimens dissected (La Selva, Osa Peninsula). The proposed diagnostic characters of the head and pronotum vary among the specimens from French Guiana, as well as those from elsewhere, with some specimens having the pronotal color entirely yellowish red and others having it more or less infuscated; similarly, the sides of the pronotum may be nearly straight or weakly arcuate. Variation in the presence or absence of the metafemoral tooth was described above.

Newly reported here is sexual dimorphism in the rostrum. In females, a line from the dorsal edge of the rostrum to the front of the eyes is only slightly indented at the base of the rostrum in lateral view ( Fig. 3 ), whereas that of the male ( Fig. 4 ) is distinctly angled, in some extreme cases ( Costa Rica, Piedras Blancas, road to Rincon specimens) forming almost a right angle. As is usual, size varies between the sexes, but almost all specimens measure less than 3 mm in length: males measure 2.10–2.65 mm long (mean = 2.29 mm, n = 8) and females measure 2.50–3.05 mm long (mean = 2.75 mm, n = 7).

Ecology. Although the species was originally described from a single specimen, it is not rare, with 44 individuals collected at La Selva Biological Station alone. Of all 59 specimens examined, at least 56 were collected by passive trapping - Malaise traps (46), flight intercept traps (7), or window traps (3). The one specimen definitely recorded as having been collected by hand was running on a tree trunk, as is common among many Conoderinae ( Hespenheide 1996). At La Selva, 26 of 32 specimens in ALAS Malaise trap samples were collected during the wet season between May and December. All were collected in either primary (12 of 29) or secondary forest (17), none in the early successional plots. I have suggested ( Hespenheide 1995, 1996) that M. nigrofasciatus is mimetic of arboreal ants with its long legs and coloration.

Microzygops brulei Hespenheide , new species zoobank.org/uurn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 479BC611-BBB5-4A93-93E0-C26BC5DD390D ( Figs. 6–7 )

Description. Holotype female: Body size 3.55 mm long, 1.65 mm wide. Very slender, narrowly oval, pale reddish brown throughout, except dark reddish brown elytra and metafemora and darker on metatibiae and distal 3/5 of elytra, densely covered with complex pattern of scales ( Figs. 7 and 8): from above, pronotum with pale yellow scales in rectangular area along midline at apex, metallic pale golden scales on rest of disc and upper half of sides of pronotum and metafemora; scales silvery on lower half of sides of pronotum, pro- and mesofemora, and much of venter including abdominal ventrite 1; scales pale yellow on scutellum and darker yellow on dorsal surface of head and posterior half of elytra; white scales on elytra in small spots along suture posterior to scutellum and in narrow, weakly arcuate transverse fascia at basal third; otherwise, scales black on basal third of elytra and in transverse fascia posterior to white fascia; white scales forming spot at posterior angle of metepisternum, on meso- and metacoxae, in patches along posterior margin of abdominal ventrite 1, and at middle of abdominal ventrite 5; otherwise, scales tan on abdominal ventrites 2–5. Head: Width 0.85 mm, length 0.50 mm, narrowly convex in dorsal view, carinate dorsally along midline at base to middle of eyes; rostrum weakly carinate, finely punctate and setose above antennal insertions at basal fifth, rostrum glabrous, polished, arcuate for apical 4/5, 1.70 mm long. Pronotum: Length 1.10 mm, width at base 1.05 mm, lateral margins weakly undulating from base to apex and dorsally in lateral view. Elytra: 2/3 wider than pronotum, humeri prominent, intervals and striae subequal in width. Venter: Anterior margin of metasternum carinate, strongly excavate for apex of rostrum. In lateral view, abdominal ventrite 1 nearly horizontal, ventrite 2 convex and ascending. Legs: Slender, very long, metafemora 2.15 mm long, metatibiae 1.75 mm long; all femora with tooth, weaker on metafemora.

Specimens Examined. French Guiana: Nouragues Saut-Pararé , 4°02 ʹ 16.1 ʹʹ N, 52°40 ʹ 21.1 ʹʹ W, 09.2009, Window trap, S. Brûlé (Holotype and paratype, BMNH 2010-62 ) .

Etymology. This species is named in honor of its collector, who has published extensively on the Buprestidae of Guyane ( Brûlé 2011).

Discussion. The paratype female measures the same size as the holotype. Microzygops brulei is readily distinguished from M. nigrofasciatus by its larger size and different pattern of coloration on the elytra: M.brulei has overall dark elytra with a broader white fascia, a narrower dark fascia, and a large apical area of dark yellow scales, whereas M. nigrofasciatus has overall pale elytra with a black fascia occupying the medial half of the elytra. The pronotum of M. brulei is almost completely obscured by broad, shiny yellow and golden scales, whereas M. nigrofasciatus has sparser, linear, white and tan scales.

Figures

Figs. 1–7. Microzygops species. M. nigrofasciatus: 1) Holotype, dorsal habitus; 2) Holotype, lateral habitus; 3) Genitalia, dorsal and lateral views (Réserve Trésor, French Guiana), scale bar = 0.2 mm; 4) Lateral view of female head (La Selva, Costa Rica); 5) Lateral view of male head (La Selva, Costa Rica). M. brulei: 6) Holotype, dorsal habitus; 7) Holotype, lateral habitus.