Euscelus dominicanus, Hamilton Table Of Contents, 2007

Hamilton, Robert W., 2007, Euscelus species of the West Indies (Coleoptera: Attelabidae), Zootaxa 1495 (1), pp. 1-34 : 22-23

Euscelus dominicanus n. sp.

( Figs. 12 , 65-68 )

Type locality: Dominican Republic , W. I.

Type specimens: Holotype male with the following labels: Dominican Republic, La Vega, 1.4-2.6 km E Manabao , 5 June 1994, R Turnbow ; Allotype female: [labeled same as holotype]. Paratypes: 1 female,

Dominican republic, La Vega, vic. La Cienaga, 18 July, 1996, R Turnbow ( CMNC). 1 male , Dom. Rep., LaVega , 15 km S El Rio, ix-4-1997, PW Kovarik ( CWOB). 1 male , Republic Dominicana , La Vega prov., 4- ix-1967, LH Rolston collector ( TAMC). 1 male , Haiti, Port de Paix , EC & GM Leonard, May 29, 1926 ( USNM) .

Type holder: Canadian Museum of Nature , Ottawa, Ontario, Canada ( CMNC) .

Description: Color: Reddish-brown throughout; profemoral base, ventrals, middle and hind legs paler; pronotum with dark irregular line like markings on each side of middle; elytra with whitish to cream colored spots or markings. Size range: Male (n = 4) 4.5 x 2.0 mm to 5.1 x 2.2 mm; Female (n = 2) 4.7 x 2.0 mm to 5.7 x 2.2 mm. Head elongate, sub-conical, widest at base, with weak transverse impression near dorsal base, smooth, shiny, punctures minute; frons about ½ as wide as rostral base, smooth, shiny. Rostrum short, about ½ as long as head, widened apically beyond antennal insertions; apex about ½ wider than rostral base; with very minute punctures. Antennae elongate, longer than head and rostrum together; scape and funicle segment 1 ovo-globose; scape more robust; funicle segment 1 slightly shorter than scape; funicle segment 2 slender, clavate, slightly longer than segment 1; funicle segments 3 and 4 slender, clavate, subequal, slightly longer than segment 2; segment 5 shorter, more clavate, subequal to segment 2 in length; segment 6 like 5 but shorter, only about ½ as long as segment 4; segment 7 conical, wider apically, subequal in length to segment 4; club like in texture; club dark, with basal and middle segments subequal; terminal segment slightly longer, acuminate. Pronotum wider than long, widest at base, with distinct weakly v-shaped median transverse groove, smooth, shiny; punctures very minute, sparse; with dark irregular line like markings each side of middle; anterior collar band like, weakly set off; anterior basal carina wide, smooth, band like through middle; posterior basal carina narrow, only about ½ as wide as anterior carina. Scutellum large, sub-triangular, at base about twice as wide as long; smooth, shiny, with very minute punctures; posterior margin broadly rounded. Elytra longer than wide, widest at humeri, slightly narrowed from base to apex; striae small, irregular, weakly impressed; rows indistinct; each elytron with cream colored spots or markings; spot near scutellum large, raised, smooth; spot behind scutellar spot, small, faint; two elongate oval spots just beyond middle; more lateral oval spot larger; lateral mark below humeri extended along elytral margin to elytral apices; long mark along elytral suture extended to elytral apices; humeri distinctly angled. Abdominal ventrites sparsely punctured and sparsely setose.

Femoral sexual dimorphism: The profemur in males is armed with two projections. The disti-ventral projection is beak-shaped with the apex bent and pointed. The mid-ventral projection is similar in size to the disti-ventral projection but is blunt tipped and apically bent upward and inward. An oval setose sensillum is present below the base of the mid-ventral projection. The female profemur is armed only with a small beakshaped disti-ventral projection.

Distribution: The specimens examined are from the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

Comments: This species is identified by the dark irregular markings on each side of the pronotum (figs. 66 & 68). Also, the spots and markings on the elytra are more numerous and more

expansive than in E. aureolus or E. haitensis .

Host plant: Host plant association is unknown.

Figures

FIGURES 9–12. Male genitalia of West Indies Euscelus species, 64 X: a) tegmen, dorsal view b) median lobe with endophallic sac and transfer apparatus in repose, ventral view c) same as previous, dorsal view 9) Euscelus sexmaculatus, Puerto Rico, Mayaguez 10) Euscelus aureolus, Cuba, Baracoa 11) Euscelus haitensis, Dominican Republic, Azua 12) Euscelus dominicanus, Dominican Republic, La Vega.

FIGURES 65–68. E. dominicanus: 65 & 66 male holotype, abdomen removed; 67 & 68 female allotype