Dipropus pericu, Johnson, 2016

Johnson, Paul J., 2016, Five new species of Dipropus Germar (Coleoptera: Elateridae) from west-central North America, and a lectotype designation for Elater soleatus Say, Insecta Mundi 2016 (523), pp. 1-27 : 4-5

Dipropus pericu new species

( Fig. 1–2 , 13 )

Ischodontus ferreus of Horn 1894: 327, not LeConte 1853: 462

Ischiodontus soleatus of Horn 1894: 327, not Say 1834: 79

Description. Length 9.2–10.2 mm, width 2.5–2.8 mm. Integument brunneotestaceous; venter, antennae and legs paler.

Head with vertex and frons umbilicately punctate; frons depressed, shallowly concave discally; frontal margin subcarinate, evenly arcuate, moderately projecting. Ocular index 53–69. Antenna of male long, reaching beyond body midlength, antennomeres 3–10 broadly serrate, apex of antennomere 6 slightly exceeding apex of hind angle, antennomere 2 short, length 0.5x width, antennomeres 2–3, 7, 11 length ratio 1.0:4.3, 4.8, 6.8.

Pronotum width 1.1x length; trapezoidal; moderately, evenly convex, with shallow median impression posteriorly; deplanate toward hind angles; lateral margin carina obsolescent, weak to absent anteriorly; discal punctures shallowly umbilicate anterolaterally, becoming sparse, separated by 0.8–1.0x own diameters, small, shallow medially and posteriorly. Hind angles slightly divergent at base, incurved apically; with short dorsal carina near lateral margin; posterior margin with short incisions.

Elytra finely microreticulate; basal margins subcarinate; striae with serial punctures rounded to slightly elongate-oval; intervals shallowly convex basally, flattening apically, each with small biseriate, setate punctures; apices conjointly rounded.

Mesoventral fossa broadly V-shaped; sides shallowly inclined. Metacoxal lamina with obtuse to narrowly rounded, briefly extended angle at basal third. Ventrites with moderately sparse, shallow, setose punctures. Abdominal ventrite punctures shallow to evanescent, sparse and subumbilicate in male; small, dense on female ventrite 5.

Metaleg with tibia 1.4x length of femur, tarsus 0.9x length of tibia; tarsomeres 2 and 3 with broad ventroapical membranous lobes, tarsomeres 1 and 2 with dense ventral brush of golden setae; tarsomere length ratio 1.00:0.46:0.23:0.15:0.58.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 16 ) with basal piece 0.46 of total length, paramere 0.48 of total length, paramere apex 0.22 of paramere length.

Female: Body subparallel; pronotum length 0.75x width; antenna short, antennomere 11 slightly exceeding apex of hind angle, antennomere 2–3, 11 length ratio 1.0:3.3, 6.0; metatarsomere length ratio 1.0:0.52:0.19:0.14:0.57; ventrite 5 with punctures fine, simple, dense along posterior margin.

Type Specimens. Holotype male labeled: MEX: Baja Calif. Sur, 4.5 mi. E. Santa Catarina, 20.ix.1976, P.J. Johnson coll. ( PJJC to USNM).

Paratypes (46): same as holotype (3, PJJC) ; MEXICO: BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR: Ramal a El Rosario, 6 mi. from hwy 1, 8.ix.1988: E.G. Riley (3, TAMU) ; 9 mil N. Cabo San Lucas , 9.ix.1988, Coll. E.G. Riley, blacklight (20, TAMU) ; 9.8 mi W. hwy 1 on Ramal San Antonio de la Sierra , 19.ix.1988: E.G. Riley (1, TAMU) ; 13 mi. E. hwy 19, E. of Todos Santos , 17.ix.1988 ; E. Riley , blacklight (2, TAMU) ; 4.3 mi. W. on Ramal a El Rosario from hwy 1, 6-7.ix.1988, Coll. E.G. Riley (9, TAMU) ; 4 km NE El Sauzal , 23°5’N 19°56’W, 500m, 14.viii.1980, Westcott & Bellamy (3, PJJC) ; 5½ mi (air) NNE Cabo San Lucas , 330m, 3.x.1987, Westcott & Mudge (1, PJJC) ; Sta Rosa, Low. Cal. / 8998 / Shoemaker, tion[sic!] 1956 (2, USNM) ; Baja California, 1.x.1967 / Cabo San Lucas, 22°52’ N, 1QM-N [?] (1, SDMC) ; Boca de la Sierra , 29.ix.1967 (1, SDMC) .

Additional Material Examined. “Lower California ”, a silver colored paper disc with edge cut (3, MCZ /LeC) [det. as I. approximatus ].

Etymology. The species epithet “ pericu ” is treated as a noun in apposition and is in honor of the Pericú indigenous people of the Cape Region of the Baja California peninsula.

Distribution. MEXICO, Baja California Sur.

Notes. Dipropus pericu is the only species of the genus known from the Cape Region of the Baja California peninsula and appears to be endemic to the area of the Sierra de la Laguna.

Figures

Figures 1-4. Dipropus species. 1) D. pericu n. sp., male. 2) D. pericu n. sp., female. 3) D. reinae n. sp., male. 4) D. reinae n. sp., female.

Figures 13-18. Dipropus species, aedeagi, dorsal aspects. 13) D. pericu n. sp. 14) D. reinae n. sp. 15) D. sonora n. sp. 16) D. sus (Candèze). 17) D. warneri n. sp. 18) D. yaqui n. sp.