Agra giesberti Erwin

Erwin, Terry L., 2002, The Beetle Family Carabidae of Costa Rica: Twenty­nine new species of Agra Fabricius 1801 (Coleoptera: Carabidae, Lebiini, Agrina), Zootaxa 119, pp. 1-68 : 19-20

Agra giesberti Erwin , new species

( Figs. 3a, 3 b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f)

Holotype. Female. COSTA RICA: Cartago, 15km NE Turrialba , 9º53'N 83°38'W, April (E. Giesbert) ( CAS: ADP62298).

Diagnosis. This is the only species of the buqueti species­group known from Costa Rica. Its alternating interneurs with large and small fovea provide an easy recognition attribute, as does the elongate, multisetiferous and anteriorly tubiform prothorax ( Fig. 3 e).

Description. Color and luster: Piceous. Head rufinistic, appendages rufotestaceous, and femora infuscated in some adults. Surface very shiny. Head ( Fig. 3a ) behind eyes moderately short, markedly tapered in male, more rounded in female. Prothorax ( Fig. 3 e) at anterior third somewhat depressed. Elytron ( Fig. 3 b) with apex shallowly obliquely arcuate, sutural angle produced. Sternum VI ( Fig. 3 d) shallowly v­notched in both sexes. Aedeagus ( Fig. 3 f) markedly narrowed apically, ostium of medium length, apex subscimitariform. Stylomere 2 ( Fig. 3 c). Size: large, 17.8 to 21.5mm in length, 4.0 to 5.8mm in width.

Other specimens examined. Costa Rica: 2 paratypes, 1 male, 1 female, from the following Conservation Areas: Guanacaste, Tortuguero. Costa Rica, Cartago, 1f, Turrialba , 15.0 km NE, 83°38'W, 9°53'N, April, (E. Giesbert)(CAS: ADP62298); 1f, Limón, Cariari, nr, Hacienda La Suerte, May, (F.T. Hovore)(FTHC: ADP70512). I have seen additional specimens (paratypes) from Guatemala and Panamá.

Specific epithet. The specific epithet, giesberti , is the Latinized genitive form of the family name of the late Edward Giesbert, amateur Coleopterist extraordinaire, who took time from his beloved cerambycids to collect an Agra or two.

Notes. This species ranges from sea level ( Panamá) to 2000m ( Guatemala).

Figures

FIGURE 3. A. giesberti, dorsal aspect: head, a) male, female; b) apex of elytron; c) female, ventral aspect, stylomere 2; e) male; pronotum; d) Sternum VI, male (top), female (bottom), ventral aspect; f) aedeagus, dorsal (top), ventral (middle), left lateral (bottom) aspects. Measures (mm): HL = 3.0; PL = 4.3; WE = 2.9; male SW = 5.6, female SW = 4.0; AL = 3.3; S 2 L = 0.7.