Embates pauhans Prena, 2005

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

7. Embates pauhans Prena sp. n.

(Fig. 44–47, 260)

Holotype male (dissected), Costa Rica , labeled: “ COSTA RICA. Prov. San José,/ Cascajal, P.N.B.C., E. Zurquí,/ 0.500Km antes Túnel Zurquí, 1500m./ OCT 1990 – ABR 1991. G. Maass. / Intersección. L_N_535200_226800”, INB0003162539 ( INBC).

Paratypes 11 (7 males, 4 females), labeled: “ Costa Rica, HEREDIA: 5/ km N San Isidro, Cerro / Zurquí , 1800 m / 16.2.2000, leg. Prena ” ( JPPC 2 ) ; same data except 13.2.2000 ( CMNC, MUCR) ; “ COSTA RICA, S. Jose,/ Zurquí de Moravia ,/ 1600 m, malaise trap / VI­1995, P. Hanson” ( CWOB) ; “ Costa Rica: San Jose / Zurqui de Moravia / 1400m VIII 92/ W. Eberhard ” ( JPPC) ; “ COSTA RICA, Prov. San José:/ Zurquí de Moravia ,/ 10° 03' N 84° 01' W, 1500m ”, “ 1.5.2004 / leg. J. Prena ” ( JPPC) ; “ Costa Rica, CART­ AGO:/ 7 km N Turrialba, M.N./ Guayabo , 1100 m / 4/ 5.4.2000, leg. Prena ” ( JPPC, NMNH) ; “ COSTA RICA Cartago / P.N. Guayabo, 6 Sept/ 1991. R.W. Flowers” ( CWOB) ; “Monumento Nacional Guayabo, A.C./ Amistad, Prov. Carta , COSTA RICA, 1100/ m. Jun 1994, G. Fonseca, L N/ 217400_570000 #2989”, INBio CRI001 882635 ( INBC) .

Description. Habitus: Fig. 44, total length 4.3–5.8 mm (m=5.1, n=12). Color: integument piceous or dark rufous, appendices dark rufous; basic vestiture of small cupreous and few light yellow scales, scales light yellow in vestigial dorsolateral pronotal vitta and in broad compound post­macular fascia consisting of former post­macular element and apical streak in interstriae 1–2 (Fig. 44); venter with creamy white scales on prosternum and along flank. Head: frontal fovea absent, rostrum moderate, moderately falciform, costate dorsomedially, subcostate dorsolaterally, basolateral margin produced, length of rostrum ♂♂ 1.29–1.40 x (m=1.34, n=8), ♀♀ 1.31–1.34 x (m=1.33, n=4) pronotal length, length of ante­antennal portion ♂♂ 0.29–0.31 x (m=0.30, n=8), ♀♀ 0.32–0.34 x (m=0.33, n=4) total rostral length, dorsal margin of antennal scrobe reaching rostral base before eye; funicular segment 2 very slightly longer than 1, club oblong ovate. Pronotum: length 0.82–0.88 x (m=0.86, n=12) maximum width, trapezoid, greatest width at base, sides gradually converging in basal half, anterior portion roundly narrowed and tubulate in front; disk densely punctate, intervals granulose, partially confluent. Elytra: length 1.56–1.67 x (m=1.64, n=12) width at humeri, width 1.43–1.52 x (m=1.47, n=12) maximum pronotal width, sides very slightly converging in basal half, apices rounded conjointly, preapical callus developed moderately, striae moderate, punctures indistinct, interstriae flat, 9 costate, 7 and 8 subcostate (costation indistinct in specimens from Guayabo). Legs: tibiae curved and parallel­sided, distally with cluster of cupreous hairs, tarsal claws arcuate and separate at base. Male: apex of aedeagus blunt, middle sclerotized, anterolateral portion membranous (Fig. 46), body of aedeagus relatively short, curved in lateral view, apodemes 2.7 x longer than body of aedeagus (Fig. 47), flagellum very thin, approximately three times as long as aedeagus including apodemes, transition to curved base gradual, basal appendage slender and elongate, projecting far beyond base (as Fig. 39).

Plant association. Piper hispidum (Prena 2), P. bisasperatum (Prena 2), P. tenuimucronatum (Prena 1).

Distribution. Costa Rica, Atlantic side of Cordillera Central between 1100 and 1800 m (Fig. 260).

Specific epithet. The name is a cryptogram and used as a noun. I dedicate this species to Dr. Paul Hanson for his long­lasting, generously given support to the entomological community working on Costa Rican insects.

Discussion. Embates pauhans is very distinctive through its color­pattern. The shape of the aedeagus and the very long flagellum place this species in the E. solani complex, a group with strikingly different color­pattern.