Pumiliofossorum sechurae Giraldo

Silvestro, Violeta A., Giraldo Mendoza, Alfredo E. & Flores, Gustavo E., 2015, Pumiliofossorum: A new genus of Scotobiini (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) with two new species from Peru, and a revised key for the genera of the tribe, Zootaxa 3986 (4), pp. 461-471 : 466-468

Pumiliofossorum sechurae Giraldo & Flores sp. nov.

( Figs. 16–21 )

Diagnosis. Body with long, golden pilosity, more noticeable in the sterna, pseudopleuron, humeri and elytral outer margins; pilosity in proepisternum, legs, and hypomera longer, forward, frizzy and interwoven ( Figs. 17–19 ). Pronotum with punctures sunken, separated by less than one puncture diameter forming raised wrinkles between these ( Fig. 16 ). Elytral longitudinal grooves slightly marked, with punctures inside separated by one puncture diameter, grooves interrupted by wrinkles connecting clusters of two or three punctures giving a rough appearance. Protibiae with outer margin curved, convex along, irregularly serrated ( Fig. 18 ). Tarsi two thirds the length of tibiae.

Description. Length 4.0–6.0 mm. width: 2.5–3.0 mm. Body reddish brown to dark brown, shiny; antennae, legs and mouth parts reddish brown ( Fig. 19 ); with long, golden setae, more dense on the sterna, pseudopleuron, humeri and elytral outer margins ( Figs. 16–19 ). Pilosity in proepisternum, legs and hypomera longer, forward, frizzy, interwoven ( Fig. 18 ). Head. Clypeus densely punctured, punctures sunken, twice size of labral punctures, separated by less than puncture diameter ( Fig. 18 ). Frons with punctures same size of clypeal punctures, deep, separated by less than puncture diameter. Antennae reaching anterior third of pronotum. Thorax. Pronotum anterior angles prominent, posterior margin almost straight ( Fig. 16 ). Pronotal surface with punctures same size than frons punctures, denser at sides than on disc, circular foveae at both sides of disc; punctures sunken, separated by less than puncture diameter, forming raised wrinkles ( Fig. 16 ). Hipomera, prosternum, mesosternum and metasternum with long, golden setae, those of hypomera, denser, longer, forward, frizzy, interwoven ( Figs. 17, 19 ). Elytra punctured, less dense than pronotal punctures, separated by a distance 1–2 puncture diameter; elytral longitudinal grooves interrupted by wrinkles connecting clusters of two or three punctures; with long, golden setae sparse in anterior and lateral zone ( Fig. 16 ); pseudopleuron with two kinds of golden setae, more noticeable in humeri, very long forward interwoven, and long directed outside ( Figs. 16, 18 ). Legs. Protibiae outer margin curved, convex along, distal margin convex, margins irregularly serrated ( Fig. 18 ). Meso– and metatibiae outer margin serrate, with spines-like setae and dorsal and ventral faces with long setae ( Fig. 19 ). Tarsal length 2/3 of tibial length.

Type material. Holotype, male: [ Perú, Piura, Piura/ Tambo Grande, Progreso Bajo/ UTM 17M 556394 9451122/ 12/02/2014, C. Carrera leg.] [Pumiliofossorum / sechurae sp. n. / HOLOTYPUS male / Det. A. Giraldo and / G. Flores 2015] ( MEKRB); allotype, female ( Figs. 16–19 ) [Pumiliofossorum / sechurae sp.n. / ALLOTYPUS female / Det. A. Giraldo and / G. Flores 2015] ( MEKRB) and 6 paratypes, 3 males and 3 females with the same data as holotype ( MEKRB); male: [ Perú, Piura, Sechura/ Sechura, sand dune/ UTM 17M 516500 9385500/ 20/05/ 2008, A. Giraldo leg.] ( IADIZA).

Etymology. Named “ sechurae ” after the place where it inhabits: the Sechura desert.

Distribution and habitat. Collected by the biologists Alfredo Giraldo and Candy Carrera while they were sampling epigean insects using pitfall traps in two sites of Piura department. Specimens from Piura were collected in an agricultural area, previously occupied and surrounded by savannah type vegetation ( Prosopis sp.). The single specimen from Sechura was collected in a sand dune with small and scattered patches of herbaceous vegetation ( Figs. 20, 21 ).

Figures

FIGURES 16 – 19. Pumiliofossorum sechurae sp. nov. Habitus of allotype in dorsal (16), lateral (17), frontal (18) and ventral view (19).

FIGURES 20 – 21. Sechura desert, habitat of Pumiliofossorum sechurae sp. nov. Sand dune (20), and pitfall trap (21).