Scolytus mozolevskae, V. Petrov, Alexander & Y. Mandelshtam, Michail, 2010

V. Petrov, Alexander & Y. Mandelshtam, Michail, 2010, New data on Neotropical Scolytus Geoffroy, 1762 with description of five new species from Peru (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae), ZooKeys 56, pp. 65-104 : 83-84

Scolytus mozolevskae sp. n. Figs 1618

Type locality.

Peru, Loreto province, left bank of Amazon River, Itaya River, S04.15.503 W073.28.035.

Type material.

Holotype ♂ (ZMM): PERU: LORETO PROVINCE: Itaya river, left bank of Amazon River, 58 km SSW from Iquitos to Nauta, 120 m a.s.l., 4°11'S; 73°26'W 8.V.2009, leg.. A.V. Petrov. Paratypes 75♂♂, 51♀♀ (Petrov collection): PERU: LORETO PROVINCE: Itaya river, left bank of Amazon River, 58 km SSW from Iquitos to Nauta, 120 m a.s.l., 73°26'W; 4°11'S, 5-6.02.2005, leg.. A.V. Petrov (7♂♂, 3♀♀); same locality, but 2-10.02.2006, leg.. A.V. Petrov (29♂♂, 44♀♀), same locality, but 28.02.2006, leg.. A.V. Petrov (1♂), same locality, but 10.03.2006 (31♂♂, 1♀), same locality, but 3.02.2007 (4♂♂, 1♀), PERU: LORETO PROVINCE: 70 km SW from Iquitos to Nauta, 130m a.s.l., 23.02.2008 (3♂♂, 1♀); same locality, but 27.02.2008, leg.. A.V. Petrov (1♀).

Diagnosis.

New species is morphologically closely related to Scolytus amazonicus Schedl from which it differs by body size, by dark hair-like frontal vestiture, by strongly shining second abdominal sternite surface that is punctured by large punctures, by absence of raised callosities and impressed areas with punctures; by absence of lateral tubercles at sides of third abdominal sternite which are smooth.

Description.

Male: body length 2.9 mm (paratypes length 2.6 - 3.2 mm), 2.2 times as long as wide; colour dark brown. Front dark, grayish brown with shining surface. Front weakly convex from eye to eye and from epistoma to vertex; surface aciculate from vertex to epistoma. Median line running from epistoma up to upper margin of front well-developed. Frontal surface covered by dense, closely set brown hairs, these hairs darker at base and lighter near apex, hairs above mandibles lighter than hairs at the upper portion of front. Hairs longer at lateral frontal sides, long hair apices directed towards centre of front. Vertex densely punctured by longitudinally elongated punctures. Antennae with reddish brown scapus and funiculus, club with narrow base, gradually widening towards apex, apex of club is evenly rounded. Pronotum black, its surface shining, punctured by sparse deep punctures, at lateral sides punctures larger, closely set compared to punctures of base, disk and apical portions of the pronotum. Apical pronotal area practically devoid of vestiture, with singular short, dark hairs. Pronotum separated from prothorax (propleura) by a clearly marked, sharply elevated pronotal margin. Lateral sides of prothorax (propleura) punctured by points of moderate size, but these punctures smaller compared to those at lateral sides of pronotum. Lateral sides of prothorax are covered by very short scale-like hairs and by sparse setae.

Scutellum triangular, deeply set in scutellar impression, covered by minute scale-like pale hairs.

Elytra dark grayish brown. Elytra 1.15 times as long as wide; 1.24 times as long as pronotum, striae distinctly, narrowly impressed, with round non-confluent punc tures, interstriae flat and smooth with rows of small punctures with the diameter significantly smaller than in punctures of rows. At anterior part of elytra punctures are set densely and chaotically. Sparse pale hairs form rows at interstriae of the posterior third of elytral length and throughout complete length at sides of elytra. Abdomen black, its surface shining, uniformly covered by erect moderately long hairs. Second sternite subvertical, nearly perpendicularly set to first sternite, anterior margin slightly elevated, costate. Third, fourth and fifth sternites form a 45° angle with the first sternite. Lateral sides of sternites without tubercles. Second abdominal sternite roughly punctured by deep punctures from its middle and up to the posterior margin; sternite base with sparse punctures only. First, fourth and fifth sternites densely punctured by punctures of middle size. Points at second and third sternites grouped on separately set slightly impressed areas with the elevated surface without any puncturation between. Surface of first and second sternites dull, surface of third and fourth sternites glossy. Fifth sternite slightly impressed medially, its posterior margin elevated. Legs reddish brown, covered by short pale hairs.

Female: body length 2.5-3.1 mm, 2.15-2.2 times as long as wide; colour dark brown. Similar to male except differing in front and abdomen structures. Front broadly convex from eye to eye, from epistoma to vertex; surface aciculate from vertex to epistoma. Vestiture scant, hairs moderately long and sparse, mostly evident at lateral sides of front. Abdomen more convex compared to male abdomen due to slightly rounded first sternite posterior margin and slight decrease in size of second sternite.

Host.

liana.

Biology.

Scolytus mozolevskyi infests damaged and irreversibly weakened lianas. Beetles infest the liana trunk throughout all its length. Density of galleries is very high, with up to five egg galleries per square decimeter. Parental tunnels are biramous and transverse; larval mines are longitudinal.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality.

Etymology.

The new species is named in honor of the forest entomologist Dr. E.G. Mozolevskaya.