Isla Gorgona trough beetle Mizotrechus gorgona sp. n. Figs 10 24 39

Holotype.

COLOMBIA, Cacua, Isla Gorgona Mancora, 60 m, 2.96°N, 78.18°W, 26 June - 18 July 2000 (H Torres)(UASM: ADP128622, female).

Derivation of specific epithet.

The epithet “gorgona” is a Latinized noun in apposition and is the name of the island off Colombia where these beetles are found.

Proposed English vernacular name.

Isla Gorgona trough beetle.

Diagnosis.

With the attributes of the genus as described above and moderately large sized for the genus as it is presently understood; adults have castaneous integument, except anterior parts of mandible, baso-lateral corner of labrum, and clypeal suture piceous. Frons shallowly rugose above and behind eye in an arc, not extended on occiput, and moderately punctulate. Occiput moderately punctulate. Pronotum longer than wide with lateral margins narrowly explanate and basally with sharp, not denticulate, hind angles; base smooth, without regular microrugose. Elytra moderately narrow and elongate, apex prolonged, wider than the width of pronotum across anterior third, and with 7 well-impressed irregularly punctulate interneurs, intervals not convex; margins behind humeri serrate, intervals between microsetae dentate. Foreleg femur with markedly serrate postero-ventral margin.

Description.

(Figs 10, 24). Size: See Appendix 1. Moderately large for genus, ABL = 8.4 mm, SBL = 7.15 mm, TW = 2.86 mm. Color: see diagnosis, above. Luster: Head, pronotum, and legs shiny; elytra matte. Head: Labrum quadrate, apico-medially barely emarginate. Eye small and barely convex. Gena straight. Frons, occiput, and gena glabrous. Prothorax: Moderately broad, narrowed slightly toward base, margin narrowly explanate, slightly wider before hind angle; surface punctulate, punctures widespread, very fine, glabrous. Pterothorax: Elytron barely convex, intervals nearly flat, all interneurs with well-impressed irregularly-spaced punctures, apex prolonged, slightly rounded at extreme sutural apex. Legs: Normal in female; foreleg femur (Fig. 24) with markedly serrate postero-ventral margin, not dentate; posterior trochanter tapered to rounded point in female, length half that of femur. Abdomen: Abdominal sterna moderately setiferous, densely medially on II and III; sternum VII barely medially notched in female. Male genitalia: Unknown. Female genitalia: Not investigated; however, it is likely similar to that illustrated on Plate 11.

Dispersal potential.

These beetles are macropterous and capable of flight. They are moderately swift and agile runners.

Way of life.

The type specimen was collected in a Malaise trap in the rainforest understory at the type locality. Adults are active in late June, or early July during the “relatively” dry season.

Other specimens examined.

None.

Geographic distribution.

(Fig. 39). This species is currently known only from the type locality on an island off the Pacific coast of Colombia.