Beltia talaga Flowers, new species

Figures 35, 55, 79

Description of male holotype. Body ovate, length 5.7 mm. Head, pronotum, elytra, and underside brilliant metallic green; antennae testaceous, with apical two antennomeres dark brown; legs yellowish brown (Fig. 35).

Head. Clypeus densely punctate, punctures separated by distance slightly greater than their diameters. Frontoclypeal suture distinct. Frons strongly punctate, surface between punctures smooth to weakly

alutaceous, punctures separated by distance greater than their diameters; vertex without a median impressed line, sparsely punctate, surface between punctures smooth.

Thorax. Prothorax distinctly wider than long, L/W = 0.6; disc regularly, finely punctate, with punctures separated by distance greater than their diameters; punctures more numerous and aciculate along midline; surface between punctures shining, with numerous punctulae. Prosternum sparsely punctate, with numerous whitish setae, posterior margin of intercoxal process strongly concave, width of intercoxal process 1.1× diameter of procoxa. Mesosternum convex on anterior slope. Metasternum transversely wrinkled, metepisternum finely microreticulate.

Elytra. Evenly punctate, punctures separated by distance greater than their diameters, surface between punctures with numerous small punctulae; width across humeri 1.2× width across pronotum. Basal calli weakly developed, postbasal depression obsolete.

Abdomen. Sterna with numerous short setae and a transverse row of long setae along middle third of segments III–VI, surface of segments alutaceous. Tergites with a basal row of spicules on segments II and III, and spicules laterally on segment IV. Surface of segments V and VI shagreened.

Genitalia. Median lobe short and broad, in lateral view strongly curved (Fig. 55a); apex in en-face view subquadrate, postorifical length narrow, with a slightly asymmetrical central projection (Fig. 55c); apical sclerite consisting of several small laminae (Fig. 55b). Apex of spermathecal gland lacking a sclerotized cap.

Female. Unknown.

Specimens examined. ( 1♂) Male holotype labeled: ECUADOR NAPO TALAGA 600m 77°54′W 01°03′S 12JUN99 I. Oña. Holotype deposited in QCAZ.

Etymology. talaga, for the locality of the holotype.

Diagnosis. In size and color, Beltia talaga most closely resembles B. awapita but can be distinguished by the more rounded sides of the pronotum. The endophallus of B. talaga also lacks the long sclerotized bar found in B. awapita .

Remarks. This species is known from the eastern slope of the Andes in Ecuador (Fig. 79).