Verodes chimalapensis Delgado, 2019

Delgado, Leonardo & Mora-Aguilar, Eder F., 2019, A New Mexican Species and Distributional Comments of Verodes Casey (Coleoptera: Zopheridae: Zopherinae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 73 (3), pp. 687-692 : 688-690

Verodes chimalapensis Delgado and Mora- Aguilar, new species

Zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8CD13586-6C8D-47F5-A68C-3AFC9D899F9 ( Figs. 1–3, 7 )

Type Material. Holotype male labeled “MEX- ICO: Oaxaca, San Miguel Chimalapa, El Retén, El Gringo , 7-VI-2013, 16.6786° N, - 94.2627° W, 1,600m, Colecta directa en troncos, L. Delgado, E. Mora-Aguilar cols” . Paratype female labeled “ MEXICO: Oaxaca, San Miguel Chimalapa, El Retén, Camino a la Torre, 26-VII-2017, 16.6637° N, - 94.2335° W, 1800m, en suelo (muerto), E. Arriaga-Varela col”. The holotype is deposited in IEXA , and the paratype is deposited in CNIN .

Description. Holotype male ( Figs. 1–2 ). Length 16.5 mm; width 6.6 mm. Dorsal color dark brown, with irregular and small areas light brown. Dorsal surface of pronotum and elytra with dense setae between tubercles ( Fig. 3 ), setae tan or light brown inserted on cuticular surface. Dorsum with tubercles almost uniformly distributed on ridges, nodules, and depressions. Ventral surface tuberculate, setose. Head: Clypeus and frons almost flat, supra-antennal lobes prominent. Antennae 10-segmented with weak, 2-segmented club. Mandibles with membranous prostheca. Apical maxillary palpomere with truncate apex. Pronotum: Nearly square, lateral margins prominent, without lobes or denticles, and rounded anteriorly, posterior angles strongly recurved in lateral view. Dorsum with 2 median lateral ridges enclosing a central depression, 1 lateral depression on each side, and 1 middle basal ridge. Hhypomeron without antennal cavity. Scutellum: Not visible. Elytra: Humeral umbone large and robust. Epipleural ridge absent. Third elytral interval with inconspicuous ridge at base. Fifth elytral interval with 2 disconnected nodules, one on basal third short, not reaching base of elytra; second one (posterior) settled near 6 th interval, at level of sternites 1–2. Apical 2/5 of each elytron with 3 projecting, conical nodules, subapical one very large and robust, one closest to apex smaller than others, outermost moderate in size, and placed on 9 th elytral interval ( Fig. 7 ). Apical margin weakly serrate at sides, with apex shallowly emarginated, rounded. Venter: Prosternum flattened, not grooved. Metepisternum tuberculate, not foveolate. Legs: Meso and metafemora with shiny nodules on lower bor- der of base. Last tarsomere on all legs without empodium.

Paratype. 1 ♀. Length 18.3 mm; width 7.5 mm. Specimen is damaged, and all legs are missing. It differs from the holotype by the uniformly light brown color, pronotal tubercles absent from intervening areas, basal ridge on third elytral interval distinct, and basal nodule on fifth elytral interval lower and a little longer posteriorly.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from Chimalapas, the region of the state of Oaxaca where this species was collected, combined with the Latin suffix – ensis, meaning belonging to.

Taxonomic Remarks. Verodes chimalapensis is distinguished from the other species of the genus by the following combination of characters: dorsal surface of pronotum with dense setae among tubercles ( Fig. 3 ); nodule on the basal third of the fifth elytral interval not reaching the elytral base ( Fig. 1 ); fifth elytral interval with disconnected nodules ( Figs. 1–2 ); apical two-fifths of elytron with three large projecting conical nodules ( Fig. 7 ); and sides of apical margin of elytra weakly serrate ( Fig. 1 ). The new species seems to be most similar to Verodes asperatus (Champion) and Verodes scabrosus (Solier) . From the former, it is distinguished by the presence of a lateral subapical nodule on the ninth elytral interval (on the seventh elytral interval in V. asperatus ) and the weakly serrate sides (strongly serrate in V. asperatus ). From the latter species, it is distinguished by the presence of three subapical, conical nodules on the apical two-fifths each elytron, as opposed to four subapical, rounded nodules in V. scabrosus .

We propose the following modifications to the key in Foley and Ivie (2008):

1. Dorsal surface of pronotum with all setae singly inserted at the base of tubercles, tubercles on pronotum uniformly distributed ................. 2

- Dorsal surface of pronotum with dense setae between tubercles inserted directly on cuticular surface, tubercles on pronotum usually denser on ridges, and usually absent in intervening areas .................................................... 5

And replace couplets 6 and 7 with the following:

6. Fifth elytral interval with arcuate ridge from level just behind mesocoxal cavities to the suture between ventrites 2 and 3; apical third of elytron with 3 moderate size nodules subequal in size, nodule near apex slightly smaller than subapical nodule ........... V. inaequalis (Say)

- Fifth elytral interval with disconnected nodules from level of midpoint of metasternum to suture between ventrites 1 and 2 or 2 and 3; apical third of elytron with 2 or 3 large, projecting, conical nodules, lateral subapical nodule very large, much larger than nodule near apex ............ 7

7. Apical 2/5 of elytron with a lateral nodule on 7 th interval, but without nodule on 9 th interval ( Fig. 4 ). Sides of apical margin of elytra strongly serrate ................ V. asperatus (Champion)

- Apical 2/5 of elytron without a lateral nodule on 7 th interval, but with a lateral nodule on 9 th

interval ( Fig. 5 ). Apical margin of elytra

weakly serrate .................................... 7 ′ 7 ′. Apical 2/5 of elytron with 4 tubercles ( Fig. 6 )...

..................................... V. scabrosus (Solier) - Apical 2/5 of elytron with 3 tubercles

( Fig. 7 ) .............. V. chimalapensis Delgado

and Mora, new species

Distribution. Verodes chimalapensis is only known from the type locality, near the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in the undisturbed forests of the mountainous areas of El Retén in the Chimalapas region, at 1,600 –1,800 m altitude. The type locality and surrounding areas present a rugged topography with ravines and hills with moist cloud forests ranging from about 1,450 m to 1,800 m in elevation. The cloud forests of the Chimalapas region are isolated from the cloud forests of the Meseta Central de Chiapas and the Sierra Madre de Chiapas by drier lowlands.

As in the case of Proculus reyescastilloi Delgado and Mora-Aguilar ( Coleoptera : Passalidae ), a species also endemic to the Chimalapas region (Delgado and Mora-Aguilar 2014), V. chimalapensis shows an isolated distribution and flightlessness, which suggests that this species is restricted to the mid-elevation cloud forests of this region.

Biology. One specimen of V. chimalapensis was found under the bark of a large log, and another was dead on the soil.

DISTRIBUTIONAL COMMENTS ON SPECIES OF VERODES

Figures

Figs. 1–7. Verodes species. 1) V. chimalapensis, dorsal habitus; 2) V. chimalapensis, lateral habitus; 3) V. chimalapensis, dorsal surface of pronotum; 4) V. asperatus oblique habitus; 5) V. scabrosus, oblique habitus; 6) V. scabrosus, apical two-fifths of left elytron; 7) V. chimalapensis, apical two-fifths of left elytron.