Aurigeripilus andinus Mermudes

Mermudes, José Ricardo M., 2015, A new genus and two new species of Araecerini from high elevation in the Andes with a synopsis of the tribe in South America (Coleoptera, Anthribidae, Choraginae), Zootaxa 3918 (4), pp. 587-593 : 588-590

Aurigeripilus andinus Mermudes sp. nov.

( Figs 1–3 )

Etymology. Andinus —refers to from the Andes.

Description. Male. Integument black; antennal club and legs blackish-brown; scape and flagellum slightly lighter, brownish. Dorsum of rostrum, frons and anterior sides of prothorax with golden-yellow pubescence, decumbent, moderately long and very dense ( Fig. 1–3 ). Pronotum with blackish-brown pilosity, moderately sparse, and with small irregular spots of brownish pilosity; median tubercle tufted with dark suberect pilosity. Elytra with brownish, moderately elongate and suberect pilosity; interstriae I with alternating spots of yellowish-pale pilosity; interstriae 3–5, after basal gibbosities with transverse yellowish vittae; on length of 3 with blackish-brown and suberect pilosity; posterior half of elytra and epipleura with small and rare yellowish-pale spots. Ventral surface, antennae and legs with whitish pilosity, denser at sides.

Head with vertex with coarse punctures, obliterated by the vestiture.

Pronotum with median tubercle, moderately developed and acuminate at top; central region, around median tubercle, foveolate, with coarse, deep and coalescent punctures; interstices elevated; at anterior third with confluent punctures, longitudinaly corrugated. After antebasal carina with transverse row of coarse punctures. Prosternum flatenned with sparse coarse punctures. Proepimeron shiny and with sparse and coarse punctures near posterior margin.

Metasternum somewhat flatenned on disk, at side, with few coarse punctures. Metepisternum slightly curved anteriorly, with some coarse punctures irregularly dense in posterior half.

Ventrites flatenned at disk, finely punctate. Ventrite I with row of coarse punctures close to anterior margin. Pygidium shiny, apparently lacking punctures.

Dissection of the terminalia was omitted because of paucity of the material.

Measurements in mm, male: TL = 2.02; RL = 0.20; RAW = 0.33; RBW = 0.28; PL = 0.81; PW = 0.99; EL = 1.20; EW = 1.00.

Type material. Holotype male. Colombia: Cundinamarca, PNN [Parque Nacional Natural] Chingaza Bosque Palacio (4º 31’ N, 73° 45’ W), 2,930 m, Malaise, 17.I–4.II.2001, E. Niño leg. (M. 1258, Anthribidae ), deposited at IAVH.

Remarks. Aurigeripilus Mermudes gen. nov. is close to Neoxenus Valentine, 1999 as indicated by the presence of an antebasal carina, but differs by the following characters: 1) antebasal carina strongly angulate at middle and discreetly sinuate laterally ( Fig. 1 ) (antebasal carina almost straight in Neoxenus ); 2) prothorax without lateral carina ( Fig. 2 ) (lateral carina missing in Neoxenus , vestigial in Neoxenus corrugatus Mermudes sp. nov – see below); 3) lacking pleural suture, with glabrous area moderately wide and opaque (suture present in Neoxenus ); 4) pronotum with weakly prominent median tubercle and elytral basal gibbosities ( Figs. 1–2 ) (pronotum without median tubercles in Neoxenus ); 5) elytral gibbosities larger and higher than pronotal tubercle (attenuate in Neoxenus ); 6) humeri tuberculate (not evident in Neoxenus ); 7) interstriae 3 and 5 costate, with erect pilosity moderately elongate (lacking in Neoxenus ).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3. Aurigeripilus andinus Mermudes gen. nov. et sp. nov., holotype male: 1, dorsal habitus; 2, lateral habitus; 3, head and rostrum, dorsal. Scale bars: 1 – 2 = 1 mm; 3 = 200 µm.