Scolytodes johnsoni Jordal, 2018

Jordal, Bjarte H., 2018, Hidden gems in museum cabinets: new species and new distributional records of Scolytodes (Coleoptera: Scolytinae), Zootaxa 4504 (1), pp. 76-104 : 93-95

Scolytodes johnsoni Jordal , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:46FBAEEF-D79E-4A62-8011-74066380862C

( Figs 48, 51, 54 )

Type material. Holotype, female: French Guiana, Kaw Mts , ex Cecropia petioles, 4.6.2015, A. Johnson . Allotype and 7 paratypes: same data as holotype. AT, HT and 2 PTs deposited in FSCA, 4 PTs in ZMBN .

Diagnosis. Interstriae 10 sharply elevated to the level of ventrite 4; protibiae without an additional mesal tooth, lateral tooth 2 longer than tooth 1. Female frons only slightly impressed, with dense, golden, short, semi-erect setae in an area from half way between upper eyes and antennal insertion, to epistoma. Distinguished from the three most similar species S. suturalis Wood , S. nitidissimus (Eggers) and S. ingae (Backman) by the smoother male frons not having a transverse elevation on epistoma, and by the less impressed female frons. It is further distinguished from S. suturalis Wood by the smaller size.

Description female. Length 1.9¯ 2.2 mm, 2.0¯2.1 × longer than wide; colour black. Head. Eyes entire, separated above by 2.6¯2.7 × their width. Frons weakly impressed from half way between upper level of eyes and antennal insertion to epistoma, scattered small punctures above, impressed area more densely punctured below and covered by short semi-erect golden setae. Antennal club with two obliquely procurved sutures marked by dense setae, segment one and two partly corneous and shiny. Funiculus 6-segmented. Pronotum weakly reticulated, subshining, punctures small, deep, separated by 2¯3 × their diameter, reduced in size anteriorly and mixed with faint asperities on anterior fourth. Vestiture consisting of 8 erect setae (4–2–2). Elytra shiny, striae 1 impressed on disc, 1¯3 impressed on declivity, punctures small, separated in irregular rows by 2¯3 × their diameter, additional microscopic punctures present on the anterior edge of each main puncture; interstriae about 5 × wider than striae, punctures smaller, widely separated, in rows, many associated with supporting granules for setae. Vestiture consisting of interstrial rows of erect, coarse, almost spatulate setae; microscopic setae associated with strial micropunctures. Legs. Procoxae and mesocoxae separated by 1.1¯1.3 × the width of one procoxa. Protibiae broad, distal tooth 1 slightly shorter than 2, with 3¯4 additional granules or small spines decreasing in size towards base, a fine semi-transparent extension of cuticle connecting teeth 2¯4; protibial mucro large, curved posteriorly. Mesotibiae with 6¯9 lateral, socketed teeth on distal two-thirds, metatibiae with 6¯7 teeth on distal half. Ventral vestiture. Setae on metasternum and metanepisternum long simple; occasional trifid setae along the anterior margin of upper metasternum. Setae on ventrites 3¯5 coarse, directed caudally.

Male. Similar to females except slightly smaller (length 1.6¯ 2.2 mm, 1.9¯2.0 × longer than wide), frons convex, generally smooth, slightly transversely wrinkled on lower third, with fine punctures from vertex to epistoma; glabrous, except scant setae on epistoma. Eyes separated by 2.4¯2.6 × their width.

Key ( Wood 2007). Keys to couplet 9, S. imitans (= S. nitidissimus ). However, the description of S. imitans in Wood (2007) , including the key, does not match the holotype from Guadeloupe. It is possible that specimens in Wood’s collection identified as S. imitans from Venezuela ( Wood 2007) is conspecific to S. johnsoni .

Etymology. Named after the collector, Andrew Johnson, a recently graduated student of bark beetle systematics.

Biology and distribution. This species is only known from the type locality in French Guyana, collected from Cecropia petioles. This species belongs to a complex of many very similar species, all breeding in the leaf petioles of Cecropia .

Figures

FIGURES 46–54. Dorsal, lateral and front view of the female holotype of Scolytodes capillus (46, 49, 52), S. rufus (47, 50, 53), and S. johnsoni (48, 51, 54).