Scolytodes setosicauda 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 : 83

Scolytodes setosicauda Jordal , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:ABE697DE-EB0F-424D-BC5C-FA8CF36F27DA

( Figs 12, 15, 18 )

Type material. Holotype, female: Ecuador, Napo Prov, Quito-Baeza road, 4100m, March 1983, Leg. L. Huggert. Type deposited in ZMLU.

Diagnosis. Interstriae 10 very short, not sharply elevated; protibiae with tooth 2 socketed and exposed, with a large additional mesal tooth. Unique by its sulcate declivity with densely placed, short, stiff bristles.

Description female. Length 2.7 mm, 2.2 × longer than wide; colour reddish brown. Head. Eyes entire, separated above by 3.6 × their width. Frons convex, reticulate, densely and deeply punctured, except shiny and impunctate on lower third. Antennal club apically and laterally setose, first segment only partially indicated by few scale-like setae, the second suture asymmetrically procurved, marked by coarse setae, posterior two segments with scant fine setae. Funiculus 6-segmented. Pronotum densely punctured on posterior fourth, gradually replaced anteriorly by low granules and transverse asperities; anterior margin forming an elevated rim of coarse asperities. Vestiture consisting of fine recumbent setae, without longer erect setae (0–0–0). Elytra on disc shiny, striae 1 impressed, others not, punctures large, deep, separated in regular rows by 0.5¯1 × their diameter; interstriae approximately 1.5¯2 × wider than striae, punctures half the size of those in striae. On declivity, striae 1¯3 impressed, sulcate. Vestiture on disc and lateral parts of declivity consisting of long, fine interstrial setae, and slightly shorter strial setae, on declivity replaced by short, semi-erect, thick, bristle-like setae with a coarse granule at base of most setae; setae towards the elytral apex and along the sutural interstriae confused, densely placed.

Legs. Procoxae separated by approximately 0.5 × the width of one procoxa (difficult to observe). Protibiae slightly broader towards apex, distal teeth 1 and 2 large and of equal length, tooth 2 with socketed denticle exposed, 4 additional small teeth along the edge towards base; protibial mucro large and curved laterally. Meso- and metatibiae with 6¯7 lateral socketed teeth on distal half. Ventral vestiture. Setae on metasternum and metanepisternum generally simple, a few bifid setae close to elytra, some plumose, short scales on ventral side.

Male. Not known.

Key ( Wood 2007). Couplet 102 is inconclusive and the alternative possible couplets, 103 and 117, do not match the specimen. None of the species included in this part of the key match.

Etymology. The name is composed of the Latin masculine adjective setosi, meaning bristly, and the feminine noun cauda, meaning tail, referring to the peculiar pattern of dense setae on the elytral declivity.

Biology and distribution. This species is only known from the type locality in high altitude elfin forest in Ecuador. This is one of the highest altitude records for any bark beetle.

Figures

FIGURES 10–18. Dorsal, lateral and front view of the holotype of male Scolytodes potens (10, 13, 16), female S. minimus (11, 14, 17), and female S. setosicauda (12, 15, 18).