Enoclerus incanus Rifkind

Rifkind, Jacques, 2017, New species of Mutillid Mimicking Enoclerus Gahan (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Clerinae) from Mexico and Central America, Zootaxa 4231 (3), pp. 409-420 : 412-413

Enoclerus incanus Rifkind , n. sp.

(Fig. 4)

Diagnosis. Distinguishable from other, similar congeners by a unique combination of the following characteristics: large size (longer than 13.0 mm); pronotum and base of elytra with a preponderance of very long, pale setae; pronotal pale setae forming a complete ring around disk, which appears as a large black macula; each pale median elytral fascia rather large, constricted at middle on both anterior and posterior margins.

Description (holotype female). Length: 16.5 mm. Color: black; antennal scape testaceous in part; each elytron with a rather large pinkish–yellow fascia (Fig. 4) broadly rounded internally (interrupted before suture), constricted at about mid–elytron, then broadening laterally, where it is complete to lateral margins. Head: antennae elongate, club moderately expanded; surface rather finely, shallowly granulate–punctate, densely set with mostly short, suberect, whitish setae. Pronotum: about as broad as long, subflattened above; transverse impression obscured by vestiture; integument densely granulate–punctate; disk thickly set at middle with erect and suberect black setae of various lengths, this appearing as a large scutiform macula, circumscribed on base, sides and anterior margin by a continuous ring of thickly arrayed, robust, suberect white setae, including many of inordinate length. Elytra: elongate (ratio of length to width 37:20); base subquadrate; umbones well developed; sides subparallel, slightly, gradually narrowed behind anterior 1/5, broadly expanded behind middle; posterior 1/3 broadly, arcuately convergent to separately rounded, slightly dehiscent apices; subbasal tumescences obsolete; disk subflattened above; posterior slope moderate; integument moderately densely, deeply but rather finely and irregularly punctate and somewhat roughened, each elytron with a couple of shallow, indistinct longitudinal costae, these broadly separated and obsolete before apices; vestiture rather conspicuous: base and suture to anterior 1/3 bearing a roughly T–shaped covering of suberect, robust whitish setae of moderate length, interspersed with quite elongate robust, erect whitish setae, these angled haphazardly; black integumental surfaces thickly covered with short, suberect black setae, intermingled with longer, more robust black setae, most conspicuously on anterior 1/3; pale median fascia rather less conspicuously clothed, setae yellowish, mostly short, suberect and rather fine, interspersed with an occasional longer, more robust, erect yellowish seta; apices densely covered with moderately long, whitish adpressed setae, interspersed with longer, robust, suberect whitish setae (pale apical band eclipsed on each elytron by a large black macula). Mesosternum: posterior median process shallow. Metasternum: rather flattened, surface granulate and rugulose, densely set with rather long, whitish setae. Abdomen: sculpted as on metasternum, though vestiture somewhat less dense; visible sternite 5 with sides tapered posteriorly, hind margin rather broadly and feebly arcuate–emarginate; visible sternite 6 and visible tergite 6 with hind margins conjointly, semicircularly rounded.

Variation. The male paratype measures 13.0 mm in length. The shape of visible sternite 6 is ambiguous in this specimen, but it appears to be distinctly shorter than visible tergite 6, which has its posterior margin rather broadly subtruncate in dorsal aspect, and its underside concave. The male pygidium lacks setal daggers.

Type specimens. Holotype: México, Oaxaca, 10 km W Tequisistlán, 11–7–1992; leg. Mühle, Kifernwald mit Eichen ( CSCA) . Paratype: 1 ( JNRC), México, Oaxaca, Hwy 190, 11 km WSW Las Margaritas, 1280 m, July 11, 1992, C. L. Bellamy, coll.

Distribution. Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, México.

Etymology. The specific name “ incanus ,” Latin for “hoary,” refers to this species’ distinctive elongate white vestiture.

Biology. Based on label information, the holotype was collected in pine–oak forest.

Discussion. I examined two specimens of an undescribed species of Enoclerus from Chamela in Jalisco, México that are very similar to E. incanus . They differ primarily by the shape of the median elytral fascia, which is constricted only on the anterior margin, rather than both anteriorly and posteriorly. I have not included them in the type series because this feature, combined with these specimens’ disjunct distribution in coastal Jalisco, seems to militate against their conspecificity with E. incanus . Further collecting and molecular analysis may eventually resolve their status.