Enoclerus zip 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 : 413-415

Enoclerus zip Rifkind , n. sp.

( Fig. 5)

Diagnosis. May be distinguished from other, similar species by its small size, robust elytra, and shape of the elytral macula, in unique combination with the arrangement of pronotal and elytral setal patterning, particularly the posterior elytral band of silvery setae which is not interrupted at the apices.

Description (holotype male). Length: 7.5 mm. Color: piceous; antennal scape and funicle, abdominal tergite 6 and sternite 6, testaceous; each elytron with a large, whitish macula at middle ( Fig. 5), macula slightly narrowed laterally, complete to lateral margins, arcuately rounded internally, where it is interrupted well before suture. Head: eyes moderately large; antennae moderate in length, club loosely composed; surface finely granulate–punctate, set rather thickly with short, robust, reclinate and suberect whitish setae. Pronotum: as broad as long, slightly narrower than elytra at base; transverse impression rather shallow; disk subflattened above; surface densely, rather finely and shallowly granulate–punctate; disk at middle rather densely but inconspicuously clothed with erect black setae of moderate length (setae longer laterally, where they intermingle with a fringe of whitish vestiture); pronotal anterior margin with a moderately broad, transverse band composed of robust, suberect whitish setae of moderate length; pronotal posterior slope with a moderately dense, transverse patch of erect, rather robust whitish setae of moderate length, these swept somewhat anteriorly at middle. Elytra: rather robust (ratio of length to width approximately 12:7), broadest at middle, rather deep in cross section; humeral angles subquadrate; apices separately rounded, dehiscent; subbasal tumescences obsolete; surface moderately closely punctate and roughened, punctures moderately coarse and rather deep, subserially arranged on anterior 2/3, shallower, smaller and less distinct posteriorly; each elytron with a small, shallow, glabrous callosity situated subapically, and from the middle of which arises a single elongate pale seta; vestiture as follows: piceous areas of anterior 3/4 moderately densely covered with suberect, and fewer erect, black setae of moderate length; anterior margin and scutellum overlaid with a narrow, triangulate patch of robust suberect and erect whitish setae; median pale maculae moderately densely but inconspicuously clothed with rather fine, suberect, pale setae; apices moderately densely covered with mostly reclinate, rather robust and moderately elongate pale setae. Mesosternum: posterior median process slightly elevated, notched at apex. Metasternum: anterior median process sulcate along its length. Abdomen: visible sternite 5 with hind margin rather broad, subtruncate; visible sternite 6 with sides rounded, posterior margin rather broadly, feebly arcuately emarginate; visible tergite 6 with hind margin rather broadly rounded. Legs: robust.

Variation. The female pygidium has visible sternite 6 and visible tergite 6 both rather broad, with the sides slightly oblique, the posterior angles rounded, and the hind margin slightly inflected at middle. In the Salvadoran specimen, the midelytral maculae attain the sutural bead internally.

Type specimens. Holotype: México, Quin [tana] Roo, 18–24 km. N. San Felipe Carr. Pte., 5/27/––6/1 [19]84, J. E. Wappes ( CASC) . Paratypes: 1 (JNRC), México, Q[uintana] Roo , 16 km N. Puerto Morelos, 21–VI–2011, Cope Collection; 1, ( JNRC) , Méx [ico], Quintana Roo, 6 km S. Tulum, 28–V–2002, Cope; 1 ( WFBC) , El Salvador, 4 mi. W Quezaltepeque, VII–5–1961, M. E. Irwin, coll.

Distribution. Eastern Yucatan Peninsula in México; El Salvador.

Etymology. The specific epithet “ zip ” is the name of a Yucatec Mayan god of the hunt, a fitting designation for this little predator.

Discussion. A specimen from Tabasco, México with a similar facies may prove to be conspecific with E. zip . I have chosen to exclude it from the type series based on its larger size (9.0 mm) and the anterior pronotum more extensively and densely vested with whitish setae. A more definitive determination must await the availability of a series of specimens from that area.