Enoclerus citrinifrons 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 : 416-418

Enoclerus citrinifrons Rifkind , n. sp.

( Fig. 8)

Diagnosis. Among its congeners, E. citrinifrons is only similar to E. reductesignatus , from which it may be readily distinguished by the presence of rusty orange setation on the head and pronotal anterior margin ( Fig. 8). The two species are apparently allopatric: E. citrinifrons has been collected in central and northwestern Costa Rica, while E. reductesignatus appears confined to central Panamá.

Description (holotype female (?)). Length: 11.5 mm. Color: black; scape and pedicel (in part) and antennal club, brown; each elytron with a cream colored macula at middle; macula rounded internally, where it is broadly interrupted well before suture, constricted laterally before lateral margin, which it attains. Head: antennae moderately long, terminal 3 antennomeres rather abruptly expanded into a distinct club; surface finely, densely, shallowly punctulate; frons and vertex moderately densely set with mostly short, reclinate and erect, rusty orange setae. Pronotum: a little broader than long, narrower than elytra at base; transverse impression distinct, broadly V– shaped at middle; integument densely, shallowly, finely granulate, rather densely clothed with short and moderately long, erect black setae, these imparting a somewhat velvety aspect, particularly on the anterior half; anterior margin with an inverted triangulate patch of rusty orange setae at middle; posterior slope with a small triangular patch of orange setae; pronotal collar and postero–lateral margin arrayed with some longer whitish setae. Scutellum: densely set with recumbent whitish setae. Elytra: elongate (about 2x as long as broad), subrectangulate; humeri well developed; sides slightly inflected at middle, arcuately rounded posteriorly to dehiscent, separately rounded apices; subbasal tumescences obsolete; disk subflattened above; apical slope rather gradual; surface shining, integument deeply, densely, irregularly and coarsely rugose–punctate anteriorly, rather sparsely, finely punctate at middle, and very finely, shallowly arenose posteriorly; vestiture moderately densely arrayed; black vestiture rather inconspicuous, composed of mostly short, suberect and erect setae with fewer longer, erect, more robust setae interspersed; anterior margin with a bisinuate band composed of short, reclinate, rather robust whitish setae, mixed with much longer, erect whitish setae; pale midelytral maculae moderately densely but inconspicuously set with mostly short, erect pale yellow setae; elytral posterior with a conspicuous, rather broad, oblique band on each side, composed of moderately long, reclinate whitish setae, band attaining elytral suture internally, complete to margins laterally. Mesosternum: posterior median process slightly elevated, notched at middle. Metasternum and metepisternum: densely covered with rather long, mostly reclinate whitish setae. Abdomen: surface shining, finely, rather sparsely punctulate, punctures giving rise to fine, suberect silvery setae of moderate length; visible sternite 5 with posterior margin rather broadly subtruncate; visible sternite 6 with posterior margin arcuate, slightly surpassed by visible tergite 6, which has the hind angles rounded, and the hind margin arcuate / subtruncate at middle.

Variation. The two paratypes have the elytral integument somewhat more coarsely punctate at middle. One paratype, presumably a male, has visible tergite 6 with the hind margin rather narrow and feebly emarginate.

Type specimens. Holotype: Costa Rica, Cartago Prov., Turrialba , CATIE, 28/29 May, 1984, F. Hovore, coll. ( CASC) . Paratypes: 1 ( JNRC), Costa Rica, Guanacaste Prov., Maritza Sta. (ACG), 1800’, May 14–16, 1996, E. Giesbert, coll. ; 1 ( MUCR), Costa Rica, Guanacaste Prov., Est. Las Pailas, P. N. Rincón de la Vieja, 800 m, 17–23 Jul 1993, K. Taylor, LN 306300__388600, #2238 , INBIO CRI001, 133286.

Distribution. Central and northwestern Costa Rica, between 549 m and 800 m elevation. Etymology. The specific name refers to the distinctive patch of orange colored setae adorning the new species’ head.