Pennasolis opitzi Rifkind, 2010

Rifkind, Jacques & Toledo, Víctor H., 2010, New species of Cleridae (Coleoptera) from Morelos, Mexico, Zootaxa 2659 (1), pp. 53-59 : 54-55

Pennasolis opitzi Rifkind , Toledo & Corona, n. sp.

( Figs. 1, 1a )

Type specimens. Holotype male: México, Morelos, Tepalcingo, S El Limón, Parcela 5–8 años, 18° 31’ 05.9” N, 98° 57’ 17.8” W, Alt. 1183m, Selva Baja Caducifolia, en Conzatia multiflora , 12-VII-2007, V. H. Toledo & A. M. Corona. Holotype deposited in CNIN. Paratypes: MÉXICO, MORELOS: 2, Same data as Holotype; 2, Tepalcingo, El Limón, Parcela Conservada 1, 18° 31’ 14.5” N, 98° 56’ 02.6” W, Alt. 1289 m, Selva Baja Caducifolia, en Bursera copalifera caída, 24-VIII-2006, colls. A. M. Corona & V. H. Toledo; 3, Tepalcingo, El Limón, Parcela Conservada 1, 18° 31’ 42.6” N, 98° 56’ 24.6” W, Alt. 1244 m, Selva Baja Caducifolia, en Bursera sp. , 25-VIII-2006, Cols. A. M. Corona & V. H. Toledo; 12, Tepalcingo, N El Limón, Est. Biol. El Limón-CEAMISH, 18° 32’ 34” N, 98° 56’ 10.4” W, Alt. 1330 m, Selva Baja Caducifolia, Bursera sp. , 28- VII-2006, Cols. V. H. Toledo y A. M. Corona; 2, Tepalcingo, El Limón, Parcela de la Cruz, 18° 31’ 05.3” N, 98° 57’ 16.5” W, Alt. 1188 m, Selva Baja Caducifolia, 28-VII-2006, Col. A. M. Corona; 2, Tepalcingo, El Limón, 2 km O Subest. Biol., 18.533° N, 98.944° W, Alt. 1219 m, Selva Baja Caducifolia, Redeando, 16-VII- 2007, Cols. V. H. Toledo & A. M. Corona; 3, Tepalcingo, El Limón, 18° 34’ N, 98° 56’ 10.4” W, Alt. 1330 m, Selva Baja Caducifolia, en Guayacán caído, 19-V-2007, Cols. V. H. Toledo & A. M. Corona. Paratypes are deposited in CDFA, CIUM, LACM, JNRC and WOPC.

Diagnosis. Distinguishable from its two allopatric congeners, P. californica (Van Dyke) and P. merkeli (Horn) , on the basis of color, setation and elytral sculpturing. Of the three, only P. opitzi bears distinct golden setae on the head, pronotum and elytra, and by comparison, its dorsal sculpturing is much more pronounced. Additionally, in the new species, the sixth abdominal sternite is typically hidden beneath the fifth.

Description (Holotype). Length: 6.0 mm. Width: 2.5 mm. Form: oblong short-rectangulate. Color: integument reddish black except head, paralateral band on either side of pronotal disk, broad longitudinal elytral discal vitta (extending laterally posterior to middle), and elytral epipleura brownish red; basal mandibular and maxillary palpomeres, antennal funicle (in part), proximal antennomore of antennal club (in part), tibiae (in part), and tarsi (in part), testaceous. Vestiture: head (except vertex), pronotum laterally, elytra and abdomen covered with mostly short, rather stout, decumbent whitish setae, setation densest and most conspicuous in a rectangulate patch on elytral disk posterior to midpoint, and in a smaller, triangular patch on each side extending laterally; cranial vertex, margins of glabrous pronotal disk, and elytra on either side of suture anterior to middle, bearing short, decumbent, conspicuously golden setae; dorsum with a few scattered erect black setae of medium length. Pronotum: middle disk and discal tubercles glabrous to subglabrous; sides densely punctate. Elytra: lateral margins obliquely divergent from base to elytral midpoint, then broadly rounded to apices; margins minutely serrate posterior to middle; each elytron with a set of three elevated ridges on each side as follows: a rather elongate subbasal longitudinal carina, an antemedian longitudinal carina placed slightly more laterad, and an oblique tubercle at posterior 1/ 4 in line with the former; discal punctures rather sparse at middle, increasingly larger and more densely arranged laterally, cribrate adjacent to eplipleura. Abdomen: fifth visible sternite rather elongate, sides oblique, posterior margin subtruncate; sixth visible sternite entirely obscured by fifth; sixth tergite slightly convex ventrally, with apex subtruncate, extending posteriorly beyond fifth visible sternite.

Variation. Length ranges from 4.0 to 6.0 mm. The extent and delineation of the brownish red elytral vitta is also variable. Males and females appear to be indistinguishable externally.

Etymology. We name this beetle for Weston Opitz, in recognition of his prodigious efforts toward comprehension and revision of the taxonomically challenging clerid subfamily Epiphloeinae .

Discussion. Pennasolis opitzi is the third known species belonging to this epiphloeine genus, and the first to be described from Mexico. Its congeners occur in mostly montane areas of the western United States, where they are associated with conifers infested with Cerambycidae , Buprestidae , and bark beetles ( Opitz, 2008).

Distribution. Known only from the vicinity of El Limón, Municipio de Tepalcingo, in the Mexican state of Morelos.

Biology. Specimens were collected from May through August in tropical dry forest. Most were collected on the leguminous tree Conzattia multiflora (Rob.) Stand. (=“guayacán”) and on Bursera spp. , with several taken on fallen trees; two examples were collected by sweeping.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Pennasolis opitzi Rifkind, Toledo & Corona, n. sp. (holotype male).