Chryasus talamanca Prena, 2024

Prena, Jens, 2024, Consolidation of Aniops Casey, Psiona Casey, Preglyptobaris Bondar and Prospoliata Hustache with Chryasus Champion (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Baridinae) and descriptions of new species, Zootaxa 5492 (1), pp. 1-24 : 10-13

8. Chryasus talamanca Prena , new species

( Figs. 34, 35 )

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1C8C00B9-A002-420B-979E-7E3541199E61

Diagnosis. Chryasus talamanca is one of several elongate species with a subconical prothorax. The holotype is an almost completely black male with a distinctive yellow elytral fascia ( Fig. 34 ), the smaller female paratype has dorsum and appendages mostly reddish instead of black ( Fig. 35 ). A lack of representative collections does not allow at present the distinction between local populations and color varieties. See notes below for further explanations.

Description. Total length 2.7–3.0 mm, width 1.3–1.4 mm (n=2); integument black and red (particularly appendages), elytron with irregular yellow ochre fascia between interstriae 2–8; body elongate cuneate with slightly protruding humeri and gently curved sides; pronotum subconical, disc densely vermiculate, flanks smoother with coarse shallow ridges; elytron 2.6x longer than pronotum, disc at base with very subtle transverse depression, interstriae ridged, metaventrite tumid with basally deep discrimen, male ventrites 1, 2, 5 and metaventrite depressed medially, 1, 2 and 5 with erect squamulae; femora with 1 distinct and several minute denticles (barely perceptible on profemur); genitalia not examined.

Material examined. Holotype male, labeled “ PANAMÁ: Chiriquí, 8 km NW Boquete , 25–26 June 1981, B. Gill, 1700 m ” ( CMNC) . Paratype (1 female): Panamá, Chiriquí, 5.6 km N Boquete, La Culebra Trail , 1800 m, 15.vi.1996, R. Anderson, 96-131E, wet cloud forest litter ( CMNC) .

Additional material. Costa Rica, Cartago, P.N. Tapantí, Estac. La Esperanza , 27.3.2003, 1 female ( JPPC) ; Costa Rica, Heredia, P.N. Braulio Carrillo, 6 km ENE Vara Blanca , 2000 m, 20.3.2002, K. Nishida, 1 female ex leaf petiole of Miconia pittieri ( JPPC 1 ) .

Notes. I consider a small reddish female ( Fig. 35 ) from the type locality, with the same elytral fascia as the black holotype, as conspecific and include it as a paratype. Three morphologically similar females ( JPPC) from high elevations in Costa Rica, all singleton from different places, seem to represent different species. The two reddish ones ( Figs. 36, 37 ) are very similar to C. talamanca and therefore included under additional material. A smaller black specimen was taken in Monteverde.

Life history. Kenji Nishida discovered swollen leaf petioles on Miconia pittieri Cogn. ( Fig. 2 ) at 2000 m elevation in Braulio Carrillo National Park. When he opened these galls, most were parasitized. He obtained one teneral female and took the images used for figures 1–4.

Etymology. The name is a noun in apposition referring to the known range of this species, the Cordillera de Talamanca.

Figures

FIGURES 34–47. Chryasus talamanca complex, dorsal and lateral aspects. 34, Male holotype, Buquete in Chiriquí, Panamá; 35, Female paratype, Buquete in Chiriquí, Panamá; 36, Teneral female from gall of Miconia pittieri, Monteverde in Puntarenas, Costa Rica; 37, Female, P.N. Tapantí in Cartago, Costa Rica.

FIGURES 1–4. Development of specimens near Chryasus talamanca in leaf petioles of Miconia pittieri. 1, slender, elongate galls; 2, short, more swollen galls; 3, dissected gall with pupa; 4, teneral female emerging from dissected gall. Photos by Kenji Nishida taken in Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo at 2000 m elevation on 11.iv.2002.