Embates solani (Champion)

Prena, Jens, 2005, The Middle American species of Embates Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Baridinae), Zootaxa 1100 (1), pp. 1-151 : 1-151

3. Embates solani (Champion)

(Fig. 40, 244–245)

Ambates solani Champion 1907: 166 . Lectotype male, Mexico, here designated, labeled: “Type”, “ ♂ ”, “Teapa/ Tabasco / Feb. H.H.S.” (BMNH). Paralectotypes 46, here designated: Teapa (BMNH 5); Guatemala: San Jerónimo (BMNH), San Juan (BMNH 6), Tamahú (BMNH 4), Sinanjá (BMNH), Telemán (BMNH), Panzós (BMNH); Nicaragua: Chontales (BMNH 2); Costa Rica: Arcángeles (BMNH 4), San Carlos (BMNH); San José (BMNH); Panama: David (BMNH), Bugaba (BMNH 10, NMNH 3), Volcán (BMNH 3, NHRS, NMNH). Hustache 1938 (cat., Batames to subspecies); Blackwelder 1947 (cat.); Kuschel 1955 (synonymy with A. rugosus ); O’Brien & Wibmer 1982 (cat.); Wibmer & O’Brien 1986 (cat., misidentification of E. callinotus ); Marquis 1991 (plant association)

Batames solani (Champion) . Casey 1922: 4

Batames divisus Casey 1922: 5 . Holotype sex not determined, PANAMA, labeled: “ Bugaba / Panama / Champion ”, “ Casey / bequest/ 1925”, “ Type NMNH/ 44921”, “ Ambates / solani Ch ”, “ Batames / divisus/ Csy.” (NMNH). New synonymy

Ambates divisus (Casey) . Hustache 1938 (cat., Batames to subspecies); Blackwelder 1947 (cat.); O’Brien & Wibmer 1938 (cat.)

Embates [ solani ]. Alonso­Zarazaga & Lyal 1999 (global combination of all species of Ambates Schönherr 1836 with Embates Chevrolat 1833 )

Redescription. Habitus: Fig. 40, total length 3.8–6.5 mm (m=5.1, n=39). Color: integument piceous, antenna and legs partially rufous; basic vestiture cupreous intermixed with few white scales, scales velvety black in elytral macula between interstriae 2–5, both mac­ ulae combined approximately as long as wide (Fig. 40), scales ochreous and white in fuzzy dorsolateral pronotal vitta and in obsolete post­macular fascia; venter with spot of ochreous scales in ante­coxal portion of prosternum, ventral vestiture sparse. Head: frontal fovea absent, rostrum thick, falciform (as Fig. 45), costate dorsomedially and rugose laterally, basolateral margin strongly produced, length of rostrum ♂♂ 1.21–1.39 x (m=1.32, n=21), ♀♀ 1.25–1.40 x (m=1.35, n=17) pronotal length, length of ante­antennal portion ♂♂ 0.34–0.36 x (m=0.35, n=20), ♀♀ 0.36–0.40 x (m=0.38, n=17) total rostral length, dorsal margin of antennal scrobe reaching rostral base well before eye; length of funicular segments 1 and 2 subequal, club oblong ovate (♀♀) to subcylindrical (♂♂). Pronotum: length 0.76–0.91 x (m=0.82, n=39) maximum width, greatest width at or near base, sides subparallel or gradually converging in basal half, anterior portion roundly narrowed and tubulate in front; disk densely punctate, intervals granulose to rugose. Elytra: length 1.43– 1.65 x (m=1.53, n=39) width at humeri, width 1.38–1.59 x (m=1.47, n=39) maximum pronotal width, sides subparallel or slightly converging in basal half, apices rounded conjointly, preapical callus developed moderately, striae fine, punctures distinct, interstriae flat, 9 costate, 7 subcostate. Legs: tibiae curved, ventral margin weakly bisinuate, distally with cluster of cupreous hairs, tarsal claws arcuate and separate at base. Male: aedeagus as E. rugosus .

Plant association. Several species of Piper with the shoot­apex emerging from within the prophyll at flowering nodes: Piper hispidum s. l. (Prena 16), P. bisasperatum (Marquis 1, Prena 4), P. lanceaefolium (Prena 5), P. reticulatum (Marquis 1), P. sancti­felicis (Marquis 1), P. epigynium (Prena 1), P. peltatum (Prena 1), P. auritum (Marquis 1). Observations on Conostega lanceolata (Nevermann, label data) and Solanaceae (Biolley cited by Champion 1907) are probably accidental.

Distribution. Widely dispersed in semi­open woodland habitats from southern Mexico to central Panama (Fig. 244, 245).

Material examined. MEXICO. Chiapas: Lagos de Montebello , Laguna Pojol, 1500 m ( HAHC) . Tabasco: Teapa ( BMNH 6 , NMNH) . GUATEMALA. Izabal: Cerro San Gil, 8 km N Las Escobas ( HAHC) . Alta Verapaz: Panzós ( BMNH) ; San Jerónimo ( BMNH) ; San Juan ( BMNH 6 ) ; Senahú ( ZIUH) ; Sinanjá ( BMNH) ; Tamahú ( AMNH, BMNH 4 ) ; Telemán ( BMNH) ; Trece Aguas ( BMNH, NMNH) . HONDURAS. Atlántida: Tela, Lancetilla ( JPPC 7 , RDCC) . Comayagua: Siguatepeque ( NMNH) . Cortés: Lago de Yojoa ( NMNH 2 ) . Gracias a Dios: Río Plátano, Las Marías ( JPPC 6 ) . Olancho: La Unión, P.N. La Muralla ( JPPC) . Santa Bárbara: Las Vegas ( JPPC 2 ) . Yoro: Pico Pijol ( JPPC 3 ) . NICA­ RAGUA. Chontales: Santo Domingo, 400 m ( BMNH 2 ) . Matagalpa: Matagalpa , Fuente Pura, 1400 m ( JPPC) . Río San Juan : 7 km SE El Castillo, 50 m ( SEAN) . COSTA RICA. Alajuela: San Carlos, 800 m ( BMNH, NMNH) ; R. B. San Ramon, Río San Lorencito , 900 m ( INBC 3 , JPPC 2 ) ; La Peña , 1300 m ( CWOB) . Cartago: Turrialba , 700 m ( DEIC 2 , SNSD, NMNH 4 ) ; Guayabo N.M., 1100 m ( INBC, JPPC 10 ) ; Tucurrique , 770 m ( NMNH) ; La Palma ( NMNH) ; P.N. Tapantí, 1200 m ( INBC) . Guanacaste: Est. Pitilla , S Sta. Cecilia, 700 m ( INBC 13 , JPPC 3 ) ; Est. Cacao , 1100 m ( INBC 8 , JPPC 2 ) ; Río San Lorenzo , 1050 m ( INBC 5 ) . Heredia: Puerto Viejo , La Selva, 100 m ( CWOB, INBC 21 , JPPC 4 , NMNH 17 , TAMU) ; Virgen del Seguro , 200 m ( NMNH) ; Río Sarapiquí , Ceiba, 50 m ( JPPC 4 ) ; Barra Colorado , 10 m ( INBC 5 ) ; Cerro Tortuguero , 50 m ( INBC) ; Chilamate , 50 m ( CWOB) ; P.N. Braulio Carrillo, El Ceibo, 400 m ( INBC 6 ) , Cantarrana , 300 m ( JPPC 3 ) . Limón: Amubri, 70 m ( INBC) ; Cerro Cocorí , 100 m ( INBC 18 , JPPC 2 ) ; Hitoy Cerere , 100 m ( JPPC 2 ) . Puntarenas: Monteverde , 1500 m ( CMNC, CWOB, INBC 12 , JPPC 3 , ZMHB) ; P.N. Carara, 50 m ( INBC) ; San Vito , 1100 m ( CHAH, JPPC 5 ) ; Osa , 2.5 mi SW Rincón, 100 m ( CHAH, JPPC) ; Osa , Rancho Quemado, 200 m ( INBC) ; Piedras Blancas ( CWOB) ; Quepos, P.N. M. Antonio, 50 m ( JPPC 3 , INBC) . San José: San José, 1100 m ( BMNH, NMNH 2 ) ; Zurquí de Moravia , 1400–1600 m ( CWOB, JPPC 4 , SNSD) ; Ciudad Colón , 1200 m ( JPPC 3 ) ; Valle de los Arcángeles, 1300 m ( BMNH 4 ) . PANAMA. Bocas del Toro: Corriente Grande, 100 m ( HPSC) ; Chiriqui Grande , 50 m ( HPSC) ; Almirante ( HPSC) ; Changuinola 15 km SSW, 300 m ( JPPC 2 ) . Canal Zone : Gatun ( HPSC 2 ) ; Coco Solo Hospital ( HPSC 4 , TAMU) . Chiriquí: Bugaba ( BMNH 10 , NMNH 3 ) ; David ( BMNH) ; Volcán ( BMNH, NHRS, NMNH 3 ) ; Las Lagunas, 4 km W Hato del Volcán, 1360 m ( HPSC 4 ) ; N Sta. Clara ( HPSC) ; Reserva La Fortuna , 1100 m ( CMNC, HPSC 2 , JPPC 2 ) ; Mina Cerrro Colorado, 1600 m ( HPSC) ; Palo Alto , 1400–1600 m ( FOEC) . Coclé: La Mesa above El Valle, 850 m ( HPSC 3 ) . Colón: 5 km SE Piña , 20 m ( CMNC) . Veraguas: Santa Fe, 850 m ( CMNC, HPSC) . Total 300 specimens .

Discussion. Embates solani is distributed widely in open woodland habitats of Middle America and occurs on both Atlantic and Pacific sides of the Cordilleras, but has not been collected east of the Canal Zone. It is associated primarily with species of the Piper hispidum complex. Two other species approach E. solani and may occur sympatrically: The Mexican E. bisignatus can be distinguished from E. solani by less elongate elytral maculae and usually parallel­sided tibiae. The predominantly South American E. rugosus can be distinguished from E. solani by its greater size and more elongate elytral macula. Batames divisus Casey is merely a small specimen of E. solani .