Scolytodes abbreviatus Jordal and Smith, 2020

Jordal, Bjarte H. & Smith, Sarah M., 2020, Scolytodes Ferrari (Coleoptera, Scolytinae) from Ecuador: 40 new species, and a molecular phylogenetic guide to infer species differences, Zootaxa 4813 (1), pp. 1-67 : 27-29

Scolytodes abbreviatus Jordal and Smith , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E31B22AD-3EE2-4C18-A6EF-8F44525FE97B

( Figs 38, 41, 44 )

Type material. Holotype, female: Ecuador: El Cotopaxi, La Maná, Yakusinchi Reserve , S 00°07.030’ W 79°08.717’, 450–550m, 14.3.2017, AI Cognato leg., ex Cecropia branch . Allotype: same label as holotype. Paratypes: same data as HT (2 males, 4 females) . Holotype and allotype in QCAZ , two paratypes in USNM , two in ZMBN, and two in MSUC.

Diagnosis. Interstriae 10 sharply elevated to near apex. Protibiae without additional mesal tooth. Together with the closely related S. unipunctatus , females of these two species have a longitudinally impressed frons with short vestiture and a complex tubercle near epistoma, and dense, long setae along the inner edge of the scapus. This species is distinguished from S. unipunctatus by the stouter body shape, by the female frontal setae reaching just below upper level of eyes, by the raised interstriae 1–3 on the declivity, and by large genetic differences at multiple loci.

Description female. Length 2.2–2.4 mm, 2.2–2.3 × as long as wide; colour dark reddish brown. Head. Eyes entire, separated above by 3.2–3.3 × their width. Frons slightly concave from epistoma to upper level of eyes, on median fifth near epistoma a complex protruding tubercle consisting of a round, metallic shining upper half and two smaller halves below. Vestiture consisting of short, reddish setae in impressed area. Antennal club pilose, with two obliquely procurved sutures weakly indicated. Funiculus 6-segmented. Scapus with long, thick setae on its inner edge, decreasing in length towards antennal attachment. Pronotum reticulated, dull, with irregular punctures spaced by 1–2 × their diameter, barely reaching anterior margin, but rather replaced on anterior fifth by fine asperities. Glabrous (0-0-0). Elytra generally smooth and shiny, slightly rugose between suture and striae 2; striae 1–3 on disc and most striae on declivity distinctly impressed, punctures large, deep, subcontiguous; interstriae 2–3 × wider than striae, punctures much smaller, in rows; interstriae 10 sharply elevated to near apex. Vestiture consisting of rows of very short and fine setae on declivital interstriae. Legs. Procoxae separated by 0.1–0.2 × the width of one procoxa. Mesocoxae separated by 0.9 × the width of a procoxa. Protibiae narrow, distal tooth 1 slightly longer than 2, with 2–3 small tubercles towards tibial base; protibial mucro short, curved posteriorly. Meso- and metatibiae with 7–9 lateral socketed teeth on distal half. Ventral vestiture. Setae on mesanepisternum bifid, on metanepisternum and metasternum simple.

Male. Similar to female, except frons simple, lightly impressed at the level of antennal insertion, surface shining with a bluish, milky reflection; asperities on pronotum more pronounced on anterior third.

Key ( Wood 2007). Keys to couplet 37, S. unipunctatus , but differs as noted in the diagnosis.

Etymology. The Latin name abbreviatus is a masculine nominative participle, meaning shortened, as compared to the more elongated close relative S. unipunctatus .

Biology and distribution. Only known from the type locality in a lowland Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest. It was dissected from Cecropia branches 4 cm in diameter. The close relative S. unipunctatus is found at higher altitudes and known to farm fungus for larval food in Costa Rica ( Hulcr et al. 2007).

Figures

FIGURES 37–45. Dorsal, lateral and frontal views of a female specimen of Scolytodes unipunctatus (37, 40, 43), the female holotype of Scolytodes abbreviatus (38, 41, 44), and Scolytodes stramineus (39, 42, 45).