Scolytodes fortis 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 : 44-45

Scolytodes fortis Jordal and Smith , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D4CBD28A-0F54-4845-AB77-4E474E52E4A5

( Figs 83, 84, 86, 87, 89, 90 )

Type material. Holotype, female: Ecuador: Napo Prov., Res. Ethnica Waorani, 1km S Onkone Gare Camp., Trans. Et. , 00°39’10’’S, 76°26’W, 220m elev., October 1995, T.L. Erwin et al. collectors, indiv #002137 . Allotype, male: same data as holotype (indiv 002136). Paratypes: same data as holotype, except October 1995 (1), January 1994 (3); Tiputini biodiversity station, 220–250 m, October 1998, 00° 37’55’’S, 76° 08’39’’W, T.L. Erwin et al collectors (3) . Holotype and allotype temporarily held in trust at USNM for MECN, two paratypes each in QCAZ, MSUC , and ZMBN.

Diagnosis. Interstriae 10 sharply elevated to near apex. Protibiae with an additional mesal tooth. Pronotum strongly asperate. Female frons with a dense tuft of incurved setae. Closely related to Scolytodes striatulus Wood, 1979 (= Hylocurosoma striatum Eggers, 1940 ), but differs by the presence of an additional mesal tooth on the protibiae, and in males, by the lack of tubercles on the epistoma and by the presence of fine interstrial setae. In females the new species differs by the dense, long setae in the frons, and much less impressed elytral striae. It differs from another close relative, S. pelicipennis (Schedl, 1952) by the much more abundant setae in the female frons and the longer raised edge on interstriae 10.

Description, female. Length 1.8–2.0 mm, 2.3–2.4 × as long as wide; colour dark brown. Head. Eyes feebly emarginated, separated above by 3.9–4.0 × their width. Frons broadly impressed between eyes from vertex to epistoma, not visible under setae; vestiture consisting of long, golden setae arising along the margin of impressed area from vertex to epistoma, setae curved inward to meet on lower third of the frons. Antennal club pilose with two obliquely procurved sutures marked by denser patches of white setae. Funiculus 6-segmented, segments finely divided. Pronotum finely reticulate, with large, deep punctures on posterior half spaced by their diameter, anterior half with large asperities, those nearest anterior margin forming a wavy rim. Vestiture consisting of 8 long, erect setae (4-2-2). Elytra smooth, shiny, a few scattered granules on declivital interstriae; striae regular, stria 1 or more impressed, punctures moderately large, deep, spaced by 0.5–1.5 their diameter; interstrial punctures much smaller, mainly in rows; interstriae 10 sharply elevated to near apex. Vestiture consisting of very fine, scattered, erect setae on odd-numbered interstriae. Legs. Procoxae separated by 0.3–0.4 × the width of one procoxa. Mesocoxae separated by 0.7 × the width of a procoxa. Protibiae narrow, distal tooth 1 larger than 2, with 3–5 lateral spines or rugae decreasing in size towards tibial base; an additional mesal tooth present on posterior face; protibial mucro short, straight. Meso- and metatibiae with 6–7 socketed teeth on distal two-thirds and half, respectively. Ventral vestiture. Setae on mesanepisternum trifid, on metanepisternum and metasternum simple, except a few bifid setae intermixed on metanepisternum.

Male. Similar to females, except frons largely glabrous, impressed on lower half, elytral striae more strongly impressed with larger punctures, declivital interstriae with fine ground vestiture.

Key ( Wood 2007). Does not match the first couplet due to the presence of an additional mesal tooth on protibiae and a long, raised interstriae 10. Allowing one exception, one may key to couplet 93, S. glabratus (Schedl, 1954) , but S. fortis is stouter, the striae are impressed, and the female frons has much longer setae.

Etymology. The Latin name fortis is a masculine/feminine nominative adjective, meaning (physically) strong, referring to the stout body shape with distinct pronotal asperities and impressed striae.

Biology and distribution. Known from the two lowland rainforest localities in Amazonian Ecuador. Nine specimens were collected by fogging eight different tree canopies.

Figures

FIGURES 82–90. Dorsal, lateral and frontal views of a female specimen of Scolytodes pilifrons from Ecuador, and the female holotype (83, 86, 89) and male allotype (84, 87, 90) of Scolytodes fortis.