Scolytodes virgatus 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 : 36-37

Scolytodes virgatus Jordal and Smith , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6B55F132-942E-484C-9F5C-34A3B9ABD836

( Figs 64, 67, 70 )

Type material. Holotype: Ecuador: Cotopaxi, Otonga , 1975m, W 79°00’00’’ S 00°25’00’’, 10.Aug2007, A.C. Proaño & A. Barragán . Paratypes: same data as holotype (1) ; same data as holotype , except 11. Jul 2007, A.C. Proaño (1). Holotype and one paratype deposited in QCAZ, 1 PT in USNM .

Diagnosis. Interstriae 10 elevated to level of ventrite 1. Protibiae without an additional mesal tooth. Pronotum smooth. Elytra with erect interstrial bristles and fine strial and interstrial setae. Distinguished from S. minor (Eggers, 1928) by longer interstrial and strial setae, and from S. ater (Eggers, 1943) and similar species by the regular rows of strial and interstrial setae and the oval and stout body shape.

Description, male. Length 1.7–2.0 mm, 2.0–2.1 × as long as wide; colour black. Head. Eyes entire, separated above by 2.0–2.2 × their width. Frons convex, flattened near epistoma, surface reticulated, with moderately coarse punctures scattered from epistoma to vertex; vestiture consisting of scant, short setae near and on epistoma. An- tennal club with segment 1 and 2 corneous, two transverse sutures marked by light setae. Funiculus 5-segmented. Pronotum reticulated, dull, with dense, deep punctures reaching anterior margin. Vestiture consisting of very fine, short, setae, and approximately 8 longer, more erect setae (4-2-2). Elytra smooth, shiny; striae regular, not impressed, punctures deep, spaced by their diameter; interstrial punctures nearly as large, in regular rows except slightly confused along suture; interstriae 10 elevated to level of ventrite 1. Vestiture consisting of erect or slightly curved interstrial setae, and rows of finer and shorter, semirecumbent, strial and interstrial setae. Legs. Procoxae separated by 0.7 × the width of one procoxa. Mesocoxae separated by 1.0–1.1 × the width of a procoxa. Protibiae broader towards apex, distal tooth 1 and 2 of equal size, cuticle extended between teeth 2 and 3, with 3 additional small spines or granules along the edge towards tibial base; protibial mucro obtuse. Meso- and metatibiae with 5 and 5–6 lateral socketed teeth on distal half and third, respectively. Ventral vestiture. Setae on mes- and metanepisternum trifid or plumose, on anterior part of metasternum trifid or bifid, posterior part with simple setae.

Female. Sex undetermined, except one male paratype. Female likely near identical to male.

Key ( Wood 2007). Goes wrong at couplet 1 due to the combination of a short interstriae 10 and the lack of an additional mesal tooth on protibiae. Related species have an additional tooth on protibiae and if allowed to couplet 59, the new species fits approximately to couplet 78, S. punctatus (Eggers, 1943) , but differs by a much broader pronotum, more widely spaced setae, and thicker interstrial setae.

Etymology. The Latin name virgatus is a masculine nominative adjective, meaning striped, referring to the alternate strial and interstrial bands of short and long setae on the elytra.

Biology and distribution. Only known from the type locality at high altitude in Ecuador .

Figures

FIGURES 64–72. Dorsal, lateral and frontal views of the female holotype of Scolytodes virgatus (64, 67, 70), Scolytodes criniger (65, 68, 71), and Scolytodes pseudocrassus (66, 69, 72).