Euscelus armatus (Gyllenhal)

Hamilton, Robert W., 2007, Euscelus species of the West Indies (Coleoptera: Attelabidae), Zootaxa 1495 (1), pp. 1-34 : 5-7

Euscelus armatus (Gyllenhal)

( Figs. 1 , 13–16)

Attelabus armatus Gyllenhal,1833 .

Attelabus callosipennis ( Voss, 1925)

Type locality: St. Domingo ( Dominican Republic)

Type data: Holotype male with the following labels: Male symbol [small, white, rectangular]; Typus [long, red, rectangular]; Att. armatus Mannerh., St. Do. Man. [handwritten, white, rectangular]; Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet, Stockholm, Loan No. 609/02 [blue, rectangular].

Allotype female: [same as holotype except Allotypus label]; Paratype male: [same as holotype except Paratypus label].

Type holder: Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet , Stockholm, Sweden ( NHRS) .

Specimen data: CUBA: 1 male, cotype [mislabeled as cotype], Cuba, Coll. Kraatz ( ZMUH). DOMINI- CAN REPUBLIC : 1 male, Dominican Republic , La Vega, 2.6–6.4 km, E Manabao, 4 June 1994, R Turnbow ; 1 female, [same as previous except 6.2 km E Manabao , 5 June 1994] ; 1 male, Dominican Republic , La Vega Prov., 2.6–6.4 km E of Manabao, 4-vi-1994, coll. MC Thomas ( CMNC) . 1 female, Upper Paraiso Valley , Barahona, 29-iii-78, 600– 800 m, L Masner ; 1 female, La Altagracia , 7 km NNE Boca de Chavon at Rio Chavon, 3 July 1992, 18-28N, 16-52W, 20 m, riparian vegetation, J Rawlins, S Thompson, C Young, R Davidson ; 1 female, Pedernales , Upper Las Abejas, 38 km NNW Cabo Rojo, 22 July 1990, 18-09N, 71-38W, 1350 m, mesic deciduous forest, sweeping, L Masner ( CMNH) . 1 male, La Vega, 1.4–2.0 km E Manabao , 6 June 1994, R Turnbow ; 1 male, Dom. Rep. , Pto. Plata, 6km W Puerto Plata, v-28-1978, CW & LB O’Brien & Marshall ; 1 male, Dom. Rep. , La Vega, 12 km E Constanza, August 10, 1979, CW O’Brien ; 2 males & 1 female, S. Dom., Higuey, Febr. 1914, EG Smyth coll.; 1 male, Rep. Dominic , Bocco Chica, 6.1.1971, 10 m, J & S Klapperich ; 1 male, Dom. Rep. , La Vega, 10 km SE Jarabacoa, May 25, 1978, CW & LB O’Brien & Marshall ; 1 female [same as previous except 23 km SE Jarabacoa ] ; 1 male, Dom. Rep. , Espaillaat, 15 km W Rio San Juan, May 28, 1978, beach, O’Briens & Marshall ; 1 female, Dom. Rep. , La Altag. 9 km SW Campo Nuevo, August 1, 1979, CW O’Brien ; 1 female, Dominican Rep. , D. N., 1 km W Bocca Chica, May 30, 1978, CW & LB O’Brien & Marshall ( CWOB) . 1 male & 2 females, La Vega , 22.5 km S Jarabacoa, 24 May 1992, R Turnbow ( RHTC) . 1 male [same as previous] ( RWHC) . 1 male & 3 females, at Blanton mine N of San Cristobal, 26-vii-1917, H. Morrison ; 1 female [same as previous except 27-vii-1917]; 2 males, St. Domingo , 7- viii-05, Busck collector ; 1 male, R . D., Romana [La Romana?], 4-11-1913, WV Tower collector ; 1 female, St. Domingo , 1-8-05, A Busck collector, Coryneuscelus armatus (Gyll.) , HS Buchanan det. ‘26 ; 1 male & 1 female, St. Domingo , S Franese Mts., Sept 15, A Busck collector ; 3 females, St. Domingo , 7-8-05, A Busck collector ; 4 males & 10 females, Samana , 11-iii-28, beach vegetation, GS Miller ( USNM) . HAITI: 1 female, Port-au-Prince , Fry Coll. 1905-100 ; 2 females, Hayti Parish , 1899, Sharp Coll. 1905-313 ; 2 males, Port-au- Prince , 4- 13.1.1908, M Cameron ( BMNH) . 2 males, Port-Au-Prince, 1933 RJ Crew, Wickham Collection; 1 male, Port-Au-Prince, Aug.1924, 9-24, GN Wolcott Coll.; 1 male, Hinche , Aug. 26 1924, 158-24, GN Wolcott : 1 male & 1 female, Hinche , 5-15-‘25, WA Hoffman ; 1 male, St. Marc , Sept. 7 1924, GN Wolcott collector ; 1 male, Port-Au-Prince, 39 [?]; [glass vial with disarticulated specimens], attelabid from sea grape, Bayeux , Sept. 16, 1925, WA Hoffman ( USNM) . 1 male, Haiti ; 147; Zool. Mus. Berlin, Att. callosipennis n. sp., det. E. Voss ( ZMHB) .

Description: Color: Dark reddish to blackish-brown throughout; with faint violaceous sheen; extremities more reddish; terminal segment of antennal club pale. Size range: Male (n = 34) 5.2 x 2.2 mm to 7.4 x 3.0 mm; Female (n = 34) 5.6 x 2.3 mm to 7.2 x 2.9 mm. Head elongate, sub-rectangular, as long as pronotum; vertex transversely and minutely rugose, with irregularly spaced small punctures; frons narrow, about 1/4 as wide as rostral base; with wide median channel like impression; channel extending short distance behind eyes. Rostrum short, only about ½ length of head, widened beyond antennal insertions; apex about 1/4 wider than rostral base; with small rather widely spaced punctures. Antennae slightly longer than head and rostrum together; scape ovo-globose; funicle segment 1 short, bead like; funicle segments 2–6 slender, clavate; 2 slightly shorter than 3–5; segment 6 subequal to 2 in length but more clavate; segment 7 short, shorter than segment 6, cone shaped, apically widened; club like in texture; basal and middle segments cylindrical; middle segment shorter than basal segment, terminal segment longer than basal segment, pale, acuminate. Pronotum wider than long, widest at base, anterior edge broadly emarginate; sides arched out above procoxae; deeply and transversely rugose; rugae forming small raised dome like structure at middle of disk; coarsely punctured across base; anterior collar wide, smooth, band like, distinctly set off by deep groove; anterior basal carina wide, smooth; posterior basal carina very narrow. Scutellum sub-trapezoidal, widest across base, smooth, convex along middle; with few basal punctures; sides weakly sinuate; posterior corners rounded. Elytra distinctly longer than wide, narrowed posteriorly from humeri to apices; strial rows not distinct; punctures coarse; interspaces reticulate; intervals costate; intervals 2, 4 and 6 uniting to form prominent protuberance at declivity; humeri simple; with large pointed posthumeral spine on each side; spine apically narrow, base wide. Abdominal ventrites sparsely punctured and sparsely setose.

Femoral sexual dimorphism: The profemur of the male is armed with two widely separated projections. The disti-ventral projection is beak shaped, blunt tipped and with the apex curved upward and inward. The mid-ventral projection is pointed and angled upward and inward. An oval pit like sensillum with a raised rim is located near the ventral base of the mid-ventral projection. The female profemur also has two projections. The disti-ventral projection is similar to that of the male and the mid-ventral projection is much smaller. Also, the two projections in the female are much closer together.

Distribution: Euscelus armatus is recorded from Haiti and the Dominican Republic. O’Brien and Wibmer (1982) also list the species from mainland Cuba and the Isla de Pinos. Voss’s type specimens of E. callosipennis (synonym of E. armatus ) are from Cuba.

Comments: This species is easily recognized by the large pointed posthumeral elytral spines.

Host plant: It feeds on Dalbergia sp. and Stigmatophyllum sp. according to Wolcott (1926).

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Male genitalia of West Indies Euscelus species, 64 X: a) tegmen, dorsal view b) median lobe with endophallic sac and transfer apparatus in repose, ventral view 1) Euscelus armatus, Dominican Republic, La Vega Province 2) Euscelus scutellatus, Dominican Republic, Barahona Province 3) Euscelus postoculidens, Dominican Republic, Elias Pina, Sierra de Neiba 4) Euscelus dentipes, Puerto Rico, Punta Santiago.