Ivierhipidius paradoxus, Barclay & Sw, 2015

Barclay, Maxwell V. L. & Sw, London, 2015, Ivierhipidius, an enigmatic new Neotropical genus of Ripiphoridae (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea) with four new species, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 55 (2), pp. 691-701 : 695-696

Ivierhipidius paradoxus sp. nov.

( Figs 1–2 , 9–10, 12 )

Type locality. Central America, Belize, Cayo District, Chiquibul Forest Reserve, Las Cuevas field station.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, ‘ BELIZE, June 2006 / Chiquibul Forest Res. / Las Cuevas field station / 88°59’W; 16°44’N / James Kitson leg. // BMNH{E} / 2006-141 / Kitson & Gillett // Malaise Trapʼ ( BMNH) . PARATYPES: 1 J, same data as holotype ( NMPC) ; 4 JJ, ‘ BELIZE, May 2010 / Chiquibul Forest Res. / Las Cuevas field station / 88°59’W ; 16°44’N / Malaise Trap // Barclay, Mendel, Quicke & Broad leg.ʼ ( BMNH) ; 1 J, ‘ BELIZE, Chiquibul Forest Res. / Las Cuevas field station / 88°59’W ; 16°44’N // FIT [Flight Intercept Trap] 11 / 5.8.94.ʼ ( MAIC) ; 1 J same data except ʻMT [Malaise trap] 12 / 16.9.94.ʼ ( BMNH) ; 1 J, same data except ‘MT 11L / 24.9.94.ʼ ( BMNH) ; 1 J, same data except ‘MT 12 / 14-17.v.96 / Wk 80ʼ ( BMNH). 1 J, ‘ HONDURAS: Ocotepeque / R. B. [Reserva Biologica] Guisayote / 23 May 1995 / R. Turnbowʼ ( RHTC) .

Diagnosis. Male. Length (holotype) 4.5 mm (combined length of head, pronotum and elytra measured individually), greatest width 1.5 mm across elytral shoulders. Entire beetle foxy orange-brown except antennomeres 2–11 darkened, and elytra gradually infuscated, becoming black at tip, elytral darkening may extend to whole apical half of elytra in some specimens. Carina of vertex emarginate in centre, giving a bilobed appearance when viewed frontally or posteriorly. Head, thorax and elytra coarsely and evenly punctured, puncturation becoming more wrinkled and confluent towards apices of elytra, and covered in long semirecumbent yellowish pubescence. Legs long, covered in long yellowish pubescence. Base of second ventrite, where it is overlapped by the translucent apical margin of the first ventrite, covered by dense brush of setae.

Differential diagnosis. See the key below.

Collection circumstances. All individuals with known collecting circumstances were collected in unbaited flight interception devices, Malaise traps and flight intercept traps (the former collecting insects that fly upwards when encountering a vertical obstacle, the latter insect that drop down). The traps were placed in tropical rainforest probably at ground level. Extensive light trapping in the Belize locality at the same time did not collect any individuals, suggesting that the flying males are not attracted to light. Specimens have been collected in May, June, August and September.

Etymology. The specific name, the Latin adjective paradoxus (- a, - um), refers to the paradoxical nature of these beetles, in that only males are known, no life history is known, and they have remained undescribed for a long period of time. It is also a homage to the first-described member of Ripiphoridae , the Palaearctic Metoecus paradoxus (Linnaeus, 1761) .

Distribution. Most specimens of Ivierhipidius paradoxus sp. nov. are from the Chiquibul Forest of southern Belize, close to the Guatemalan border. One paratype is from Ocotepeque in western Honduras. The species probably also occurs in adjoining countries. It is the only member of the genus so far known from north of the Isthmus of Panama.

Figures

Figs 1–4. Habitus. 1–2 – Ivierhipidius paradoxus sp. nov.: 1 – holotype, dorsal view; 2 – paratype, lateral view. 3–4 – I. youngi sp. nov.: 3 – holotype, dorsal view; 4 – holotype, lateral view. Images by Harry Taylor (Natural History Museum London).

Figures 5–9. Habitus. 5–6 – Ivierhipidius cechorum sp. nov.: 5 – holotype, dorsal view; 6 – holotype, lateral view. 7–8 – I. monneorum sp. nov.: 7 – holotype, dorsal view; 8 – paratype, lateral view. 9 – Ivierhipidius paradoxus sp. nov., paratype, mounted metathoracic wing. Images by Harry Taylor (Natural History Museum London).

Figs 10–15. 10–11 – detail of heart-shaped, deeply indented metatrochanter (10 – I. paradoxus sp. nov., paratype; 11 – I. monneorum sp. nov., holotype). 12–15 – detail of head, frontal view: (12 – I. paradoxus sp. nov., paratype; 13 – I. youngi sp. nov., holotype; 14 – I. cechorum sp. nov., paratype; 15 – I. monneorum sp. nov., paratype). Scale bars = 1 mm. Images by Harry Taylor (Natural History Museum, London).