Glaresis costaricensis Gordon and Hanley, 2014

Gordon, Robert D. & Hanley, Guy A., 2014, Systematic revision of American Glaresidae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea), Insecta Mundi 2014 (333), pp. 1-91 : 49-50

Glaresis costaricensis Gordon and Hanley , new species

Description. Sex unknown. The unique specimen was completely dissected at some point in its history, and the various parts glued to a card. Therefore the following description is necessarily limited in scope.

Color yellowish brown. Head with clypeal surface weakly microreticulate, surface of frons dull, smooth, surface of vertex with carinae forming coarse, dense reticulation, clypeus and frons with large, dense tubercles, tubercles separated by less than diameter of tubercle, becoming more widely spaced on frons with dense carinae forming irregular reticulation, without tubercles or setae. Clypeal apex emarginate, emargination with large, coarse, dense, tooth-like tubercles, lateral portion of apex with small, evenly spaced tubercles, lateral angles rounded, angulate ( Fig. 34B ). Mandible pair symmetrical; mesal tooth strong; lateral prominence strong, pronounced; outer margin slightly, abruptly rounded. Pronotum with deep, long, transverse fovea in anterior 1/4 extended completely across pronotum, small slightly transverse fovea on each side of middle in anterior 1/2, wide, deep fovea on each side medially near lateral margin, deep central furrow extended from base to transverse furrow; surface densely rugose, surface with dense, short, setae-bearing carinae, setae decumbent, 1/2 length of carina; anterior and lateral pronotal margins not bordered, all margins crenulate. Elytra with surface dull, densely microreticulate; all striae strongly carinate, carinae appearing continuous but narrowly interrupted adjacent to space between interval punctures, each carinal segment bearing an apical seta nearly as long as segment; intervals with deep, slightly rectangular punctures ( Fig. 34A ). Metasternum long, dull, finely, densely microreticulate, small, restricted median surface not tuberculate medially, remainder of surface with pronounced, short, dense carinae, median area flat, with faint median carina extended anteriorly from apical keel less than 1/2 distance to base; metasternal groove widened from apex to base, nearly reaching metepimeron at base, shallow, inner margin weakly tapered, outer margin abrupt ( Fig. 34D ). Lateral protibial teeth not evenly spaced, 2nd and 3rd teeth close together. Mesotibia with 5 short, widely spaced spines laterally, tibia strongly projecting at apex, projection apically acute ( Fig. 34C ). Posterior metatrochanteral margin without teeth or tubercles; posterosuperior surface of metatrochanter with single large tooth, tooth not visible directly in ventral view ( Fig. 34F ). Metafemoral surface with widely spaced, short, setae-bearing tubercles, surface densely microreticulate; width to length ratio 1.0:1.6, without noticeable flange on anterior margin, posterior margin with large, projecting tooth next to trochanter ( Fig. 34F ); posterosuperior margin without teeth. Metatibia narrow at base, abruptly widened before apex, surface entirely, strongly microreticulate, lateral margin with broad, laterally serrate flange, lateral teeth large, protruding, widely spaced, posteromedian tooth most pronounced, without posteromedian lateral projection, medially with uniform row of large, very widely spaced, round tubercles, inner margin smooth, pubescent ( Fig. 34E ). Abdomen lost.

Variation. Holotype only.

Type material. Holotype, sex unknown: Costa Rica. San Jose: Costa Rica, F. Nevermann, San Jose, 1000-2000 m ( USNM).

Remarks. The unique holotype specimen of G. costaricensis is made up of body parts glued to a card. All parts are present except the abdomen, and we suspect this was a damaged specimen that someone salvaged. Normally we would not describe a species from a specimen in that condition, but it represents the southernmost locality for Glaresis north of South America, and it is a highly distinctive species.

It is most similar to G. dentata but differs by the large, tooth-like tubercles in median clypeal emargination; pronotal surface with short, elongate carinae; metasternum with small, restricted smooth median area; metasternal groove very wide at basal end, nearly reaching metepimeron; presence of large tooth on metafemoral margin near trochanter; narrow lateral flange of metatibia; and median row of tubercles on metatibial surface sparse, widely spaced.

Etymology. This species is named for Costa Rica, the country of origin.

Figures

Figures 34A-34F. Glaresis costaricensis, new species. A) Habitus view. B) Clypeus and head surface. C) Mesotibia. D) Metasternum. E) Metafemur and trochanter, dorsal view. F) Metafemur and trochanter, ventral view.