Scolytodes pseudoatratus 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 : 16

Scolytodes pseudoatratus Jordal and Smith , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F037344B-4ED8-44C3-891E-239DB21A1AE0

( Figs 1, 4, 7 )

Type material. Holotype, female: Ecuador: El Cotopaxi, La Maná, Yakusinchi Reserve , S 00°07.030’ W 79°08.717’, 450–550m, 12–14.V.2015, Cognato, Smith, Osborn, Martinez et al; Sample EC 12, ex Cecropia petioles without urticating hairs . Allotype and Paratypes: same label as holotype (2 males, 4 females). Holotype and allotype in QCAZ , two paratypes in USNM , two in ZMBN, and one in MSUC.

Diagnosis. Procoxae widely separated, protibiae broad with a strong and laterally curved mucro, without additional mesal tooth; interstriae 10 sharply elevated to near apex. Very closely related to S. fraterniatratus Jordal, 2013 , but distinguished by the less setose female frons, the reticulate and less shiny surface of male and (upper) female frons, and the much finer punctures on a pronotum that entirely lack setae. This species is most reliably distinguished by genetic data ( Table 1).

Description female. Length 2.8–3.1 mm, 1.9–2.0 × as long as wide; colour black. Head. Eyes entire, separated above by 3.5–3.8 × their width. Frons broadly impressed from just below upper level of eyes to epistoma, surface densely punctured on lower four-fifths except an impunctate weakly elevated longitudinal callus on lower third about one-third the width of impressed area; above impressed area reticulated and dull with few punctures. Vestiture consisting of densely placed short setae in punctured part of impressed area, directed orad. Antennal club with two irregularly procurved sutures marked by short setae, interspersed by fewer longer setae; first two segments subcorneous, third segment strongly pilose. Funiculus 6-segmented. Submentum and area around strongly and obliquely impressed, with long setae. Pronotum weakly reticulate, shining, with tiny, shallow punctures reaching anterior margin, spaced on average by 3–5 × times their diameter, asperities entirely absent. Glabrous. Elytra smooth on disc, tuberculate on declivity; striae 1 weakly, other striae not impressed on disc, all interstriae on declivity weakly impressed; punctures mainly in rows, slightly to strongly confused in some places, punctures of two types, each larger puncture associated with a tiny, near contiguous, puncture of half the size; interstriae 3–6 × wider than striae, punctures in rows, smaller than largest strial punctures, on declivity with granules present at base of erect uniseriate setae; interstriae 10 sharply elevated to near apex. Legs. Procoxae separated by 1.1–1.2 × the width of a coxa. Mesocoxae separated by 1.2–1.3 × the width of one procoxa. Protibiae broad, distal tooth 2 extending beyond tooth 1, 4–5 additional smaller lateral spines decreasing in size towards tibial base, semi-transparent cuticle extending lateral edge between tooth 2 and neighbouring smaller spines, producing a broad tibial surface; protibial mucro strong, bent posterolaterally. Meso- and metatibiae with 7–8 lateral socketed teeth on distal two-thirds. Ventral vestiture. Setae on mesanepisternum few, very fine, bifid; on metanepisternum simple.

Male. Similar to female except frons convex, impressed just above epistoma and in front of the antennal insertion, median surface elevated into a tubercle, roughly punctured, on upper frons and vertex reticulated; vestiture consisting of short, densely placed, setae on the epistomal lobe, scattered elsewhere; pronotum weakly asperate on anterior fourth.

Key ( Wood 2007). Keys to couplet 7, S. atratus (Blandford, 1897) , but differs by the very fine pronotal punctures, the more strongly elevated tubercle in the male frons, and by the short, fine setae on the elytral declivity.

Etymology. The Latin prefix pseudo- means false, referring to the high morphological similarity to S. atratus .

Biology and distribution. Only known from the type locality in lowland rainforest. Specimens were taken from the pith of Cecropia leafstalks. All close relatives of this species have the same host preference and breeding habits.

Figures

FIGURES 1–9. Dorsal, lateral and frontal views of the female holotype of Scolytodes pseudoatratus (1, 4, 7), Scolytodes latipes (2, 5, 8), and Scolytodes sloanae (3, 6, 9).