Perilypus arsus OPITZ nov.sp. (Figs 180, 211, 273)

Holotype: ♂. Type locality: Costa Rica, Puntarenas Prov., San Luis Rd., 6 mi. E to Guacimal. A second label reads: ca. 700 m, 27-VI-1997, J. Rifkind, H. Lezama, colls. (CSCA) . Paratypes: 3 specimens. Costa Rica: Provincia de Puntarenas, San Luis Road, 6 miles E Junction with Road to Guacimal (JNRC, 1) ; San Luis, Ecolodge S Luis, 17-VI-1997, beating, 1100 m, J. Rifkind, H. Lezama (JNRC, 1; WOPC, 1) .

D i a g n o s i s: The genus Perilypus SPINOLA was revised in 1977 (EKIS 1977). This work included a key to species. The available Perilypus arsus specimens keys out to P. cultratus EKIS, from which Perilypus arsus specimens differ by showing significantly narrower phallobasic lobes.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Size: Length 7.0 mm; width 2.0 mm. Form: As in Fig. 273. Color: Cranium flavotestaceous; antenna black; pronotum bicolorous, mostly flavotestaceous, collar black; pterothorax black except mesosternum yellow; elytra black, with faintly visible bluish tinge. Head: Interocular depression moderately deep, crescentic; frontal umbo prominent; cranium minutely punctate; antenna moderately serrate, not densely setose, antennomeres gradually increasing in diameter from scape to antennomere 11; eyes finely facetted, eye narrower than frons (EW/FW 28/45). Thorax: Pronotum transverse (Fig. 180), very finely punctate; pronotal arch well defined; subapical depression well defined; side margins of pronotum proper strongly arcuate (PW/PL 100/93); elytra oblong rectangulate, pubescence short and profusely distributed throughout disc; disc punctures small and profusely distributed on disc, epipleural fold plane (EL/EW 305/75). Abdomen: Pygidium transverse / scutiform; aedeagus as in Fig. 211.

Variation: The paratypes are more melanistic that the holotype. Each elytron may have a yellow line and the pronotal disc may show a centrally located broad black marking. In one paratype, the elytral discal line is only faintly visible.

N a t u r a l H i s t o r y: The available specimens were collected during June, by beating, at altitudes that ranges from 700-1100.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: This species is known from Costa Rica.

E t y m o l o g y: Thetrivialname, arsus, is a Latin adjective from ardo (= glow); in reference to the bluish tinge on the elytral disc.