Peltariosilis brunneoapicalis, Biffi & Geiser, 2020
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.11606/1807-0205/2020.60.special-issue.16 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3C128243-07E3-4435-A496-D8F50F68389E |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03CA7502-162F-3660-AED8-FC69DF773144 |
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treatment provided by |
Carolina |
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scientific name |
Peltariosilis brunneoapicalis |
| status |
sp. nov. |
Peltariosilis brunneoapicalis sp. nov.
( Figs. 7C View Figure 7 , 10O View Figure 10 , 12O View Figure 12 , 13K View Figure 13 , 14K, 17 View Figure 17 M-P)
Type series: HOLOTYPE ♂ ( INPA): “ BRASIL. Amazonas , Manaus / ZF - 2, km 34, Base LBA / 02˚35′37″S,60˚12′39″W / 09-11.vii.2008. Arm. luz no chão / JA Rafael & FF Xavier Fº. Col. ” ( Fig. 7C View Figure 7 ) . PARATYPES (3 specimens): “ BRASIL. Amazonas , Manaus / Parque das Laranjeiras / 15-30.i.1981 / CDC light trap. Eq. J. Arias Col. ” (1 ♂, INPA) ; “Brasil, Amazonas / Reserva Ducke / 26 km NE Manaus / Barbosa , M. G. V. // Plot C / Malaise 5 / Nov/95 // MZSP 31240 View Materials ” (1 ♂, MZSP 31240 View Materials ) ; “ BRASIL: AM / R. Duke / 30-IV-1982 / J. A. Rafael // MZSP 31241 View Materials ” (1 ♂, MZSP 31241 View Materials ) ; “ BRAZIL: Am. / Reserva Ducke / 26km NE. Manaus / Barbosa, M.G. V. // Plot C / FIT 3 / March 1995 // 68.1 // BMNH {E} / 2003-84” (1 ♂ BMNH) .
Diagnosis: Antennae testaceous yellow on antennomeres I-III and IX-XI, light to dark brown on IV-VIII, pronotum and scutellum orange yellow, elytra mostly testaceous yellow, with light to dark brown irregular patches at apex. Pronotum with frontolateral lobes long and straight, projected posteriorly and dorsally; angles of frontolateral lobe indistinct; dorsal projections sharp, diagonal, with lateral peaks meeting base of laterobasal lobes. Scutellum with very slender lamellar projection, narrower near base and slightly wider distally, apices slightly projected, not forming well-defined fork. Peltariosilis brunneoapicalis sp. nov. differs from all other species by the elytra mostly testaceous yellow with irregular brown patches.
Description: Head black, except anterior margin of clypeus, orange brown; base of mandibles, labium, maxillae and palpi testaceous yellow; antennae testaceous yellow in antennomeres I-III and IX-XI, antennomeres IV-VIII light to dark brown; thorax and abdomen light to dark brown; pronotum and scutellum orange yellow, slightly translucent; legs and elytra testaceous yellow, except for broad, irregular light to dark brown apical elytral patches.
Male: ( Fig. 7C View Figure 7 ): Antennae long; antennomere I elongate, slightly wider apically, II short, slightly wider apically, III-X nearly cylindrical, narrower proximally, flat at ventral surface and globose at dorsal surface, X-XI narrower, slender, filiform. Anterior margin of clypeus with a broad arcuate concave notch. Pronotum ( Fig. 10O View Figure 10 ): anterior margin strongly arched; frontolateral lobe distinct, broad, projected laterally, arched anteriorly and straight posteriorly; sides behind frontolateral lobe rounded, with indistinct angles of laterobasal lobe; laterobasal lobes long, straight, directed posteriorly and dorsally, apex rounded, not swollen, dorsal and ventral flaps juxtaposed,barely distinct; dorsal projections razor blade like, straight, diagonal, directed postero-dorsally, distal margin sharp, forming an inner obtuse peak and acute lateral peaks meeting base of laterobasal lobes. Scutellum ( Fig. 12O View Figure 12 ) with very slender lamellar projection, narrower near base and slightly wider distally, apices acute, slightly projected, not forming well-defined fork. Elytra nearly parallel, apparently wider distally, apex rounded. Abdominal tergite VIII ( Fig. 13K View Figure 13 ) subrectangular, wider than long, lateral margins slightly arched, distal margin with a broadly arched median notch; ventrite VII ( Fig. 14K) wide,lateral and distal margins broadly arched, longer at middle. Aedeagus ( Fig. 17 View Figure 17 M-P): ventral plaque of tegmen lateroventral, elongated, straight, very broad, flattened laterally, margins strongly sinuous, apex broadly rounded with a dorsally curved sharp tip; parameres fused at base and strongly divergent, flattened, narrower at base, widening towards apex, regularly curved dorsally, apex obtuse; median lobe membranous, translucent; internal sac elongated, narrow, slightly curved ventrally at apex, much longer than sclerites; median dorsal sclerites elongated, fused at base, split at apex, acute; paramedian dorsal sclerites very short, concealed behind parameres, strongly scle- rotised, acute, curved dorsally; ventral sclerites slender, acute, strongly curved dorsally, convergent; lateral sclerites indistinct or absent.
Female: Unknown.
Etymology: The specific epithet brunneoapicalis is formed from the Latin words brunneus (brown) + apicalis (apical), referring to the elytral apical brown spots.
Distribution: Brazil (Amazonas state) ( Fig. 18 View Figure 18 ).
Distribution and natural history of Peltariosilis
With the new species described herein, the number of known Peltariosilis species is more than doubled. In addition to the 15 species now recognised, we have currently unidentified material from some more localities (see Fig. 18 View Figure 18 ) currently pending further studies, so we can expect the number of species to rise even further as more material becomes available. All of the species are restricted to the Amazonian subregion of the Neotropical region (sensu Morrone, 2000), with only P. flavicornis extending into the southern fringes of that area in Mato Grosso state, Brazil.
Based on the limited biological data available to us, mostly just the labels of the specimens, we can extrapolate that Peltariosilis are generally associated with forests, and most often with humid evergreen forests. One species, P. orientalis from Maranhão, was collected in an ecotone area between Amazon forest, savannah and Atlantic rainforest, with the exact habitat being unknown. Peltariosilis lamellata was collected at a light trap placed in a rocky savannah on top of a table mountain. Peltariosilis scutulata and P. cleidecostae are recorded from flooded forests (igarapés) in Acre and Roraima states. Most species were collected at rather low elevations, with only P.mensaemontis reaching 800 m on one of the“inselbergs” in French Guiana.
An interesting result of our study is the high morphological similarity between some of our species (e.g., P. cleidecostae sp. nov. and P. brancuccii sp. nov.), which makes them hard to separate based on external characters and has already led to some confusion regarding Wittmer’s definition of P. scutulata . Despite the highly complex and diverse pronotum and scutellum characters in the male, it is recommended to always examine the aedeagus for reliable identification, with the females being only identifiable when unambiguously associated with a male at the same locality. All this indicates that Peltariosilis have radiated within the Amazonian subregion rather recently. The once widespread hypothesis of allopatric speciation in Amazonian taxa due to Pleistocene forest fragmentation (e.g., Vanzolini &Williams,1970)is now increasingly being challenged (e.g., Knapp & Mallet, 2003; Bush & Oliveira, 2006). As long as the real biogeographic history of the Amazon forests is very much disputed ( Hooghiemstra, 2001), we would like to refrain from making any guesses on when Peltariosilis could have radiated. The complex structures of pronotum and scutellum in male Peltariosilis , likely associated with sexual pheromones ( Eberhard, 2006), may have been driving speciation by increasing the reproductive isolation between populations.
It is evident that some Peltariosilis species have a rather restricted distribution within the Amazonian subregion. A number of species ( P. gracilicornis , P. lamellata , P.major , P. mensaemontis , P. mitarakaemontis , P. orientalis ) are only known from a single locality. The species known from multiple localities are confined to either South or North of the Amazon main course, with several species ( P. amapaensis , P. diversicollis , P. guyanensis , P. lamellata , P. major , P. mensaemontis , P. mitarakaemontis ) restricted to the Guianas including Amapá (“Moist Guianian province” of Morrone, 2000).
The vast majority of the specimens examined herein came from light traps. Two species ( P. major and P. scutulata ) were reportedly beaten from vegetation during the day. Peltariosilis amapaensis was collected in flight intercept traps and P. mitarakaemontis was present in SLAM (sea-land-aerial-Malaise trap), as well as light trap samples ( Constantin, 2017). Based on this, we can assume that Peltariosilis are predominantly nocturnal. The collecting dates of most type series indicate that many species may also be highly seasonal, with a short adult lifespan, although further material is needed to confirm this assumption.
| INPA |
Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia |
| V |
Royal British Columbia Museum - Herbarium |
| AM |
Australian Museum |
| R |
Departamento de Geologia, Universidad de Chile |
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