Muisca signa, Opitz, Pitz Pinola Weston, 2018

Opitz, Pitz Pinola Weston, 2018, Classification, Natural History, and Evolution of the Subfamily Peloniinae O (Coleoptera: Cleroidea: Cleridae). Part IX. Taxonomic revision of the New World genus Muisca S, Linzer biologische Beiträge 50 (1), pp. 587-653 : 612

Muisca signa OPITZ nov.sp. ( Figs 19, 57, 94, 107, 134)

Holotype: ♂. Pérou ( Peru), Huambo, M. de Mathan, IV Trim.1889 ( MNHN).

Paratypes: 5 specimens. Peru: Provincia de Caylloma, Huambo,?-?-1889, M. de Mathan ( MNHN, 2; WOPC, 2) ; Provincia de Cusco, Cusco District, Kosñipata Valley , Cock of the Rock Lodge , 71°32'44.6''W 13°03'21.8''S, 20-XI-15-XII-2009, light sheet, 1500 m, Mendel, H. & Barklay, M. V. L. ( BMNH, 1) .

D i a g n o s i s: Muisca signa specimens show two paralateral dark lines on the pronotal disc. These lines are absent in M. fera specimens.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Size: Length 5.0 mm; width 2.0 mm. Form: As in Fig. 134. Color: Castaneous, except pronotal disc with two black lines and elytra bicolorous, elytral admixture of brown and yellow markings, disc mostly brown in basal 1/2, mostly yellow in distal 1/2. Head: Funicular antennomeres subfiliform, capitular antennomeres 9 and 10 triangular ( Fig. 19), antennomere 11 obovate; frons wider than width of eye ( EW /FW 23/30). Thorax: Pronotum (Fig. 57) slightly oblong ( PW /PL 70/83), side margin with well-developed tubercle, disc coarsely punctate at sides, widely subglabrous at middle; number of elytral asetiferous punctation reduced, punctures striate and extend to elytral apical 3/4 th at sides, punctures absent for most of region near sutural margin ( EL /EW 210/65). Abdomen: Pygidium subquadrate; 6 th visible sternite concave in distal margin; aedeagus, phallic apex as in Fig. 107.

V a r i a t i o n: Size: Length 4.5-7.0 mm; width 1.7-2.3 mm. Other than body size, the available beetles are quite homogeneous.

E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet, signa, is a Latin noun that stems from signum (= mark). I refer to the interesting color marks on the elytral disc.

D i s t r i b u t i o n ( Fig. 94): This species is known from Peru.