Muisca maculosa

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 : 614-615

Muisca maculosa ( GORHAM, 1877) ( Figs 22, 62, 96, 109, 138)

Muisca maculosa (GORHAM), 1877: 424. Lectotype. ♂. Brazil, Rio Jan., Fry ( BMNH) CORPORAAL 1950 : 282 . Paralectotypes: Two. Brazil: Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Fry ( BMNH; MNHN) (forebody missing in paralectotypes) .

D i a g n o s i s: Muisca maculosa specimens may be distinguished from those of its sister species, M. hexa , by coloration of the pronotal disc. In M. maculosa specimens the pronotal disc shows 2 brown maculae. In M. hexa specimens the pronotal disc is uniformly castaneous.

R e d e s c r i p t i o n: Size: Length 6.0 mm; width 2.0 mm. Form: As in Fig. 138. Color: Light castaneous, except frons and epicranium dark castaneous, pronotal disc with 2 large black maculae, and each elytron with 4 black spots. Head: Funicular antennomeres decreasing in length towards capitulum, capitulum much longer than combined length of funicular antennomeres, capitular antennomeres 9 and 10 oblong triangular ( Fig. 22), antennomere 11 obovate; frons as wide as width of eye (EW/FW 29/29). Thorax: Pronotum (Fig. 62) quadrate (PW/PL 90/90), side margin with well-developed tubercle, disc cribrate; elytral asetiferous punctation striate, prominent at basal 3/4 th (EL/EW 250/70). Abdomen: Pygidium subquadrate, distal margin strongly concave; 6 th visible sternite concave in posterior margin; aedeagus phallobase very weakly sclerotized, phallic apex as in Fig. 109.

V a r i a t i o n: Size: Length 5.0-6.0 mm; width 1.8-2.0 mm. Other than body size, the available specimens are quite homogeneous.

N a t u r a l h i s t o r y: A non-type specimen was collected during December.

D i s t r i b u t i o n ( Fig.96): In addition to the 2 types, I examined 2 specimens: Brazil: Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro ; Tijuca,?- XII-1884, E. Gounelle. Specimens are deposited in BMNH, MNHN, and WOPC .