Muisca apicalis

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 : 603

Muisca apicalis ( SPINOLA, 1844b) ( Figs 15 , 49, 93, 100, 127)

Pelonium apicale SPINOLA, 1844b: 155. Lectotype: ♂. Designation by EKIS (now OPITZ) 1975: 55. Le Bresil ( Brazil) (MRSN). CORPORAAL 1950: 279.

D i a g n o s i s: The members of this species resemble superficially those of M. dozieri , but M. apicalis specimens differ in that the white marking at the elytral apex is sharply defined, which is not the case in M. dozieri specimens.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Size: Length 6.5 mm; width 2.2 mm. Form: As in Fig. 127 . Color: Mostly castaneous, femora and abdomen more testaceous; elytral disc castaneous, except yellow angular marking near apex. Head: Funicular antennomeres subfiliform, progressively more triangular, 5 th funicular antennomere expanded, capitulum expanded, about twice as long as combined length of funicular antennomeres, capitular antennomeres 9 and 10 with distal margins concave; anterior angles acute ( Fig. 15 ), antennomere 11 narrow elongate; frons narrower than width of eye (EW/FW 30/20). Thorax: Pronotum (Fig. 49) elongate (PW/PL 67/110), side margin with very shallow tubercle, disc narrowly subglabrous at middle; elytral asetiferous punctation striate, to distal 4/5 th, (EL/EW 240/70). Abdomen: Distal margin of male 6 th visible sternite slightly concave; aedeagus, phallic apex as in Fig. 100.

V a r i a t i o n: Size: Length 4.0- 7.5 mm; width 2.0-3.0 mm. The castaneous marking near the apex of the elytra varies in its ending.

N a t u r a l h i s t o r y: Specimens were collected during October and November, some in a tropical transition forest, at altitudes that ranges from 405 to 430 m.

D i s t r i b u t i o n ( Fig. 93 ): In addition to the lectotype, I examined 44 specimens: Bolivia: Departamento de Santa Cruz, Buena Vista , Hotel Flora & Fauna, 14-17-XI-2003, Morris, Nearns, Wappes ; idem, 22-31-X-2002, Wappes & Morris ; idem, 21-25-X-2003, Morris, Nearns, Wappes ; idem, 27-31-X-2002, Morris & Wappes ; idem, 17°29.949'S 63°33.52'W, 5-15-XI- 2001, 405 m, tropical transition forest, M. C. Thomas & B. K. Dozier ; idem, 17°29.925'S 63°39.128'W, 10-22-X-2004, J. E. Eger ; idem, 17°29.949'S 63°33.152'W, 5-15-XI-2001, M. C. Thomas ; 3.7 km SSE, Buena Vista , Hotel Flora & Fauna, 14-28-X- 2000, 430 m, B. K. Dozier ; 20 km S Buena Vista , 18-25-X-1992, E. Giesbert ; Potrerillos del Guenda , 17°40'S 63°27'W, 40 k NW Santa Cruz, 10-15-X-2007, J. Wappes & A. Cline ; idem, Snake Farm , 21-24-X-2011, 350-400, Wappes & Skillman ; idem, 14-16-X-2011, Wappes & Skillman ; idem, 16-22-X-2006, Wappes, Nearns & Eya ; Departamento de Cochabamba, Carrasco El Sacta, Morris & Wappes. Brazil: Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro,?-?-1883, P. Germain ; Tijuca ,?- XII-1884, E. Gounelle ; Estado do Bahia, S. Antonio da Barra , 11-XII-1988, Gounelle ; Cachimbo ,?-?-1890, Ch. Pujol ; Estado do Minas Gerais,?-?-1990, J. DeGaulle ; Estado do São Paulo, Caraca ,?-?-1884, P. Germain. Specimens are deposited in ACMT, CMNH, FMNH, FSCA, JNRC, MNHN, and WOPC .

Figures

Figs 14-33: Antennae. (14) Muisca dilatata, male. (15) M. apicalis, male. (16) M. hirtula, male. (17) M. xanthura, male. (18) M. angulicollis, male. (19) M. signa, male. (20) M. fera, male. (21) M. octonotata, male. (22) M. maculosa, male. (23) M. anachyma, male. (24) M. insigna, male. (25) M. dozieri, male. (26) M. togata, male. (27) M. irrorata, male. (28) M. menda, female. (29) M. hexa, female. (30) M. heppneri, male. (31) M. magdalena, female. (32) M. mestolinea, male. (33) M. omma, male.

Figs 125-128: Habitus. (125) Muisca dilatata. (126) M. insigna. (127) M. apicalis. (128) M. dozieri.

Figs 98-106: Phalli. (98) Muisca dilatata. (99) M. insigna. (100) M. apicalis. (101) M. dozieri. (102) M. irrorata. (103) M. hirtula. (104) M. togata. (105) M. xanthura. (106) M. fera.

Fig. 93: Geographic distribution of Muisca species as listed.