Scolytodes conpunctus Jordal

Jordal, Bjarte H., 2013, New species and records of Scolytodes (Coleoptera, Curculionidae: Scolytinae) from South America, Zootaxa 3721 (6), pp. 529-551 : 543

Scolytodes conpunctus Jordal , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D5512CE0-477F-45F1-AD2A-F61875C8AC49 ( Figs 30, 33, 36 )

Type material. Holotype, female: " Argentina, Misiones, Foz do Iguazu, 1. Aug. 2000, coll. B. Jordal, ex Cecropia leafstalks" Paratype, female: same data as holotype. Holotype deposited in ZMBN, paratype in USNM.

Diagnosis. Interstriae 10 sharply elevated far beyond level of metacoxae; protibiae very broad, without additional mesal tooth, procoxae widely separated; female pronotum with distinct asperities, punctures on basal half large. Closely related to S. maurus (Blandford) and S. nitidissimus (Eggers) , but distinguished from both by the distinctly asperate female pronotum which has much larger and deeper punctures on basal half, and by the more shiny surface of the frons.

Description female. Length 2.1 mm, 2.1 times longer than wide; colour black. Head. Eyes separated above by 3.0 times their width. Frons moderately concave on a little more than median half from a point well below upper level of eyes and antennal insertion, to epistoma, surface shiny, densely punctured, each puncture spaced by 1–3 times their diameter. Vestiture consisting of minute recumbent setae on vertex to margin of impressed area, densely setose in impressed area, setae pointing orad, about half the length of scapus. Antennal club with two procurved sutures marked by long and short setae; a partial septum at suture 1. Funiculus 6-segmented. Submentum area strongly and obliquely impressed. Pronotum as long as wide, parallel on basal one third, broadly rounded in front; distinct asperities on anterior fourth; surface shiny, with large, deep punctures on basal half spaced by 1–1.5 times their diameter, punctures smaller in asperate area reaching anterior margin. Vestiture consisting of few fine setae along anterior margin, erect setae partly abraded (4–2–2?). Elytra 1.2 times longer than wide, 1.4 times longer than pronotum; sides straight on basal two-thirds, broadly rounded behind; striae not or weakly impressed, punctures moderately large, deep, in irregular rows, spaced on average by 0.5–1.5 the diameter of a puncture, each main puncture accompanied by a much smaller puncture irregularly placed at its anterior or lateral margin; interstriae about twice as wide as striae, punctures tiny, less than half as large as those in striae, mainly with setae, rows of small granules on declivity. Interstriae 10 sharply elevated to level of ventrite II. Vestiture consisting of course, erect bristle-like interstrial setae from base to apex, spaced by slightly more than the length of a seta, a little closer on declivity. Legs. Procoxae separated by 1.1 times the width of a coxa. Mesocoxae separated by 1.2 times the width of one procoxae. Protibiae broad, robust, with a strong protibial mucro bent laterad; distal teeth 1 slightly shorter than 2, 4–5 additional small spines and granules decreasing in size towards base of tibiae, area between tooth 2 and the next two smaller spines extended slightly laterally by thin cuticle, posterior face with long scattered setae. Mesotibiae with 7–8 lateral socketed teeth on distal two-thirds. Metatibiae with 7 lateral socketed teeth on distal half. Ventral vestiture. Setae on mesanepisternum pentafid, on metanepisternum mainly simple, few.

Male. Not known.

Key. Couplet 6 has conflicting character states due to the very distinct asperities on the female pronotum. The closest match in the key is S. nitidissimus (Eggers) (as S. imitans , see below).

Etymology. From Latin, meaning ‘thoroughly punctured’, referring to the deeply punctured basal half of the pronotum.

Biology and distribution. Only known from the type locality in Missiones province of Argentina (S25° 41' 4.21", W54° 26' 55.69"). It was collected from the base of a Cecropia leafstalk.

Figures

FIGURES 28 – 36. Dorsal, lateral and front view of Scolytodes inusitatus (28, 31, 34), S. grossepunctatus (29, 32, 35), S. conpunctus (30, 33, 36).