Scolytodes pascopomus Jordal

Jordal, Bjarte H., 2013, New species and records of Scolytodes (Coleoptera, Curculionidae: Scolytinae) from South America, Zootaxa 3721 (6), pp. 529-551 : 534-536

Scolytodes pascopomus Jordal , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F990257F-1452-488D-85A0-F9CB1BD83395 ( Figs 11, 14, 17 )

Type material. Holotype, female: “ Ecuador, Pichincha Province, Maquipucuna Reserve, 50 km NW of Quito, 10 August 1996, A. Cognato coll, ex. fruit husk”. Allotype and Paratypes (11): same label as holotype (4); " Ecuador, Pichincha, Rio Guajalito 1800 m, 78º46'W 00º12'S (7). Holotype and allotype in MSUC, paratypes in ZMBN (2), USNM (2), QCAZ (6).

Diagnosis. Interstriae 10 sharply elevated far beyond level of metacoxae, protibiae without an additional mesal tooth, procoxae narrowly separated. Elytral striae uniseriate, distinguished with difficulties from confused punctures in broad interstriae. Closely related to S. cenchros but distinguished by the female frons having a light bulb-shaped ring of moderately long setae.

Description female. Length 2.6–3.5 mm, 2.2–2.3 times longer than wide; mature colour black. Head. Eyes separated above by 2.8–3.0 times their width. Frons flattened on median half, from level of antennal insertion to just below upper level of eyes; surface smooth, weakly reticulated on vertex only, subshining; punctures sparse and tiny in glabrous area above upper level of eyes, densely punctured in a light bulb fashion below, impunctate on small area just above epistoma. Vestiture consisting of a light bulb-shaped semiring of fine slick golden setae, longest setae shorter than length of scapus. Antennal club pilose, without sutures. Funiculus 6-segmented. Pronotum 0.95 times as long as wide, sides parallel on basal one-third, broadly rounded in front; surface very finely reticulated, subshining, with shallow punctures irregularly spaced by 2–3 times their diameter. Vestiture consisting of 4 erect longer bristle-like setae along frontal margin and one in each hind corner (4–0–2). Elytra 1.3– 1.5 times longer than wide, 1.6–1.7 times longer than pronotum; sides straight on basal two-thirds, somewhat broadly rounded behind; striae not or very weakly impressed and difficult to distinguish from interstriae, punctures small, moderately deep, in irregular rows, spaced on average by their diameter; interstriae 3–4 times wider than striae, punctures about two-thirds the size of those in striae, less deep, strongly confused. Interstriae 10 reaching near elytral apex. Generally glabrous with vestiture consisting of microscopic setae close to margins. Legs. Procoxae separated by 0.3–0.4 times the width of a coxa. Mesocoxae separated by the width of one procoxa. Protibiae moderately broad, lateral teeth 1 and 2 equally long but tooth 1 reaching shorter than 2, about five additional spines decreasing in size towards tibial base. Meso- and metatibiae with 7–8 lateral socketed teeth on distal half. Ventral vestiture. Setae on mesanepisternum and metanepisternum long and simple.

Description male. Similar to female except frons strongly convex, slightly inflated between upper level of eyes and antennal insertion, epistoma distinctly transversely impressed, with two shallow grooves just above mandibular bases; surface reticulate, subshining, with shallow punctures from vertex to epistoma spaced by 2–3 times their diameter; mainly glabrous except one erect seta and some smaller setae close to each inner margin of eyes, more setose below antennal insertion and in epistomal grooves. Mandibles narrowly inserted and protruding. Eyes more broadly separated by 3.5–3.7 times their width.

Key. As for S. cenchros , goes to couplet 40.

Etymology: combined from Latin pasco, meaning 'feed on' and pomus, meaning ‘fruit’, with reference to the breeding habits in a fruit husk.

Biology and distribution. Collected repeatedly from various localities in the Pichincha province of Ecuador, at approximately 1500 m altitude. One series was taken from the fruit husk of an unidentified plant. This is the only known host record from a fruit for this genus.

Figures

FIGURES 10 – 18. Dorsal, lateral and front view of Scolytodes cenchros (10, 13, 16), S. pascopomus (11, 14, 17), S. concavifrons (12, 15, 18).