Pyticeroides turbosiris Opitz, 2010

Opitz, Weston, 2010, New taxa of Epiphloeinae Kuwert (Cleridae) and Chaetosomatidae Crowson (Coleoptera: Cleroidea), Insecta Mundi 2010 (123), pp. 1-28 : 23-24

Pyticeroides turbosiris Opitz , new species

Figure 20, 37, 64.

Holotype. Female. ECUADOR: Orellana: Tiputini Biodiversity Station , 00 o 37’S 76 o 08’W, 21-X-1998, 220- 250 m, T.L.Erwin; a second label reads-Fogging leaves in terre firme forest ( USNM). (Specimen point mounted, gender label and antenna affixed to paper point; support card; locality label; Natural History label; USNM acronymic label; Holotype label.)

Paratypes. None.

Diagnosis (Fig. 64): Among the known species of this genus, Pyticeroides turbosiris specimens most closely resemble those of P. ichnopsis Opitz from which they are conveniently distinguished by having the frons deeply indented, the pronotum yellow only at the anterior angles, the elytral disc uniformly dark brown, and the pronotal form more transverse-quadrate than transverse-trapezoidal.

Description. Size: Length 6.8 mm; width 2.0 mm. Integument: Cranium black; pronotal sides yellow only along the anterior angles; elytra uniformly brown; legs bicolorous, femora yellow, tibiae and tarsi brown. Head: Slightly narrower than width of pronotum (65:70), ratio of eye width to width of vertex (24:15); eyes not very bulged: antenna (Fig. 20), funicular antennomeres very expanded, antennomere 7 distinctly rectangulate. Thorax: Pronotum transverse-quadrate (72:55), side margins convex; elytral punctations seriate in most of elytral disc, several punctations misaligned near sutural margin, interstitial spaces arenose; elytral epipleural margin minutely serrulated in posterior half; elytra about 6 x longer than pronotum; elytra length to width ration about 5:1; anterior margin of protibia with 10 spines. Abdomen: Male pygidium not emarginate; aedeagus ( Fig. 37 ) lanceolate, aedeagal phallobasic apodeme and phallic struts slightly broadened at extremities

Variation. One specimen examined.

Natural History. The Holotype was collected by fogging branches at an altitude between 220-250 m.

Distribution. This species is known only from northeastern Ecuador.

Etymology. The specific epithet turbosiris is a Latin compound name formed from the adjective turba (= turmoil) and the noun sirus (= pit). I refer to the disorganization of some of the punctations aside the sutural margin.

Taxonomic Notes. To accommodate the name of this species in a key to the known species of Pyticeroides ( Opitz 2007: 102) , the following couplet changes are in order:

6(4'). Funicular antennomeres very expanded (Fig. 20) ....................................................................... 7 – Funicular antennomeres not very expanded ............................................................................... 8

7(6). Elytral disc uniformly brown ( Ecuador: Orellana) ........ Pyticeroides turbosiris Opitz , n. sp. – Elytral disc yellow at the humeral angles ( Brazil: Bahia) ......... Pyticeroides ichnopsis Opitz

Figures

Figure 25-38. Aedeagi. 25) Amboakis ampla. 26) A. antegalba. 27) Amboakis demagna. 28) Amboakis capitata. 29) A. diffusa. 30) A. waodani. 31) Epiphloeus erwini. 32) Epiphloeus pulcherrimus. 33) Madoniella divida. 34) Plocamocera lena. 35) Pyticeroides latisentis. 36) P. moraguesi. 37) P. turbosiris. 38) P. ustulatis.