Peridinetus cretaceus Pascoe

Prena, Jens, 2010, The Middle American species of Peridinetus Schönherr (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Baridinae), Zootaxa 2507, pp. 1-36 : 15-16

7. Peridinetus cretaceus Pascoe

( Fig. 21, 22 )

Peridinetus cretaceus Pascoe, 1880: 181 . Harold (1881: 401), Bertkau (1883: 214), Jekel (1883: 86), Champion (1907: 173, 1909: 484), Seidlitz (1909: 326), Marquis (1991: 201), Coto et al. (1995: 48), Lyal & King (1996: 751), Davis (2009: 44).

Conophoria cretacea . Casey (1922: 9).

Peridinetus (Conophoria) cretaceus . Hustache (1938: 9), Blackwelder (1947: 887), O’Brien & Wibmer (1982: 178).

Peridinetus luctuosus Chevrolat, 1883: 82 . Bertkau (1883: 247), Jekel (1883: 96), Ganglbauer (1884: 282), Champion (1907: 173) [synonym of P. cretaceus ].

Diagnosis. Peridinetus cretaceus is a common species and can be recognized by the presence of three characteristic whitish marks on the pronotum and elytron ( Fig. 21 ). It may be confused with P. distinctus ( Fig. 23 ), Embates championi (Casey) , E. cretifer (Champion) and Pardisomus biplagiatus (Desbrochers) , all superficially similar but with differently arranged fasciae (see note below). The studied specimens were 6.4– 11.5 mm long (standard length 6.0– 10.8 mm).

Distribution. This species has been found from Honduras south to the Pacific side of Colombia and Ecuador.

Plant association. Piper bisasperatum (Marquis 1 ×), P. culebranum (Marquis 1 ×), P. glabrescens (Prena 1 ×), P. hispidum (Prena 5 ×), P. i m p e r i a l e (Prena 1 ×), P. sancti-felicis (Marquis 6 ×), Piper sp. 4 [virgultulum?] (Marquis 4 ×).

Type material. P. cretaceus : holotype, Nicaragua, Chontales ( BMNH); P. l u c t u o s u s: holotype, Nicaragua ( NHRS).

Material examined. Honduras. Atlantida: Tela ( USNM 2). Cortés: Lago Yojoa ( USNM 1). Gracias a Dios: Río Plántano, Las Marias, 50 m ( JPPC 1). Olancho: Culmi ( USNM 1). Nicaragua. Chontales: [probably Santo Domingo] ( BMNH 1). Matagalpa: Matagalpa, Fuente Pura, 1400 m ( CMNC 5, JPPC 1, SEAN 1); Matagalpa, Selva Negra, 1300–1400m ( USNM 2); Matagalpa - Jinotega road km 147, 1200 m ( JPPC 1). Atlantico Sur: Las Americas ( CMNC 1); no site ( USNM 1). Costa Rica. Alajuela: P.N. Guanacaste, Est. San Ramón, 620 m ( CMNC 1, INBC 1); R.B. San Ramón, Río San Lorencito, 900 m ( INBC 1, JPPC 2); Dos Ríos, Fca. San Gabriel, 600 m ( INBC 1); Zarcero, Alfaro Ruiz, 1700 m ( INBC 1); P.N. Volcán Arenal, San Carlos, La Fortuna, 650 m ( INBC 1); San Carlos ( BMNH 1, USNM 2); Cariblanco ( BMNH 1, CHAH 1, USNM 3). Cartago: M.N. Guayabo, 1100 m ( INBC 1, JPPC 1); Grano de Oro, Chirripó, 1100 m ( INBC 1); San Cristobal, 600 m ( INBC 1); Azahar ( BMNH 1); Carchí ( BMNH 1, USNM 1); Turrialba ( CMNC 2, CNCI 1, JWPC 1, USNM 8); Tuís, 900 m ( JPPC 2); Pejibaye, 900–1100 m ( JPPC 1, USNM 1). Guanacaste: Río San Lorenzo, Tierras Morenas, 1050 m ( INBC 1); P.N. Rincón de la Vieja, Est. Las Pailas, 800 m ( INBC 1), Est. Santa Maria, 800 m ( CHAH 1, INBC 1); P.N. Guanacaste, Sector Gongora, 600 m ( INBC 1), Est. Cacao, 1100 m ( JPPC 1), Est. Pitilla, 700 m ( JPPC 1); Monteverde ( CMNC 13). Heredia: Puerto Viejo, Est. La Selva, 100 m ( CHAH 4, USNM 11); P.N. Braulio Carrillo, Est. El Ceibo, 400–500 m ( INBC 3, JPPC 3), Est. Magsasay, 200 m ( INBC 1), Est. Cantarrana, 300 m ( INBC 3), Sardinalito, 400 m ( INBC 1), Cerro Zurquí, 5 km N San Isidro, 1500 m ( JPPC 1); Santa Clara, 200 m ( USNM 3). Limón: Puerto Limón ( USNM 1); Cahuita ( USNM 2); Hamburg Farm, 55 m ( USNM 2); Guápiles ( USNM 1); RNFS Gandoca y Mazanillo, 10 m ( INBC 1); R.B. Hitoy Cerere, 100–300 m ( INBC 1, JPPC 3); Pandora ( CMNC 3); Est. Miramar, 500 m ( INBC 1); Amubri, 70 m ( INBC 1); Sector Cerro Cocorí, 150 m ( INBC 1); P.N. Tortuguero, 30 m ( INBC 1); Sardinas, Barra del Colorado, 15 m ( INBC 1). Puntarenas: Monteverde, 800–1500 m ( CHAH 1, INBC 1); Coto Brus, Est. Las Alturas, 1500–1600 m ( INBC 1). San José: 12 km NE San Isidro del General, Cerro Chucuyo, 1350 m ( JPPC 2); Guaitil de Pirrís, 1030 m ( BMNH 1); Sabanillas de Pirrís ( BMNH 1); Coronado, 1400–1500 m ( USNM 1); San José, 1000–1200 m ( USNM 2). Panamá. Bocas del Toro: Almirante, 150 m ( HPSC 2); Corriente Grande, 100 m ( HPSC 3); 4 km W Chiriquí Grande, 100 m ( JPPC 4, JWPC 1); 15 km SSW Changuinola, 300 m ( JPPC 4). Canal Area: Gatun Spillway ( HPSC 1). Coclé: El Valle, 900 m ( HPSC 1). Darién: Cana , P.N. Darién ( CMNC 1, HPSC 1). Panamá: Cerro Campana, 850 m ( CHAH 1, HPSC 1, USNM 1). Colombia. Va ll e d e l Cauca: Buenaventura ( BMNH 1); Anchicaya dam ( CMNC 2). Ecuador. Without locality ( NHRS 1). Total 147 specimens.

Note. The well-defined whitish marks, which stand in stark contrast to the black derm, have the delusive effect of dissolving the contour of the beetle so it blends in with the natural environment. As discussed for Embates species ( Prena 2005), these marks seem to have evolved from a light-colored circumferential line of a previously existing dark elytral spot. It is an odd phenomenon (at least in human perception) that an extravagant appearance almost inevitably leads to a noticeable loss in the ability to discriminate less striking details. Peridinetus distinctus , P. trifasciatus , Embates championi (Casey) , E. cretaceus (Champion) , E. paludicola Prena , Pardisomus biplagiatus (Desbrochers) and some Cholus species exhibit the same general color pattern like P. cretaceus , but the number and arrangement of the fasciae is different. Although speculative, I consider this as an example of convergent crypsis.

Figures

FIGURES 17 – 24. Dorsal and lateral habitus of Peridinetus species. 17 – 18, P. ca n u s, Volcán (Panamá); 19 – 20, P. rubens, Cerro Campana (Panamá); 21 – 22, P. cretaceus, Turrialba (Costa Rica); 23 – 24, P. distinctus, Columbia Forest (Belize).