Agra tiputini Erwin, 2010

Erwin, Terry L., 2010, Agra, arboreal beetles of Neotropical forests: pusilla group and piranha group systematics and notes on their ways of life (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Lebiini, Agrina), ZooKeys 66, pp. 1-28 : 21-23

Agra tiputini Erwin sp. n. Fig. 11

Holotype:

Ecuador: Ecuador: Orellana, Tiputini Biodiversity Station, Rio Tiputini, Erwin Transect, 232m, "0.63173°S, 76.14420°W," 23 October 1998 (T.L. Erwin, et al.)(NMNH: 117233, female).

Derivation of specific epithet.

The epithet " tiputini " is the name of the Research Station and the river near which the holotype was collected.

Proposed English vernacular name.

Tiputini Elegant Canopy Beetle.

Diagnosis.

With the attributes of the genus and species-group as described above and pronotum brassy, legs unicolorous, lateral depression of frons unicarinate, smooth, gena and occiput with sparse and moderately small setigerous punctures plus two larger ones; elytra constricted at basal third, flared at apical third, side markedly arcuate, intervals not costate.

Description.

Size: Small, ABL = 5.98 - 7.17 mm, SBL = 5.98 - 6.04 mm, TW = 2.04 mm. Color: Head black with bluish reflection posteriorly, body and legs with metallic blue reflections, elytra metallic cobalt blue; antennae and mouthparts piceous, scape with slight metallic blue reflections. Luster: Shiny metallic, elytra matte. Head: Labrum moderately elongate and rounded at corners, slightly emarginate medially. Frons medially raised and smooth, laterally depressed and smooth. Gena slightly tapered, hind angle obtuse to constricted neck in both female. Genae and occiput with sparse setiferous punctures, some coarsely so. Prothorax: Slightly broader medially, slightly flared basally; surface with dense punctures, disc each side with four long setae, with short setae both basally and apically; lateral elongate callous with single row of non-setiferous puncture along middle. Pterothorax: Elytron moderately convex, flared at apical third, intervals not costate, interneurs of rows of somewhat laterally ovate cribriform punctures, apex tru ncate, barely lobate, apical dentation asymmetric, lateral tooth small, acute, sutural apex not produced, rounded. Metasternum sparsely setiferous in females. Legs: Legs normal. Abdomen: Abdominal sterna III, IV, and V of females sparsely setiferous bilaterally; sternum VII of female very slightly emarginate. Male genitalia: Unknown. Female ovipositor: Stylomere 2 as in Agra piranha ( Fig. 9 ).

Dispersal potential.

These beetles are macropterous and are probably capable of flight; they are swift and agile runners.

Way of life.

Adults are found in the canopy of terre firme rainforest trees; known larvae of this genus ( Arndt et al. 2001) are found under the bark of these trees, however they must also roam on the surface, as they have been collected by insecticidal fogging techniques in the very early morning before first light. Members of Agra tiputini occur at lowland altitudes in the Amazon Basin. Adults are active in February and October, the dry season and the transition season. The holotype was fogged from a mixed canopy consisting of the crowns of the palms Iriartea deltoidea Ruiz. & Pav. and Wettinia maynensis Spruce, and the hardwood Macrolobium cf. ischnocalyx . The paratype was fogged from the hardwood family Myrtaceae . The February specimen is very teneral suggesting that the dry season triggers pupation and emergence.

Other specimens examined.

Orellana, 1 km S Onkone Gare Camp, Entomology Transect, 216m, "0.6569°S, 76.4527°W," 8 February 1995 (T.L. Erwin, et al.)(NMNH: ADP 087439, male paratype).

Geographic distribution.

( Fig. 11 ). This species is currently known from Amazonian Ecuador.

Figures

Figure 11. Distribution map of the species of the piranha group.

Figures 8 - 9. 8 Agra piranha Erwin, sp. n., male genitalia (dorsal, ventral, left lateral aspects) (ADP 087440) 9 Agra piranha Erwin, sp. n., female stylomeres (dorsal aspect) (ADP 117227).