Scolytus amazonicus Schedl, 1972

V. Petrov, Alexander & Y. Mandelshtam, Michail, 2010, New data on Neotropical Scolytus Geoffroy, 1762 with description of five new species from Peru (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae), ZooKeys 56, pp. 65-104 : 67-68

Scolytus amazonicus Schedl, 1972 Figs 12

Material examined.

Brazil: Manaus, Amazonas; Holotype ♂, NHMW. Peru, Loreto province, 30 km SSW from Iquitos, Panguana vill., 29.01.1997 A.Petrov (1♀).

Diagnosis.

The species is related to Scolytus barbatus Schedl and Scolytus mozolevskae sp.n., but can be distinguished by the structure of the second and third abdominal sternite and puncturation. The species also differs also from Scolytus barbatus by the smaller size, the absence of a bundle of golden hairs on the second abdominal sternite and also by the less abundant hair-like vestiture on the lateral parts of the front.

Description.

Male: body length 4.0-4.5 mm, 2.2-2.3 times as long as wide; body brown or reddish-brown, faintly shining, covered by pale hairs. Head reddish brown with mandibles nearly black. Front weakly convex from eye to eye and from epistoma to vertex, evenly longitudinally aciculate from vertex to epistoma. Lateral parts of front evenly rounded and covered with long golden hairs forming a brush. Antennae with reddish-brown scapus and funiculus and with blackish-brown club; club with narrow base, gradually widening towards apex, evenly rounded at apex. Pronotum 1.0-1.1 times as long as wide, reddish brown, its surface faintly shining, its punctures of variable size; punctures at base and in central portion of disk small, shallow, of elliptical form and significantly smaller compared to punctures at lateral sides in apical portion of pronotum; at base and in central part of pronotal disk punctures are sparse, in apical portion of pronotum punctures are densely set, confluent. Isolated hairs are set on lateral parts of pronotal apex. Pronotum is separated from propleura by acute lateral margin. Puncturation of lateral sides of pronotum (propleura) is inconspicuous, seen only under higher magnification, punctures are shallow and significantly smaller than punctures of pronotum lateral parts. Prothorax is covered by short, recumbent pale hairs. Scutellum triangular, set deeply in scutellar impression. Scutellum covered by minute pale scale-like hairs. Elytra 1.2-1.3 times as long as wide, equal in length to pronotum; striae distinctly, narrowly impressed, with round punctures, set close one to another; interstriae flat, with rows of small punctures. Towards elytral apex pale hairs form rows on interstriae and at lateral sides of elytra. Abdomen has first sternite set horizontal and nearly vertical second sternite. Third, fourth and fifth sternites form 45° angle with first sternite. First, fourth and fifth sternites are densely punctured with points of moderate size (Fig. 2). Puncturation of second and third sternites uneven, punctures are set on separate, slightly deepened areas and separated by dull, slightly elevated parts of surface lacking puncturation. Surface of the second and third sternites dull, the fourth glossy and shining. Legs reddish-brown. Femora with long pale hairs.

Female: body length 4.0 mm, 2.3 times as long as wide, pronotum 1.05 times as long as wide, elytra 1.1 times as long as wide, 1.1 times as long as pronotum; body reddish-brown, faintly shining, covered with pale hairs. In general similar to male, except front much more strongly convex and bearing a brush of middle-sized brownish hairs set in form of horseshoe. Upper margin of this brush attains upper level of eyes. Above upper portion of hair-brush overhangs one more brush of brown hairs originated from vertex. As in male puncturation of second and third abdominal sternites is uneven, punctures on these sternites located only on separate slightly deepened areas separated by dull slightly elevated surface without puncturation. Surface of second and third sternites dull, fourth glossy and shining. Second abdominal sternite is covered by densely set yellow hairs of moderate length; lateral sides of third sternite are armed with blunt tubercles. Fifth sternite medially impressed.

Notes.

There are two males of Scolytus amazonicus preserved in the collection of K. Schedl. The specimen labeled as a female has a front with damaged frontal vestiture. Due to the front structure with the short brush of hairs, this specimen was erroneously treated as female. Based on the female trapped in Peru, both sexes are distinguished by the features described above. In S. L. Wood’s monograph (2007), descriptions of both male and female are incorrect.