Scolytodes pilifrons (Schedl, 1962)

Jordal, Bjarte H. & Smith, Sarah M., 2020, Scolytodes Ferrari (Coleoptera, Scolytinae) from Ecuador: 40 new species, and a molecular phylogenetic guide to infer species differences, Zootaxa 4813 (1), pp. 1-67 : 42-44

Scolytodes pilifrons (Schedl, 1962)

( Figs 82, 85, 88 )

Hexacolus pilifrons Schedl , original spelling

Material examined. Paratype, female: Venezuela, Maracay , Rancho Grande, Xi.1960. G. Frey [ NHMW] . Additional material. Ecuador: Napo province, Cosanga, McClarin’s camp, 2100m, GIS: -0.594, -77.877, ex ‘Petrov- FIT’, #871, 2iii2018, J. McClarin, leg.

Diagnosis. Interstriae 10 sharply elevated to near apex. Protibiae with an additional mesal tooth. Pronotum strongly asperate. Elytra with erect setae on odd-numbered interstriae. Female frons with small circular ring of incurved setae. Not similar to other known species.

Redescription, female. Length 1.5–2.0 mm, 2.3–2.4 × as long as wide; colour dark brown. Head. Eyes entire, separated above by 3.0–3.2 × their width. Frons flattened on little more than central half, finely punctured and reticulated above; vestiture consisting of a circle of densely placed, incurved golden setae. Antennal club with two obliquely procurved sutures, segment 1 and 2 partially corneous. Funiculus possibly 6-segmented (not clearly seen on type). Pronotum reticulate, with shallow punctures on posterior half spaced by their diameter, anterior half with increasingly large asperities. Vestiture consisting of 10 long, erect setae (4-2(-2)-2). Elytra smooth, shiny; striae regular, impressed near scutellum, punctures moderately large, deep, spaced by their diameter; interstrial punctures much smaller, mainly in regular rows except more confused on interstriae 4, 8 and 9. Strial and interstrial punctures obscure on declivity; interstriae 10 sharply elevated to near apex. Vestiture consisting of very fine, scattered, erect setae on odd-numbered interstriae, and very fine, minute setae particularly on posterior half and sides. Legs. Procoxae separated by 0.5 × the width of one procoxa. Mesocoxae separated by 0.9 × the width of a procoxa. Protibiae narrow, distal tooth 1 and 2 subequal, with 2–3 lateral spines or rugae decreasing in size towards tibial base; an additional mesal tooth present on its posterior face; protibial mucro straight. Meso- and metatibiae with 6 lateral, socketed teeth on distal half. Ventral vestiture. Setae on mesanepisternum trifid, on metanepisternum and metasternum simple.

Male. Similar to female except frons convex, reticulate, with sparse, coarse punctures and scant setae.

Key ( Wood 2007). Does not match the first couplet because a long carinate interstriae 10 is incompatible with an additional mesal tooth on protibiae. If one chooses the correct couplet (59), the description of a smooth impunctate are in the middle of the female frons does not fit the type in which the frons is entirely covered by a circle of incurved setae.

Biology and distribution. One of few species known from both lowland (type locality) and high altitude ( Ecuador). The specimen from Ecuador was collected by a small flight intercept trap as modified by A. Petrov and baited with ethanol. This is the first record from Ecuador .

Comments. The redescription of S. pilifrons by Wood (2007) is insufficient for correct identification. The female frons is covered by incurved setae on central half and the impunctate cuticle underneath is therefore not exposed unless the setae are moved. Interstria 10 is carinate to near the elytral apex, but this is not mentioned in the description and not compatible wit couple 1 in the key (see above). The very different sampling localities may suggest that these populations could be different species, but morphology is identical. Body size of the high altitude specimen is in the upper range for the lowland population as expected for altitudinal gradients ( Jordal 1998b).

Figures

FIGURES 82–90. Dorsal, lateral and frontal views of a female specimen of Scolytodes pilifrons from Ecuador, and the female holotype (83, 86, 89) and male allotype (84, 87, 90) of Scolytodes fortis.