Pocadius pecki Cline, 2008

Cline, Andrew R., 2008, Revision of the sap beetle genus Pocadius Erichson, 1843 (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Nitidulinae, Zootaxa 1799 (1), pp. 1-120 : 96-97

Pocadius pecki Cline new species

(Figs. 35, 76, 119, 162, 203, 262)

Specimens examined. HOLOTYPE ♂ ( CMN): VEN: Miranda: 400m; 35km N Altagracia ; Guatopo NP, Aqua Blanca; 31-V-7- VI87-2 ; S&J Peck, ravine FIT / HOLOTYPE: Pocadius ; pecki; A. R. Cline des. 2004 . PARATYPE ( ARCC): VENEZUELA: Tachira; Pregonera, Presa Las; Cuevas , 650m, 9-31-VII-; 1989, S&J Peck, rain-; forest, ex: FIT, 89-255 / PARATYPE: Pocadius ; pecki; A. R. Cline des. 2004 .

Diagnosis. Delimited from other Neotropical species by: raised portion of mentum obtusely triangular with curved lateral margins; pronotum widest near middle with anterior margin feebly concave; prosternal process in lateral view with apical wall concave; elytra with alternating rows of erect and semi-erect setae; metaventrite faintly punctate with minute punctures; terminal antennomere slightly larger than preceding two segments combined; male pygidium with indentate posterior margin; aedeagus with tegmen having a complete outer row and incomplete inner row of setae; ejaculatory rods with sharply excised distal regions; basal piece of internal sac sclerites with paired lateral arms each with two sharp projections.

Description. Length 3.50mm, Width 2.27mm, Depth 1.5mm. Body moderately convex, surface shining, uniformly light golden brown. Pronotum and elytra margins with elongate fimbriae. Dorsal and ventral pubescence moderately long, golden.

Head surface irregularly punctate with moderately impressed small and large punctures, large ones near vertex, becoming smaller towards orbits and fronotclypeal region. Large punctures 3–4X diameter of eye facet, small punctures 1–2X diameter; interspaces smooth to finely alutaceous, shining. Pronotal surface with large punctures equal to large punctures on head, interspersed with numerous smaller punctures equal to small punctures on head; interspaces smooth to finely alutaceous and shining, 0.5–1 diameter apart. Scutellar surface with shallowly impressed small punctures, interspaces smooth to finely microreticulate. Elytral surface with serial rows of alternating large and small deep punctures, some rows of small punctures confusedly arranged. Small punctures equal to small ones on pronotum, large punctures 3X diameter of small ones. Small punctures giving rise to erect long setae, large punctures giving rise to semi-erect shorter setae; interspaces broad between punctures of a given row and different rows. Within a row, small punctures separated by 2–3 puncture diameters, and large punctures by 1 diameter. Large rows separated by 2–3 diameters; interspaces shining but variable from smooth to finely alutaceous. Pygidium densely punctate, punctures equal to large ones on pronotum; interspaces narrow, 0.25–0.5 diameter apart, alutaceous to finely microreticulate.

Venter with shorter sparser pubescence than dorsum. Mentum with minute shallowly impressed punctures, equal to small ones on vertex; interspaces alutaceous with finely microreticulate areas. Prosternum and epimeron irregularly punctate, punctures on epimeron equal to large ones on pronotum and those on prosternum equal to small ones on pronotum, interspaces alutaceous to microreticulate, prosternal punctures separated by 1–2 diameter, those on epimeron by 0.5 diameter. Mesoventrite with shallowly impressed punctures, equal to those on epimeron, interspaces alutaceous to granular, separated by 1 diameter and aggregated near metasternal border. Metaventrite irregularly punctate, mostly impunctate on disc with some faint minute broadly dispersed punctures on disc similar to small ones on head; interspaces alutaceous on disc becoming more granular laterally, punctures separated by 3–5 diameters on disc. Abdominal sternite 1 with faint punctures, punctures equal to large ones on head, interspaces alutaceous, separated by 1–2 diameters. Hypopygidium with moderately deep punctures, 1.5 diameter of those on sternites 2–4, interspaces alutaceous to granular, punctures separated by 0.5–1 diameter.

Head slightly wider than long (W:L = 1.4:1). Antennal club compact, obovate, slightly asymmetrical with last antennomere slightly longer than previous two combined. Antennomeres 4–8 compact, 6–8 disc-like, 5 trapezoidal, and 4 cuboidal. Antennal scape asymmetrical, somewhat hemispherical, 2X as long as pedicel. Pedicel subcylindrical. Antennal segment 3 equal to pedicel. Antennal club 0.5 length of segments 1–8 combined. Raised region of mentum with anterior angles obsolete, anterior margin broadly curved with acute apex, overall obtusely triangular, convex in lateral view.

Pronotum widest in posterior third (L:W = 1:1.9), anterior margin concave, lateral margins more arcuate anteriorly. Scutellum large, obtusely triangular, apex rounded. Prosternal process in lateral view with anterior and posterior ends prominent and distinct convexity medially; posterior apical wall moderately prominent and concave. Mesoventrite extending to midway between mesocoxae, evenly concave for reception of metaventrite. Metaventrite wider than long (W:L = 3.1:1). Metepisternum with slight medial constriction, oblique line dividing anterior 0.18 into axillary space. Abdominal sternite 1 with narrow acuminate process; 2X’s longer than sternite 2. Sternites 2–3 subequal, 4slightl y larger than either 1 or 2. Hypopygidium subequal to sternite 1.

Protibia with apical tooth prominent, equal to tarsomere 1. Outer apical notch reduced, equal to 0.5 tarsomere 1. Inner apical spine subequal to tarsomere 1. Mesotibia more heavily armed than protibia with dense stiff setae and row of slender spines along lateral edge. Outer apical process robust, larger than protibial process. Inner apical spine equal to tarsomere 1–2 and part of 3 combined. Metatibia with armature similar to mesotibia.

Male genitalia heavily sclerotized. Anal sclerite with apex fimbriate (Fig. 35). Spiculum gastrale with wide lateral flanges, medial margins concave, few long stiff setae apically (Fig. 76). Tegmen narrowly rounded apically (Fig. 119), longer than wide (w:l = 1:2.6), lateral row of setae visible from median fossa to prior to apex, large elliptical shallow concavity in apical 0.33 with single row of inner setae not attaining apex. Median lobe large and robust, 0.66 length of tegmen, apex narrowed, apical opening well-developed (Fig. 162). Ejaculatory rods not fused to basal piece or each other, slightly curved outward apically and basally with apical ends sharply excised. Basal piece of internal sac sclerite with paired curved structures with two lateral sharp projections (Fig. 203).

Variation. No variation observed.

Seasonality/Habitat. Collected from May to July in lowland rainforest.

Distribution. Known from the type localities in Venezuela.

Notes. No host information available.

Etymology. Specific epithet honors Stewart Peck, Professor of Biology at Carleton University, whose devotion to beetle collecting is unsurpassed.