Scolytodes asperatus Jordal, 2018

Jordal, Bjarte H., 2018, Hidden gems in museum cabinets: new species and new distributional records of Scolytodes (Coleoptera: Scolytinae), Zootaxa 4504 (1), pp. 76-104 : 89-90

Scolytodes asperatus Jordal , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:AE010FAA-66EB-490C-ADE1-C41BD0C78994

( Figs 38, 41, 44 )

Type material. Holotype, female: Mexico, Oaxaca, Mpio San Miguel del Puerto, Arriba de Sta. Ma. Xadani, Cerro Campaa , 05/29/2006. Host trunk Ficus sp, TH Atkinson, THA-793 . Allotype and paratypes (4): same data as HT. HT and AT deposited in CNIN , 2 PTs in UTIC, 2 PT in USNM.

Diagnosis. Interstriae 10 sharply elevated to the level of metacoxa; protibiae with a small additional mesal tooth near tarsal insertion. Distinguished from other species with dense asperities on the anterior part of pronotum, in particular S. pubescens Wood , by the smooth and glabrous central area of the female frons, and by the regular rows of erect setae on all elytral interstriae.

Description female. Length 2.0¯ 2.1 mm, 2.2¯2.3 × longer than wide; bicoloured, dark brown on anterior half of pronotum, along elytral suture and elytral margins, light brown elsewhere. Head. Eyes entire, separated above by 2.7¯2.9 × their width. Frons flattened on lateral margins, weakly concave on lower one-fourth, a central spadelike area smooth and impunctate, slightly protuberant with lateral edges sub-carinate. Vestiture consisting of a wreath of golden setae around the spade-like structure. Antennal club small, slightly asymmetrical, with two obliquely procurved sutures. Funiculus 6-segmented. Pronotum shiny, deep punctures on posterior fourth separated by less than their diameter, replaced on anterior three-fourth by coarse asperities, forming on anterior margin a low serrated ridge. Vestiture consisting of 10 erect setae (4–4–2) and shorter semi-recumbent setae in area with asperities. Elytra generally smooth and shiny except for minute granules at base of setae, striae not impressed, punctures small and shallow, separated in regular rows by 1¯2 × their diameter; interstriae 3¯5 × wider than striae, punctures obscure and confused, particularly so on declivity. Vestiture consisting of recumbent fine strial and interstrial setae, with additional longer bristle-like setae on each interstriae. Legs. Procoxae separated by 0.2¯0.3 × and mesocoxae 0.7¯0.8 × the width of one procoxa. Protibiae broad, distal teeth 1 and 2 of subequal length, with 4 additional rugae or granules along the sharply formed edge towards base; protibial mucro short, curved posteriorly. Meso- and metatibiae with 7 lateral, socketed teeth on distal half and third, respectively. Ventral vestiture. Setae on metasternum simple, on metanepisternum bifid.

Male. Similar to females except slightly smaller (length 1.8¯2.0 mm), the frons is convex, strongly reticulated and granulated, with fine short setae evenly distributed.

Key (Wood 1982). Keys to couplet 49, near S, pubescens Wood , but is distinguished (in the key) by the glabrous central area of the female frons.

Etymology. The Latin name asperatus (masculine nominative participle), meaning rough, refer to the asperate pronotum and regular rows of stiff elytral setae.

Biology and distribution. This species is only known from the type locality in Oaxaca, Mexico. The type series was collected under bark of a Ficus tree trunk.

Figures

FIGURES 37–45. Dorsal, lateral and front view of the holotype of Scolytodes bipilosus (37, 40, 43), female S. asperatus (38, 41, 44), and female S. flavifrons (39, 42, 45).