Dyscolus arborarius Moret sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 6FD45E2B-C31E-4486-8285-F537FCBF4FB6

Figs 25–26

Etymology

Latin adjective meaning ‘related to trees’.

Type material

Holotype (only known specimen)

ECUADOR • ♂; Loja Province, Parque Nacional Yacuri, Waypoint 170; 4.781387º S, 79.386938º W; 2870 m a.s.l.; 4 Aug. 2016; P. Moret and S. Aguirre leg.; COI voucher PM170-02, BOLD sequence SUM191-18; MNHN.

Diagnostic description

Habitus: Fig. 25. Wingless. Body length: 10.8 mm. Body dark brown with the sides of the pronotum and the elytral sutura reddish brown; femora dark brown; rest of the legs, antennae and mouthparts reddish brown. Elytral microsculpture shallowly impressed, transverse. Head large and convex; eyes prominent, very convex; basal constriction strong; mandibles relatively short. Antennae thin, very elongate. Pronotum subcordiform, sides moderately arcuate anterad, slightly sinuate posterad; hind angles obtuse; two pairs of lateral setae. Elytra elongate-ovate with effaced humeri, subapical sinuation obsolete; striae narrow and shallowly impressed; intervals flat; third elytral interval with two or three discal setae. Last visible abdominal ventrite of the male with two pairs of apical setae. Legs thin and elongate. Fourth metatarsomere oval-shaped, with one pair of dorsolateral subapical setae and long apical lobes, the external lobe nearly two times longer than the inner lobe. Male genitalia: Fig. 26. Median lobe weakly arcuate, apex short, acute, endophallus with one subapical sclerotized structure. Female genitalia: unknown.

Comparisons

According to the COI gene, D. arborarius Moret sp. nov. belongs to the marini clade, close to D. ruizi Moret sp. nov. It can be easily distinguished from the other species of this clade by its slender body, large head with very prominent eyes, and effaced humeri.

Habitat

Upper montane forest on the Eastern slope of the Andes, at around 2870 m a.s.l. Collected by pyrethrin insecticide fogging on mossy branches and epiphytes, two metres above ground.

Geographic distribution

Only known from the type locality in Southern Ecuador, in Parque Nacional Yacuri. Probably microendemic.