Dyscolus verecundissimus Moret, 2020

Moret, Pierre & Murienne, Jérôme, 2020, Integrative taxonomy of the genus Dyscolus (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Platynini) in Ecuadorian Andes, European Journal of Taxonomy 646, pp. 1-55 : 49-51

Dyscolus verecundissimus Moret sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:CD4CC133-EF1C-4F71-8F38-0E954A5F94B4

Figs 55 , 59

Dyscolus verecundus Moret, 1998: 20 , pro parte.

Dyscolus (Dyscolus) verecundus – Moret 2005: 142, pro parte.

Etymology

Superlative form of the Latin adjective ‘ verecundus ’, which is the name of a related species.

Type material

Holotype

ECUADOR • ♂; Chimborazo Province, Volcán Chimborazo Est , moraine; 4470–4530 m a.s.l.; 4 Aug. 1998; P. Moret leg.; MNHN.

Paratype

ECUADOR • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; CPM .

Diagnostic description

Habitus: Fig. 55 . Very similar in almost every aspect to D. verecundus and D. verecundior Moret sp. nov., so the description will be limited to the few distinctive characters of this new species. Body length: 11.5–11.9 mm, as the biggest specimens of D. verecundus ; head slightly broader with convex eyes; antennae thinner, the second antennomere 1.76 to 1.77 times as long as wide (1.41 to 1.65 times in D. verecundus and D. verecundior Moret sp. nov.); pronotum broader, 1.27 to 1.28 times as wide as long (1.13 to 1.24 times in D. verecundus and D. verecundior Moret sp. nov.); apical blade of the median lobe broader and more rounded at apex in dorsal view ( Fig. 59 ); endophallus with a large sclerotized area at middle, and a reduced, almost obsolete squamose area near apex (two sclerotized areas of similar size in D. verecundus and D. verecundior Moret sp. nov.).

Habitat

Humid superpáramo at around 4500 m a.s.l.

Geographic distribution

Microendemic species, restricted to the Chimborazo volcano in the Western Cordillera.

Comments

The isolated population we raise here to species rank was initially assigned to D. verecundus by Moret (2005). There are more morphological differences between D. verecundissimus Moret sp. nov. and the pair of sister species D. verecundus and D. verecundior Moret sp. nov. than between the two latter, especially in the male aedeagus.

Figures

Figs 54–55. Dyscolus spp., habitus. 54. D. verecundior Moret sp. nov., male holotype (MNHN, COI voucher PM136-04). 55. D. verecundissimus Moret sp. nov., male holotype (MNHN).

Figs 56–59. Group of Dyscolus verecundus Moret, 1998, male aedeagus, median lobe in lateral and dorsal view. 56. D. verecundus, paratype from Rucu Pichincha. 57. D. verecundus, paratype from Guagua Pichincha. 58. D. verecundior Moret sp. nov., holotype (MNHN, COI voucher PM136- 04);.59. D. verecundissimus Moret sp. nov., holotype (MNHN).