Guatemalteca virgen Erwin

Erwin, Terry L., 2004, The beetle family Carabidae of Costa Rica and Panamá: Descriptions of four new genera and six new species with notes on their way of life (Insecta: Coleoptera), Zootaxa 537, pp. 1-18 : 12-14

Guatemalteca virgen Erwin , new species

(Figs. 7, 8, 13)

Holotype. Male. COSTA RICA: Heredia, 16.0 km SSE La Virgen, 1050 –1150 m, 10° 16' N, 084° 05' W, LN527381,257085, April (Proyecto Alas Transect) (INBio­OET: INB0003214696).

Derivation of specific name. The specific epithet, virgen in Spanish, is used as a noun in apposition based on the type locality which is near La Virgen , Heredia, Costa Rica.

Common name. Virgin cloud forest carabid.

Description. (Fig. 7). Size moderately small: ABL = 4.6 to 5.6 mm, SBL = 4.4 to 5.1 mm, TW = 1.8 to 2.3 mm. Color: Brown; appendages testaceous. Luster: Very shiny with iridescent reflections. Microsculpture: Very fine transverse lines. Head: Narrow, narrower than pronotum and highly convex; eyes medium, not produced; antennae with gradually expanded terminal antennomeres. Prothorax: Pronotum markedly cordiform, hind angles rounded with a very small setiform dent. Pterothorax: Flight wings fully developed. Legs: Normal for lachnophorines. Abdomen: Normal for lachnophories, except vestiture of female restricted to sterna 3–6. Male genitalia: Phallus remarkably small, flat and broad with no internal sclerites; left paramere markedly large ( Fig. 8 ).

Dispersal potential. These beetles have been collected by the Parataxonomists associated with the ALAS Project in malaise traps, flight intercept traps, and at black lights, thus they are active dispersers.

Way of life. A related species in Guatemala occurs along small streams under stones. In Ecuador, species are very active at night on wet open ground with mosses in cloud forests at 2200–2400 m.

Other specimens examined. Paratypes: 59, COSTA RICA: Heredia, 16.0 km SSE La Virgen, 1050 – 1150 m, 10° 16' N, 0 84 °05' W, LN527381,257085, February, March, April (Proyecto Alas Transect)(INBio­OET: 33 females, INB0003203405, INB0003205365, INB0003205366, INB0003209404, INB0003209509, INB0003209510, INB0003209587, INB0003210165, INB0003210288, INB0003210542, INB0003210543, INB0003210627, INB0003210836, INB0003210934, INB0003211576, INB0003211606, INB0003211607, INB0003211608, INB0003214516, INB0003214540, INB0003214713, INB0003214908, INB0003214968, INB0003214979, INB0003215010, INB0003215145, INB0003215208, INB0003215237, INB0003210482, INB0003214872, INB0003214917, INB0003209737, INB0003211335); 26 males, INB0003209508, INB0003205205, INB0003205312, INB0003209115, INB0003209562, INB0003209642, INB0003209737, INB0003210482, INB0003210483, INB0003210572, INB0003211335, INB0003214557, INB0003214612, INB0003214613, INB0003214794, INB0003214805, INB0003214834, INB0003214872, INB0003214917, INB0003214938, INB0003215050, INB0003215062, INB0003215126, INB0003215162, INB0003215256, INB0003215278, INB0003215383.

Geographic distribution. ( Fig. 13 ). Known only from one Costa Rica site at lower middle altitudes, but undoubtedly more widespread in Costa Rican cloud forests.

Notes. See notes under genus description above. Members of this species are quite varied in size.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Aedeagus, dorsal, ventral, left lateral aspects of Guatemalteca virgen Erwin n. sp.

FIGURE 13. Geographical distribution map of the new taxa in Costa Rica and Panamá: Tachysbembix sirena Erwin new species (solid circle —), Tachysbembix wendyporrasae Erwin new species (open circle —), Pseudophorticus puncticollis Erwin new species (open box —), Guatemalteca virgen Erwin new species (diamond —), Valeriaaschero flora Erwin new species (star —), V aleriaaschero nigrita Erwin new species (triangle —). Note star () in Panamá (see text).