Tachysbembix 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 : 3-4

Tachysbembix Erwin , new genus

( Figs. 1 , 3)

Type species. Tachysbembix sirena Erwin , new species

Derivation of genus name. The first specimen of this genus noticed by me was collected by R.W. & J.R. Matthews at the type locality in January 1980 when one of them found a beetle prey item in a nest of a “bembix” wasp. The beetle prey item was a bembidiine species that shares many attributes with the members of the carabid genus Tachys Stephens , hence a combination of the wasp name Bembix Fabricius and the likely adelphotaxon Tachys , results in Tachysbembix , two Latin feminine nouns combined.

Diagnosis. ( Fig. 1 ). Terminal maxillary palpomere sublimate, much shorter and more slender than penultimate palpomere; anterior tibia markedly notched apicolaterally; mentum with 2 deep foveae, each circular in form; recurrent groove of elytron elongate, prolonged anteriorly beyond seta Ed6 then curved posteriorly in form of a hook, laterally remote from seta Ed6; elytral interneur 8 shallow, not markedly bent medially; microsculpture granulate, surface dull.

Geographic distribution. México to Ecuador along the Neotropical portion of the Pacific Coast.

Notes. Five more species occurring outside of Costa Rica await description in this unusual genus with strictly halophilic species (Erwin, in prep). Members of this new genus differ from those of the likely adelphotaxon, Tachys Stephens , in the form and location of the elytral recurrent groove, the bent elytral interneur 8, the markedly cordiform pronotum, and the extensive granulate­isodiametric microsculpture.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Dorsal habitus of Tachysbembix sirena Erwin new species. FIGURE 3. Dorsal habitus of Tachysbembix wendyporrasae Erwin new species. FIGURE 5. Dorsal habitus of Pseudophorticus puncticollis Erwin new species. FIGURE 7. Dorsal habitus of Guatemalteca virgen Erwin new species.