Aphelocerus echinatus, OPITZ, 2005

OPITZ, WESTON, 2005, Classification, Natural History, And Evolution Of The Genus Aphelocerus Kirsch (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Clerinae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2005 (293), pp. 1-128 : 34

ECHINATUS GROUP Aphelocerus echinatus , new species Figures 51 , 125 , 144b ; map 21

HOLOTYPE: Male. Mexico, Chiapas, Hwy. 190, 9 km NW Tuxtla Gutierrez , 800 m, UV light, June 15, 1991, E. Barchet ( LACM). (Specimen pin mounted; support card with sex label, white, hand printed; locality label, white, machine printed; natural history label, white, machine printed; LACM repository label, white, machine printed; holotype label, red, machine printed; plastic vial with abdomen and aedeagus.)

PARATYPES: Twenty­three specimens. Five specimens from the same locality as the holotype ( JNRC, 4; WOPC, 1). Mexico: Chiapas: 17 km W Tuxtla Gutierrez , 1006 m, 1­ VIII­1998, J. E. Wappes ( JEWC, 4; USNM, 1; WFBC, 1; WOPC, 3) ; 17 km W Tuxtla Gutierrez , 1006 m, 21–25­VI­1987, E. Giesbert ( FSCA, 3) ; 27­VI–8­VII­1986, E. Giesbert ( WOPC, 1) ; 10 km W Tuxtla Gtz , 22­ VI­1989, D. Thomas, H. Howden, J. Burne ( JPHC, 1) ; Aguacero , 40 km W Tuxtla Gutierrez, 20­VI­1987, W. F. Chamberlain, ( TAMU, 1) ; El Sumidero Parque , 23–24­VI­ 1990, J. Huether ( JNRC, 1). Guatemala: Huehuetenango: 15 km N Nenton, 950 m, 5­ VI­1997, E. Giesbert, J. Monzon ( FSCA, 1; WOPC, 1) .

DIAGNOSIS: The longitudinal carina on the shallowly scabrous elytral surface distinguishes the members of this species.

DESCRIPTION: Size: Length 6.2–7.5 mm; width 2.4–2.8 mm. Integument: Cranium, pronotum, and elytra cyanescent; thorax, legs, and abdomen piceous. Vestiture: Integument vested profusely with pale setae and few dark setae; tarsal setae mostly black; elytral setae proclinate in elytral anterior half and variously oriented in elytral posterior half. Head: Width across eyes only slightly narrower than width across pronotum (30: 33); cranium finely punctate; interocular depressions and frontal umbo well developed, shallow; eyes subspherical, moderately convex; antenna as in figure 51. Thorax: Pronotum subequal in width and length (33:32), narrower than width of elytra across humeri (33:44), densely, finely punctated; side margins moderately convex; anterior transverse depression faintly developed; elytra with many small asetiferous punctations, plane in anterior half, feebly convex in posterior half, depth at humerus 17, greatest depth in posterior half 20; surface shallowly, longitudinally carinate and scabrous. Abdomen: Posterior margin of pygidium evenly arcurate in both sexes. Male genitalia (fig. 125): Paramere with subapical spine on outer margin.

VARIATION: The femora and tibiae may be testaceous; the elytra vary from slightly violaceous to piceous.

NATURAL HISTORY: The available specimens were collected from Mexico during June (UV light at 800 m) and July (1006 m), and from Guatemala during early June at 950 m.

DISTRIBUTION (map 21): Known from southeastern Mexico and southwestern Guatemala.

ETYMOLOGY: From the Latin adjective echinatus (spiny). I refer to the spine on the parameres.

Figures

Figs. 47–61. Habitus view and antennas. 47. Aphelocerus formicoides (habitus, lateral view). 48– 61. Antennas. 48. A. ciliaris. 49. A. inconstans. 50. A. domus. 51. A. echinatus. 52. A. bispineus. 53. A. citimus. 54. A. leucomelas. 55. A. coalitus. 56. A. inbatus. 57. A. coactus. 58. A. nitidus. 59. A. lividus. 60. A. cornuatus. 61. A. acutus.

Figs. 121–138. Tegmina or phalli. 121. Aphelocerus inconstans, tegmen. 122. A. inconstans, tegmen. 123. A. citimus, tegmen. 124. A. argus, tegmen. 125. A. echinatus, tegmen. 126–127. A. leucomelas (126, tegmen; 127, phallus). 128–129. A. coalitus (128, tegmen; 129, phallus). 130. A. acutus, tegmen. 131. A. lividus, tegmen. 132. A. irroratus, tegmen. 133. A. acutus, tegmen. 134. A. arenatus, tegmen. 135–136. A. sagittarius tegmina (135, ventral view; 136, lateral view). 137. A. sculptillus, tegmen. 138. A. protenus, tegmen.

Figs. 139–153. Tegmina or phallus. 139. Aphelocerus immarginatus, tegmen. 140. A. vietus, tegmen. 141. A. patulus, tegmen. 142. A. yungas, tegmen. 143. A. naevius, tegmen. 144a. A. catie, tegmen. 144b. A. affaniatis, tegmen. 144c. A. echinatus, tegmen. 145. A. scutellaris. 146–147. A. cheliferous (146, tegmen; 147, phallus). 148. A. panus, tegmen. 149. A. formicoides, tegmen. 150. A. acanthus, tegmen. 151. A. bufustis, tegmen. 152. A. batesi, tegmen. 153a. A. calvus, tegmen. 153b. A. capillus, tegmen.