Aphelocerus capillus, 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 : 62-64

Aphelocerus capillus , new species Figures 153a , 266 ; map 10

HOLOTYPE: Male. Nicaragua: Matagalpa: 10 km NW Matagalpa, Selva Negra , 16­V– 22­IV­2002, 1280 m, 128599N, 858549 W, W. Opitz ( AMNH). (Specimen point mounted, sex label affixed to paper point, white, machine printed; support card, white; locality label, white, machine and hand printed; AMNH repository label, white, machine printed; holotype label, red, machine printed; plastic vial with abdomen and aedeagus.)

PARATYPES: Six specimens from the same locality as the holotype ( WOPC, 4; JNRC, 1) and Montana Selva Negra , 1300 m, 7.5 km N Matagalpa, 13800910N, 858549320W, 15– 16­VI­2001, B. Ratcliffe, M. L. Jameson, R. Cave ( UNSM. 1) .

DIAGNOSIS: Specimens of this species closely resemble members of the southern Mexican A. domus , n.sp., specimens from which they can be distinguished by geographic distribution. A. capillus , n.sp., specimens are known only from western Nicaragua.

DESCRIPTION: Size: Length 5.0– 5.2 mm; width 1.8–2.0 mm. Integument: Black. Vestiture: Integument vested mostly with dark setae, upper region of thorax lined with dense patch of white setae; elytral disc with distinct, bipartite patch of 28 white decumbent setae. Head: Width across eyes subequal to width across pronotum equal (37:40), finely punctate; interocular depression and fronal umbo moderately developed; eyes subspherical, moderately convex. Thorax: Pronotum as long as wide (40:40), narrower than width of elytra across humeri (40:50), pronotal disc finely, sparsely punctate, side margins moderately convex, anterior transverse depression prominent; elytra flat in basal two­thirds when viewed from side; depth at humerus 20, greatest depth in posterior half 20; humeral tumescence prominent. Abdomen: Pygidium posterior margin evenly arcuate in both sexes; aedeagus as in figure 153a. Male internal reproductive organs (fig. 266): Two pairs of accessory glands, lateral pair shorter than medial pair. Both sets of glands highly convoluted and diverticulated at base.

VARIATION: The available specimens are quite homogeneous with the exception of the posterior patch of the elytral middiscal tuft with is slightly reduced in some specimens.

NATURAL HISTORY: The specimens were collected by beating overhanging trail vegetation rich in dead branches and broad leaf vines. Some were captured from a tangle of dense vines draped over short bushes.

DISTRIBUTION (map 10): Known only from the vicinity of the type locality.

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet is a Latin noun meaning ‘‘hair’’. I refer to the extensive development of the elytral middiscal setal tuft.

Figures

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.

Figs. 261–268. Aedeagi, male internal reproductive organs and elytra. 261. Aphelocerus nitidus, aedeagus. 262–263. A. cirritus (262, aedeagus; 263, internal reproductive organs). 264. A. dispilis, aedeagus. 265. A. torosus, aedeagus. 266. A. capillus, internal reproductive organs. 267. A. torosus, elytron. 268. A. acutus, elytron.