Aphelocerus dispilis, 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 : 87

FORMICOIDES GROUP Aphelocerus dispilis , new species Figures 44, 46 , 86 , 162 , 264 ; map 20

HOLOTYPE: Male. Costa Rica, Cartago, 18 km, NE Turrialba, Feb. 4–10 1978, E. Giesbert ( LACM). (Specimen point mounted, support card, sex label affixed to support card, white machine printed; locality label, white, hand printed; LACM repository label; holotype label, red, machine and hand print­ ed; plastic vial with abdomen and aedeagus.)

PARATYPES: Sixteen specimens. Costa Rica: Limon: Vicinity Puerto Viejo , I­1986, E. Giesbert ( FSCA, 1) ; Revantazon, Ebene Limon, ‘‘an welken Laub’ ’ F. Nevermann ( WOPC, 1) ; 16 km SW Guapiles , 28­V­1985, on dead wood, F. T. Hovore ( WFBC, 1): Cartago: 11–18 km N Pavones, 14­I­1989, F. Hovore ( WFBC, 2; WOPC, 1) ; 10 km N Pavones , 18­VI­1988, F. Hovore ( WOPC, 1) ; Turrialba : CATIE, 13–14­I­1989, F. Hovore ( WFBC, 1). Panama: Cocle: El Valle, 29­IV­ 1992, E. Giesbert ( FSCA, 1) ; El Valle, 6­II­ 1992, F. Hovore, ( WOPC, 1). Panama: Cerro Campana , 16–17­IV–1999, Wappes & Morris ( JEWC, 1) ; 6­VII­1974, L. & C. W. O’Brien and Marshall ( WOPC, 1) ; 750 m, 88409, N 798, 569W, 30­VII­1970, H. A. Hespenheide ( CHAH, 1). Chiriqui: Bugaba, 243–457 m, Champion ( BMNH, 1): Bocas del Toro: 24 km S Punta Pena , 21­II­1999, R. Turnbow ( WOPC, 1) .

DIAGNOSIS: Within the formicoides group these beetles may be distinguished by their small size (4 mm), globose pronotal disc (fig. 44), and the presence of the pronotal and metepisternal setal tufts. The pronotal collar is vested with white setae and the sutural tuft is short (fig. 44).

DESCRIPTION: Size: Length 4.3–5.0 mm; width 1.8–2.1 mm. Integument: Black. Vestiture: Clypeus with few setae, frons and epicranium vested with dark setae; pronotal setal tuft extended posteriorly to across pronotal collar; sutural tuft short; disc of pronotum and elytra vested with dark erect setae; anterior fascies and apex of profemur vested with long black setae, tarsi vested with dark setae, remainder of legs and venter vested with pale setae. Head: Interocular depression, frontal umbo shallow; frons, epicranium and gena very finely punctate, gena behind eyes wrinkled; eyes subspherical, moderately convex; width across eyes equal to pronotal width (35:35); antenna (fig. 86) elongate, nearly as long as length of pronotum (43:45). Thorax: Pronotal disc globose, very finely punctate, pronotum elongate (43: 35) and only slightly narrower than width of elytra across humeri (35:37), anterior transverse depression only faintly indicated at side; elytra short, boldly convex (fig. 46), depth at humerus 12, greatest depth in posterior half 28; legs very prominent, metafemur extended beyond elytral apex. Abdomen: Posterior margin of pygidium evenly arcuate in both sexes; tegmen as in figure 162.

VARIATION: The specimen from Bugaba, Panama, is brunneus.

NATURAL HISTORY: Specimens have been collected in January, February, April, May, June, and July at altitudes ranging from 243 to 750 m; one specimen in May on dead wood.

DISTRIBUTION (map 20): Known from central Costa Rica and central Panama.

ETYMOLOGY: The trivial name is from the Latin dis (without) and the Latin pilus (hair). I refer to the lack of a setal tuft on the elytral disc.

Figures

Figs. 43–46. Habitus views. 43. Aphelocerus panus, dorsal. 44. A. dispilis, dorsal. 45. A. formicoides, dorsal. 46. A. dispilis, lateral.

Figs. 85–120. Antennae, pygidia, and sixth visible abdominal sterna. 85–90. Antennae. 85. Aphelocerus affaniatis. 86. A. dispilis. 87. A. formicoides. 88. A. cheliferous. 89. A. panus. 90. A. calvus. 91– 120. Pygidium and/or sixth visible abdominal sternum. 91–94. A. ciliaris. 91–92. male (91, pygidium; 92, sixth visible abdominal sternum). 93–94. female (93, pygidium; 94, sixth visible dominal sternum). 95. A. coactus, female pygdium. 96. A. domus, female pygidium. 97–100. A. coalitus, male (97, pygidium; 98, sixth visible abdominal sternum), 99–100. Female (99, pygidium; 100, sixth visible abdominal sternum). 101. A. leucomelas, male pygidium. 102–104. A. coactus. 102–103. male (102, pygidium; 103, sixth visible abdominal sternum). 104, female, pygidium. 105–106. A. acutus, pygidea (105, male; 106, female). 107–109. A. lividus. 107, male (pygidium). 108–109, female (108, pygidium; 109, sixth visible abdominal sternum). 110–113. A. sagittarius. 110–111, male (110, pygidium; 111, sixth visible abdominal sternum). 113, female, pygidium. 114–115. A. humerus, female (114, pygidium; 115, sixth visible abdominal sternum). 116–117. A. naevius, female (116, pygidium; 117, sixth visible abdominal sternum). 118–119. A. triangulus, female (118, pygidium; 119, sixth visible abdominal sternum). 120. A. arenatus, male, pygidium.

Figs. 162–183. Aedeagus, habitus, elytral discal setal tufts. 162. Aphelocerus dispilis, aedeagus. 163. Weevil, Myrmex sp. 164. Aphelocerus myrmecoides, 165–183. Elytral discal setal tufts. 165. A. sagittarius. 166. A. triangulus. 167. A. cornuatus. 168. A. humerus. 169. A. acutus. 170. A. lividus. 171. A. protenus. 172. A. argus. 173. A. arenatus. 174. A. catie. 175. A. chiriqui. 176. A. yungas. 177. A. monteverde. 178. A. anticus. 179. A. batesi. 180. A. bufustis. 181. A. acanthus. 182. A. yungas. 183. A. sturnus.

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.