Embates gilvopictus Prena, 2005

Prena, Jens, 2005, The Middle American species of Embates Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Baridinae), Zootaxa 1100 (1), pp. 1-151 : 1-151

69. Embates gilvopictus Prena sp. n.

(Fig. 235–237, 249)

Holotype male (dissected), Panama, labeled: “ PANAMA, Chiriqui,/ Fortuna , 82°15'W / 8°44'N, May 16, 1978 / O’Brien & Marshall” ( CWOB).

Paratypes 10 (7 males, 3 females), Panama, labeled: as holotype ( CWOB 3 , JPPC 2 ) , same label except May 18 ( JPPC) , May 19 ( CWOB, JPPC) , May 20 ( CWOB) ; “PAN­ AMA: Chiriqui / La Fortuna, Co.Dv.Tr. / 8°45'N 82°14'W / 1100m; 9­V­1995 / H.P. Stockwell ” ( HPSC) .

Description. Habitus: Fig. 235, total length 6.6–8.8 mm (m=7.7, n=11). Color: integument very dark brown to black; basic vestiture of small dark scales; scales light yellow in well­defined dorsolateral vitta between head and elytral apices (Fig. 235); venter with imbricate, light yellow scales on prosternum, mesosternal process and flank. Head: frontal fovea extremely minute or absent, rostrum slender, subcylindrical (as Fig. 230), con­ stricted in apical half, costate dorsomedially, subcostate dorsolaterally, basolateral margin roundly edged, length of rostrum ♂♂ 1.30–1.33 x (m=1.31, n=8), ♀♀ 1.31–1.41 x (m=1.35, n=3) pronotal length, length of ante­antennal portion ♂♂ 0.46–0.50 x (m=0.48, n=8), ♀♀ 0.50–0.52 x (m=0.50, n=3) total rostral length, dorsal margin of antennal scrobe reaching rostral base before eye; length of funicular segments 1 and 2 subequal, club oblong ovate. Pronotum: length 0.86–0.92 x (m=0.89, n=11) maximum width, sides subparallel in basal third, roundly narrowed anteriorly; disk densely punctate, intervals rugose, subcostate dorsomedially. Elytra: length 1.67–1.75 x (m=1.72, n=11) width at humeri, width 1.30–1.36 x (m=1.33, n=11) maximum pronotal width, sides subparallel in basal half, apices rounded conjointly, preapical callus developed moderately, striae fine, almost reduced on disk, punctures indistinct, interstriae flat, 9 convex. Legs: tibiae nearly straight, ventral margin not produced, distally with indistinct fringe of light yellow hairs, tarsal claws arcuate and separate at base. Male: apex of aedeagus rounded narrowly, middle sclerotized, anterolateral portion membranous (Fig. 236), body of aedeagus of moderate length, basal half angular in lateral view, apodemes 1.8 x longer than body of aedeagus, flagellum thin, half as long as apodemes, transition to curved base gradual, basal appendage rather thick, fused laterally with base of flagellum, barely projecting beyond base (Fig. 237).

Plant association. Not known.

Distribution. Panama, one location in Cordillera de Talamanca (Fig. 249).

Specific epithet. The name is a compound Latin participle derived from gilvus (light yellow) and pictus (painted).

Discussion. Embates gilvopictus seems to be related to E. crinipes and a number of undescribed South American species, which form a cline to E. rufipes (Kirsch) . The species exhibits similarity to E. quadrilineatus (F.) ( Fig. 31 ); the latter a species with differently formed aedeagus and well­defined lateral vitta (in addition to the dorsolateral vitta). The short basal appendage of the aedeagal flagellum separates E. gilvopictus from all Middle American species with similar vestiture.

Figures

FIGURES 26–33. Examples for dorsal color­patterns in species of Embates (for further explanations see in the text). 26–28, species with dark elytral macula preserved: 26, E. sagax, Peru, with elytral macula with circumferential line entire; 27, E. delicatulus, Bolivia, with elytral maculae and post­macular elements merged across suture, ante­macular element obliterated; 28, E. species #91, Colombia, with narrow ante­macular and wide post­macular elements. 29–33, species with dark elytral macula merged with basic vestiture: 29, E. obliquatus, Peru, with ante­macular element obliterated, post­macular element well­developed and humeral streak present; 30, E. rhombifer, Costa Rica, with ante­ and post­macular elements wide, fused with humeral streak and demarking rhomboid pseudo­macula on disk; 31, E. quadrilineatus, Guyana, with perfectly continuous vitta composed of ante­ and post­macular, humeral and apical elements; 32, E. species #75, Ecuador, with post­macular element obliterated, ante­macular and apical elements modified to fasciae; 33, E. species #101, Peru, with ante­macular, humeral and apical elements reduced to small spots, postmacular element disintegrated in two small spots.