Mizotrechus costaricensis, Erwin, 2011

Erwin, Terry L., 2011, Rainforest understory beetles of the Neotropics, Mizotrechus Bates 1872, a generic synopsis with descriptions of new species from Central America and northern South America (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Perigonini), ZooKeys 145, pp. 79-128 : 90-91

Costa rica trough beetle Mizotrechus costaricensis sp. n. Figs 6 28 39

Holotype.

COSTA RICA, Alajuela, San Ramón, Reserva Biologica Alberto Brenes, Rio San Lorenzo, 850 m, 10.2283°N, 84.5857°W, 30 June - 5 July 1999 (J Rodriguez)(INBIO: ADP128620, INB0003057334, male).

Derivation of specific epithet.

The epithet “costaricensis” is a Latinized noun in apposition, based on a geographic name formed from "Costa Rica," the country in which an adult of this species has been found, and the Latin suffix “-ensis,“ meaning of, or from that place.

Proposed English vernacular name.

Costa Rica trough beetle.

Diagnosis.

With the attributes of the genus as described above and large sized for the genus as it is presently understood; adults have castaneous integument, except anterior parts of mandible, baso-lateral corner of labrum, and clypeal suture piceous. Frons and occiput shallowly rugose above and behind eye in an arc asp. n.rsely and finely punctulate. Pronotum subcordiform with lateral margins moderately explanate and basally emarginate before right hind angles; base shallowly and regularly microrugose. Elytra moderately narrow and short, apex prolonged, wider than the width of pronotum across anterior third, and with 5 well-impressed irregularly punctulate interneurs, intervals not convex; margin behind humerus rough, intervals between microsetae blunt. Foreleg femur with markedly serrate postero-ventral margin.

Description.

( Figs 6 , 28 ). Size: See Appendix 1. Large for genus, ABL = 8.4 mm, SBL = 6.88 mm, TW = 2.88 mm. Color: see diagnosis, above. Luster: Head, pronotum and legs shiny, elytra matte. Head: Labrum quadrate, apico-medially slightly produced. Eye moderately small and convex. Gena straight. Frons, occiput, and gena glabrous. Prothorax: Moderately narrow, narrowed slightly toward base, margin narrowly explanate, wider before hind angle; surface sparsely punctulate, punctures very fine, glabrous. Pterothorax: Elytron barely convex, intervals nearly flat, 5 interneurs with well-impressed irregularly spaced punctures, apex not prolonged, slightly rounded at extreme sutural apex. Metasternum sparsely setiferous in male. Legs: Normal i n male; foreleg femur (as in Fig. 24 ) with markedly serrate postero-ventral margin, not dentate; posterior trochanter tapered to acute point in male, length half that of femur. Abdomen: Abdominal sterna moderately setiferous, densely so medially on II and III; sternum III of male with short row of decumbent setae medially set between two ambulatory setae; sternum VII shallowly and medially notched in male. Male genitalia: Median lobe ( Fig. 28 ) short and robust with ostium moderately elongate, over half the length of the median lobe; apex with a very short and narrow distal end, slightly rounded in lateral aspect, more twisted laterally than in Mizotrechus fortunensis , ventral margin proximal to apex straight then briefly curved to apex; endophallus with complexly folded tracheal fields; phallobase hooded, opening more or less 30 degrees off axis of shaft. Parameres large, left a twice longer than the right, both broadly rounded, asetose. Female genitalia: Unknown.

Dispersal potential.

These beetles are macropterous and capable of flight. They are moderately swift and agile runners.

Way of life.

The holotype was collected in an aerial net. Adults are active in early July, the area’s dry season.

Other specimens examined.

None.

Geographic distribution.

( Fig. 39 ). This species is currently known only from the type locality in premontane rainforests of Costa Rica.

Figures

Plate 2. Digital Photo-illustrations, habitus, dorsal aspect: 5 Mizotrechus chontalesensis sp. n., ABL = 7.1 mm, female holotype, ADP 127181; type locality. 6 Mizotrechus costaricensis sp. n., ABL = 8.4 mm, male holotype, ADP 128620; type locality. 7 Mizotrechus dalensi sp. n., ABL = 8.2 mm, male holotype, ADP 124894; type locality. 8 Mizotrechus edithpiafae sp. n., ABL = 8.4 mm, female holotype, ADP 124948; locality unknown.

Plate 6. Digital Photo-illustrations, anterior femur, ventral aspect: 19 Mizotrechus minutus sp. n., ADP 124966; type locality. 20 Mizotrechus dalensi sp. n., ADP 124896; type locality. 21 Mizotrechus chontalesensis sp. n., ADP 127181; type locality. 22 Mizotrechus edithpiafae sp. n., ADP 124948; type locality. 23 Mizotrechus brulei sp. n., ADP 129205; type locality. 24 Mizotrechus gorgona. sp. n., ADP 128622; type locality.

Plate 8. Digital Photo-illustration, male genitalia, median lobe and parameres, left lateral, dorsal, and right lateral aspects: 28 Mizotrechus costaricensis sp. n., ADP 128620: type locality. 29 Mizotrechus dalensi sp. n., ADP 129203, Guyane, Saut Parare, Arataie River, Nouragues Field Station. 30 Mizotrechus edithpiafae sp. n., ADP 129203; Ger? locality (see text).

Figure 39. Distribution symbol map for known localities of Mizotrechus chontalesensis, Mizotrechus costaricensis, Mizotrechus fortunensis, Mizotrechus gorgona, Mizotrechus jefe, Mizotrechus woldai, spp. n.