Euscelus cribrarius (Olivier)

Hamilton, Robert W., 2007, Euscelus species of the West Indies (Coleoptera: Attelabidae), Zootaxa 1495 (1), pp. 1-34 : 15-16

Euscelus cribrarius (Olivier)

(Figs. 45–48)

Attelabus cribrarius Olivier, 1807 .

Type locality: Saint Domingue ( Dominican Republic)

Type data: Female type (Figs. 47 & 48) pinned with headless stainless steel pin. The type has the following three labels: Collection Olivier Type [small round green label]; Museum Paris, ex. collection E. Olivier [pale green rectangular label]; Attelabus cribrarius of America, C. Olivier [large green label, hand written script]. The type has all parts intact except the terminal tarsal segment of the right front leg is missing.

Type holder: Museum National D’Histoire Naturelle , Paris, France ( MNHN) .

Specimen data: 1 male (card mounted) with the following labels: DPT Zool. UF-Parana, Cuba, viii-1960, Est. Exp. Agron., P. Jurugua, Prov. Oriente, 11, Euscelus cribrarius ( Olivier, 1807) , GH Rosado Neto det., 1986 ( DZUP) .

Description: Color: The type is dark brown throughout with the extremities paler. The body of the single male specimen is reddish-brown with the middle and hind legs and the area around the scutellum paler. Size range: Female type (n = 1) 6.2 x 2.8 mm; Male (n=1) 6.3 x 2.6 mm

Head sub-conical, widest at base, densely punctured; punctures coarse; interspaces weakly rugose; frons narrow, only about 1/3 as wide as rostral base; with deep median longitudinal groove. Rostrum short, densely punctured, widened from antennal insertions to apex; apex about ½ wider than rostral base. Antennae short, about as long as head and rostrum together; scape ovo-globose; funicle segment 1 shorter than scape, more cylindrical; funicle segment 2 clavate, short, clavate, about ½ as long as segment 1; funicle segment 3 clavate, nearly twice as long as 2; segments 4 and 5 clavate, subequal, shorter than 3; segment 6 shortest, slightly shorter than segment 2, weakly clavate; segment 7 about as long as 4 or 5, cone shaped, more apically widened; basal and middle club segments subequal, cylindrical; terminal segment longer, acuminate. Pronotum wider than long, moderately punctured; punctures coarse; sides weakly arched out; with pair pit like impressions each side of middle; with denticulate projection at postero-lateral corner; anterior collar narrow throughout, rim-like, smooth, with few small punctures; transverse basal carinae subequal through middle; posterior basal carina distinctly narrowed laterally. Scutellum sub-trapezoidal, base more than twice as wide as long, convex through middle, smooth, without punctures; sides sinuate; posterior side with distinct median angle; posterior corners rounded. Elytra longer than wide, widest at humeri, narrowed from humeri to apices, truncate at apices; striae large, deep, irregular; intervals and interspaces raised, weakly reticulate and minutely granulate; intervals costate, more protuberant at elytral declivity; humeri weakly angulate. Abdominal ventrites moderately to densely punctured, sparsely setose.

Femoral sexual dimorphism: The profemur in the male is armed with two prominent projections and a small denticle. The disti-ventral projection is pointed and beak-shaped. The mid-ventral projection is peg-like with the apex broadly rounded, upwardly bent over and flattened. An oval setose sensillum is present on the outer base of the mid-ventral projection. The smooth rounded small denticle is present below and between the mid-ventral and disti-ventral projections. The female type has two profemoral projections that are relatively close together. The disti-ventral projection is short and weakly beak shaped while the mid-ventral projection consists of a small dark smoothly rounded tubercle.

Distribution: The single male specimen examined is from Cuba. O’Brien & Wibmer (1982) list this species from Cuba and the Dominican Republic.

Comments: This is a distinct species based on the overall reddish to blackish-brown color, coarse body punctuation and the male profemoral armature. Only two specimens of E. cribrarius were examined in this study. More specimens are needed.

Host plant: Host plant association is unknown.