Embates flavolimbatus (Voss) Prena, 2005

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

68. Embates flavolimbatus (Voss) , comb. n.

(Fig. 231–234, 255)

Drepanambates flavolimbatus Voss 1953: 75 . Lectotype male, Colombia, here designated, upper specimen of two on same pin, labeled: “Rio Aguacatal/ Colombia. W. Cord./ 2000 m / Coll. Fassl”, “Slg. C. Rudel/ Eing. Nr. 1/49”, “ Drepanambates / flavolimbatus/ n. sp.”, “cotype” (ZIUH). Paralectotypes 3 according to original text, Colombia, 1 on same pin below holotype, 2 not located. Weidner 1976 (cat.); Wibmer & O’Brien 1986 (cat.)

Redescription. Habitus: Fig. 231, total length 3.6–6.2 mm (m=4.9, n=30). Color: integument dark brown, legs and antenna sometimes dark rufous; basic vestiture inconspicuous, scales small and dark, few yellow scales variously clustered along elytral striae; scales yellow in dorsolateral vittae between head and elytral apices (may be reduced in large specimens from elevations above 2000 m) and in elytral interstriae 9 and 10 (Fig. 232), occasionally with ill­defined dorsomedian pronotal vitta; venter with imbricate yellow scales on prosternum and flank. Head: frontal fovea absent, transition between head and rostrum nearly continuous, rostrum slender, subcylindrical (Fig. 232), costate dorsomedially, subcostate dorsolaterally in large specimens, basolateral margin roundly edged, length of rostrum ♂♂ 1.09–1.34 x (m=1.21, n=19), ♀♀ 1.17–1.39 x (m=1.24, n=11) pronotal length, length of ante­antennal portion ♂♂ 0.36–0.40 x (m=0.39, n=19), ♀♀ 0.40–0.42 x (m=0.40, n=11) total rostral length, dorsal margin of antennal scrobe reaching rostral base before eye; funicular segment 2 very slightly longer than 1, club oblong ovate. Pronotum: length 0.79–0.93 x (m=0.88, n=30) maximum width, widest in basal third, sides rounded or subparallel basally, occasionally slightly gibbous in ♂♂; disk densely punctate, intervals granulose, dorsomedian carina present or not. Elytra: length 1.46–1.65 x (m=1.58, n=30) width at humeri, width 1.27–1.48 x (m=1.36, n=30) maximum pronotal width, sides subparallel in basal third, increasingly rounded toward apex, apices rounded conjointly, preapical callus developed moderately, striae fine, punctures indistinct, interstriae flat, none costate. Legs: tibiae curved, ventral margin not or very feebly produced near middle, distally with cluster of cupreous hairs, tarsal claws arcuate and separate at base. Male: apex of aedeagus round, middle sclerotized, anterolateral portion membranous (Fig. 233), body of aedeagus of moderate length, basal third angular in lateral view, apodemes 1.9 x longer than body of aedeagus, flagellum thin, half as long as apodemes, tran­ sition to curved base gradual, basal appendage slender, fused laterally with base of flagellum, projecting beyond base (Fig. 234).

Plant association. Peperomia guapilesiana (Prena 14), P. poasana (Prena 5), P. lancifolia (Prena 5).

Distribution. South America, Andes; Costa Rica, Atlantic side (Fig. 255).

Material examined. COSTA RICA. Heredia: Cerro Zurquí , 5 km N San Isidro, 1500– 1800 m ( CWOB 4 , JPPC 2 , MUCR, TAMU) ; 5 km E Vara Blanca , 2000 m ( HPSC, INBC, JPPC 9 ) ; 9 km NE Vara Blanca , 1500 m ( INBC, JPPC) ; 16 km SSE La Virgen , 1100 m ( CHAH, INBC, JPPC 12 ) ; 10 km SE La Virgen , 450 m ( JPPC) ; B. Carrillo N.P., transect ( INBC) ; Cartago: 4 km NE Cañon, Genesis II, 2300 m ( JPPC 4 ) . COLOMBIA. Valle del Cauca: Río Aguaca Valley , 2000 m ( ZIUH 2 ) . ECUADOR. Loja: Sabanilla ( SNSD) . Napo: Baños ( AMNH) ; El Chaco ( HAHC, JPPC, MZLU 2 ) . Santiago­Morona: Macas ( BMNH) . Without location: ( BMNH) . PERU. Junín: Pampa Hermosa ( CMNC) . Without location: ( BMNH, CMNC) . Total 54 specimens.

Discussion. Paul Hanson collected the first Middle American specimens of E. flavolimbatus in a malaise trap at Cerro Zurquí, in central Costa Rica. I visited the area numerous times without being able to find the weevil on any of the species of Piper present. Once I had recognized its association with Peperomia , I found E. flavolimbatus at several locations on the Atlantic side of Costa Rica. The only other species of Embates known to be associated with species of Peperomia is E. peperomiae . Embates flavolimbatus has several close relatives occurring at low elevations, particularly in South America. They form a cline to species near E. griseolus (Erichson) and E. circumcinctus (Casey) . Specimens of E. flavolimbatus can be recognized by the color­pattern, the shape of the rostrum and non­costate elytral interstriae. Embates clandestinus is more slender, and has been found in association with a species of Piper .