Embates rugosus (Hustache)

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

2. Embates rugosus (Hustache) , resurrected name

(Fig. 37–39, 245)

Ambates solani var.; Champion 1907: 166

Ambates rugosus Hustache 1950: 3 [rufulus, lapsus; not rufulus Hustache 1950: 4]. Lectotype, sex not determined, Ecuador, upper of two specimens on same pin, here designated, labeled: “ Equateur / S° Domingo”, “Type”, “ Ambates / rugosus/ m.” (MNHP). Paralectotypes 6, here designated: Ambato and Santo Domingo (MNHP 6). Kuschel 1955: 273 (synonymy with A. solani ); Wibmer & O’Brien 1986

Embates [ rugosus ]. Alonso­Zarazaga & Lyal 1999 (global combination of all species of Ambates Schönherr 1836 with Embates Chevrolat 1833 )

Redescription. Habitus: Fig. 37, total length 5.4–7.6 mm (m=6.5, n=17). Color: integument piceous, legs dark rufous in subpopulation of Cordillera de Talamanca; basic vestiture cupreous, occasionally intermixed with few white scales, scales velvety black in elytral macula between interstriae 2–5, both maculae combined longer than wide (Fig. 37), scales white to ochreous in fuzzy dorsolateral pronotal vitta and in obsolete post­macular fascia; venter with dense spot of ochreous scales in ante­coxal portion of prosternum, ventral vestiture sparse. Head: frontal fovea absent, rostrum thick, falciform (as Fig. 45), costate dorsomedially and rugose laterally, basolateral margin strongly produced, length of rostrum ♂♂ 1.27–1.43 x (m=1.35, n=10), ♀♀ 1.28–1.44 x (m=1.38, n=7) pronotal length, length of ante­antennal portion ♂♂ 0.35–0.40 x (m=0.38, n=10), ♀♀ 0.41–0.43 x (m=0.42, n=7) total rostral length, dorsal margin of antennal scrobe reaching rostral base well before eye; length of funicular segments 1 and 2 subequal, club ovate (♀♀) to subcylindrical (♂♂). Pronotum: length 0.80–0.88 x (m=0.84, n=17) maximum width, greatest width near base, sides subparallel or gradually converging in basal half, anterior portion roundly narrowed and tubulate in front; disk densely punctate, intervals granulose to rugose. Elytra: length 1.41–1.69 x (m=1.60, n=17) width at humeri, width 1.39–1.50 x (m=1.44, n=17) maximum pronotal width, sides subparallel or slightly converging in basal half, apices rounded conjointly, preapical callus developed moderately, striae fine, punctures distinct, interstriae flat, 9 costate. Legs: tibiae slightly curved, ventral margin bisinuate, distally with cluster of cupreous hairs, tarsal claws arcuate and separate at base. Male: apex of aedeagus blunt, middle sclerotized, anterolateral portion membranous (Fig. 38), body of aedeagus relatively short, curved in lateral view, apodemes 2.8 x longer than body of aedeagus, flagellum very thin, approximately twice as long as aedeagus including apodemes, transition to curved base gradual, basal appendage slender and elongate, projecting far beyond base (Fig. 39).

Plant association. Piper hispidum s. l. (Prena 3), P. augustum (Prena 2).

Distribution. Pacific side of Ecuador northward to Pacific side of Cordillera de Talamanca in Costa Rica (Fig. 245).

Material examined. COSTA RICA. Puntarenas: Las Alturas, 1500 m ( INBC 2 ) ; Las Mellizas , 1300 m ( INBC 2 , JPPC) ; Sector Altamira , 1350 m ( INBC) ; Est. Altamira , 1900 m ( JPPC) . San José: Las Nubes de Santa Elena , 1200 m ( INBC) ; Cerro Chucuyo , 12 km NE San Isidro, 1350 m ( JPPC 4 ) . PANAMA. Chiriquí: Volcán ( BMNH 3 ) ; 15 km NW Volcán , 1350 m ( HPSC) ; Santa Clara , Hartmann’s finca ( CMNC) . Panamá: Llano­Cartí rd km 9, 350 m ( HPSC) . ECUADOR. Chimborazo: Balzapamba ( ZMHB) . Manabí: El Carmen ( CWOB) . Pichincha: Santo Domingo ( MNHP 5 ) ; Tinalandia , 12 km E Santo Domingo, 850 m ( MZLU, TAMU 2 ) ; Río Palenque , 47 km S Santo Domingo ( CMNC 4 , HAHC) ; Maquipucuna For. Res. , 50 km NW Quito ( CMNC) . Tungurahua: Ambato ( MNHP) . Total 35 specimens .

Discussion. Hustache described E. rugosus without reference to E. solani . The great similarity of the two species, together with the variable size and the wide distribution of E. solani appear to give reasonable justification to place them in synonymy as done by Kuschel (1955). The collections from Panama and the Pacific side of the Cordillera de Talamanca now provide new information relevant to this issue. The material includes two Middle American populations, which correspond with Champion’s concept of E. solani and E. solani var. They differ in size, antennal insertion and color­pattern. Embates solani var. approaches morphologically E. rugosus , but is slightly more slender. The records available suggest, that E. rugosus occurs on the Pacific side of the Andes and radiates northward to Panama (one record from Llano­Cartí road), while E. solani var. occurs on the Pacific side of the Cordillera de Talamanca above 1200 m. Embates solani is widely distributed in Middle America, but has not been collected east of the Canal Zone. The meristic and zoogeographic data support a distinction of E. solani and E. rugosus , and the latter is resurrected here as a valid species. Embates solani var. belongs to E. rugosus rather than to E. solani . It is possible that the slender shape of this population is simply an effect of cooler temperature at high altitudes.