Enoclerus valens Barr & Rifkind

Barr, William F. & Rifkind, Jacques, 2009, Two new and one resurrected species of Enoclerus Gahan (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Clerinae) from the western United States, Zootaxa 2168, pp. 57-62 : 61-62

Enoclerus valens Barr & Rifkind , new species

( Fig. 2)

Type specimens. Holotype ♂: U.S.A., Arizona, Coconino County, Oak Creek Canyon, 12-VII-1995, Jim Cope, collector . Holotype deposited in CSCA . Paratypes: ARIZONA: 2 ♂♂, Gila County, 0.5 mi S. of Workman Creek , 27-VII-2003 , beating dead Acer, F. W. Skillman, Jr. , coll.; 1 ♂, Gila County, Workman Cyn., 21 mi S. of Young , 28–29-VII-1981, W. B. Warner, coll. ; 1 ♀, Coconino County, Oak Creek Canyon, ± 4 mi. N. of Sedona , Emerged : VII-1976, F. T. Hovore, coll. ; 1 specimen, Coconino County, Oak Creek Canyon, VII-1-1975 , Wappes collection ; 1 specimen, Coconino County, Oak Creek Canyon, VII-7-1995 , N. M. Downie, colln., 1992 Acc. Z-18343 Field Museum. Paratypes are deposited in FMNH, FSCA, FWSC, JNRC and WFBC .

Diagnosis. The new species is distinguishable from its congeners based on a unique combination of color, elytral pattern, surface sculpturing and body proportions. In Arizona, it appears most similar to Enoclerus luscus ( Klug 1842) , with which it shares black coloration, reddish abdomen, eburneous elytral markings and cinereous apical elytral vestiture. Enoclerus luscus , however, has a somewhat more compact form and generally coarser elytral punctation, and its pale elytral markings are shaped not as transverse bands, but rather as irregular spots, emarginate posteriorly and narrowly produced internally. In addition, the two species seem to be allopatric: E. valens is apparently restricted to parts of central Arizona, whereas E. luscus is known only from mountain ranges in the southeastern part of the State. Finally, we note that the rarely collected species E. palmii ( Schaeffer 1904) bears a resemblance to the new species, especially in dorsal habitus. Unlike E. valens , however, E. palmii possesses subrectangular humeral angles, and a black abdomen.

Description (Holotype). Length: 11.7 mm. Color: black; mouthparts, antennae, distal margins of gena and metasternum, procoxae and tarsi in whole or in part reddish brown; abdomen reddish; each elytron with a broad, irregular, quadrangular, transverse eburneous fascia just before middle ( Fig. 2), complete to lateral margins, narrowly interrupted at suture, where it is slightly, obliquely constricted anteriorly. Head: antennae elongate, club rather loose; eleventh antennomere distinctly elongate-acute at apex; front bi-impressed; dorsal surface densely, shallowly, sub-confluently punctate, densely but inconspicuously covered with short, whitish, suberect setae, interspersed with occasional longer, erect, pale setae. Pronotum: about as broad as long; narrower than elytra at base; transverse impression distinct, broadly V-shaped; disk subflattened; surface shining, finely, densely, rather uniformly punctate; vestiture on disk dense but inconspicuous, composed mostly of rather short, erect, black setae, ringed posteriorly, laterally, and anteriorly with short and long, suberect and erect, whitish setae. Elytra: elongate (ratio of length to maximum width approximately 9:5; widest posterior to middle; anterior margin bisinuate; humeri pronounced; subbasal tumescences feebly elevated, rounded above; disk flattened at middle; surface shining, densely and moderately coarsely and deeply punctate to posterior margin of eburneous fascia, thence uniformly, finely and shallowly punctate to apices; vestiture inconspicuous on anterior 3/4, moderately dense, arranged as follows: on black integumental area, comprised of mostly short, suberect and erect—and fewer longer, erect—black setae; on pale fascia, consisting of mostly short, suberect, and a few longer, erect stramineous setae; posterior 1/4 conspicuously vested with fine, reclinate, cinereous pubescence, interspersed with more robust suberect and erect black setae; sides subparallel, feebly deflexed at middle, then slightly expanded subapically; apices separately rounded, dehiscent. Mesosternum: posterior median process small, feebly elevated, apex not strongly notched. Metasternum: moderately convex; surface shining, densely, shallowly, finely punctate. Abdomen: shining, sparsely pubescent, obscurely punctate and roughened; visible tergite 6 with sides oblique, apex rather narrowly rounded; setal daggers absent; visible sternite 6 with sides oblique, posterior margin sinuate.

Variation. Size of the few available specimens ranges from 10.00–12.90 mm. Pattern and setation are relatively uniform, although some specimens have darkened centers in the punctures covering the eburneous elytral bands. In the female, visible tergite 6 is rounded posteriorly and feebly notched at the middle; visible sternite 6 is nearly transverse at the apex, and also feebly notched at the middle.

Etymology. The specific epithet "valens," Latin for "strong," refers to the size and robustness of this species, which is among the largest of the Arizona Enoclerus fauna. The name also incidentally honors Ritchie Valens (born Richard Valenzuela), the first Mexican-American rock 'n' roll star. Distribution. Known from central Arizona.