Phlegon giganteus Fleutiaux, 1929: 36–37

Otto, Robert L., 2017, A revision of Phlegoninae (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae), with descriptions of a new genus and four new species, Insecta Mundi 2017 (569), pp. 1-27 : 6-7

Phlegon giganteus Fleutiaux, 1929: 36–37

Fig. 9–14

Diagnosis. Oblong punctures along elytral sutures distinguish this species from P. buqueti , P. herculeanus and P. panamensis . Shape of pronotum further distinguishes female P. giganteus from P. chiriquiensis , as it gradually narrows anteriorly in P. giganteus and is parallel-sided in P. chiriquiensis .

Specimens Examined. Six specimens were available for study: COSTA RICA: 1, “C. RICA: Gte prov., 1 mi. E. Los Angeles, 1-25-74, W. Vandevender.” / “J. Muona det., Phlegon , giganteus, Fleut. ” (genus, species and author handwritten) / “ Phlegon giganteus, Fleutiaux 1929 , J. Muona det. 2014” (JMC); 1, “CR. Punt. Penin de OSA, Los Banzos de Rincon, 60m, 30-12-95, L. Aryubo, LS985200N/515600E” (illegible handwritten label) / “ Phlegon giganteus, Fleutiaux 1929 , D. Alaruikka det. 2007, J. Muona conf. 2015” (INBC); 1, “Casa Oeste, Cerro El, Hacha, 12km SE La Cruz, 300m, Guanacaste Prov., COSTA RICA, Jan 1988, A. Solis” / “ Phlegon giganteus, Fleutiaux 1929 , D. Alaruikka det. 2007, J. Muona conf. 2015” (INBC); 1, “Casa Oeste, Cerro El, Hacha, 12km SE La Cruz, 300m, Guanacaste Prov., COSTA RICA, Jan 1988, M. Espinosa” / “ Phlegon giganteus, Fleutiaux 1929 , D. Alaruikka det. 2007, J. Muona conf. 2015” (INBC); 1, “Los Almendros, P.N., Guanacaste, Prov. Guan., acaste, Costa Rica, 28, mar a 24 abr 1992, M. Reyes, L-N 334800, 369800” / “ Phlegon giganteus, Fleutiaux 1929 , D. Alaruikka det. 2007, J. Muona conf. 2015” (INBC); 1, “COSTA RICA Guan., 3km SE R. Naranjo, 1–10 Apr. 1992, F.D. Parker” / “Collection of the Global, Eucnemid Research Project, (Robert L. Otto)” (green framed, white label) / “ Phlegon , giganteus, Fleutiaux, Det. R.L. Otto, 2005 ” (GERP).

Redescription. ♂: length 18.0–20.0 mm, width, 6.5–7.5 mm. ♀: length 25.0–31.0 mm, width, 8.0–9.0 mm. Body stout, oblong, elongate; uniformly dark brown; antennae dark brown; femora, tibiae and tarsi dark brown; head, pronotum and elytra clothed with short, semierect copper-colored setae ( Fig. 9–10 ).

Head: Subspherical; frons depressed above frontoclypeal region; surfaces shiny, densely punctate to almost confluently rugose; apical margin of frontoclypeal region rounded, about 2 times wider than base; mandibles slender, without teeth.

Antenna: ♂ ( Fig. 11 ): About 3/4 of body length; antennomere III slightly longer than IV; antennomeres IV–VIII quadrate, subequal; antennomeres IX–XI enlarged, tubular, dentate; antennomere X slightly shorter than either IX or XI; antennomeres IX and XI each as long as III–VIII combined; antennomere X as long as VI–VIII combined. ♀ ( Fig. 12 ): About 1/2 of body length; antennomere III slightly longer than IV; antennomere IV slightly longer than wide; antennomeres V–VIII quadrate, subequal; antennomeres IX–XI enlarged, tubular, very weakly dentate; antennomere IX slightly longer than either X or XI; antennomere IX as long as VI–VIII combined; antennomeres X and XI each slightly longer than VI–VIII combined.

Pronotum: Surfaces shiny, punctures closely spaced; slightly wider than long, with large, sharp hind angles; sides anteriorly narrower, slightly constricted basally above hind angles; disc convex, variably with four circular foveae, anterior pair much more impressed; base sinuous.

Scutellum: Setose, quadrate, elongate and distally rounded.

Elytra: Striae indicated, formed from elongate punctures; interstices slightly elevated; surfaces shiny, shallowly punctate to slightly rugose; apices ( Fig. 13 ) with shallow, V-shaped cavities near elytral suture.

Legs: First tarsomere shorter than the combined length of remaining four on meso- and metatarsi; tibiae rounded in cross section; metatarsomeres I–III simple; metatarsomere IV excavated, bilobed; metatarsomere V elongate; pretarsal claws simple.

Venter: Closely punctate, with short, semierect to recumbent copper-colored setae; hypomeron simple, without lateral antennal grooves; metepisterna parallel-sided; metacoxal plates medially 3.0–6.0 times wider than laterally.

Aedeagus ( Fig. 14 ): Basal piece short, rounded, dorsally open; remaining parts bulbous, basally narrowed, widest near base of lateral lobes; median lobe short, ventrally curved, dorsally hooked at tip; lateral lobes ventrally curved, elongate, apically rounded and divergent.

Distribution. Taken from five localities throughout much of Costa Rica.

Biology. Some adults have been taken from montane cloud forests. Larvae and pupae are unknown.

Note. Muona (1985) reported finding the species at Izabal, Rio Dulce in Guatemala, but I was unable to examine and verify the identity of the eucnemid collected in Guatemala during the course of this study. The types of this species collected in Turrialba, Costa Rica, were not available for study.

Figures

Figures 9–14. Phlegon giganteus Fleutiaux. 9) Male (INBC), dorsal habitus. 10) Female (INBC), dorsal habitus. 11) Male antenna (INBC), lateral view. 12) Female antenna (INBC), dorsal view. 13) Male elytral apices (INBC), dorsal view. 14) Aedeagus (INBC), ventral view. (Scale: 9–10 = 10.0 mm; 11–12 = 5.0 mm; 13–14 = 1.0 mm)