Scolytodes sulcifrons Jordal & Kirkendall

Jordal, Bjarte H. & Kirkendall, Lawrence R., 2019, Rainforest and cloud forest Scolytodes (Curculionidae, Scolytinae, Hexacolini) from the Arthropods of La Selva inventory in Costa Rica: new species, new synonymy, new records, ZooKeys 863, pp. 1-34 : 1

Scolytodes sulcifrons Jordal & Kirkendall sp. nov. Figs 30, 33, 36

Type material.

Holotype, female: Costa Rica, Prov. Heredia, 10 km SE La Virgen, 450-550 m, 10°20'N, 84°05'W, 14 Mar. 2003, #030314-3 [L. Kirkendall, leg]. Allotype male and paratypes (2): same data as holotype. Holotype and allotype deposited in MNCR, 1 paratype in USNM, 1 paratype in ZMBN.

Diagnosis.

Interstriae 10 carinate to level of metacoxae; interstriae 9 carinate between level of metanepisternum and elytral apex; protibiae with an additional mesal tooth near tarsal insertion. Distinguished from the very similar species S. planifrons Jordal & Kirkendall (described below) and S. clusiapraelatus Jordal, 2013 by the sulcate female frons, the presence of several more and much longer elytral setae, and by the regularly sized and spaced strial punctures.

Description female.

Length 1.3-1.4 mm, 2.0-2.1 × as long as wide; color dark brown to black. Head. Eyes entire, separated above by 2.5-2.6 × their width. Frons impressed on median third from just below upper level of eyes to epistoma, slightly elevated along margin of impressed area; impressed and elevated area with deep large punctures approximately in longitudinal rows. Vestiture consisting of sparse, fine setae associated with punctures. Antennal club setose, with two obliquely procurved sutures weakly marked by longer setae. Funiculus 5-segmented. Pronotum reticulate, with minute punctures spaced by 4-8 × their diameter. Vestiture consisting of two erect long setae along the median part of the anterior margin (2 –0– 0). Elytra smooth, shiny; striae not (or very weakly) impressed, small punctures spaced by 2-3 × their diameter; interstriae 3-4 × as wide as striae, scant punctures barely visible, confused. Interstriae 10 carinate to level of metacoxae; interstriae 9 carinate between level of metanepisternum and elytral apex. Vestiture consisting of 10-14 erect long setae on interstriae 3 and 7. Legs. Procoxae separated by 0.6 × and mesocoxae 1.0 × the width of one procoxa. Protibiae broadening slightly distally, lateral teeth 1 and 2 of sub-equal size, with 3-4 additional, small granules along the lateral edge towards base; all teeth, particularly 1 and 2 are connected by a thin, semi-transparent extension of the cuticle; an additional mesal tooth present near tarsal insertion; protibial mucro straight, short. Meso- and metatibiae with 7 and 6 lateral, socketed, small teeth on distal half and third, respectively. Ventral vestiture. Setae on metanepisternum and metasternum simple, on mesanepisternum trifid; sclerolepidia small, round scales.

Male.

As in female, except frons convex, with scant short setae near epistoma.

Key

( Wood 1982). Keys to couplet 22, with no further match.

Etymology.

The Latin name sulcifrons is composed by the stem of the masculine adjective sulcus, meaning furrow, a linking vowel -i, and the noun frons, meaning forehead, referring to the broad longitudinal furrow in the female frons. It is invariable.

Biology and distribution.

This species is only known from the lowland type locality in Costa Rica. Individuals were collected from the bark of a 9 cm-diameter standing dead tree that was covered with thick moss.