Agra ichabod Erwin

Erwin, Terry L., 2002, The Beetle Family Carabidae of Costa Rica: Twenty­nine new species of Agra Fabricius 1801 (Coleoptera: Carabidae, Lebiini, Agrina), Zootaxa 119, pp. 1-68 : 61

Agra ichabod Erwin , new species

( Figs. 28a, 28 b)

Holotype. Female, COSTA RICA: Alajuela, Atenas, 9º58'N 84º23'W, May, (C. Aviles)( UCOR) ADP7607.

Diagnosis. This is the only species of Costa Rican Agra with aeneous elytral foveae and slightly oblique apex without a sutural tooth; foveae nearly contiguous.

Description. Male unknown. Color and luster: Rufopiceous, aeneous. Legs rufopiceous with slightly infuscated knees; venter rufoaeneous. Foveae of interneurs with metallic blue reflections. Form: Head unknown. Pronotum with large punctures along each side of midline. Female slender, with elytra slightly flared behind middle. Elytron with apex ( Fig. 28a ) moderately oblique, lateral tooth small, sutural apex rounded; foveae of interneurs large and positioned irregularly, some separated by their own diameter, other coalesced. Sternum VI ( Fig. 28 b) of female nearly truncate. Size: small, 12mm in length (length of head estimated based on proportions of Agra monteverde Erwin (see below), 3.0mm in width.

Other specimens examined. The female Holotype is the only specimen I saw.

Specific epithet. The specific epithet, ichabod , is used as a noun in apposition, and refers to the fact that the Holotype is missing its head and the illusion is that of the frightened Schoolteacher Ichabod Crane’s phantom nemesis, the Headless Horseman, in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow from The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, by the American author, Washington Irving, published in 1819­20.

Notes. The Holotype is from the Cordillera Volcánica Central Conservation Area. This very distinctive species is represented only by the female Holotype, which is headless, however, its unique elytral attributes justify giving it a name and bringing it to the attention of collectors. The head may be described later, based on discovery of a second, complete, specimen. The closely related species, Agra soccata Bates of Panamá with which this female agrees in attributes provided the information on male attributes, hence my assignment of this species to the soccata group.

Figures

FIGURE 28. A. ichabod, female, dorsal aspect; a) apex of elytron; b) Sternum VI, female, ventral aspect. Measures (mm): WE = 1.5; SW = 2.8.