Muisca agma, Opitz, Pitz Pinola Weston, 2018

Opitz, Pitz Pinola Weston, 2018, Classification, Natural History, and Evolution of the Subfamily Peloniinae O (Coleoptera: Cleroidea: Cleridae). Part IX. Taxonomic revision of the New World genus Muisca S, Linzer biologische Beiträge 50 (1), pp. 587-653 : 624-625

Muisca agma OPITZ nov.sp. ( Figs 35 , 70, 96, 117, 148)

Holotype: ♂. Venezuela, Estado de Aragua, Estación Biológica Rancho Grande , 5-V-1973, at black light, G. Ekis ( FSCA) . Paratypes: 12 specimens. Venezuela: Estado de Lara, Sanare ,?- VII- 1964, J. Maldonado ( WOPC, 1) ; Distrito Capital, Caracas ( MNHN, 1) ; idem,?-V-VI-1877, O. Thieme ( MNHN, 1) ; Estado de Miranda, San Antonio de los Altos , 1-VIII-1963, 1800 m, Carlos Bordon ( WOPC, 1) ; Estado de Aragua, Estación Biológica Rancho Grande , 5-V- 1973, at black light, G. Ekis ( WOPC, 2) ; idem, 1500-1900 m, 8-V-1978, O’Brien & Marshall ( JNRC, 1) ; La Tiara , 9-VI-1995, H. & A. Howden ( CMNC, 1) ; Estado de Falcon, 4 km W Curimagua , 16-VIII-1975, M. Murtagh ( WOPC, 1) ; " Venezuela " ( MNHN, 1). Colombia: Depatamento de Cauca, Valle del Cauca, Buga , 16-V-1973, G. Ekis ( WOPC, 3) .

D i a g n o s i s: Within the M. testacea -group, each elytron shows an irregular fascia in specimens of M. agma and in those of M. nigrosignata . However, in M. agma specimens, this fascia is fragmented, which is not the case in M. nigrosignata specimens.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Size: Length 4.3 mm; width 2.0 mm. Form: As in Fig. 148 . Color: Light testaceous, except each elytron with 2 black spots near the humeral angle and a black fragmented angular fascia at middle of disc. Head: Funicular antennomeres subfiliform, progressively more triangular toward capitulum, capitulum about as long as combined length of funicular antennomeres, capitular antennomeres 9 and 10 triangular ( Fig. 35 ), antennomere 11 obovate; frons wider than width of eye ( EW /FW 18/33). Thorax: Pronotum (Fig. 70) quadrate ( PW /PL 75/75), side margin with well-developed tubercle, disc subglabrous at middle; elytral asetiferous punctation minute, striate to distal 2/3 rd ( EL /EW 220/55). Abdomen: Pygidium subquadrate; posterior margin of 6 th visible sternite broadly concave; aedeagus long, phallic plates very narrow, phallic apex ( Fig. 117 ) small, triangular.

V a r i a t i o n: Size: Length 4.3-6.0 mm; width 2.0- 2.3 mm. Other than body size, the available specimens are quite homogeneous.

N a t u r a l h i s t o r y: Specimens were collected during April and May; those from Colombia at 1700 m; those from Venezuela with a black light set in a montane tropical cloud forest.

E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet, agma, is a Greek noun with a meaning of "fragment". I refer to the fragmentation of the fascia on the elytral disc.

D i s t r i b u t i o n ( Fig.96 ): This species is known only from Colombia and Venezuela.

Figures

Figs 34-46: Antennae, alimentary canal, and male mesodermal internal reproductive organs. 34-44 Antennae. (34) M. tetraspilota, male. (35) M. agma, male. (36) M. bitaeniata, male. (37) M. nigrosignata, male. (38) M. sigilla, male. (39) M. zona, male. (40) M. adamanta, male. (41) M. biordinis, male. (42) M. malakela, female. (43) M. peruviana, male. (44) M. variabilis, male. (45) M. condilum, alimentary canal. (46) M. variabilis, male mesodermal internal reproductive organs.

Figs 145-148: Habitus. (145) Muisca octonotata. (146) M. tetraspilota. (147) M. adamanta. (148) M. agma.

Figs 116-124: Phalli. (116) Muisca adamanta. (117) M. agma. (118) M. biordinis. (119) M. bitaeniata. (120) M. nigrosignata. (121) M. peruviana. (122) M. sigilla. (123) M. testacea. (124) M. variabilis.

Fig. 96: Geographic distribution of Muisca species as listed.