Embates clandestinus Prena, 2005

Prena, Jens, 2005, The Middle American species of Embates Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Baridinae), Zootaxa 1100 (1), pp. 1-151 : 1-151

67. Embates clandestinus Prena sp. n.

(Fig. 229–230)

Holotype female, Costa Rica , labeled: “ COSTA RICA: Prov. Heredia:/ 10km SE La Virgen, 450–/ 550m, 10°20'N 84°05'W / 14.– 20.4.2003 / INBio­OET­ALAS transect”, “handcollecting/ leg. Jens Prena ”, INB0003230183 ( INBC).

Paratypes 4 (1 male, 3 females), Costa Rica, labeled: as holotype, INBC0003230184 ( JPPC) ; same label except 8.– 13.4.2003, leg. Ed Riley, INBC0003230136 ( CMNC) ; same label except 17­ 21.3.2003, leg. R. Anderson ( CMNC) ; “ COSTA RICA, Heredia:/ Est. Biol. La Selva , 50–/ 150m, 10°26'N 84°01'W / May 1993, INBio­OET”, “ 2 Mayo 1993 / bosque primario/ M/05/084”, CRI001 227839 ( INBC) .

Description. Habitus: Fig. 229, total length 4.5–5.3 mm (m=4.9, n=5). Color: integument dark brown; basic vestiture of moderately sized dark scales, scales yellow in welldefined dorsolateral vittae between head and elytral apices, on venter and hind legs. Head: frontal fovea minute or absent, transition between head and rostrum nearly continuous, rostrum slender, subcylindrical (Fig. 230), slightly constricted in apical half, costate dorsomedially and dorsolaterally in basal half, basolateral margin roundly edged, length of rostrum ♂ 1.23 x (n=1), ♀♀ 1.24–1.28 x (m=1.25, n=4) pronotal length, length of anteantennal portion ♂ 0.51 x (n=1), ♀♀ 0.53–0.54 x (m=0.53, n=4) total rostral length, dorsal margin of antennal scrobe reaching rostral base well before eye; funicular segment 2 very slightly longer than 1, club oblong ovate. Pronotum: length 0.85–0.88 x (m=0.87, n=5) maximum width, widest in basal third, sides rounded, anterior portion subtubulate; disk densely punctate, intervals granulose, dorsomedian carina absent. Elytra: length 1.67–1.75 x (m=1.71, n=5) width at humeri, width 1.20–1.26 x (m=1.23, n=5) maximum pronotal width, sides slightly converging in basal half, apices rounded conjointly, preapical callus developed moderately, striae fine, punctures indistinct, interstriae flat, 9 subcostate. Legs: tibiae nearly straight, ventral margin feebly produced near middle, distally with cluster of cupreous hairs, tarsal claws arcuate and separate at base. Male: apex of aedeagus broadly rounded, middle and anterolateral portions sclerotized, body of aedeagus of moderate length, angular at midlength in lateral view, apodemes 1.9 x longer than body of aedeagus, flagellum very thin, as long as apodemes, transition to curved base gradual, basal appendage slender, fused laterally with base of flagellum, barely projecting beyond base.

Plant association. Piper sp. [a climbing species near P. subsessilifolium , with much smaller leaves and pendulous inflorescence like in P. urostachyum ] (Prena 2).

Distribution. Costa Rica, Atlantic side (lower part of ALAS­transect in Fig. 239).

Specific epithet. The name is a Latin adjective meaning “clandestine”.

Discussion. Embates clandestinus resembles very much E. flavolimbatus , but lacks the vitta along the outer elytral interstria. After several weeks of unsuccessful search on Peperomia , I found single specimens on an unidentified climbing species of Piper . The habitus and transitions in the color­pattern suggest a relationship with several South American species near E. circumcinctus (Casey) .