Embates kunicus Prena, 2005

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

58. Embates kunicus Prena sp. n.

(Fig. 196–199, 257)

Holotype male (dissected), Panama, labeled: “ PANAMA, San Blas :/ Nusagandi, 280 m,/ 2.8.1995, Coll. Univ. Panama ” ( CMNC).

Paratypes 2 (female), Panama, labeled: “ PANAMA, San Blas ,/ Nusagandi, Nusagandi / Tr. 150–350m, 7­27­95/ C.W. & L.B. O’Brien ” ( CWOB); “ PANAMA: Pma Pr./ 2 km SW Cerro Jefe / 9° 12'N 79° 25'W / 24 May 94 el. 700 m / H.P. Stockwell ” ( HPSC) .

Description. Habitus: Fig. 196, total length 4.4–5.5 mm (n=3). Color: integument piceous, legs and rostrum partially rufous, basic vestiture of brown and some scattered yellow scales; yellow scales condensed in dorsolateral pronotal vitta, humeral vitta and short, oblique subapical elytral fascia. Head: frontal fovea absent, rostrum slender, subcylindrical (Fig. 197), costate dorsomedially, basolateral margin roundly edged, length of rostrum ♂ 1.23 x (n=1), ♀♀ 1.24–1.26 x (n=2) pronotal length, length of ante­antennal portion ♂ 0.35 x (n=1), ♀♀ 0.39–0.40 x (n=2) total rostral length, dorsal margin of antennal scrobe reaching rostral base before eye; length of funicular segments 1 and 2 subequal, club oblong ovate. Pronotum: length 0.90–1.01 x (m=0.96, n=3) maximum width, widest in basal third, sides gradually rounded toward front, anterior portion tubulate; punctation dense with isolated granula. Elytra: length 1.87–1.89 x (m=1.88, n=3) width at humeri, width 1.27–1.29 x (m=1.28, n=3) maximum pronotal width, sides subparallel in basal half, then increasingly narrowed toward apex, apices rounded conjointly, preapical callus moderate, striae fine, punctures indistinct, interstriae flat, 9 subcostate distally. Legs: tibiae with ventral margin almost straight, metatibia ventrodistally with short fringe of cupreous hairs, tarsal claws arcuate and separate at base. Male: apex of aedeagus membranous, anterolateral portion sclerotized (Fig. 198), body of aedeagus of moderate length, basal third angular in lateral view, apodemes 2.5 x longer than body of aedeagus, flagellum thin, shorter than apodemes, transition to curved base gradual, basal appendage elongate, fused laterally with base of flagellum, not much projecting beyond base (Fig. 199).

Plant association. Not known.

Distribution. Central Panama (Fig. 257).

Specific epithet. The name is derived from the ethnic tribe of the Kuna.

Discussion. Embates kunicus is a relatively slender species and seems to be related to the species near E. pictipennis and E. leucopleura . The elytral color­pattern is reduced to a short subapical fascia (derived from the post­macular element) and a humeral streak. The dark elytral macula is very faint.