Embates peperomiae Prena, 2005

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

32. Embates peperomiae Prena sp. n.

(Fig. 121–123, 246)

Holotype male (dissected), Costa Rica , labeled: “ COSTA RICA: Prov. Heredia:/ 6km ENE Vara Blanca, 1950–/ 2050m, 10°11'N 84°07'W / 10./ 11.3.2000 / INBio­OET­ALAS transect”, “handcollecting/ leg. Jens Prena ” ( INBC).

Paratypes 17 (12 males, 5 females), labeled: as holotype ( JPPC 3 ) ; as holotype except 20.4.2002, 20/RG/RVC/011 ( INBC 2 , JPPC) , 21.4.2002, 20/M/03/083 ( INBC) ; “ Costa Rica, HEREDIA: 5/ km N San Isidro, Cerro / Zurquí , 1800 m, 1.4.2000,/ leg. Prena ” ( INBC, JPPC) ; “ COSTA RICA, Prov. Heredia:/ P.N. Braulio Carrillo, Cerro/ Zurquí , 5 km N San Isidro,/ 1700 m, 10°03'N 84°01'W / 10.3.2005, leg. J. Prena ” ( JPPC) ; “ COSTA RICA, Cartago / 4 km. NE. Cañon Genesis / II, 2350 m, VI­1995,/ malaise trap, P. Hanson ” ( CWOB) ; “ COSTA RICA, Cart. 4/ km. NE. Cañon , Gene­/ sisII, 2350m. VIII­27­/ 1998, C.W. & L. O’Brien ” ( CWOB) ; “ COSTA RICA: Prov. San José:/ R.F. Los Santos, Fca. E./ Serrano, Hwy. km 70, 2600­/ 2700m, 9°38'N 83°51'W / leg. J. Prena, 13.­ 16.5.2004 ” ( JPPC) ; “ COSTA RICA, Prov. Limón:/ P.N. La Amistad, Valle del/ Silencio , 10km NE Altamira,/ 2500 m, 9°08'N 82°58'W,/ 26.2.05, coll. R.S. Anderson ” ( CMNC 3 ) ; “PAN­ AMA: Chiriqui / 6 km. N.E. Boquete / 14–19.VI.1996, 1650 m/ J. Ashe & R. Brooks/ F.I.T. #180” ( CMNC) .

Description. Habitus: Fig. 121, total length 4.4–5.8 mm (m=5.0, n=14). Color: integument rufous to piceous, legs and rostrum rufous or partially piceous; basic vestiture of cupreous and some light­colored scales, yellow scales condensed in oblique subapical elytral fascia, dorsolateral pronotal vitta (Fig. 121) and on prosternum. Head: frontal fovea minute or absent, rostrum slender, subcylindrical (female as Fig. 125, apex more curved in male), costate dorsomedially, basolateral margin slightly edged, length of rostrum ♂♂ 1.16–1.41 x (m=1.32, n=10), ♀♀ 1.30–1.41 x (m=1.35, n=4) pronotal length, length of

ante­antennal portion ♂♂ 0.35–0.40 x (m=0.37, n=10), ♀♀ 0.39 x (m=0.39, n=4) total rostral length, dorsal margin of antennal scrobe reaching rostral base well before eye; length of funicular segments 1 and 2 subequal, club oblong ovate. Pronotum: length 0.96–1.04 x (m=1.00, n=14) maximum width, subparallel in basal third, then more or less gradually converging, anterior portion tubulate; disk moderately punctate, intervals confluent. Elytra: length 1.85–1.96 x (m=1.91, n=14) width at humeri, width 1.47–1.57 x (m=1.53, n=14) maximum pronotal width, sides subparallel in basal fourth, then increasingly narrowed toward apex, apices rounded conjointly, preapical callus rather strongly developed, not costate, striae fine, punctures moderate, interstriae flat, none costate. Legs: tibiae slightly curved, distally with cluster of cupreous hairs, tarsal claws arcuate and separate at base. Male: apex of aedeagus round, middle membranous, anterolateral portion sclerotized (Fig. 122), body of aedeagus of moderate length, basal third angular in lateral view, apodemes 2.2 x longer than body of aedeagus, flagellum thin, as long as apodemes, transition to curved base gradual, basal appendage elongate, fused subdistally with base of flagellum, projecting far beyond base (Fig. 123).

Plant association. Peperomia lancifolia (Prena 8), P. alata (Prena 2), P. dotana (Prena 1).

Distribution. Costa Rica and Panama, evergreen montane forests between 1650 and 2600 m (Fig. 246).

Specific epithet. The name is a Latin noun, first declension, genitive singular, derived from that of the host plant.

Discussion. Embates peperomiae is related to E. galbinus , with which it occurs in cloud forest habitats of the Cordilleras Central and Talamanca. The association of E. peperomiae with Peperomia is paralleled by E. flavolimbatus , a species without particular relationship to E. peperomiae .