Scolytodes amictus Jordal and Smith, 2020

Jordal, Bjarte H. & Smith, Sarah M., 2020, Scolytodes Ferrari (Coleoptera, Scolytinae) from Ecuador: 40 new species, and a molecular phylogenetic guide to infer species differences, Zootaxa 4813 (1), pp. 1-67 : 48-49

Scolytodes amictus Jordal and Smith , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B16FE726-D771-4C05-AB67-77DE21C4D840

( Figs 100, 103, 106 )

Type material. Holotype, female: Ecuador: Napo Prov., Tiputini biodiversity station, 220–250 m, June 1998, 00° 37’55’’S, 76° 08’39’’W, T.L. Erwin et al. collectors, indiv#000953 . Allotype, male: same data as HT, indiv#001208. Paratypes: same data as HT, except Feb. 1999 (5) ; except October 1998 (1); Napo Prov., Res. Ethnica Waorani, 1km S Onkone Gare Camp., Trans. Et. , 00°39’10’’S, 76°26’W, 220m elev., July 1996 , T.L. Erwin et al. collectors (3); July 1994 (1) , October 1995 (4) , October 1996 (9). Holotype, allotype and 11 paratypes temporarily held in trust at USNM for MECN, four paratypes each deposited in QCAZ, MSUC and ZMBN .

Diagnosis. Interstriae 10 sharply elevated to apex. Protibiae with a small additional mesal tooth. Pronotum lightly asperate on anterior third. Elytra and pronotum strongly reticulated, not shining. Similar to S. ficivorus Wood and related species, but differs by the long interstriae 10 and reticulated elytra. Possibly the closest relative is S. facetus Wood, 1967 , but the new species has an additional mesal tooth on the protibiae and longer strial and interstrial ground vestiture.

Description, female. Length 1.3–1.7 mm, 2.3–2.6 × as long as wide; colour light brown. Head. Eyes entire, separated above by 1.7–2.0 × their width. Frons slightly impressed between eyes to epistoma, sparsely punctated; vestiture consisting of a dense brush of protruding setae arising from upper level of eyes, along inner margin of eyes to epistoma, tips curved inward, short, scant setae in central area. Antennal club pilose, sutures barely indicated, strongly procurved, segment 1 and 2 partly corneous. Funiculus possibly 5-segmented. Pronotum reticulate, punctures obscure, not reaching anterior margin, distinct asperities present on anterior half. Vestiture consisting of 8 long, erect setae (4-2-2) and some additional, shorter, erect setae along anterior margin. Elytra strongly reticulate, dull; striae more or less regular, striae 1 weakly indicated, others not, punctures small, shallow, barely visible; interstrial punctures barely visible, more spaced, increasingly confused posteriorly, associated with tiny, sharp granules on declivity. Interstriae 10 sharply raised to apex. Vestiture consisting of 10–20 erect setae positioned near basal margin and scutellum and on interstriae 3 and 9, very fine, short, recumbent setae present in striae and interstriae. Legs. Procoxae separated by 0.3 × the width of one procoxa. Mesocoxae separated by 0.6–0.8 × the width of a procoxa. Protibiae narrow, distal teeth 1 similar to 2, with 3–4 lateral, tiny granules towards tibial base; a tiny additional mesal tooth present on posterior face near base of tooth 2; protibial mucro very short, straight. Meso- and metatibiae with 7 and 5–6 socketed teeth on distal half and one-third, respectively. Ventral vestiture. Setae on mesanepisternum bifid, on metasternum and metanepisternum simple.

Male. Similar to female except frons convex, strongly reticulate, with large shallow punctures and scant setae.

Key ( Wood 2007). There is disagreement in couplet 1. One may ignore the presence of a mesal tooth on the protibiae and thereby reach couplet 50 or 51, but the new species lacks a shiny, impunctate area at the centre of the female frons.

Etymology. The Latin name amictus is a noun in apposition, meaning fashion or drapery, referring to the nicely arranged setae in the female frons.

Biology and distribution. Known from a series of fogging events in two lowland localities in Ecuador. It is the most commonly occurring species of Scolytodes in fogging samples and was collected on seven different occasions, in four different months (Feb, Jun, Jul, Oct.) over five years (1994, -95, -96, -98, -99).

Figures

FIGURES 100–108. Dorsal, lateral and frontal views of the female holotype of Scolytodes amictus (100, 103, 106), Scolytodes cnesinoides (101, 104, 107), and Scolytodes maestus (102, 105, 108).