Scolytodes semicrassus 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 : 39-41

Scolytodes semicrassus Jordal and Smith , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0EBA92B5-03FB-4D4E-BA0A-6020BFF26272

( Figs 73, 76, 79 )

Type material. Holotype: Ecuador: Napo Prov., Res. Ethnica Waorani, 1km S Onkone Gare Camp., Trans. Et. , 00°39’10’’S, 76°26’W, 220m elev., October 1994, T.L. Erwin et al. collectors, indiv #000498 . Paratypes: same data as HT, except October 1995 (2); Holotype and one paratype temporarily held in trust at USNM for MECN, one paratype deposited in MSUC .

Diagnosis. Interstriae 10 sharply elevated to level of metacoxae. Protibiae with an additional mesal tooth. Elytra with spatulate interstrial and hair-like strial setae. Metanepisternum with coarse, plumose setae. Most closely related to S. crassus— both species with spatulate setae missing on interstriae 2—but differs mainly by the distinct asperities on pronotum, and larger size.

Description, female. Length 1.2–1.3 mm, 2.2 × as long as wide; colour dark brown. Head. Eyes entire, separated above by 1.9–2.2 × their width. Frons convex, flattened on epistoma, surface reticulated, with coarse punctures from epistoma to upper level of eyes; vestiture consisting of scant, short setae, more dense on epistomal lobe. Antennal club pilose, two procurved sutures indicated, segment 1 subcorneous. Funiculus 5-segmented. Pronotum rugosely reticulated, with dense, deep punctures nearly reaching anterior margin, largely replaced anteriorly by concentric, low asperities. Vestiture consisting of short recumbent setae and six long, erect setae (4-0-2). Elytra smooth, shiny; striae regular, punctures large, deep, spaced by maximally 1 × their diameter; interstrial punctures smaller, more scattered but mainly in rows; interstriae 10 sharply elevated to level of metacoxae. Vestiture consisting of fine, short, semirecumbent strial and interstrial setae, and much longer and thicker spatulate interstrial setae, particularly on posterior half, erect setae missing on interstriae 3, almost so on 5. Legs. Procoxae separated by 1.0 × the width of one procoxa. Mesocoxae separated by 1.2–1.3 × the width of a procoxa. Protibiae narrow, distal tooth 1 longer than 2, with 2–3 tiny granules barely visible along the edge towards tibial base; an additional mesal tooth present on posterior face; protibial mucro long and curved posteriorly. Meso- and metatibiae with 6 lateral, long, socketed teeth on distal half and third, respectively. Ventral vestiture. Setae on mes- and metanepisternum coarsely bifid or plumose, on metasternum largely bifid except simple on posterior half.

Male. Presumably identical to female as in S. crassus and S. pseudocrassus .

Key ( Wood 2007). Keys to couplet 74, S. crassus , but differs by the asperate pronotum with larger and deeper punctures, and larger size.

Etymology. The combination of the Latin adjective crassus , meaning fat or plump, and the Latin prefix semi - (derived from various ancient languages), meaning half, refers to the similarity to Scolytodes crassus .

Biology and distribution. Only known from the type locality in the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest. Specimens were collected by two canopy fogging events, from the same locality as S. pseudocrassus , but different trees.

Figures

FIGURES 73–81. Dorsal, lateral and frontal views of the female holotype of Scolytodes semicrassus (73, 76, 79), Scolytodes pseudolepidus (74, 77, 80), and Scolytodes semilepidus (75, 78, 81).