Scolytodes echinus 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 : 53-54

Scolytodes echinus Jordal and Smith , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C530E988-9786-4280-AF96-FEA0268FB4B8

( Figs 110, 113, 116 )

Type material. Holotype, female: Ecuador: Napo Prov., Res. Ethnica Waorani, 1km S Onkone Gare Camp., Trans. Et. , 00°39’10’’S, 76°26’W, 220m elev., July 1995, T.L. Erwin et al. collectors; indiv#002122 . Holotype temporarily held in trust at USNM for MECN .

Diagnosis. Interstriae 10 weakly elevated to level of ventrite 1. Protibiae with an additional mesal tooth near tarsal insertion. Pronotum strongly asperate on anterior half. Shares with S. pilifer and S. maestus regular rows of erect setae on each interstriae, minute strial setae, and 8 erect pronotal setae, but differs from these two by much smaller, shallow pronotal punctures, and by the female frons having a circle of raised setae along the margin of impressed area from vertex to epistoma.

Description, female. Length 1.3 mm, 2.2 × as long as wide; colour light brown. Head. Eyes slightly sinuate, separated above by 2.9 × their width. Frons flattened to weakly concave between eyes from vertex to epistoma, densely punctured in impressed area, except for an impunctate, shiny callus on median lower third; vestiture consisting of a fringe of long, protruding, plumose setae along the margin of the impressed area, and short, fine setae in central part around callus. Antennal club pilose. Funiculus 5-segmented. Pronotum r eticulate, dull, punctures shal- low, spaced by less than their diameter, punctures not reaching anterior margin, rough asperities present on anterior half forming near contiguous rugae, anterior row of asperities weakly elevated on central third. Vestiture consisting of 8 long, erect setae (4-2-2) and scant additional, shorter, fine setae on the anterior third of pronotum. Elytra shiny, smooth; striae mainly regular, not impressed, medium large, deep, punctures spaced by 1 × their diameter, each puncture associated with a tiny additional puncture; interstriae without punctures or irregularities, except for a few tiny granules at base of setae. Interstriae 10 weakly raised to level of ventrite 1. Vestiture consisting of rows of long, erect setae on each interstriae. Legs. Procoxae separated by 0.3 × the width of one procoxa. Mesocoxae separated by 0.7 × the width of a procoxa. Protibiae narrow, distal teeth 1 similar to 2, with 2–3 additional sharp granules towards tibial base; an additional mesal tooth present on posterior face near base of tooth 2; protibial mucro very short, straight. Meso- and metatibiae with 5 socketed teeth on distal half. Ventral vestiture. Setae on mesanepisternum and metanepisternum bi- or trifid, on metasternum bifid or trifid anteriorly, simple on posterior and ventral part.

Male. Not known.

Key ( Wood 2007). Keys to couplet 87, near S. erineophilus , but differs considerably by the longer, erect interstrial setae, smaller strial setae, and female frons impressed with much more extensive setae from vertex to epistoma.

Etymology. The Latin name echinus is a noun in apposition, meaning prickly surface, or sea urchin, referring to the erect setae on the elytra, asperate pronotum, and dense, erect setae in the female frons.

Biology and distribution. Collected by fogging of a tree in the lowland Ecuadorian Amazon type locality.

Figures

FIGURES 109–117. Dorsal, lateral and frontal views of the female holotype of Scolytodes vietus (109, 112, 115), Scolytodes echinus (110, 113, 116), and Scolytodes rufifrons (111, 114, 117).