Scolytodes vellus Jordal, 2018

Jordal, Bjarte H., 2018, Hidden gems in museum cabinets: new species and new distributional records of Scolytodes (Coleoptera: Scolytinae), Zootaxa 4504 (1), pp. 76-104 : 88

Scolytodes vellus Jordal , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:BDA91FB3-12CB-448C-8C9C-B0F5AA92700C

( Figs 29, 32, 35 )

Type material. Holotype, female: Costa Rica, San Jose, Zurqui de Moravia , 1600m, XI-1-9-1998, FIT, C.W. & L.B.O’Brien. HT deposited in CAS.

Diagnosis. Interstriae 10 sharply elevated to the level of metacoxa; protibiae with a small additional mesal tooth near tarsal insertion. Pronotum on anterior half with dense asperities. Elytral declivity unique by its dense ground vestiture consisting of short scale-like setae, and interstriae 1, 3 and 5 carinate.

Description female. Length 1.7 mm, 2.5 × longer than wide; colour reddish brown. Head. Eyes weakly sinuate, separated above by 2.8 × their width. Frons weakly concave, surface weakly reticulate, without punctures; vestiture consisting of scattered long setae from vertex and lateral edge, reaching level of antennal insertion. Antennae not clearly visible, club possibly with two obliquely procurved sutures marked by dense setae. Pronotum strongly reticulate, obscure and transversely elongated punctures only on posterior fourth, anterior twothirds with recurved, sub-contiguous asperities. Vestiture consisting of 8 erect setae (4–2–2). Elytra smooth on disc, rough on declivity, striae impressed, more so on declivity than disc, punctures on disc large, in regular rows, separated by 0.5 × their diameter; interstriae 1.5 × wider than striae, without punctures, on declivity interstriae 1, 3 and 5 strongly elevated. Vestiture consisting of erect interstrial setae of variable length, particularly on the declivity and sides, and minute strial setae; additional, densely placed, scale-like setae on declivity. Legs. Procoxae separated by 0.8 × and mesocoxae 1.3 × the width of one procoxa. Protibiae narrow, distal teeth 1 and 2 small, of equal length, with 3¯4 tiny additional granules along the edge towards base, each with a coarse setae at its base; protibial mucro straight. Mesotibiae with 5 lateral, socketed teeth on distal half, metatibiae with 4 teeth on distal fourth. Ventral vestiture. Setae on metasternum simple, on metanepisternum trifid and plumose.

Male. Unknown.

Key (Wood 1982). Goes with much hesitation to couplet 53, with no further match.

Etymology. The name vellus is a Latin noun, meaning pelt or wool of an animal, referring to the declivity which is densely clothed by short, yellow, scale-like setae.

Biology and distribution. This species is only known from the type locality in Costa Rica, in medium altitude cloud forest.

Figures

FIGURES 28–36. Dorsal, lateral and front view of the holotype of female Scolytodes curvicostatus (28, 31, 34), female S. vellus (29, 32, 35), and S. granulatus (30, 33, 36).