Euscelus haitensis, Hamilton Table Of Contents, 2007

Hamilton, Robert W., 2007, Euscelus species of the West Indies (Coleoptera: Attelabidae), Zootaxa 1495 (1), pp. 1-34 : 21-22

Euscelus haitensis n. sp.

( Figs. 11 , 61–64 )

Type locality: Haiti , W. I.

Type data: Holotype male with the following labels: Haiti, 1925, WA Huffman, Camp Perrin, vii-26, La Prise . Allotype female: [labeled same as holotype]. Paratypes: 2 females, Dominican Republic, Prov. Pedernales, 23.5 km N Cabo Rojo, 540 m, vii.1990, FIT, Tr. Dec. For., L Masner ; 1 male, Dominican Republic, Pedernales, 25 km, N Cabo Rojo, 200 m, 10 July, 1996, R Turnbow ; 7 males & 10 females, Dominican Republic, Punta Cana Reserva , 11–14.xi.2005, 18 o 30'40"N, 68 o 22'38"W, screen sweep, L Masner ( CMNC) . 1 male, Dominican Republic, Pedernales, 26 km N Cabo Rojo , 18-06N, 71-38W, 730 mm, 13-25 July 1990, wet deciduous forest, sweep sample, Carnegie Museum specimen number 345.330, L Masner, J Rawlins, C Young ; 1 female, Dominican Republic, Independencia, Sierra de Neiba just South of crest, 5 km NW Angel Feliz, 1780 m, 18-41N, 71-47W, 13-15 October 1991, Cloud forest , Carnegie Museum specimen number 344.337, J Rawlins, R Davidson , C Young, S Thompson ; 1 male, Dominican Republic, Azua, East side of crest, Sierra Martin Garcia , 7 km WNW Barrero, 18-21N, 70-58W, 860 m, 25-26 July 1992, cloud forest adjacent to disturbed forest, Carnegie Museum specimen number 345-276, C Young, R Davidson , S Thompson, J Rawlins ( CMNH) . 2 females [labeled same as primary types]; 1 male, Haiti, Port au Prince , August 1994, Acc. 68-24 ( USNM) .

Type holder: United States National Museum , Washington, D.C., USA ( USNM) .

Description: Color: Head, antennae and front legs reddish-brown; pronotum, ventrals, middle and hind legs pale yellowish-brown; pronotum and head with two dark narrow longitudinal stripes; elytra with yellowish-white spots or marks. Size range: Male (n = 12) 3.4 x 1.2 mm to 4.4 x 1.8 mm; Female (n = 16) 3.6 x 1.4 mm to 4.0 x 1.6 mm. Head elongate, sub-conical, narrowed from base to eyes, weakly impressed across base; punctures minute, widely spaced; intervals smooth, shiny, minutely wrinkled; frons smooth, shiny, narrow; about ½ as wide as rostral base. Rostrum shorter than head, widened from antennal insertions to apex; apex about ½ wider than rostral base. Antennae long, longer than head and rostrum together; scape and funicle segment 1 ovo-globose; scape more robust; funicle segment 1 slightly shorter than scape; funicle segments 2- 4 slender, clavate, subequal; segment 5 subequal to segments 2-4 but slightly shorter; segment 6 short, subequal to segment 1 in length; segment 7 conical, wider apically, subequal in length to segment 4, club like in texture; club segments subequal in length; terminal segment pale, acuminate. Pronotum wider than long, smooth, shiny; punctures minute; with shallow, weakly defined v-shaped transverse median groove; anterior collar narrow, band like, weakly set off; basal carinae parallel sided, narrow; posterior carinae slightly narrower. Scutellum large, sub-triangular, at base twice as wide as long, smooth, shiny; with very minute punctures; sides very weakly sinuate; posterior margin broadly rounded,. Elytra longer than wide, widest at humeri, slightly narrowed from base to apex; striae small, widely spaced; rows indistinct; intervals smooth, flat; with 3 smooth whitish spots on each elytron; spot near scutellum large, raised; posterior spots smaller, elongate-oval; lateral posterior spot larger than median posterior spot; sometimes with faint sub-humeral spot; humeri weakly angulate. Abdominal ventrites sparsely punctured and sparsely setose.

Femoral sexual dimorphism: The profemur in males is armed with two projections. The disti-ventral projection is small, pointed and weakly beak shaped. The mid-ventral projection is tuberculate, blunt tipped and directed inward. A small oval setose sensillum is present near the ventral base of the mid-ventral projection. The female profemur is armed with a single, small, straight and pointed disti-ventral projection with a slightly widened symmetrical base.

Distribution: Specimens from Haiti and the Dominican Republic have been examined.

Comments: This species is recognized by its small size, elytral spots and the distinct longitudinal stripes on the head and pronotum. Each elytron has three spots like E. aureolus and E. sexmaculatus but these two species have one posterior spot on each elytron while E. haitensis has two posterior spots.

Host plant: Host plant association is unknown.

Figures

FIGURES 9–12. Male genitalia of West Indies Euscelus species, 64 X: a) tegmen, dorsal view b) median lobe with endophallic sac and transfer apparatus in repose, ventral view c) same as previous, dorsal view 9) Euscelus sexmaculatus, Puerto Rico, Mayaguez 10) Euscelus aureolus, Cuba, Baracoa 11) Euscelus haitensis, Dominican Republic, Azua 12) Euscelus dominicanus, Dominican Republic, La Vega.

FIGURES 61–64. E. haitensis: 61 & 62 male holotype, abdomen removed; 63 & 64 female allotype.