Pyticeroides moraguesi Opitz, 2010

Opitz, Weston, 2010, New taxa of Epiphloeinae Kuwert (Cleridae) and Chaetosomatidae Crowson (Coleoptera: Cleroidea), Insecta Mundi 2010 (123), pp. 1-28 : 20-21

Pyticeroides moraguesi Opitz , new species

Figure 21, 36, 60.

Holotype. Female. Guyane, Kourou Piste Soumourou, 7/ 15.VIII.2001 Denis FAURE. A second label reads “ plège malaise” ( French Guiana) ( FSCA). (Specimen card mounted, gender label affixed to card mount; support card; locality label; collecting technique label; FSCA acronymic label; Holotype label.)

Paratypes. Four specimens. French Guiana: Guyane: Kourou , Piste Soumourou, 13-18-XI-2001, Malaise trap, Denis Faure ( GMCF, 1). idem, 16-23-VIII-2001, Malaise trap, Denis Faure ( WOPC, 1) ; idem, 7-15-VIII-2001, Malaise trap, Denis Faure ( GMCF, 1) ; Régina , Montagne de Kaw, PK 35, 25-VII- 2007, J.A.Cerda ( GMCF, 1) .

Diagnosis (Fig. 60): Pyticeroides moraguesi is most closely related to P. iscus Opitz , from which it conveniently may be separated by pronotal color. In P. moraguesi the pronotum is entirely black, while in P. iscus Opitz it is yellow and brown.

Description. Size: Length 3.3 mm; width 1.0 mm. Integument: Cranium mostly flavotestaceous, vertex and post gena brown; pronotum black; elytra dark brown, sutural margin slightly lighter; prothoracic legs light brown, mesothoracic and metathoracic legs yellow legs light brown. Head: Slightly wider than width of pronotum (42:38), ratio of eye width to width of vertex (20:9); eyes not very bulged; antenna (Fig. 21), funicular antennomeres slightly expanded, antennomere 7 triangular, distal border particularly oblique. Thorax: Pronotum quadrate (36:36); side margins subparallel; elytral punctations seriate, interstitial spaces smooth, shiny; elytral epipleural margin minutely serrulated in posterior half; elytra about 5 x longer than pronotum; elytra length to width ration about 6:2; anterior margin of protibia with 5 spines. Abdomen: Male pygidium emarginate; aedeagus ( Fig. 36 ) lanceolate, aedeagal phallobasic apodeme and phallic struts not broadened at extremities. Mesodermal Male Reproductive Organs: Two pairs of uniramous accessory glands, medial pair considerably narrower than lateral pair.

Variation. Size: Length 4.0-5.0 mm; width 1.0- 1.1 mm. The specimens before me are quite homogeneous, with the exception of body size and expression of the light streak along the sutural margin.

Natural History. Specimens have been collected in July and October at altitudes ranging from 220- 250 m.

Distribution. This species is known only from northeastern Ecuador.

Etymology. The specific epithet moraguesi honors Gérard Moragues, a colleague naturalist who generously made available the type series for my epiphloeine work.

Taxonomic Notes. The key to species of Pyticeroides Kuwert ( Opitz 2007: 101) should be modified as follows to accommodate P. moraguesi :

3(2') Antennomere eight as long as wide ............................................................................................. 4 – Antennomere eight longer than wide .......................................................................................... 5

4(3). Pronotum entirely black (French Guiana: Guyana) ...................................................................... .................................................................................... Pyticeroides moraguesi Opitz , n.sp.

– Pronotum yellow and brown (Fig. 75, in Opitz 2007) ( Brazil: Pará) ............................................. ......................................................................................................... Pyticerodes iscus Opitz.

Figures

Figure 25-38. Aedeagi. 25) Amboakis ampla. 26) A. antegalba. 27) Amboakis demagna. 28) Amboakis capitata. 29) A. diffusa. 30) A. waodani. 31) Epiphloeus erwini. 32) Epiphloeus pulcherrimus. 33) Madoniella divida. 34) Plocamocera lena. 35) Pyticeroides latisentis. 36) P. moraguesi. 37) P. turbosiris. 38) P. ustulatis.