Tribotropis colombianus, Mermudes, José Ricardo M., 2004

Mermudes, José Ricardo M., 2004, A new species of Tribotropis Jekel, 1855 from Colombia (Coleoptera: Anthribidae, Anthribinae, Ptychoderini), Zootaxa 591, pp. 1-5 : 3-4

Tribotropis colombianus sp. nov.

( Fig. 1 )

Male.—Integument predominantly black. Dorsally, with a median longitudinal vitta formed by whitish, dense and decumbent scales, extending from near the tip of rostrum up to the posterior margin of pronotum; in the latter pale vitta bordered, on each side, by a narrow vitta of brownish scales. On elytra, whitish scales clothe the scutellary striae and interestriae 1 at length, and rectangular, narrow areas of interestriae 3, 5 and 7; whitish areas longer than the brownish areas; brownish scales arranged in smaller retangular vittae in interestriae 3 and 5. Sides of the pronotum, interestriae 2 at base, whole length of interestriae 4 and 6­10, and pygidium covered with dense, subdecumbent, olivaceous green scales. Ventral body surface, at sides, densely clothed with yellowish­white scales, medially with sparse whitish pubescence.

Antennae with brownish, sparse pubescence covering the scape to basal half of segment VIII; apical half of VIII and base of IX with white, dense, long and suberect pubescence; club (segments IX­XI) densely clothed with brownish, shinning pubescence. Legs with vestiture similar to that of sides of the ventral body surface, vestiture denser underside and at femoral apices. Apical region of tibiae, apex of first tarsal segment and dorsal region of second, in all legs, with brown pubescence.

Rostrum gradually depressed dorsally from base to apex; median longitudinal carina narrow, weakly raised, interrupted at base, extending from region of scrobes up to middle of rostrum, becoming thicker and more prominent on frons; apical notch shallow and somewhat rounded. Sides of rostrum corrugate between scrobes and eyes, coarsely punctate lateroventrally. Scrobes slightly overed; dorsal margin not carinate; without groove; distal pit deep. Ventral surface of rostrum strongly depressed, corrugated, with dense, whitish, subdecumbent scales. Mentum lobes finely, sparsely punctate. Frons strongly depressed near ocular margins. Eyes suboval, anterior margin slightly oblique. Gula with fine, sparse punctures.

Antennae exceeding humeri for the length of the club. Segments II–VII strongly depressed, slightly enlarged at apex. Scape cylindrical, somewhat thickened, little shorter than II; segment III about 1/3 longer than II and IV; IV–VII subequal in length, VIII cylindrical, little shorter than IX; club somewhat thickened, segment IX about twice as long as X, the latter as long as broad; XI about 1/3 longer than X, acuminated at apical half.

Prothorax slightly longer than broad, strongly attenuated from antebasal carina towards anterior margin. Pronotum with median depression, a centrolongitudinal carina more raised at apical third. Antebasal carina unbroken and straight at middle, oblique at sides. Lateral carina short and prominent, ending near pleural suture. Secondary carina widely interrupted medially, prominent and feebly curved at sides, with bract units and scarse coarse punctures associated to lateral portion. Prosternum subplane, oblique towards intercoxal process, subopaque with scarse, fine punctures; transversely, very shallowly furrow in front of procoxae; intercoxal process oblique in relation to prosternum.

Sides of prosternum without conspicuous setiferous punctures. Mesosternum subconvex with coarse, shallow punctures at sides; intercoxal process curved, with a conical, developed protuberance at apex. Metasternum subconvex, scarcely, finely punctate, shallowly grooved near anterior margin. Elytra about twice as long as width across humeri, subparallel at sides; basal gibbosities weakly raised; depressed at base between suture and interestriae 3 at base, after middle between the suture and interestriae 2. Apical declivity with interestriae 3 and 5 prominent; apices rounded.

Ventrites I­IV subplane with sparse, fine punctures. Ventrite I with an oval, shallow setiferous patch; surface rugose with yellowish, suberect, sparse hairs; intercoxal process shallowly grooved. Ventrites I­II subequal in length. Ventrite V slightly longer than IV, strongly depressed at apical two thirds; apical margin slightly curved, lateral angles somewhat projected, not acuminate. Pygidium longer than broad, feebly convex lengthwise; furrow to fit elytra narrowly carinate, almost reaching apical margin; this somewhat rounded.

Measurements, in mm, male: CT = 16,3; CR = 2,5; LAR = 1,5; LBR = 1,1; LC = 1,6; DEO = 1,5; MLO = 1,2; CP = 2,9; LP = 2,7; CE = 8,6; LE = 3,6.

Female.­ Unknown.

Type material.­ Holotype male from Colombia, PNN Magdalena (SN of Santa Marta El Ramo, 10º 48’ N, 73º 39’ W), 2.500 m, 16­31.VIII.2000, J. Cantillo leg. (malaise) (IACH).

Remarks.­ Tribotropis colombianus sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 ) is distinguished from the other species of the genus and also from T. speciosus , T. compressicornis and T. apollinaris described from Colombia, by: 1) dorsal vestiture, with whitish scales forming a conspicuous vitta along rostrum, frons, middle of the vertex and pronotum, and clothing the scutelary striae and interstriae 1 at length in addition to narrow, rectangular areas of the interstriae 3, 5 and 7, these areas longer than the brownish areas; 2) antebasal carina unbroken and straight; 3) disk of ventrite I with an oval, shallow setiferous patch, the surface corrugate with yellowish suberect, sparse hairs.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. 1. Tribotropis colombianus sp. nov., male holotype; 2. Tribotropis speciosus Jekel, 1855 male; 3. Tribotropis compressicornis Jordan, 1895, male; 4. Tribotropis apollinaris Jordan, 1939, male.