Pocadius falini Cline, 2008

Cline, Andrew R., 2008, Revision of the sap beetle genus Pocadius Erichson, 1843 (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Nitidulinae, Zootaxa 1799 (1), pp. 1-120 : 59-61

Pocadius falini Cline new species

(Figs. 17, 58, 101, 144, 186, 223)

Specimens examined. HOLOTYPE ♂ ( SNEC): PARAGUAY: Itapua; Yatai, prop. Hostettler family; San Rafael Reserve , 100m; 26°38’17”S 55°39’50”W; 21–25 NOV 2000, Z.H. Falin; PAR1F00 040; ex. flight intercept trap / SM0258682 ; KUNHM-ENT [barcode label] / HOLOTYPE; Pocadius ; falini; A. R. Cline des. 2004. 3 PARATYPES (1 SNEC, 2 ARCC) : same data label as holotype but barcode #’s SM0258640 , SM0564420 , SM0564350 .

Diagnosis. Similar to P. crypsis and P.coxus but differentiated by: male pygidium with distinctly concave apical margin; uniformly dark reddish brown with antennal club darker; posterior prosternal face perpendicular; anterior pronotal margin nearly truncate; elongate elytral fimbriae; alternating erect and semi-erect rows

of setae on elytra; elevated region of mentum pentagonal; pronotum with trapezoidal anterior margin; protibia with deep outer apical notch; terminal antennomere with two elliptical depressed regions, abdominal sternites 2–4 with 3 organized rows of punctures; ejaculatory rods elongate; basal piece of internal sac sclerites with lateral arms wrapping around middle ovoid section; tegmen with two apical depressions.

Description. Length 4.35mm, Width 2.7mm, Depth 2.0mm. Body large and robust, convex, moderately shining, dark chestnut brown with antennal club darker and venter lighter. Pronotal and elytral margins with elongate fimbriae. Dorsal and ventral pubescence long, golden to light brown.

Head surface densely, deeply, irregularly punctate, punctures larger on vertex, becoming smaller towards orbits and fronotclypeal region. Large punctures 5X diameter of eye facet, small punctures 2X diameter; interspaces smooth to finely alutaceous. Pronotal surface with large punctures 1.5X diameter of large ones on head, interspersed with few small punctures, 0.5 diameter large ones; interspaces alutaceous to finely microreticulate, 0.75–1 diameter apart. Scutellar surface with few shallow punctures, interspaces alutaceous, 3–4 diameters apart. Elytral surface with serial rows not clearly organized, rows of small punctures sometimes with multiple smaller punctures, especially on base but not extending across entire elytra. Small serial punctures minute, 0.5–0.75 diameter of small ones on pronotum, large serial punctures 2X diameter of small ones. Small punctures giving rise to erect setae, large punctures giving rise to semi-erect setae; interspaces narrow between punctures of a row and broad between different rows. Within a row, small punctures separated by 1 diameter, and large punctures by 0.5–0.75 diameter. Large rows separated by 1–2 diameters; interspaces alutaceous to granular with microreticulation. Pygidium densely punctate, punctures equal to large ones on pronotum, interspaces narrow, 0.25–0.5 diameter apart, alutaceous to granular.

Venter with similar long pubescence as dorsum. Mentum with minute shallow punctures, equal to small ones on vertex; interspaces granular to finely microreticulate. Prosternum and epimeron deeply irregularly punctate, punctures on epimeron equal to large ones on head, those on prosternum smaller, interspaces alutaceous to granular with microreticulate areas, prosternal punctures separated by 0.5–1 diameter, those on epimeron by 0.25–0.5 diameter. Mesoventrite with shallow punctures aggregated near metaventrite, equal to large ones on head, interspaces alutaceous to granular, separated by 0.5–1 diameter. Metaventrite irregularly punctate with faint large punctures on disc 1.5 diameter of those on mesoventrite, interspaces alutaceous to granular, separated by 0.5–1 diameter on disc. Abdominal sternite 1 with large faint punctures, punctures equal to those on metaventrite, interspaces alutaceous to granular, separated by 1 diameter. Abdominal sternites 2–4 with 3 irregular rows of punctures. Hypopygidium with moderately deep punctures, similar to those on sternites 2–4, interspaces granular, separated by 0.5–1 diameter.

Head wider than long (W:L = 1.66:1). Antennal club compact, ovoid, asymmetrical with terminal antennomere longer than 9–10 combined. Antennomeres 7–8 disc-like, 6 trapezoidal, 4–5 cuboidal. Antennal scape asymmetrical, hemispherical, 1.8X length of pedicel. Pedicel subcylindrical. Antennal segment 3 subequal to pedicel. Antennal club large, 0.75 length of segments 1–8 combined. Elevated region of mentum with anterior angles narrowly rounded, anterior margin angulate, overall pentagonal, convex in lateral view.

Pronotum widest near middle (L:W = 1:1.77), anterior margin trapezoidal. Scutellum large, triangular, apex acute. Prosternal process in lateral view with posterior end short, 0.5 length of anterior end, moderate convexity over procoxae; posterior face perpendicular. Mesoventrite extending to midway between mesocoxae, evenly concave for reception of metaventrite. Metaventrite wider than long (W:L = 3:1). Metepisternum with slight medial constriction, oblique line dividing anterior 0.2. First abdominal sternite with broad process between metacoxae. First sternite 2X longer than sternite 2. Sternites 2–3 subequal, 4 slightly larger than 2 or 3. Hypopygidium subequal to sternite 1.

Protibia with apical tooth prominent, longer than tarsomere 1and part of 2 combined. Outer apical notch with 90° angle, notch depth deep, equal to length of tarsomere 1 and part of 2 combined. Inner apical spine subequal to tarsomere 1. Mesotibia more heavily armed than protibia with dense stiff setae and slender spines along lateral edge. Outer apical process moderately robust, larger than protibial process. Inner apical spine equal tarsomeres 1–2 and part of 3 combined. Metatibia more heavily armed with longer and more setae and spines, inner apical spine shorter than mesotibial spine.

Male genitalia well sclerotized. Anal sclerite apex acute (Fig. 17). Spiculum gastrale with wide lateral flanges, medial margins concave (Fig. 58). Tegmen narrowly rounded (Fig. 101), longer than wide (w:l = 1:3.1), lateral row of setae visible from apex of median fossa around apex, two shallow concavities in apical 0.5 with short stiff setae laterally not extending around apex. Median lobe elongate with slight medial constriction, 0.5 length of tegmen, apex acute (Fig. 144). Ejaculatory rods elongate not fused to basal piece, straight with apex enlarged. Basal piece of internal sac sclerites globular with lateral arms partially wrapping around central region (Fig. 186).

Female genitalia moderately sclerotized. Paraprocts with sclerotization along median line to apico-lateral angles. Gonocoxite with two basal lateral prominences. Gonocoxal apices with recurved “tooth” absent. Two elongate setae originate from small depressions on apices. Intragonocoxal invagination deep, 0.75 length of gonocoxite (Fig. 223).

Variation. Some specimens lighter than holotype.

Seasonality/Habitat. Collected in late November in lowland tropical forest.

Distribution. Known from type locality in southern Paraguay.

Notes. No host information available.

Etymology. Specific epithet honors Zack Falin, collection manager at the Snow Entomological Collection, for collection of the type specimens and generosity during this study.