Pocadius wappesi Cline, 2008

Cline, Andrew R., 2008, Revision of the sap beetle genus Pocadius Erichson, 1843 (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Nitidulinae, Zootaxa 1799 (1), pp. 1-120 : 106-108

Pocadius wappesi Cline new species

(Figs. 41, 82, 125, 168, 208, 247, 264)

Specimens examined. HOLOTYPE ♂ ( UASC): BOLIVIA: Santa Cruz; 4–6k SSE Buena Vista; F&F Hotel,

2–12 Feb.; 2000, JE Wappes / transition tropical; forest, 420–450m / HOLOTYPE; Pocadius ; wappesi; A.R. Cline des. 2004. 1 PARATYPE (ARCC): same data label as holotype but with PARATYPE designation label. 2 PARATYPES (SNEC): BOLIVIA: Santa Cruz Dept.; 3.7km SSE Buena Vista; Hotel Flora-Fauna, 400– 440m; 17°29.949’S 63°33.152’W; R. Leschen, 9-Nov. 2002; Ex. Lycoperdon fungus, #054 / PARATYPE; Pocadius ; wappesi; A.R. Cline des. 2004. 6 PARATYPES (3 CMN, 3 ARCC): BOLIVIA: Sta. Cruz, 5km; SSE Buena Vista, Hotel; Flora y Fauna, 17°29.925’S; 63°39.128’W, 440m forest,; FIT, 15–24 December 2003; S&J Peck 03-131 / PARATYPE; Pocadius ; wappesi; A.R. Cline des. 2004. 3 PARATYPES (BMNH): BOLIVIA: Santa Cruz; Amboro National Park; Los Volcanes. C. 1000m; S 18°06’: W 63°36’; 20/xi–12/xii/ 2004 / Flight Intercept Trap; Mendel, H. &; Barclay, M.V.L.; BMNH(E)2004-280. 3 PARATYPES (BMNH): BOLIVIA: Santa Cruz; Amboro National Park; Los Volcanes. C. 1000m; S 18°06’: W 63°36’; 20/xi–12/xii/ 2004 / General Collecting; Mendel, H. &; Barclay, M.V.L.; BMNH(E)2004-280.

Diagnosis. Delimited from other Neotropical species by: mentum robustly pentagonal; terminal antennomere without well-defined depressed region; prosternal process in lateral view with pronounced declivity posteriorly past procoxal cavities to flattened posterior 0.33, posterior wall prominent and oblique; all tibia wellarmed; elytra with alternating rows of semi-erect setae; dorsal surface granular in sculpture and moderately shining; abdominal process acute; metasternal disc distinctly punctate; aedeagus with tegmen having a complete inner row of setae; ejaculatory rods partially fused to each other in apical 0.33, and curving inward basally; basal piece of internal sac sclerites with paired short curved structures and a globular central piece that is concave basally and distally; ovipositor with short intragonocoxal invagination 0.33 length of gonocoxite, three elongate setae, and two short oblique baculi.

Description. Length 4.2 mm, Width 2.65mm, Depth 1.85mm. Body moderately convex, surface moderately shining, brown to dark brown in color, elytral apices darker in some specimens. Pronotal and elytral margins fimbriate, setae slightly longer than antennal scape. Dorsal and ventral pubescence moderately long, golden.

Head surface irregularly punctate with moderately impressed small and large punctures, most large ones on vertex, becoming smaller towards orbits and fronotclypeal region. Large punctures 4X diameter of eye facet, small punctures 1–2X diameter; interspaces alutaceous to granular, somewhat shining. Pronotal surface with large punctures equal to large punctures on vertex, interspersed with relatively few small punctures, 0.5 size of large ones; interspaces granular, 0.25–0.75 diameter apart. Scutellar surface with few vague shallowly impressed small punctures, equal to small ones on pronotum; interspaces granular with some microreticulation. Elytral surface with serial rows of alternating large and small deep punctures. Small punctures equal to smaller ones on pronotum, large punctures 3X diameter of small ones. Small and large punctures giving rise to semi-erect long setae; interspaces narrow between punctures of a row and between rows. Within a row, small punctures separated by 1–2 diameters, and large punctures by 0.5 diameter. Large rows separated by 1–2 large puncture diameters; interspaces scarcely shining and granular. Pygidium densely punctate, punctures equal to smaller ones on pronotum, punctures giving rise to short setae; interspaces narrow, 0.25–0.5 diameter, granular.

Venter with shorter pubescence than dorsum. Mentum with minute shallow obsolete punctures, equal to smaller ones on vertex; interspaces alutaceous to finely granular. Submentum and gula similar in punctation to mentum but interspaces more granular. Prosternum and epimeron shallowly irregularly punctate, punctures on epimeron equal to larger ones on pronotum and those on prosternum 0.5 diameter of those on epimeron, interspaces granular with microreticulate areas, prosternal punctures separated by 0.5–1 diameter, those on epimeron by 0.25–0.5 diameter. Mesoventrite with faintly impressed punctures, equal to those on epimeron, interspaces granular, separated by 1 diameter and most aggregated near metasternal border. Metaventrite irregularly punctate, large punctures on disc similar to those on mesoventrite; interspaces alutaceous to granular on disc becoming granular laterally, punctures separated by 1–2 diameters on disc. Abdominal sternite 1 with large faint punctures, punctures equal to those on metaventrite, interspaces granular, separated by 1–2 diameter. Hypopygidium with moderately deep punctures, similar to those on sternites 2–4, interspaces granular, punctures separated by 0.5 diameter.

Head wider than long (W:L = 1.7:1). Antennal club compact, obovate, asymmetrical with last antennomere longer than previous two combined. Antennomeres 4–8 more or less compact, 6–8 disc-like, 4–5 trapezoidal. Antennal scape asymmetrical, somewhat hemispherical, 1.8X as long as pedicel. Pedicel subcylindrical. Antennal segment 3 subequal to pedicel. Antennal club moderately large, ~0.6 length of segments 1–8 combined. Mentum with anterior angles present, anterior margin angulate, entire structure pentagonal, in lateral view convex.

Pronotum widest near middle (L:W = 1:2.2), anterior margin shallowly concave almost truncate, lateral margins more arcuate anteriorly. Scutellum large, obtusely triangular, apex rounded. Prosternal process in lateral view with posterior end prominent and a slight convexity medially, posterior to procoxal cavities is a sharp declivity to flattened posterior 0.33; posterior apical wall prominent and strongly oblique. Mesoventrite extending to midway between mesocoxae, evenly concave for reception of metaventrite. Metaventrite wider than long (W:L = 3.2:1). Metepisternum with slight medial constriction, oblique line dividing anterior 0.14. First abdominal sternite with acuminate process between metacoxae. First sternite 2X’s longer than second. Sternites 2–3 subequal, four slightly larger. Hypopygidium subequal to first sternite.

Protibia with apical tooth moderately prominent, subequal to tarsomere 1. Outer apical notch absent. Inner apical spine subequal to tarsomere 1. Protibia heavily armed with numerous setae and stiff setae on inner apical region. Mesotibia more heavily armed than protibia with numerous dense stiff setae and slender spines along lateral edge. Outer apical process robust, larger than protibial process. Inner apical spine equal to tarsomere 1 and part of 2 combined. Metatibia with heavier armature than mesotibia, and inner apical spine equal to tarsomeres 1–2 combined.

Male genitalia well-sclerotized. Anal sclerite with large, apex fimbriate (Fig. 41). Spiculum gastrale with wide lateral flanges, medial margin concave, many elongate stiff setae originating from apex (Fig. 82). Tegmen evenly rounded apically (Fig. 125), longer than wide (w:l = 1:2.3), lateral row of setae visible from median fossa to prior to apex, large elliptical shallow concavity in apical 0.33 with single row of inner setae completely attaining apex. Median lobe large and robust, 0.66 length of tegmen, apex moderately narrowed, apical opening well-developed with widely bilobed internal structure (Fig. 168). Ejaculatory rods not fused to basal piece but to each other in apical 0.33, slightly divergent from one another basally and inwardly curved. Basal piece of internal sac sclerite with paired short curved structures laterally and medial globular structure with concavities apically and basally (Fig. 208).

Female genitalia moderately sclerotized. Paraprocts large with sclerotization along median line to apicolateral angles. Gonocoxite with two basal lateral prominences. Gonocoxal apices without recurved “tooth”. Three elongate setae originate from small depressions on gonocoxal apices. Intragonocoxal invagination shallow, <0.33 length of gonocoxite (Fig. 247).

Variation. Specimens from Amboro National Park are somewhat larger than rest of series and one specimen from Amboro National Park is dark brown/black.

Seasonality/Habitat. Specimens were collected from November through February in a lowland tropical transition forest.

Distribution. Known from central Bolivia in the Department of Santa Cruz.

Notes. Specimens were collected from Lycoperdon fungi.

Etymology. Specific epithet honors Jim Wappes for introducing me to fieldwork in Bolivia and his generosity during the course of this research.