Pocadius insularis Cline, 2008

Cline, Andrew R., 2008, Revision of the sap beetle genus Pocadius Erichson, 1843 (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Nitidulinae, Zootaxa 1799 (1), pp. 1-120 : 75-77

Pocadius insularis Cline new species

(Figs. 25, 66, 109, 152, 194)

Specimens examined. HOLOTYPE ♂ ( CMN): Simla , 5 mi. N.; Arima, Trinidad; W.I. Aug.20, 1969; H. & A. Howden / HOLOTYPE; Pocadius ; insularis; A. R. cline des. 2004 .

Diagnosis. Similar to P. dimidiatus but differentiated from it and others by: nearly circular antennal club without enlarged terminal antennomere; pronotum widest near posterior angles with anterior margin broadly shallowly concave; mentum transversely hemispherical; prosternal process in lateral view highly convex over procoxal cavities and with strongly oblique apical wall; overall minute body size; aedeagus with tegmen having complete inner row of setae and nearly perpendicular basal margin; basal piece of internal sac sclerites with three distinct parts.

Description. Length 3.3mm, Width 1.9mm, Depth 1.2mm. Body moderately convex, slightly shining, uniformly light reddish-brown. Pronotum and elytra margins with moderately long sparse fimbriae. Dorsal and ventral pubescence short to moderately long, dorsal surface with heavily granular and microreticulate sculpturing.

Head surface deeply, irregularly punctate, punctures larger on vertex, becoming somewhat smaller towards orbits and fronotclypeal region. Large punctures 3–4X diameter of eye facet, small punctures 1–2X diameter; interspaces granular with microreticulations, sparsely shining. Pronotal surface with large punctures equal to large punctures on head, interspersed with few small punctures, 0.5 larger ones; interspaces granular with microreticulations, 0.5–1 diameter apart. Scutellar surface with few shallowly impressed punctures, interspaces granular. Elytra with serial rows of small punctures equal to small ones on pronotum, serial large punctures are 2.5X diameter of small ones. Small punctures giving rise to semi-erect long setae, large punctures giving rise to short to minute semi-erect setae; interspaces narrow between punctures of a row and between different rows. Within a row, small punctures separated by 1 diameter, and large punctures by 0.5 diameter. Large rows separated by 0.5–1.0 large diameter; interspaces sparsely shining, granular to microreticulate. Pygidium densely punctate, punctures equal to large ones on pronotum, interspaces narrow, 0.25–0.5 diameter, granular.

Venter with similar pubescence as dorsum. Mentum with large shallow punctures, equal to large ones on head, interspaces granular to finely microreticulate. Prosternum and epimeron faintly irregularly punctate, punctures subequal to those on mentum, interspaces granular with microreticulate areas, prosternal punctures separated by 0.5–2 diameters, those on epimeron by 0.5–1 diameter. Mesoventrite with shallow punctures, subequal to those on prosternum, interspaces alutaceous to granular, separated by 0.5–1 diameter, aggregated near metasternal border. Metaventrite irregularly punctate with moderate faint punctures on disc similar to small ones on head, interspaces dull on disc becoming more microreticulate to granular laterally, punctures separated by 1–3 diameters on disc. Abdominal sternite 1 with small faint, almost obsolete punctures, punctures equal to those on metaventrite, interspaces mostly granular, separated by 1–2 diameters. Hypopygidium with moderately deep punctures, similar to those on sternites 2–4, interspaces granular with microreticulations, separated by 0.5–1 diameter.

Head slightly wider than long (W:L = 1.27:1). Antennal club compact, circular, symmetrical with last antennomere subequal to previous two combined. Antennomeres 4–8 compact, 7–8 disc-like, 4–5 cuboidal, and 6 trapezoidal. Antennal scape asymmetrical, hemispherical, 1.75X as long as pedicel. Pedicel similar in shape to scape but not as hemispherical. Antennal segment 3 longer than pedicel. Antennal club relatively small, 0.65 length of segments 1–8 combined. Mentum with anterior angles obsolete, broadly hemispherical, in lateral view flattened.

Pronotum widest near posterior angles (L:W = 1:1.7), anterior margin broadly shallowly concave, lateral margins slightly arcuate anteriorly. Scutellum moderately large, obtusely triangular, apex rounded. Prosternal process in lateral view with anterior and posterior ends prominent and steep medial convexity; posterior apical wall prominent and slightly oblique. Mesoventrite extending to midway between mesocoxae, evenly concave for reception of metaventrite. Metaventrite wider than long (W:L = 2.6:1). Metepisternum with slight medial constriction, oblique line dividing anterior 0.17. 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 not prominent, subequal to tarsomere 1. Outer apical notch with 95° angle, notch depth moderate, subequal to tarsomere 1. Inner apical spine subequal to tarsomere 1 and part of 2 combined. Mesotibia more heavily armed than protibia with dense stiff setae and row of slender spines along lat- eral edge. Outer apical process robust, larger than protibial process, subequal to tarsomeres 1–2 combined. Inner apical spine equal to tarsomeres 1–2 combined. Metatibial armature similar to mesotibia.

Male genitalia well-sclerotized. Anal sclerite with apex densely fimbriate (Fig. 25). Spiculum gastrale with wide lateral flanges, medial margins deeply concave, moderately long stiff setae originating from apex (Fig. 66). Tegmen evenly rounded apically (Fig. 109), much longer than wide (w:l = 1:2.6), lateral row of setae visible from median fossa to around apex, inner row of setae complete, small shallow concavity in apical 0.33. Median lobe large, robust, 0.66 length of tegmen, apex narrowly rounded, apical opening well-developed (Fig. 152). Ejaculatory rods not fused to basal piece or each other, curved inward and expanded outward basally and apically. Basal piece of internal sac sclerites with two short paired basal lateral sections each having a medial projection, and a central section concave apically with a basally projecting extension (Fig. 194).

Variation. No variation observed.

Seasonality/Habitat. Collected from late August in a lowland tropical forest.

Distribution. Known from the type locality on the island of Trinidad.

Notes. No host information available.

Etymology. Specific epithet is a derivative of the Latin “insula” meaning “living on an island”, alluding to the type locality.