Pocadius maquipucunensis Leschen and Carlton, 1994

Cline, Andrew R., 2008, Revision of the sap beetle genus Pocadius Erichson, 1843 (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae: Nitidulinae, Zootaxa 1799 (1), pp. 1-120 : 84-86

Pocadius maquipucunensis Leschen and Carlton, 1994

(Figs. 30, 71, 114, 157, 198, 236)

Specimens examined. HOLOTYPE ♂ ( SNEC): ECUADOR: Pichiincha ; Maquipucuna For. Res.; 50km NW Quito, 1600m; 21 Dec. 1991, C. Carlton; R. Leschen #34; ex. Lycoperdon / HOLOTYPE; Pocadius ; maquipu-

cunensis; R. Leschen & C. Carlton. 13 PARATYPES ( SNEC): same data label as holotype. 1 PARATYPE ( SNEC): ECUADOR: Pichincha; Maquipucuna For. Res.; 50km NW Quito, 1720m; 23 Dec.1991, C. Carlton ; R. Leschen #64, ex. FIT. Additionally, specimens ( CMN, ARCC): ECU: Pich., 16km E Santo Domingo, Tinalandia , 4-V-25-VII-1985, S&J Peck, 680m, malaise-FIT, rainforest .

Diagnosis. The original description ( Leschen and Carlton 1994) suggested that the black coloration was sufficient to distinguish this from other species. The following characters provide a more robust diagnosis: metacoxae broadly separated by rounded almost truncate abdominal process; terminal antennomere much longer than previous two segments combined and with characteristic depressed region; prosternal process in lateral view with slight convexity over procoxal cavity and with short slightly oblique posterior face; scutellum wider than long with large punctures aggregated in basal half and small punctures in apical half; elytra with narrowly spaced rows of large and small punctures; metasternal disc with central glabrous apunctate region; tegmen much longer than wide and with two anterior shallow fossae; male internal sac sclerites with basal piece thickened and adjacent to ejaculatory rods basally; ovipositor with broad converging gonocoxal apical processes, and three elongate setae extending from apical pit.

Redescription. Length 3.8 mm, Width 2.6mm, Depth 1.4mm. Body moderately convex, surface shining, dark pitchy brown-black to black in color, venter and appendages lighter. Pronotum and elytra margins with elongate fimbriae. Dorsal and ventral pubescence long, ventral setae slightly shorter than dorsal vestiture and more sparsely distributed, golden.

Head surface deeply, irregularly punctate, punctures larger on vertex, becoming somewhat smaller and more densely aggregated towards orbits and fronotclypeal region. Large punctures 5–6X diameter of eye facet, small punctures 3–4X diameter; interspaces smooth to finely alutaceous. Pronotal surface with large punctures equal to large ones on head, interspersed with few small punctures, 0.85 size of large ones; interspaces alutaceous to granular, 0.5–1 diameter apart. Scutellar surface with shallowly impressed punctures, large punctures aggregated in basal 0.5 becoming smaller posteriorly, interspaces alutaceous to granular. Elytral surface with serial rows of small punctures equal to small ones on pronotum, serial large punctures 1.5X diameter small ones. Small punctures giving rise to semi-erect long setae, large punctures giving rise to semierect long setae; interspaces narrow between punctures of a row and between different rows. Within a row, small punctures separated by 0.75 diameter, and large punctures by 0.25–0.5 diameter. Large puncture rows separated by 1 large diameter; interspaces variable from alutaceous to granular. Pygidium densely punctate, punctures equal to large ones on pronotum, interspaces narrow, 0.25–0.5 diameter, smooth to alutaceous.

Venter with shorter more sparsely distributed pubescence. Mentum with small shallow punctures, equal to small ones on head, interspaces alutaceous to granular. Prosternum and epimeron deeply irregularly punctate, punctures 1.5–1.75X those on mentum, interspaces granular, prosternal and epimeron punctures separated by 0.5 diameter. Mesoventrite with shallow punctures, similar to those on prosternum, interspaces granular, separated by 0.5–1 diameter and aggregated along posterior border. Metaventrite irregularly punctate, central glabrous apunctate region on disc, other punctures similar to those on mesoventrite, interspaces alutaceous to granular, punctures separated by 1–1.5 diameter. Abdominal sternite 1 with large faint punctures, punctures equal to those on metaventrite, interspaces alutaceous to granular with some microreticulation anteriorly, separated by 1–2 diameters. Hypopygidium with moderately deep punctures, similar to those on abdominal sternite 1, interspaces alutaceous to granular, punctures separated by 0.75–1 diameter.

Head wider than long (W:L = 1.56:1). Antennal club compact, broadly obovate, strongly asymmetrical with last antennomere much larger than previous two combined. Antennomeres 6–8 compact and disc-like. Antennal scape asymmetrical, somewhat hemispherical, 1.75X as long as pedicel. Pedicel subcylindrical. Antennal segment 3 shorter than pedicel. Antennal club large, 0.75 length of segments 1–8 combined. Mentum with anterior angles reduced, anterior margin angulate and coming to a distinct medial acuminate apex, lateral margins short almost obsolete, overall pentagonal, in lateral view convex.

Pronotum wide (L:W = 1:1.83), anterior margin broadly concave and slightly trapezoidal, lateral margins less arcuate posteriorly. Scutellum large, obtusely broadly triangular, much wider than long, apex broadly rounded. Prosternal process in lateral view with anterior and posterior ends not prominent and a slight medial convexity over procoxae; posterior apical wall prominent, short, slightly oblique. Mesoventrite extending prior to midway between mesocoxae, evenly deeply concave for reception of metaventrite. Metaventrite wider than long (W:L = 3.2:1). Metepisternum broad with slight medial concavity, oblique line dividing anterior 0.15. First abdominal sternite with broadly convex to truncate 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, subequal to tarsomeres 1 and part of 2 combined. Outer apical notch with 95–100° angle, notch depth deep, equal to length of tarsomere 1 and part of 2. Inner apical spine subequal to tarsomeres 1–2 combined. Mesotibia more heavily armed than protibia with dense stiff setae and row of slender spines along lateral edge. Outer apical process elongate but not robust, larger than protibial process. Inner apical spine equal to tarsomeres 1–2 combined. Metatibia with armature similar to mesotibia, but apical tooth and spines longer.

Male genitalia well-sclerotized. Anal sclerite with apex with elongate fimbria (Fig. 30). Spiculum gastrale with moderately wide lateral flanges, medial margins broadly concave proximally, numerous moderately long stiff setae originating from apex (Fig. 71). Tegmen more acutely rounded apically (Fig. 114), much longer than wide (w:l = 1:2.9), lateral row of setae visible from median fossa to prior to apex, two small shallow concavities in apical 0.33, inner row of setae incomplete, not attaining apex. Median lobe large and robust, 0.66 length of tegmen, apex broadly rounded, apical opening well-developed (Fig. 157). Ejaculatory rods not fused to basal piece or each other, apical rods curved inward medially and expanded outward at basal piece. Basal piece two distinct elongate parts, thicker than ejaculatory rods and abutting basally (Fig. 198).

Female genitalia moderately sclerotized. Paraprocts large with sclerotization along median line to gonocoxite. Gonocoxite with one basal lateral prominence. Gonocoxal apices with recurved “tooth” absent. Three to four elongate setae originate from small depressions at gonocoxal apices (Fig. 236).

Variation. Some specimens more dark brown than black, and male pygidium with apical margin truncate.

Seasonality/Habitat. Collected May–July and December in mid-elevation tropical rainforests.

Distribution. Known from Amazonian Ecuador in the Pichincha Province.

Notes. Host fungal records include Lycoperdon .