Valeriaaschero flora Erwin

Erwin, Terry L., 2004, The beetle family Carabidae of Costa Rica and Panamá: Descriptions of four new genera and six new species with notes on their way of life (Insecta: Coleoptera), Zootaxa 537, pp. 1-18 : 15

Valeriaaschero flora Erwin , new species

( Figs. 9 , 10 , 13 )

Holotype. Male. COSTA RICA: Guanacaste, P.N. Guanacaste, Estación Pitilla, Santa Cecilia, 700 m, 10° 59' 33" N, 085° 25' 46' W, LN330200,380200, November (C. Moraga)( INBio: CRI 001162521).

Derivation of specific name. Members of this species occur in the tree species Goethalsis meiantha (Donn. Sm.) Burret, hence the Latin noun used in apposition, flora , implies something of their way of life.

Common name. Valeria’s violet arboreal carabid.

Diagnosis. With the attributes of the genus and vertex of head dark rufous, antennal scape infuscated, and elytra metallic coppery violaceous or brassy green depending upon angle of view.

Description. ( Fig. 9 ). Size medium: ABL = 5.9 to 6.4 mm, SBL = 5.7 to 5.9 mm, TW = 2.4 to 2.6 mm. Color: Pronotum brassy green; elytra metallic coppery violaceous or brassy green; head with vertex rufous; appendages and venter partially infuscated, partially dark rufous. Luster: Very shiny, color reflections change depending upon angle of view. Microsculpture: Effaced from dorsal surfaces. Head: Slightly wider than pronotum across eyes; frontal furrows markedly impressed to posterior margin of eyes; frons with convex callous at middle; eyes large, markedly produced; ultimate labial palpomere securiform; antennae of moderate length, reaching just posterior of humerus. Prothorax: Narrow, quadrate, markedly convex, margins moderately explanate, sinuate before moderately produced acute hind angles. Pterothorax: Normal for Agrina, fully winged. Legs: Normal for Agrina. Abdomen: Normal for Agrina; glabrous, except normal ambulatory setae on sterna 3­5 and males with one pair of ambulatory setae on sternum 6, females with two pairs on sternum 6. Male genitalia: Phallus — tubular, catopic, apex long and narrow, endophallus without armature, parameres small, left more so than right ( Fig. 10 ).

Dispersal potential. These beetles are fully winged and likely are good dispersers, as are most arboreal beetles.

Way of life. These beetles belong in a subtribal level clade in which all the species are arboreal. One specimen (CRI002729942) was fogged from the tree Goethalsis meiantha (Donn. Sm.) Burret, as part of the ALAS Project at La Selva.

Other specimens examined. Paratypes, 1 female: COSTA RICA:, Heredia, 3.0 km S Puerto Viejo, Estación Biologica La Selva, 50–150 m, 10° 25' 55" N, 84° 00' 32" W, LN535500,268000 May (Proyecto Alas)(INBio­OET: CRI 002729942); 1 male: Heredia, 3.0 km S Puerto Viejo, Estación Biologica La Selva, 50–150 m, 10° 25' 55" N, 84° 00' 32" W, LN535500,268000 July (N. Franz)( SEMC: ADP 100407); 1 male: PANAMA, Bocas del Toro, Corriente Grande, 100 m, 9° 17’ 30” N, 082° 32’ 41” W, January (Stockwell)( NMNH: ADP59903).

Geographic distribution. ( Fig. 13 ). Known only from Costa Rica and northwestern Panamá.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Dorsal habitus of Valeriaaschero flora Erwin new species. FIGURE 11. Dorsal habitus of Va leriaaschero nigrita Erwin new species.

FIGURE 10. Aedeagus, dorsal, ventral, left lateral aspects of Valeriaaschero flora Erwin n. sp.

FIGURE 13. Geographical distribution map of the new taxa in Costa Rica and Panamá: Tachysbembix sirena Erwin new species (solid circle —), Tachysbembix wendyporrasae Erwin new species (open circle —), Pseudophorticus puncticollis Erwin new species (open box —), Guatemalteca virgen Erwin new species (diamond —), Valeriaaschero flora Erwin new species (star —), V aleriaaschero nigrita Erwin new species (triangle —). Note star () in Panamá (see text).