Pseudophorticus puncticollis 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 : 8-9

Pseudophorticus puncticollis Erwin , new species

(Figs. 5, 6)

Holotype. Female. COSTA RICA: Limón, Hamburg Farm, Rio Reventazon, Ebene, 100 m, 10° 15' N, 083° 28' W, March (F. Nevermann)( NMNH: ADP 004531).

Derivation of specific name. Members of this species have a deeply punctate (pockmarked) prontoum, hence the Latin adjective puncticollis describes them well.

Common name. Costa Rican multi­pocked carabid.

Diagnosis. With the attributes of the genus and elytron with pale humeral macula and a second macula marginally at apical third; flight wings absent.

Description. (Fig. 5). Size moderately small: ABL = 4.6 to 4.7 mm, SBL = 4.5 to 4.6 mm, TW = 2.1 mm. Color: Rufescent; elytron with pale humeral macula and a second macula marginally at apical third; appendages testaceous. Luster: Surface very shiny. Microsculpture: Finely engraved transverse meshes. Head: Broad, nearly as broad as pronotum; convex; short frontal furrows, ending anterior to eye. Prothorax: Cordiform, hind angles small, obtuse. Pterothorax: Metasternum short; flight wings reduced to a scale. Legs: Normal for the lachnophorines. Abdomen: all abdominal sterna except first visable one with extensive vestiture. Male genitalia: Phallus slightly arcuate, apex broadly acuminate; endophallus without armature ( Fig. 6 ).

Dispersal potential. The two know specimens are not winged, an unusual condition for lowland tropical carabid beetles. One species from Perú is wing­dimorphic (reduced to a small scale or fully formed). Other species in Perú tend to follow the fruit falls of figs ( Erwin 1985) which are patchy both temporally and micro­geographically, hence good dispersal attributes are normally needed to follow this important lowland forest resource. The way of life for the present species is not known.

Way of life. The information associated with specimens of this genus elsewhere, for example in Perú, indicate that they live inside the lowland forest and can be found along any trail there with activity in the daytime. They are also active at night as member of a fig fall guild ( Erwin 1985).

Other specimens examined. Paratype: 1 male, COSTA RICA: Limón, Hamburg Farm, Rio Reventazon, Ebene, 100 m, 10° 15' N, 083° 28' W, March (F. Nevermann)( NMNH: ADP 004532).

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

Notes. Representatives of several other species are in the NMNH collections; their elytral markings are different, or they have rufous head and pronotum rather than piceous as in the present species, and they are all fully winged. A monographic revision of this group is necessary and will likely be scientifically rewarding because of the wingless state of this species and the association with Atta ants of other species.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Aedeagus, dorsal, ventral, left lateral aspects of Pseudophorticus puncticollis Erwin new species.

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).