Aphelocerus argus, OPITZ, 2005

OPITZ, WESTON, 2005, Classification, Natural History, And Evolution Of The Genus Aphelocerus Kirsch (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Clerinae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2005 (293), pp. 1-128 : 84

Aphelocerus argus , new species Figures 68 , 124 , 172 ; map 25

HOLOTYPE: Male. Rio Sn Lorenzo , Tierras Morenas, Tenorio, A. C. A, Prov. Guana, Costa Rica, 1050 m, Mar. 1994, G. Rodriguez, L N 287800–427600 # 276 ( INBC). (Specimen point mounted, sex label affixed to paper point, white, hand printed; support card; locality label, white, machine printed; plastic electronic label, white, machine print­ ed; INBC repository label, white, machine printed; holotype label, red, machine print­ ed.)

PARATYPES: Eight specimens. Costa Rica: Puntarenas: Santa Elena, 6­V­1985, A. J. Gilbert ( CDAE, 1; WOPC, 1) ; Monteverde , 1400 m, 28­IV­1979, H. & A. Howden ( CMNC, 1) ; 20–24­VI­1986, N. Youssef ( WOPC, 1) ; 16–19­VI­1995, F. Hovore ( JNRC, 1) ; Buen Amigo, San Luis Monteverde , 1000–1350 m ; XI­1994, Z. Fuentes ( WOPC, 1): Cartago : 5 km NE Pacayas, 1310 m, 25­V­1995, beating roadside vegetation, J. Rifkind, H. Lezama ( JNRC, 1; WOPC, 1) .

DIAGNOSIS: Specimens from Costa Rica that have the elytral middiscal setal tuft reduced to very few setae belong to this species.

DESCRIPTION: Size: Length 5.0– 5.5 mm; width 2.2–2.8 mm. Integument: Head, pronotum, pterothorax, and abdomen cyanescent; elytral and legs piceous. Vestiture: Integument vested predominantly with dark setae, few pale setae; elytra middiscal setal tuft comprised of one small compact patch (fig. 172). Head: Width across eyes narrower than width across pronotum (33:37), coarsely punctate; interocular depression and frontal umbo indistinct; eyes subspherical, moderately convex; antenna shorter than pronotum (30:40), as in figure 68. Thorax: Pronotum subequal in width and length (37:40), narrower than width of elytra across humeri (37: 42); coarsely punctated in region anterior to faintly indicated anterior transverse depression, side margins moderately arcuate; depth at humerus 15, greatest depth in posterior half 18. Abdomen: Pygidial posterior margin evenly arcuate; aedeagus as in figure 124.

VARIATION: No noteworthy variation was observed among the specimens examined.

NATURAL HISTORY: Specimens were collected in January, May, June, and July, at altitudes ranging from 1000 to 1400 m. Two specimens were captured by beating roadside vegetation.

DISTRIBUTION (map 25): Known only from the Costa Rica Provinces of Guanacaste, Puntarenas and Cartago ; some from Monteverde.

ETYMOLOGY: The trivial name is a Greek adjective meaning shining. I refer to the shiny surface of the pronotal and elytral discs.

Figures

Figs. 62–84. Antennae. 62. Aphelocerus sagittarius. 63. A. irroratus. 64. A. naevius. 65. A. triangulus. 66. A. extensivus. 67. A. humerus. 68. A. argus. 69. A. protenus. 70. A. arenatus. 71. A. patulus. 72. A. monteverde. 73. A. chondrus. 74. A. catie. 75. A. chiriqui. 76. A. immarginatus. 77. A. anticus. 78. A. yungas. 79. A. batesi. 80. A. bufustis. 81. A. acanthus. 82. A. sturnus. 83. A. myrmecoides. 84. A. scutellaris.

Figs. 121–138. Tegmina or phalli. 121. Aphelocerus inconstans, tegmen. 122. A. inconstans, tegmen. 123. A. citimus, tegmen. 124. A. argus, tegmen. 125. A. echinatus, tegmen. 126–127. A. leucomelas (126, tegmen; 127, phallus). 128–129. A. coalitus (128, tegmen; 129, phallus). 130. A. acutus, tegmen. 131. A. lividus, tegmen. 132. A. irroratus, tegmen. 133. A. acutus, tegmen. 134. A. arenatus, tegmen. 135–136. A. sagittarius tegmina (135, ventral view; 136, lateral view). 137. A. sculptillus, tegmen. 138. A. protenus, tegmen.

Figs. 162–183. Aedeagus, habitus, elytral discal setal tufts. 162. Aphelocerus dispilis, aedeagus. 163. Weevil, Myrmex sp. 164. Aphelocerus myrmecoides, 165–183. Elytral discal setal tufts. 165. A. sagittarius. 166. A. triangulus. 167. A. cornuatus. 168. A. humerus. 169. A. acutus. 170. A. lividus. 171. A. protenus. 172. A. argus. 173. A. arenatus. 174. A. catie. 175. A. chiriqui. 176. A. yungas. 177. A. monteverde. 178. A. anticus. 179. A. batesi. 180. A. bufustis. 181. A. acanthus. 182. A. yungas. 183. A. sturnus.