Aulicoides leavengoodi Rifkind, 2017

Rifkind, Jacques, 2017, New genera and species of mimetic Cleridae from Mexico and Central America (Coleoptera: Cleroidea), Insecta Mundi 2017 (591), pp. 1-18 : 10

Aulicoides leavengoodi Rifkind , new species

( Fig. 14–16)

Type material. Holotype, male. Mexico, Jalisco, Hwy. 427, 7– 14 km S of Sayula , VII-10-2017, beating in tropical deciduous forest, J. Rifkind & E. Martinez, colls. The holotype is deposited in CSCA . Paratypes: none.

Diagnosis. This is the only known member of the genus.

Description. Length: 4.6 mm. Color: reddish-orange; antennomeres 8–11, distal 4/5 of tibiae, proximal 3/4 of metafemora, and tarsi, castaneous; antennal scape, pedicel, antennomere 3 (in part), and antennomeres 4–10 (entirely), tips of mandibles, proximal 1/5 of tibiae and distal 1/4 of metafemora, piceous; mesosternum, metasternum, and abdomen black; pronotum with an hourglass-shaped longitudinal black macula; scutellum black; elytra ( Fig. 14) with a pair of large, rectangular black maculae on anterior 1/3, and a pair of large, irregularly margined, slightly oblique black maculae at posterior 1/3, narrowly interrupted at suture internally, and by epipleura laterally. Head: surface shallowly rugulose-punctate; moderately densely but inconspicuously set with fine, pale setae ( Fig. 15). Pronotum: surface shining, moderately densely but shallowly punctate, feebly rugulose laterally; vestiture rather sparse, composed of mostly short, suberect, pale and infuscate setae. Elytra: surface moderately densely but inconspicuously pubescent; vestiture made up of rather short, fine, pale and infuscate suberect setae, with an intermixture of more robust, slightly longer, erect black setae. Metasternum: moderately convex; surface shining, finely punctulate, nearly glabrous at middle. Abdomen: surface shining, integument finely, transversely rugulose, inconspicuously set with fine silvery setae.

Variation. Only the holotype is known.

Distribution. Known from a single locality in southeastern Jalisco state, Mexico. Vegetation at the type locality is tropical deciduous forest.

Etymology. The specific epithet honors John M. Leavengood, Jr., a fellow clerid taxonomist, in recog- nition of his scientific contributions, and by way of thanks for many professional kindnesses. Aulicoides is treated as masculine.

Remarks. Aulicoides leavengoodi is a convincing mimic of sympatric malachiine flower beetles ( Melyridae ) belonging to the genus Collops Erichson. Collops species are hypothetically excellent models for Batesian mimics: they are commonly found exposed on flowers and vegetation, they are frequently marked aposematically with bold red and black dorsal patterns, and many possess eversible vesicles that presumably are deployed as a deterrent against predators. Some melyrids are known to possess powerful toxins ( Dumbacher et al. 2004), although such toxins have not been identified in Collops species.