Pyticeroides ustulatis Opitz, 2010

Opitz, Weston, 2010, New taxa of Epiphloeinae Kuwert (Cleridae) and Chaetosomatidae Crowson (Coleoptera: Cleroidea), Insecta Mundi 2010 (123), pp. 1-28 : 24-25

Pyticeroides ustulatis Opitz , new species

Figure 23, 38, 41, 65.

Holotype. Male. ECUADOR: Orellana: 1 km S Okone Gare Camp , 00 o 39’S 76 o 26’W, 220 m, T.L. Erwin; a second label reads-Fogging leaves in terre firme forest ( USNM). (Specimen point mounted, antenna and gender symbol affixed to paper point; support card; locality label; Natural History label; USNM acronymic label; Holotype label; plastic vial with aedeagus and abdomen).

Paratypes. None.

Diagnosis (Fig. 65): The predominantly brown cranium and mostly brown pronotum will distinguish the members of this species from the superficially similar specimens of Pyticeroides arrogans Kuwert. Specimens of the latter species have the sides of the pronotum broadly yellow, while in P. ustulatis only the anterior angles of the pronotum are yellow.

Description. Size: Length 4.8 mm; width 1.6 mm. Integument: Cranium and pronotum mostly brown, postocular streaks obscured by cranial infuscations, pronotum mostly brown, only anterior angles yellow; elytra brown; femora yellow; tibiae and tarsi light brown. Head: Width equal to width of pronotum (48:48); ratio of eye width to width of vertex (20:12); antenna (Fig. 23) antennomeres 7 and 8 elongate. Thorax: Pronotum transverse-quadrate (48:37), side margins slightly convex; elytral punctations arranged in 11 rows, some punctations near sutural margin misaligned, not seriate, interstitial spaces arenose; elytral about 6.2 x longer than pronotum; elytral length to width ratio 3:0; protibial anterior margin with 6 spines. Abdomen: Male pygidium not emarginate; aedeagal phallobasic apodeme not expanded; phallic struts expanded distally, phallic apex triagonal ( Fig. 38 ). Mesodermal Male Reproductive Organs ( Fig. 41 ): Two pairs of uniramous accessory glands, medial pair very short, much shorter than length of broader lateral pair.

Variation. One specimen examined.

Natural History. The Holotype was collected in February at 220 m by “fogging leaves in terre firme forest” in an Ecuadorian tropical rain forest.

Distribution. Known only from northeastern Ecuador.

Etymology. The specific epithet ustulatis is a Latin adjective derived from ustulatus (= browned). I refer to the infuscated condition of the cranium.

Taxonomic Notes. To incorporate this species into the key of all previously known species of Pyticeroides ( Opitz 2007: 104) the following couplets need to be altered as follows:

26(25). Pronotum as wide as width of head ........................................................................................... 27 – Pronotum narrower than width of head .................................................................................... 28

27(26). Pronotum transverse-quadrate; only pronotal angles yellow ( Ecuador: Orellana) ........................ ...................................................................................... Pyticeroides ustulatis Opitz , n. sp.

– Pronotum transverse-trapezoidal; entire sides of pronotum yellow ( Perú: Amazonas) ................. ............................................................................................. Pyticeroides arrogans Kuwert

Figures

Figure 25-38. Aedeagi. 25) Amboakis ampla. 26) A. antegalba. 27) Amboakis demagna. 28) Amboakis capitata. 29) A. diffusa. 30) A. waodani. 31) Epiphloeus erwini. 32) Epiphloeus pulcherrimus. 33) Madoniella divida. 34) Plocamocera lena. 35) Pyticeroides latisentis. 36) P. moraguesi. 37) P. turbosiris. 38) P. ustulatis.

Figure 39-46. Various organs. 39-42. Mesodermal male internal organs. 39) Pyticeroides latisentis. 40) P. pinnacerinis. 41) P. ustulatis. 42) A. waodani. 43-45. Aedeagi. 43) P. pinnacerinis. 44) P. parvoporis. 45) P. pullis. 46) Epiphloeus erwini male pygidium.