Enoclerus chamelae Rifkind

Rifkind, Jacques, 2012, New Central American and Mexican Enoclerus Gahan (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Clerinae): Part II, Zootaxa 3397, pp. 1-27 : 9-10

Enoclerus chamelae Rifkind , n. sp.

( Fig. 9 )

Type specimens. Holotype male: México, Jalisco, Chamela, 5–vii–1985, R. Ayala, coll., Croton . Holotype deposited in CNIN. Paratypes: MEXICO, Jalisco: 1, Estación de Biología Chamela, 29–vii–1986, Alicia Rodriguez P., coll.; 1, same data as previous except Felipe A. Noguera M., coll.; 1, same data as previous except 17–vii–1986; 1, same data as previous except 17–vii–1989, S. Guzman, coll.; 1, same data as previous except 8–viii–1986, M. Sanchez, coll.; 2, same data as previous except vii–8 /16–1985, J. Chemsak, H. Katsura, A. & E. Michelbacher, collectors; 1, same data as previous except 15–23 July, 1987, F. T. Hovore, coll.; 1, same data as previous except August 10, 1982, 200', O'Brien, Wibmer, colls.; 1, Chamela, 7–ix–1985, R. Ayala, coll.; 1, same data as previous except 9–vii–1986, F. A. Noguera, coll.; 1, Melaque–Pto. Vallarta Rd., Km 48, 19 –7–1990, leg. A. Vogier. Paratypes are deposited in CNIN, EMEC, WFBM, and JNRC.

Diagnosis. The new species is distinguishable from congeners based on a unique combination of elytral sculpturing, coloration and vestiture, and pronotal setal patterning. Though it is strikingly similar to E. leehermani Ekis , a species from Chiapas and Oaxaca, their broad geographical separation makes distinguishing them simple in practice. Subtle but consistent differences between the two species are threefold: 1) The posterior pronotal band of vestiture (rusty in E. chamelae ; usually white in E. leehermani ) is transverse anteriorly on the disk in E. leehermani , but produced triangularly anteriorly in E. chamelae ; 2) In E. chamelae , antennomeres 9 and 10 are inconspicuously clothed with very fine, pale setae, whereas in E. leehermani , they are vested with robust white setae; 3) In E. chamelae , the elytral apices appear black (black integument set with black setae), while in E. leehermani they are thinly covered with ashy pubescence.

Description (Holotype). Length: 9.40 mm. Color: black; apex of maxillary palpi, antennal scape (in part), antennomeres 9–11, and tarsi, brown to reddish–brown; pronotum narrowly orange at middle of anterior margin; elytra with a broad median orange fascia, anterior margin subsinuate on either side and somewhat constricted at suture, complete to lateral margins and internally, slightly arcuately emarginate on other side posteriorly ( Fig. 9 ). Head: antennae robust; antennomeres 9–11 forming a distinct club; eyes large; surface densely but shallowly and finely granulate–punctate, rather densely set with relatively long, suberect and erect setae, these arrayed in a whorled pattern, pale orange on frons, deepening to orange, and more thickly arrayed, posteriorly. Pronotum: about as broad as long, narrower than elytra at base; anterior margin slightly arcuate; sides rounded; collar not particularly broad; transverse impression rather shallow, broadly U–shaped at middle; posterior slope precipitous; surface rather finely, densely granulate–punctate, and irregularly, transversely rugulose; anterior 1/4 densely set with moderately long, suberect and erect, anteriorly oriented orange setae; middle with a broad transverse band of somewhat less densely arranged robust, suberect and erect black setae of various lengths; posterior 1/4 with a dense triangulate band of erect and suberect orange setae; sides more sparsely clothed with long, erect, white setae. Elytra: ratio of length to width 17:10, widest at about middle, rather deep in cross section; humeri rounded; sides slightly inflexed before anterior 1/3, then slightly expanded to middle, posterior to which they very gradually, arcuately converge to separately rounded, dehiscent apices; subbasal tumescences shallow, rounded above; disk subflattened above; apical slope moderate; surface of anterior 3/4 moderately coarsely, moderately densely and deeply punctate; integument at orange median fascia also bearing scattered dark, deep, fine punctures; posterior 1/4 very finely granulate–rugulose, without punctures above; anterior dorsum with an inverted triangulate band of mostly reclinate, rather robust white setae, extending from anterior margin well posterior to scutellum, followed posteriorly by a dense but inconspicuous band of erect and suberect black setae of various lengths; middle orange band densely but inconspicuously clothed with fine suberect (and fewer longer, erect and more robust) orange setae, bordered posteriorly by a transverse, hourglass–shaped fascia of black vestiture (composed as on subbasal black band); posterior 1/7 clothed with a triangulate fascia of reclinate, rather densely set, ashy pubescence, incomplete at apices, which are darkly setose. Mesosternum: surface densely covered with long silvery setae; posterior median process only slightly elevated. Metasternum: densely, finely rugulose, vested as on mesosternum; anterior median process sulcate, not elevated at apex. Abdomen: coarsely, shallowly punctate–granulate, rather sparsely clothed with silvery setae; visible sternite 5 shallowly, arcuately emarginate posteriorly; visible sternite 6 short, subtruncate at apex; visible sternite 6 slightly emarginate at middle of posterior margin; setal daggers absent. Legs: robust.

Variation. Size ranges from 7.75 mm to 11.50 mm. The shape and width of the median elytral fascia are somewhat variable, and it is paler in a couple of examples.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to Chamela, Jalisco, México, the type locality of the species.

Natural history. This is apparently a diurnal species whose flight period corresponds with the summer rainy season in coastal Jalisco. One specimen was taken on Croton (Euphorbiaciae) . Vegetation at Chamela is primarily tropical deciduous forest and tropical semideciduous forest ( Lott 1993).

Distribution. Pacific coastal Mexico in the vicinity of Chamela Bay, Jalisco.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 9. Habitus of: 1. Enoclerus anctus Rifkind n. sp. (holotype female (? )). 2. Enoclerus boquete Rifkind n. sp. (holotype male). 3. Enoclerus skillmani Rifkind n. sp. (holotype male). 4. Enoclerus mcnallyi Rifkind n. sp. (holotype male). 5. Enoclerus fibrillatus Rifkind n. sp. (holotype male). 6. Enoclerus toledoi Rifkind n. sp. (holotype male). 7. Enoclerus boblloydi Rifkind n. sp. (holotype female). 8. Enoclerus gilli Rifkind n. sp. (holotype male). 9. Enoclerus chamelae Rifkind n. sp. (holotype male).