Embates vestitus (Chevrolat)

Prena, Jens, 2005, The Middle American species of Embates Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Baridinae), Zootaxa 1100 (1), pp. 1-151 : 1-151

8. Embates vestitus (Chevrolat)

(Fig. 48–49, 262)

Ambates vestitus Chevrolat 1877: 344 . Holotype male, Colombia, labeled: “Typus”, “ Ambates / vestitus/ Chevr.”, “233/ 58”, green label at bottom of box “N. Grenada / Magdalena/ D.A. Deyrolle” (NHRS). Hustache 1938 (cat.); Kuschel 1983: 35 (synonymy with A. circumductus ); Wibmer & O’Brien 1986 (cat.)

Ambates circumductus Champion 1907: 166 . Lectotype, sex not determined [probably male], Panama, right of two specimens glued on same card, here designated, labeled: “Type”, “ ♀ ♂ ”, “Sp. figured”, “David/ Chiriqui / Champion” (BMNH). Paralectotypes 14, here designated: David (BMNH 2, NMNH 2, SNSD), Caldera (BMNH 7, NHRS), Tolé (BMNH). Hustache 1938 (cat.); O’Brien & Wibmer 1982 (cat.)

Embates [ vestitus ]. Alonso­Zarazaga & Lyal 1999 (global combination of all species of Ambates Schönherr 1836 with Embates Chevrolat 1833 )

Redescription. Habitus: total length 3.8–5.2 mm (m=4.4, n=22). Color: integument piceous; basic vestiture moderately dense, cupreous to light yellow; scales light yellow in thin dorsolateral pronotal vitta, humeral streak, arcuate post­macular elytral fascia and, less dense, in ill­defined dorsomedian pronotal vitta and distal half of sutural interstria, scales velvety black in subtriangular elytral macula between interstriae 2–5 (Fig. 48); ven­ ter predominantly with whitish scales. Head: frontal fovea absent, rostrum moderately thick, subcylindrical, costate dorsomedially, basolateral margin produced, length of rostrum ♂♂ 1.16–1.28 x (m=1.22, n=15), ♀♀ 1.21–1.29 x (m=1.25, n=7) pronotal length, length of ante­antennal portion ♂♂ 0.37–0.42 x (m=0.39, n=15), ♀♀ 0.41–0.44 x (m=0.42, n=7) total rostral length, dorsal margin of antennal scrobe reaching rostral base before eye; length of funicular segments 1 and 2 subequal, club oblong ovate (♀♀) to subcylindrical (♂♂). Pronotum: length 0.75–0.80 x (m=0.77, n=22) maximum width, sides subparallel in basal third, anterior portion roundly narrowed and tubulate in front; disk densely punctate, intervals granulose. Elytra: length 1.23–1.37 x (m=1.33, n=22) width at humeri, width 1.36–1.43 x (m=1.40, n=22) maximum pronotal width, sides slightly converging in basal half, apices rounded conjointly, preapical callus developed moderately, striae fine, punctures distinct, interstriae flat, 7 and 9 costate. Legs: tibiae curved, ventral margin weakly bisinuate, distally with cluster of cupreous hairs, tarsal claws arcuate and separate at base. Male: apex of aedeagus blunt, middle and anterolateral portions membranous (as Fig. 53), body of aedeagus of moderate size, curved in lateral view, apodemes 1.4 x longer than body of aedeagus, flagellum thin, slightly shorter than apodemes, transition to curved base gradual, basal appendage minute, barely projecting beyond base (Fig. 49).

Plant association. Piper marginatum (Stockwell 3).

Distribution. Northwest Colombia and Panama, not on Atlantic side of Cordillera de Talamanca (Fig. 262).

Material examined. PANAMA. Canal Zone : numerous locations ( BMNH, CHAH, CWOB 11 , GBFM, HAHC, HPSC 8, JPPC 5, NMNH 2 , TAMU). Chiriquí: David ( BMNH 3 , NMNH 2 , SNSD 4 ) ; Caldera , 400 m ( BMNH 7 , NHRS) ; Tolé , 200 m ( BMNH) . Coclé: El Valle , 800 m ( CHAH, HPSC) . Colón: 4 km NW Escobal ( CHAH) ; Portobelo ( NMNH 8 ) . Darién: Cana , 450 m ( CMNC, HPSC) ; Mortí , 20 m ( HPSC, TAMU) . Panamá: Las Cumbres ( CWOB 3 ) ; Majé Station ( CWOB, HPSC 3 ) ; 38 km E Majé Bridge ( CWOB 2 ) ; Chepo ( CWOB) ; Cerro Azul , 700 m ( HPSC) ; Cerro Campana , 850 m ( HPSC, HAHC 2 ) ; Punta Vacamonte ( CWOB) ; Ipetí ( CMNC) ; Llano­Cartí rd. ( CMNC) . Veraguas: La Yeguada Power Plant , 300 m ( HPSC) . Location unresolved: XX­ Plantation ( NMNH 5 ) . COLOMBIA. [ Río ] Magdalena ( NHRS). Total 88 specimens .

Discussion. Embates vestitus is a small, notably stout species related to numerous South American species near E. rufipes (Kirsch) and E. griseolus (Erichson) . The Colombian E. claveri (Hustache) is very similar but lacks the continuous dorsolateral vitta (Fig. 50). The distribution of E. vestitus (and E. thoracicus ) seems to follow that of Piper marginatum , a widespread plant in wet situations of semi­open, seasonally dry habitats.