Chaetophloeus zapotecanus Burgos and Atkinson, 2022

Burgos-Solorio, Armando & Atkinson, Thomas H., 2022, New species and new records of Chaetophloeus LeConte (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) from Mexico, Zootaxa 5174 (1), pp. 73-84 : 80-83

Chaetophloeus zapotecanus Burgos and Atkinson , sp. nov.

( Figs 1 A–B , 7 A–F , 8A )

Diagnosis. This species would come out to couplet 4 in Wood’s (1982) key to North and Central American Chaetophloeus , but would go no further, in part because of the lack of obvious sexual dimorphism in the frons. The overall color pattern of scales on the pronotum and declivity superficially resembles that of C. mexicanus , except that the elytral scales are more uniform in color in C. zapotecanus . Bifid setae on the propleural areas of C. mexicanus are white, while those of C. zapotecanus are brown.

In all known species of Chaetophloeus bifid scales are found on parts of the pronotum, especially pleurae, and on ventral and lateral portions of the body. Chaetophloeus zapotecanus can be distinguished from all Mexican species by the very dense vestiture on all parts of the body, but specifically by the abundance and distribution of bifid scales on the pronotum. In C. zapotecanus bifid scales are found on all parts of the pronotum, from the anterior margin to the base ( Fig. 8 A ). In all other Mexican species, the bifid scales are restricted to the pleural and anterolateral regions and are absent on the pronotal disc ( Fig. 8 B–H ).

Male. Color brown, total length 1.69 mm (1.48–1.69), width 0.78 mm (0.72–0.85), length/width = 0.46 mm (0.45–0.51) (n=8).

Head. Frons flattened, weakly concave in center; epistomal margin, straight, not elevated and without anterior projection. Surface densely punctures, with dense, pale brown, rounded plumose setae, uniform in length throughout.

Antennal club with segments shining, sutures clearly marked throughout by rows of plumose setae, these almost as long as the segment of the club.

Pronotum. Almost as long as wide, with sides sloping evenly towards front, without any constriction. Posterior margin nearly straight. Pleural areas densely covered with pale brown, bifid setae. Dorsal surface closely, deeply punctured; vestiture dense, consisting of semirecumbent bifid setae mixed with erect, blunt scales. Vestiture in band along posterior of pronotum pale yellow-brown, barker towards front, these areas clearly distinct.

Elytra. Basal margin weakly curved, with a single row of marginal crenulations. Striae not impressed, marked by deep punctures separated by their diameters. Interstriae about 2X width of striae. Strial setae apparently absent. Interstrial setae consisting of erect, blunt scales, their length about the width of the interstriae, with confused, recumbent, narrow scales on either side, in basal areas in interstriae 7–10 some of these are bifid. Declivity evenly convex, vestiture similar to that in disc. Vestiture is dark brown at elytral base and on declivity, paler in central areas.

Sternum. All ventrites densely covered with elongate, pale bifid setae, some setae as long as ventrite. Setae in ventrite 5 shorter than on others.

Female. length 1.73 mm (1.58–1.74), width 0.82 mm (0.76–0.84), length/width = 0.47 mm (0.44–0.52) (n= 8). Similar to male in all regards except that on sternite 5 there is a tuft of long setae, longer than those of preceeding ventrites.

Type Material. Holotype male ( CNIN), Mexico: Oaxaca, San Pedro Totolapan , 7 km S, road to Sta. Ma. Zoquitln, 16.6231 N, 96.3261W, 982 m, 24-VIII-2014, unidentified liana, A. Burgos & T.H. Atkinson AB-2083, THA 1065 . Allotype female ( CNIN), same data . Paratypes, same data ( CEUM, 16; CEAM, 2; CE-CIB, 2; UTIC, 2; CNIN, 2; USNM, 2) .

Etymology. The name of the species refers to the Zapotec Region of the state of Oaxaca.

Biology and distribution. This species was found infesting dry lianas, 1 to 3 cm in diameter with the galleries located in the xylem. Galleries were not completely developed, but appeared to be elongated, and the number of oviposition tunnels could not be determined. Gallery entrances were located at nodes on the branches.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Views of abdominal ventrites of males and females. Chaetophloeus zapotecanus (A, female, B, male), C. psittacanthi (C, female, D, male), C. heterodoxus (E, female, F, male), C. fasciatus (G, female, H, male). All photographs by T.H. Atkinson.

FIGURE 7. Dorsal (A), lateral (B), frontal (C), posterior (D) and ventral abdominal (E) views of a female paratype of Chaetophloeus zapotecanus and ventral abdominal (F) view of a male paratype of C. zapotecanus. All photographs by T.H.Atkinson.

FIGURE 8. Lateral pronotal views showing arrangement of divided scales of Chaetophloeus zapotecanus (A), C. psittacanthi (B), C. woodi (C), C. mexicanus (D), C. heterodoxus (E), C. fasciatus (F), C. sulcatus (G), and C. penicillatus (H). All photographs by T.H. Atkinson.