Enoclerus juquilensis Rifkind, 2016

Rifkind, Jacques, 2016, A New Species ofEnoclerusGahan (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Clerinae) from the Sierra Sur of Oaxaca, Mexico, The Coleopterists Bulletin 70 (1), pp. 168-170 : 168-170

Enoclerus juquilensis Rifkind , new species ( Figs. 1–2 )

Type Specimens. Holotype female: México, Oaxaca, Juquila District , 15 km N San Marcos Zacatepec, N 16°11.844′ W 097°18.194′, 1507 m elevation, VI–26–2015, beating vines, pine-oak forest, J. Rifkind, coll. Holotype deposited in CSCA . Paratypes (3): MEXICO, OAXACA: 1 ( JNRC), Hwy 175 at Puente Barranca Matlizahua, km 180.1 (Oaxaca – Puerto Angel Hwy ), 1475 m, beating vegetation, VII–25 & VII-28–2005, J. Rifkind, C. L. Bellamy, B. Streit, T. MacRae, colls.; 1 ( JNRC), Portillo del Rayo , 3–VII–[19]87, I. Cervantes; 1 ( CNIN), Portillo del Rayo , 1–XI–[19]87, E. Berrera, R. Barba, F. Arias . Paratypes are deposited in CNIN and JNRC .

Diagnosis. The new species is distinguishable from congeners based on a unique combination of coloration, elytral patterning, and elytral surface sculpturing. It is most similar to Enoclerus atriceps (Gorham) , from which it may be reliably separated as follows:

E. juquilensis

Head: reddish

Antenna: flagellum infuscate; antennomeres 9 and 10 brownish

Pronotum: reddish, with anterior margin broadly white Femora: tricolorous; broadly white basally, with a narrow infuscate annulus at distal half (profemur) or distal third (meso– and metafemora), the remainder reddish

E. atriceps

Head: usually black; sometimes reddish

Antenna: reddish

Pronotum: concolorous reddish, or with anterior margin black

Femora: reddish throughout

Description. Holotype. Length: 7.0 mm. Color: Reddish; antennal scape and pedicel testaceous, flagellum progressively infuscate distally, club darkened except antennomere 11; pronotal arch broadly white; elytra with pattern of alternating black and white bands as in Figs. 1–2 ; antemedian black band complete to eplipleura laterally, separated internally before suture; postmedian black band complete to lateral margins, narrowed but uninterrupted internally; median white band and elytral apices

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partially depigmented; trochanters, basal half of profemora, and basal 2/3 of meso– and metafemora white, separated from reddish distal part of femora by a narrow darkened annulus. (It should be noted that the white integument of the living animal is yellowed in preserved specimens.) Head: Antennae moderately long, rather loosely composed, antennomere 11 subacuminate distally; eyes rather small; surface shining, finely and indistinctly punctulate, moderately densely but inconspicuously clothed with tawny, suberect setae of medium length. Pronotum: Convex, a little longer than broad, as broad as elytra at base; posterior slope rather acute; basal collar broad; surface shining, shallowly, rather sparsely punctate, posterior disc a little roughened; vestiture as on head. Elytra: Elongate (ratio of length to maximum width 12:7), rather narrow anteriorly, with anterior angles oblique, umbones not prominent; sides slightly inflected at anterior third, then gradually expanded laterally to approximately posterior third, from where they arcuately converge to separately rounded, slightly explanate, dehiscent apices. Subbasal carinae absent; disk rather broadly subflattened; surface coarsely, densely, cribrately punctate anteriorly (punctures subserially arranged), punctures less dense at middle and finer laterally, punctation on posterior surface fine, superficial and sparse with surface shallowly roughened; vestiture moderately dense but inconspicuous: pale areas set with tawny, suberect, rather fine setae intermingled with fewer longer, erect, more stout setae of the same hue; dark areas similarly vested but with correspondingly black rather than tawny setae. Mesosternum: Posterior process elevated beyond level of coxae, slightly notched at apex. Metasternum: Disk subflattened; surface shining, sparsely and shallowly puncticulate, inconspicuously setose. Abdomen: Sculpted as on metasternum; ventrite 5 with hind margin truncate; ventrite 6 and tergite 6 conjointly rounded posteriorly. Legs: Protibia expanded medially.

Variation. Males have abdominal ventrite 5 shallowly, arcuately emarginate at middle; ventrite 6 has the hind margin feebly emarginate, surpassed posteriorly by tergite 6, which has the hind margin subtruncate.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the new species’ type locality, near the town of Santa Catarina Juquila , Oaxaca.

Distribution. Known from several localities in the Sierra Sur of Oaxaca.

Biology. The holotype was collected by beating vines (probably Ipomoea sp. (Convolvulaceae) or Aristolochia sp. ( Aristolochiaceae )) in pine– oak forest at an elevation of 1,507 m ( Figs. 3–4 ). Two other species of Cleridae were beaten from the same plant: Priocera salamandra Schenkling (or near) and a black, ant-like species of Phyllobaenus Dejean belonging to the P. cylindricollis species-group.

Discussion. Gorham (1876) described E. atriceps from Guatemala. Subsequently in the Biologia Centrali-Americana, Gorham (1882) remarked on a series of specimens from Guatemala, noting that they were rather variable, with a few having the head reddish and others with the subbasal black fascia divided. I was not able to examine this series, but I believe it is unlikely that the exhibited variation includes characteristics diagnostic for E. juquilensis , as Gorham makes no mention of a bicolorous (white and red) pronotum, tricolorous femora, or darkened antennal flagellum. These features are not present in the holotype of E. atriceps , nor in any of the individuals of this species I have examined from Guatemala and El Salvador.

The distributional range of E. juquilensis appears limited to the Sierra Sur of Oaxaca in Mexico, which is separated from Guatemala by the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and the state of Chiapas. Collections from the intervening two regions have not produced specimens of either species, and thus they appear to be isolated geographically from one another. I note here that I erroneously assigned E. atriceps to the Mexican fauna based on misidentified specimens of E. juquilensis ( Rifkind 2014) ; the former should be restricted to Central America.

Figures

Figs. 1–4. Enoclerus juquilensis, holotype female and habitat. 1) Habitus; 2) Living specimen; 3) Vines (probably Ipomoea sp. or Aristolochia sp.) from which the holotype was beaten; 4) Type locality: pine-oak forest with second growth vegetation along roadside, south of Juquila, Oaxaca, Mexico.