Enoclerus primulus Rifkind, 2022

Rifkind, Jacques, 2022, New distributional records for Mexican Cleridae (Coleoptera) with the description of three new species, Insecta Mundi 2022 (963), pp. 1-12 : 8-9

Enoclerus primulus Rifkind , new species

( Fig. 6–7 )

Type specimens. Holotype male. Mexico, Chiapas, Pq. Nac. Sumidero, 7-VI-1990, 1000 m, B. D. Gill. The holotype is deposited in CNCI.

Paratypes. MEXICO: Chiapas: 1 male ( JNRC), same data as holotype except 13-VI-1990 ; 1 male ( CNCI), Chicoasen, 8-6-1990, B. D. Gill, 400 m ; 1 male ( WFBM), El Sumidero, 23-VI-1990, coll. M. C. Thomas ; 2 males (1 JNRC, 1 WFBM), Pq. Nac. Sumidero, Km 11 on road, 1500 m, 19. VI.1989, H. Howden ; 1 female ( WFBC), Sumidero Canyon, Tuxtla Gutierrez, July 21–22, 1963, Eric Fisher, coll .; EL SALVADOR: Departamento Ahuachapan: 1 male ( JNRC), Bosque El Imposible, VI –18–1979, R. D. Cave, colr., 1 male ( WFBM), Bosque El Imposible 18– VI –1979, on flowers of Casearia aculeata Jacq., R. D. Cave , colr .

Description. (Holotype). Length: 8.0 mm. Form: elongate; elytra subparallel ( Fig. 6–7 ). Color: Black; anterior 1/2 of elytra reddish; posterior 1/2 of elytra interrupted anteriorly by a narrow, arcuate, reddish yellow fascia on each side, broader laterally where it is complete to epipleuron, narrower internally where it is interrupted before suture; antennal scape, maxillary palpi and tarsomeres all or in part reddish testaceous. Head: surface finely, densely, shallowly granulate/punctate; moderately densely clothed with suberect, medium length, silvery setae, interspersed with fewer, more elongate, erect black setae. Antennae: of medium length; antennomere 11 trapezoidal. Pronotum: subflattened above, transverse impression broadly arcuate, shallow and rather inconspicuous; surface finely, densely granulate/punctate, densely clothed with short and long, erect, rather robust black setae; anterior margin with a narrow, triangulate patch of anteriorly oriented, fine silvery setae; posterior slope set with several more robust, erect white setae. Scutellum densely clothed with white setae. Elytra: elongate (≈ 2× as long as wide); somewhat compressed dorsolaterally; humeri subquadrate; subbasal tumescences shallow; sides subparallel, feebly expanded at posterior 1/3; apices separately rounded. Surface shining, rather coarsely, densely, and moderately deeply punctate on anterior 1/2, punctation diminished medially, obsolete posteriorly, where the integument is uniformly, finely, granulate. Vestiture inconspicuous except on apices; reddish anterior area moderately densely clothed with short, fine, pale reclinate setae, intermingled on disc with fewer long, more robust, erect and suberect black setae, and laterally with black, suberect and erect black setae of medium length; pale median fascia clothed with fine, reclinate pale setae; black posterior area densely clothed with fine, short, suberect black setae, interspersed with fewer, more elongate, robust black setae, except for apical 1⁄6, which bears a patch of adpressed silvery setae, these densely arrayed along its anterior margin, but rather thinly so posteriorly. Metasternum: surface finely, densely rugulose, densely clothed with fine, silverly, reclinate setae. Abdomen: surface shining, sparsely punctulate, sparsely clothed with silvery setae. Ventrite 5 with posterior margin broadly, arcuately emarginate; ventrite 6 small, scutiform, distinctly concave below; sternite 6 concave ventrally, hind margin arcuate, margin set with several rather robust, elongate black setae. Genitalia: not examined.

Variation. Length 6.0–8.0 mm. The female has abdominal ventrite 5 subtruncate posteriorly, with the hind margin only feebly emarginate at middle; both ventrite 6 and sternite 6 are scutiform, coterminus posteriorly and neither is ventrally concave. Color of the midelytral fascia ranges from reddish yellow to cream.

Etymology. The specific epithet is a Latin adjective meaning “very first,” a reference to this species’ flight period, which coincides with the advent of the rainy season in northern Central America.

Distribution. Known from Chiapas, Mexico and Bosque el Imposible, El Salvador.

Diagnosis. Enoclerus primulus is most similar to E. sepultura , described below. They can be distinguished by a difference in the size and color of the midelytral fascia ( Fig. 6 , 8 ), which is broader in E. sepultura , and bright salmon pink. Other, similarly patterned species include E. opifex (Gorham) , most easily separated by its finely punctate elytra, E. meridanus (Chevrolat) , which has prominent subbasal tumescences, cribrate elytral sculpturing, and a partially testaceous venter, and E. salvini (Gorham) , which also has rough, cribrate/punctate elytral integument.

Figures

Figures 6–7. Enoclerus primulus. 6) Habitus. 7) Lateral aspect.

Figures 8–10. Enoclerus sepultura. 8) Habitus. 9) Lateral aspect. 10) Holotype in life.