Amasa beaveri Sittichaya & Smith, 2022

Sittichaya, Wisut & Smith, Sarah M., 2022, New species and new records of Amasa Lea, 1894 ambrosia beetles from Thailand (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae: Xyleborini), Zootaxa 5196 (2), pp. 197-210 : 198-199

Amasa beaveri Sittichaya & Smith sp. nov.

( Fig. 2 )

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2CD97C99-3791-44D9-9152-87E6C6A81B35

Material examined. Holotype, female: THAILAND, Trang Province, Khao Banthat Wildlife Sanctuary , 7°24′54.6″N 99°49′47.5″E, tropical rainforest, ethanol baited trap, 01.xii.2015, W. Sittichaya, (NHMW).

Diagnosis: 3.22 mm long (pronotal anterior margin to declivital summit 2.8 mm); 2.32× as long as wide. This species is distinguished by the pronotum appearing basic (type 2), when viewed dorsally, anterior margin serrate; anterior slope shining, with widely spaced, low traverse asperities, elytra short, 1.10× as long as pronotum, declivital face shiny, weakly convex, strial punctures large, round, deep, interstriae flat with sparse, very fine, confused granules, interstriae 1 with uniseriate granules present only near elytral apex, not elevated.

Similar species: Amasa concitata (Schedl) , A. cycloxyster Smith, Beaver & Cognato , A. galeoderma Smith, Beaver & Cognato , A. resecta (Eggers) , A. schlichii (Stebbing) , A. versicolor (Sampson) ( A. schlichii group).

Description (female). 3.22 mm long (pronotal anterior margin to declivital summit 2.83 mm); 2.32× as long as wide. Body yellowish brown, except declivital margin and elytral punctures dark brown. Head. Epistoma entire, transverse, with row of hair-like setae. Frons weakly convex to upper level of eyes; median impression between eyes rhomboid, surface dull, without punctures or asperities; frons below eyes dull, alutaceous, impunctate, asperate, setose; asperities longitudinal, larger, rounder, denser above epistoma, increasing in size and length and decreasing in density dorsally and laterally; setae longer dorsally; vertex shagreened, minutely granulate. Eyes very deeply emarginate just above antennal insertion, upper part much smaller than lower part. Submentum triangular, deeply impressed. Antennal scape regularly thick, as long as club. Pedicel as wide as scape, 4× shorter than funicle. Funicle 4-segmented, segment 1 as long as pedicel. Club teardrop-shaped, inflated, type 4; segment 1 corneous, convex on anterior face, occupying approximately basal 1/4; segment 2 narrow, smaller than segment 1, corneous; segments 1–3 present on posterior face. Pronotum. 1.07× as long as wide. In dorsal view basic, parallel-sided, type 2, sides parallel in basal 1/2, rounded anteriorly; anterior margin with row of eight serrations. In lateral view basic, type 0, disc flat, summit approximately at midpoint. Anterior slope shiny, with widely spaced transverse low asperities, approximately similar in size on entire surface, asperities becoming less dense near summit, bearing long, fine, semi-recumbent, hair-like setae. Disc shiny, sparsely finely punctate, glabrous. Lateral margins obliquely costate. Base broadly concave, posterior angles broadly rounded. Elytra. 1.18× as long as wide, 1.14× as long as pronotum. Scutellum small, narrow, linguiform, flush with elytra, flat, shining. Elytral base broadly concave, edge oblique, humeral angles rounded, side subparallel in basal 4/5, then sharply angulate to apex, slightly wider than pronotum, 28:29. Disc ascending posteriorly, shining, glabrous; striae and interstriae laterally diverging from base to declivital summit; strial punctures moderate, shallowly impressed; interstriae flat, impunctate, double as wide as striae. Declivity truncate, slightly ascending posteriorly, circumdeclivital margins sharply carinate, face slightly convex, more strongly convex from margin medially, shining, sparsely covered with very short fine setae; three striae present, strial punctures large round deeply impressed, punctures of striae 1 and 2 similar in size, striae 3 punctures smaller than those of 1 or 2, strial punctures moderate shining, much larger than on disc; interstriae impunctate, flat, interstriae 1 elevated near apex, elevation low, inconspicuous bearing a row of small granules; interstriae 1–3 granulate, granules minute, confused, multiseriate. Legs. Procoxae slightly separated, prosternal coxal piece flat, acute on apex. Protibiae slender, broadest at apical 1/3; posterior face inflated, granulate; apical 1/2 of outer margin with eight small socketed denticles, their length as long as basal width. Meso- and metatibiae broad, flattened, outer margins evenly rounded, each with 11 small socketed denticles, posterior faces unarmed; anterior faces finely granulate.

Etymology. The name honors Dr. Roger A. Beaver for his enormous contributions in both classic and modern Scolytinae taxonomy.

Distribution: THAILAND: Trang Province.

Host plants. Unknown.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Amasa beaveri sp. nov. holotype A) dorsal view; B) lateral view; C) postero-lateral view; D) frons; E) head lateral and antenna.