Euscelus scutellatus (Klug)

Hamilton, Robert W., 2007, Euscelus species of the West Indies (Coleoptera: Attelabidae), Zootaxa 1495 (1), pp. 1-34 : 7-8

Euscelus scutellatus (Klug)

( Figs. 2 , 17–20)

Attelabus scutellatus Klug, 1829

Attelabus scutellatus Gyllenhal, 1833

Type locality: Cuba

Type data: Holotype male with the following labels: Male symbol [small, white, rectangle]; Typus [long, red, rectangular]; Att. scutellatus Dej. , Cuba Schapp [large, white, rectangular]; Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet, Stockholm, loan No. 614/02 [blue, rectangular]. Allotype female with the following labels: Female symbol [small, narrow, white, rectangular]; Allotypus [long, red, rectangular]; Att. scutellatus Dej. , Cuba Man. [white, rectangular]; Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet Stockholm, loan no. 615/02 [blue, rectangular]; Paratype female with the following labels: female symbol [white, rectangular]; Paratypus [long, red, rectangular]; Cuba Germar [white, square]; Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet Stockholm, loan no. 616/02.

Type holder: Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet , Stockholm, Sweden ( NHRS) .

Specimen data: CUBA: 1 female, Saunders Collector , Sharp Coll. 1905-313 ; 1 male & 1 female, Cotorro , Havana, vii-1924, GAK Marshall Coll. ( BMNH) . 1 female, Cuba FCA, Cavila Sta., Cruz Del Norte , iv-1969, col. Broche ( DZUP) . 1 male, Pan de Matr. [?] ; 1 male, Central Jaronu , 19-vii-1930, L. C. Scaramuzza ; 1 female, SN [San?] Antonio de los Banos, J Pazos ( USNM) . DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: 1 female, Bowring 63.47 ( BMNH) . 1 male, Barahona Prov., nr Filipinas Larimar Mine , 20–26-vi-1992, RE Woodruff & PE Skelley ; 1 male, Santo Domingo, Botanical Gardens , 14-iii-78, L Masner ; 1 female, Pedernales, 25 km N Cabo Rojo , 12 July 1996, R Turnbow ; 1 female, Punta Cana Reserva , 11–14.xi.2005, 18 o 30'40"N, 68 o 22'32"W, forest, L Masner YPT ( CMNC) . 1 female, Barahona, Eastern Sierra Bahoruco Reserva Cachote , 12.8 km NE Paraiso, 21–23 Mar. 2004, 1230 m, 18-05-54N, 71-11-21W, cloud forest with tree ferns, J Rawlins, C Young, R Davidson, C Nunez, M Rial ; 1 male & 1 female [same as previous except 22-23 Nov. 2004, J Rawlins, C Young, V Verdecia, C Nunez, W Zanol] ; 1 female, Pedernales, upper Las Abejas , 38 km NNW Cabo Rojo, 22 July 1990, 1350 m, 18-09N, 71-38W, mesic deciduous forest, sweeping, L Masner ; 2 females, San Juan Sierra de Neiba, Sabana del Silencio , 10 km SSW El Cercado, 20 June 2003, 2009 m, 18- 39-07N, 71-33-21W, cloud forest along Danthonia Savannah, J Rawlins, C Nunez, R Davidson, C Young, P Acevado, M Delacruz ; 1 female, San Juan, Sierra de Neiba , 9.4 km SSW El Cercado, 22 June 2003, 1973 m, 18-39-18N, 71-32-51W ( CMNH) . 1 male, Rep. Dominicana, D. F., Boca Chica, 6 July, 1985, WE Clark; 1 male & 1 female, Dom. Republic, San Pedro Prov. , nr. Juan Dolio, v-13,18-1985, JE Wappes ; 1 female, Dominican Rep., Prov. Barahona, near Filipinas , Larimar Mine , 26-vi/ 7-vii-1992, at blacklight ( CWOB) . HAITI: 1 female, Furcy , 25-vii-1950, A Curtiss ( AMNH) . 1 female, Tapion [?] Petit-Goave , Feb. 14, 1930, Fearn Fourgira [?], HL Dozier Collector ( BMNH) . 2 females, Hinche , 15-V-1925, WA Hoffman ; 1 female, Sta. 22, 7-viii-1935, Chapin & Blackwelder ; 1 male, Hinche , 26-viii-1924, GN Wolcott ( USNM). TRIN- IDAD : 1 male & 2 females, Trinidad, Georgetown ? vii-1933 ( CASC) ; 1 male, Trinidad , vii-1932, Colin [?], EC Zimmerman, 1941 ( USNM) .

Description: Color: Dark, shiny reddish-brown except for the following pale yellowish areas: antennal funicle, scutellum, basal half of profemora, protibial band, entire meso and metafemora and all but meso and metatibial apices. Size range: Male (n = 11) 5.8 x 2.6 mm to 7.5 x 3.2 mm; Female (n = 23) 7.0 x 2.9 mm to 7.1 x 3.0 mm. Head elongate, sub-conical, widest at base, weakly constricted behind eyes, vertex transversely and minutely rugose, with widely spaced minute punctures, frons about ½ as wide as rostral base; with wide shallow median channel. Rostrum short, about ½ length of head, widened beyond antennal insertions; apex about 1/4 wider than rostral base; with small punctures beyond antennal insertions. Antennae long, longer than head, rostrum and pronotum together; scape ovo-globose; funicle segment 1 short, bead like; funicle segment 2 very elongate, twice as long as scape and funicle segment 1 together, weakly clavate; segments 3 and 4 like 1 but 1/4 shorter; segment 5 long, subequal to 2; segment 6 short, only ½ as long as 5; segment 7 subequal to 2 or 5 in length but more strongly clavate; club short, compact, subequal in length to funicle segment 3; basal and middle club segments subequal; terminal segment longer, acuminate. Pronotum wider than long, slightly wider at base; anterior edge broadly emarginate; sides arched out above procoxae, transversely rugose; punctures irregular, coarse; anterior collar smooth, rim like; anterior basal carina, wide, smooth; posterior basal carina very narrow, weakly defined. Scutellum sub-trapezoidal, widest across base, strongly convex, smooth, without punctures; sides sinuate; posterior margin broadly rounded. Elytra longer than wide; sides slightly narrowed from humeri to apices; apices distinctly truncated; intervals evenly costate at declivities; strial punctures coarse, irregular; interspaces weakly raised, weakly reticulate; humeri simple; with small, blunt, posteriorly directed posthumeral denticles. Abdominal ventrites sparsely punctured, minutely strigate; ventrites 4 and 5 with thin clusters of setae each side of middle.

Femoral sexual dimorphism: The profemur of the male is armed with two projections. The mid-ventral projection is prominent, elongate, acute and strongly curved upward and inward (Fig. 18). The disti-ventral projection is much smaller and beak shaped. A longitudinal slit like setose sensillum is located mid-ventrally at a distance from the large mid-ventral projection that is slightly more than the distance between the two projections. In some males the profemur is very strongly stalked, sinuous and bears an additional small spine near the dorsal base. The profemur of the female is armed with a single disti-ventral projection about the same size and shape as in the male.

Distribution: The species is recorded from Cuba and the Dominican Republic by O’Brien and Wibmer (1982). Specimens have been examined from Cuba, Dominican Republic and Haiti as well as Trinidad. The Trinidad records are from a few specimens taken in the 1930s. Its presence on the island nation of Trinidad, well outside of the established Greater Antillean distribution, needs to be further investigated.

Comments: The color pattern including the convex yellowish scutellum, the very long front legs, the posthumeral denticles and the long, up-curved, mid-ventral profemoral projection of the male identifies this species. This species and E. pulchellus have long antennae with long, slender and clavate funicle segments.

Host plant: Host plant association is unknown.

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Male genitalia of West Indies Euscelus species, 64 X: a) tegmen, dorsal view b) median lobe with endophallic sac and transfer apparatus in repose, ventral view 1) Euscelus armatus, Dominican Republic, La Vega Province 2) Euscelus scutellatus, Dominican Republic, Barahona Province 3) Euscelus postoculidens, Dominican Republic, Elias Pina, Sierra de Neiba 4) Euscelus dentipes, Puerto Rico, Punta Santiago.