Falsocis aquilonius Lopes-Andrade & Lawrence

Lopes-Andrade, Cristiano & Lawrence, John F., 2011, Synopsis of Falsocis Pic (Coleoptera, Ciidae), new species, new records and an identification key, ZooKeys 145, pp. 59-78 : 61-65

Falsocis aquilonius Lopes-Andrade & Lawrence sp. n. Figs 1-941

Type locality.

Cerro Campana, in the province of Panamá, Panama (8°26'N, 81°17'W).

Etymology.

The specific epithet is from the Latin"aquilonius" (adjective), which means "from the North", in reference to its occurrence at the northernmost locality for Falsocis species.

Diagnosis.

Epipleura enlarged posteriorly, but just slightly explanate (Figs 2-3), not or barely visible from above, with external margin simple (not crenulate). Pronotum with lateral margins visible for their entire lengths from above. Male abdominal sex patch small with a diameter of one-fifth the length of the first abdominal ventrite.

Description.

Male holotype (Figs 1-3), measurements in mm: TL 2.21; PL 0.95; PW 1.11; EL 1.26; EW 1.16; GD 0.89. Ratios: PL/PW 0.86; EL/EW 1.09; EL/PL 1.33; GD/EW 0.77; TL/EW 1.91. Body oblong, strongly convex, mostly yellowish brown; coxae and femora pale yellow; mesoventrite, metaventrite and first abdominal ventrite whitish. Head not visible from above; frontoclypeal ridge slightly raised, bearing two very short, barely pronounced tubercles; disc slightly convex, closely and coarsely punctate, glabrous; in between punctures finely granulate. Eyes coarsely facetted; greatest eye width 0.15mm. Each antenna (left antenna measured; FL 0.18mm; CL 0.18mm; CL/FL 1.00) with length of antennomeres (in mm) as follows: 0.08; 0.06; 0.06; 0.05; 0.03; 0.02; 0.02; 0.05; 0.05; 0.08. Pronotum with single and coarse punctation; punctures very close to each other on disc and near the lateral and posterior margins, but somewhat shallower and separated by a distance of about one puncture-width at the anterior projection; in between punctures finely granulate; vestiture grayish, dual (seen in lateral view under a magnification of 100 ×), consisting of conspicuous stout erect bristles (~0.05mm) and very small decumbent setae (a bit less than 0.02mm); anterior angles rounded, produced forward; anterior edge explanate and produced forward forming a plate that slightly curves upward and tapers toward a rounded apex; lateral margins slightly explanate and visible for their entire lengths from above, irregularly crenulate. Hindwings fully developed. Scutellum subtriangular, densely covered by stout decumbent bristles (better seen in lateral view); basal width 0.15mm. Sides of elytra parallel at basal three-fourths, broadly rounded posteriorly (seen from above) and converging to a blunt apex; punctation single and confused; punctures coarse and separated by a distance of one puncture-width or less; in between punctures dull; vestiture dual, similar to that of pronotum; lateral and apical margins not visible from above; epipleura tapering from base to middle, then enlarging to apex, with external margin simple (not crenulate). Ventral surface of thorax and abdomen finely granulate, with vestiture of decumbent slender setae. Prosternum flat; prosternal process laminate, three-fourths the length of procoxae. First abdominal ventrite twice as long as the second at midline; setose sex patch circular and margined, located near the posterior margin and with a diameter of one-fifth the length of the ventrite at midline.

Male terminalia in paratypes (Figs 5-6). Eighth sternite (Fig. 5) with posterior margin straight; posterior angles slightly produced forming two small lateral prominences. Basal piece (Fig. 6) nearly one-third the length of tegmen. Tegmen (Fig. 6) with anterior portion subtriangular; lateral margins straight, slightly diverging to apex; posterior portion with a median V-shaped emargination of about one-third the length of tegmen, forming two lateral lobes. Penis (Fig. 6) as long as tegmen, subcylindrical; lateral margins straight for half of their lengths then slightly curved inwards to a narrowly rounded apex.

Females (Fig. 4). Similar to males, but frontoclypeal ridge straight, barely sinuous, with rounded angles. Anterior pronotal margin broadly rounded. Abdomen devoid of sex patch.

Variation.

Males, measurements in mm (n = 6, including the holotype): TL 2.00-2.84 (2.45 ± 0.32); PL 0.74-1.32 (1.02 ± 0.20); PW 1.00-1.37 (1.16 ± 0.12); EL 1.21-1.47 (1.37 ± 0.11); EW 1.05-1.42 (1.23 ± 0.12); GD 0.84-1.16 (0.97 ± 0.13). Ratios: PL/PW 0.74-0.96 (0.87 ± 0.09); EL/EW 1.04-1.17 (1.12 ± 0.05); EL/PL 1.12-1.64 (1.37 ± 0.18); GD/EW 0.74-0.88 (0.79 ± 0.05); TL/EW 1.90-2.17 (1.99 ± 0.10). The anterior plate (projected anterior margin) of pronotum in males varies from very small (Fig. 7), medium size (Fig. 8, similar to that of holotype) to extremely projected (Fig. 9); but the apex of this plate is rounded or blunt and devoid of tufts. Females, measurements in mm (n = 5): TL 2.21-2.53 (2.38 ± 0.14); PL 0.79-0.89 (0.83 ± 0.04); PW 1.11-1.37 (1.24 ± 0.10); EL 1.37-1.63 (1.47 ± 0.11); EW 1.16-1.47 (1.33 ± 0.13); GD 0.95-1.16 (1.05 ± 0.08). Ratios: PL/PW 0.60-0.81 (0.67 ± 0.08); EL/EW 1.04-1.27 (1.12 ± 0.09); EL/PL 1.63-1.94 (1.78 ± 0.15); GD/EW 0.74-0.95 (0.80 ± 0.09); TL/EW 1.68-2.14 (1.81 ± 0.19).

Type series.

Holotype. (ANIC) Panama: \R.P.: Panama Cerro Campana Feb. 22, 1975 Lawrence, Erwin \ Phellinus sp. \ J.F. Lawrence Lot [printed] 3799 [handwritten] \ Falsocisaquilonius Lopes-Andrade & Lawrence HOLOTYPUS [printed on red paper]\. Paratypes.Panama: 1 male and 1 female (ANIC), same data as holotype; 3 males (1 ANIC, 2 LAPC), 4 females (2 ANIC, 1 LAPC) \2.5mi S.W.Rincon Puntarenas, Costa Rica, Mar. 1-7, '67 \ J.F. Lawrence Lot. [printed] 2175 [handwritten] \ R. Andrews Collector\. Costa Rica. 1 male (ANIC) \La Lola, C.R. III-8-1958 M.J. Stelzer [handwritten] \ MS 58.4 [handwritten]\; 1 female (ANIC) \Puerto Viejo COSTA RICA VIII-4-65 \ J.F. Lawrence Lot [printed] 1611 [handwritten]\. Colombia. 1 male (Marseul Collection, MNHN) \Dupont Colomb [18]41 [handwritten in circular green paper] \ MARSEUL [handwritten in rectangular small green paper] \ [circular blue paper, without information] \ FALSOCIS SPP. [handwritten] det. J.F. Lawrence 19 [printed]\. All paratypes distinguished labeled \ Falsocis aquilonius Lopes-Andrade & Lawrence PARATYPUS [printed on yellow paper]\.

Comments and comparative notes.

One specimen collected in an unidentified Phellinus . This is the only Falsocis species known from Central America, but it also occurs at the northernmost South America (Fig. 41). Recent field collections in Colombia were unsuccessful in recapturing the species, so the country record is based only on a single old male without precise locality data. In Falsocis opacus , the epipleura is much more enlarged, easily visible from above, with external margin crenulate; the male eighth sternite is similar, but basal piece is strongly developed and is almost half the length of aedeagus; tegmen is elongate, four times as long as wide. In the remaining Falsocis , the epipleura is narrower near the apex.