Pharaxonotha panamensis Tang, Skelley and Taylor, 2024

Tang, William, Skelley, Paul E., Taylor B, Alberto S. & Salzman, Shayla, 2024, Review of Pharaxonotha Reitter (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Pharaxonothinae) inhabiting cones of the cycad Zamia L. (Cycadales) in Panama, with descriptions of five new species, Insecta Mundi 2024 (43), pp. 1-40 : 24-28

Pharaxonotha panamensis Tang, Skelley and Taylor , new species

Figures 9A–J

Diagnosis. Pharaxonotha panamensis can be distinguished from other members of the genus by the following combination of characters: Body length 2.18–2.96 mm, among the intermediate-sized members of Panamanian Pharaxonotha ; head width/pronotal width = 0.73–0.86 (mean for 5 populations = 0.76–0.78), within the range typical for the majority of Panamanian species; pronotal L/W = 0.69–0.81 (mean = 0.74–0.76) intermediate in range for Panamanian species; elytra L/W = 1.66–1.92 (mean = 1.74–1.78) intermediate in range for Panamanian species; spermatheca with insertion point of spermathecal and glandular ducts bulging, not flat, smooth portion at basal end usually gradually transitioning to wider, annulated section, annulations at basal third at oblique angle to margins ( Fig. 9J ); inhabiting cones of Z. dressleri , Z. elegantissima , Z. nana and Zamia stevensonii in Coclé, Colón, Kula Yala, and Panamá provinces.

Description. Length 2.18–2.96 mm, width 0.81–1.12 mm (n = 80). Body in dorsal view elongate-oval ( Fig. 9A–C ), greatest width at middle of elytra; in lateral view convex dorsally ( Fig. 9B ). General body color entirely orange-brown; dorsal surface punctate, shining and appearing glabrous, short procumbent hairs associated with punctation on pronotum and elytra, ventrally shining and appearing glabrous except mesoventrite and abdomen mostly covered with short procumbent setae.

Head not broad, width = 0.73–0.86× pronotal width; in dorsal view conical, gradually narrowed anteriorly, surface flat to slightly convex, finely, moderately punctured, average distance between closest punctures 2–3× width of puncture; head width 0.54–0.67 mm; dorsal interocular distance 0.30–0.38 mm, head width/dorsal interocular distance ratio 1.68–1.88, ventral interocular distance 0.20– 0.20 mm, head width/ventral interocular distance ratio 2.13–2.75. Eye with large black facets, about 3× diameter of head punctures. Antennal length slightly shorter than pronotal width, 1.5× head width; antennomere I (scape) fairly large, slightly elongate; antennomere II slightly shorter than III; IV–VIII small, width equals length; club fairly large, IX and X similar in length; XI enlarged, 1.6× longer than X, globular with rounded apex ( Fig. 9D ). Clypeus weakly concave anteriorly, moderately punctate. Mentum ( Fig. 9E ) finely punctate, submentum more coarsely punctured, 2–3× diameter of those on mentum, distance between nearest punctures approximately 1× own diameter, each puncture with a short seta. Gular area smooth, without punctation or setae, border with submentum marked by change in punctuation and with a shallow transverse depression.

Thorax with pronotum transversely quadrate in dorsal view, length/width ratio 0.69–0.81; with distinct marginal beads laterally and basally, anteriorly with fine marginal bead medially; convex; anterior angles broadly rounded, not projecting forward; posterior angles weakly developed, with small denticle at angle; lateral carina parallel-sided or evenly shallowly arcuate for entire length; posterior margin slightly projecting medially, projection beginning approximately by pair of small, dark pores in margin located 1/4 width from posterior angles, each pore marks base of a distinct sulcus extending anteriorly onto disc 1/4 length of pronotum. Prosternum in ventral view convex, with few scattered punctures; anterior margin slightly emarginate, finely denticulate with row of long, anteriorly directed setae, longest setae approximately 1/3 length of eye; prosternal process expanded apically, truncate and convex at apex. Hypomeron laterally with few minute punctures, medially lacking distinct longitudinal striations. Scutellar shield distinctly transverse pentagonal, posterior margin weakly rounded. Elytra in dorsal view elongate-oval, convex; length/width ratio 1.66–1.92, greatest width near midlength; with distinct marginal line basally; 10 complete striae of moderate puncture size; scutellary striole extending 1/4 elytral length, with 10–15 punctures; punctures of elytral striae as large as pronotal punctures, weakly impressed; intervals of striae with fine, shallow punctures, 1.2× size of strial punctures; all punctures of elytra bearing a single short seta; seta only visible in profile, extending slightly out of puncture. Mesoventrite with strong punctation, distance between nearest punctures approximately equal to diameter of punctures, puncture depth moderate. Metaventrite glossy, with strong lateral punctation separated by 2–3× own diameter; medial surface finely punctured, separated by 5–6× own diameter; entire surface convex, metathoracic discrimen extending approximately 3/4 metaventrite length. Legs narrow, relatively similar in length and shape. Procoxa oval; mesocoxa globular; metacoxa transversely elongate-oval; trochanters obliquely truncate apically; femora robust, moderately compressed laterally; tibiae shorter than femora, gradually dilated to obliquely truncate apices; protibia with apical lateral tooth distinct, with apical fringe of short spinules of concave ventral apical margin usually lacking near lateral tooth; meso- and metatibia with apical fringe of short spinules on anterior margin, finer setae on posterior margins.

Abdomen. Ventrite I with intercoxal process narrow, with triangular point anteromedially; lateral edges slightly projected, lateral and posterior margins arcuate, converging posteriorly; anterior and posterior margins of ventrites more or less straight; ventrite I longer medially than II; II–IV subequal in length; V slightly longer than IV with lateral margins converging posteriorly to a rounded apex; apical margin bearing short, sparse setae; all ventrites bearing moderate, shallow punctation across surface, distance to nearest puncture approximately 2× diameter of puncture, punctures bearing mostly reclining setae; ventrite V with setae length nearly uniformly approximately 2× diameter of puncture; I–IV each with 2 or more median pairs of longer, semi-erect sensory hairs (difficult to see in poor lighting, often abraded). Male genitalia similar to all others in the genus ( Fig. 9F–H ),

with dorsoventrally flattened tegmen, elongate cylindrical median lobe, and long coiled flagellum.

Female. Similar to male. Genitalia elongate ( Fig. 9I ); gonostylus set apically on gonocoxite, gonostylus length = 5–7× width. spermatheca with insertion point of spermathecal and glandular ducts bulging, not flat, smooth portion at basal end usually gradually transitioning to wider, annulated section, annulations at basal third at oblique angle to margins ( Fig. 9J ).

Type locality. Panama: Panamá Province, Chagres National Park.

Range. Currently known from five provinces in central and eastern Panama: Coclé, Colón, Darien, Kula Yala, and Panamá.

Materials examined. Holotype (by designation) male of Pharaxonotha panamensis with the following labels: 1) [rectangular; white; printed in black ink] “ PANAMA, Panama Prov., Chagres Nat. Park , ex ♂ cone Zamia stevensonii , l5-XII-Dec 2010, A. Taylor ”. 2) [rectangular; red; printed in black ink] “ HOLOTYPE ♂ Pharaxonotha panamensis Tang, Skelley and A.S. Taylor 2024 ”. Deposited in the FSCA.

Additional paratypes (380). Allotype ( FSCA) and 39 adult paratypes same label data as holotype. PANAMA: Coclé, El Valle, 726m asl, Mar-18-2005, A. Taylor #23, Zamia acuminata [ Z. nana ], wet, premountain tropical for. (24); El Valle, Z. nana ♂ cone, 21-I-2008, W. Tang & A. Taylor (14); Colón, 2 km. S Sabanitas, 120 m., II-29-2000, M. Akers, ex. cycad inflorescences (4); Akers-Colón, 100 m asl, Nov.-22-2001, A. Taylor #1, Zamia pseudomonticola [cultivated], wet, lowland tropical forest (20); Akers-Colón, 100 m asl, Dec.-5-2001, A. Taylor #23, Zamia acuminata [ Z. nana cultivated], wet, lowland tropical forest (10); Colón, 200 m asl, Dec.-13-2001, A. Taylor #18, Zamia dressleri , wet, lowland tropical forest (24); Santa Rita Arriba, ex ♂ cone Z. dressleri, A. Taylor , Oct-Nov-2002 (18); Santa Rita Arriba, ex ♂ cone Z. dressleri, A. Taylor, Akers gard. by forest, 19Aug 2012 (39); Portobello, Buenaventura, Z. elegantissima cone ♂, 25-XII-2010, A. Taylor (20); Darien, [locality name omitted] 200 m asl, Jan-26-2004, A. Taylor #8, Zamia obliqua , wet, lowland tropical forest (6); Kuna Yala, Llano Carti, ex ♂ cone Z. elegantissima, A. Taylor , 8-II-2004 (8); 4-2-2007 (14); Panamá, Calzada Larga, 125 m asl, [date?], A. Taylor, Vial #26, Zamia cf. elegantissima , wet, lowland tropical forest (22); Campo Chagres, 100m asl, lowland tropical forest, A. Taylor #16, Feb-2000, Zamia cf. elegantissima [ Z. stevensonii ] (12); #20, Dec-5-2002, Zamia acuminata [ Z. nana ] in population of Z. cf. elegantissima [ Z. stevensonii ] (7); #11, Nov-3-2004, Zamia obliqua in population of Z. cf. elegantissima [ Z. stevensonii ] (14); #12, Oct-29-2004, Zamia dressleri in population of Z. cf. elegantissima [ Z. stevensonii ] (20); Chagres Nat. Park, ex ♂ cone Zamia stevensonii , 19-12-2001, A. Taylor (28); XII-2003 (7); 3-IX-2012 (27); 16-IX-2012 (14); Cerro Azul, 700m asl, Oct-3-2003, A. Taylor #6, Zamia elegantissima [ Z. stevensonii ], wet premountain tropical for. (2); Llano Carti Road, ex ♂ cone Zamia elegantissima , 8-11-2004, A. Taylor (25); Nov-2,8-2004 (22); #6, Zamia elegantissima Llano Carti , 300-400m asl, wet lowland tropical forest, A. Taylor #14, Sept-11-2004, Zamia dressleri [bait cone] in population of Z. cunaria (20); #27, Oct-16-2004, Zamia cf. elegantissima [bait cone] in population of Z. cunaria / Z. elegantissima (7). Paratypes to be deposited in: ANIC, FSCA, NHMUK, NZAC, RHTC, SEMC, STRI, MIUP, TAMU, USNM.

Additional specimens examined, but not included in type series: COLOMBIA: Chocó, Piedra-Piedra (Nuqui), ex: cone Zamia obliqua , 3-9-07, C. Lopez Gallego (15 FSCA).

Etymology. The adjectival specific epithet refers to the wide distribution of the species in central and eastern Panama.

Remarks. Pharaxonotha panamensis is placed here in the “recent radiations” of Pharaxonotha based on analysis of the 16S rRNA gene ( Tang et al. 2018b, 2020). One of its host species, Z. obliqua , as currently circumscribed, has a range which extends west into western Panama and east in the Chocó of Colombia. In one dissected female specimen of P. panamensis from a Darien population inhabiting Z. obliqua , the spermatheca was more elongated than typical for the species, however, this character was not consistent in that population. Genetic analysis using 368 nuclear genes (Salzman et al., unpub.) supports the inclusion of this Darien population within this species, however, those collected from Z. obliqua inhabiting Chocó, Colombia appear to belong to another species within the clarkorum species group. The Colombian population is excluded from P. panamensis , until more definitive genetic or morphological evidence refutes this. Additionally, any Pharaxonotha that may inhabit Z. obliqua in western Panama and Costa Rica, must be evaluated before inclusion in this species. Like most members of the confusa species group (with the exception of P. panamensis on Z. nana ) P. panamensis co-occurs in the male cones of its hosts with Notorhopalotria weevils, namely N. panamensis O’Brien and Tang 2015 ( O’Brien and Tang 2015).

Manicatae species group

Adult diagnosis. Pharaxonotha manicatae is the second smallest member of the genus in Panama, length 2.03– 2.31 mm (mean = 2.19 mm, n = 17). Other distinguishing characters include the relatively long pronotum, with pronotal width/pronotal length = (0.77) 0.80–0.88 mm (mean = 0.83 mm, n = 17); spermatheca with the basal third wider than the apical third; and known distribution in eastern Darien province on Zamia manicata .

Remarks. This is the sole representative of the manicatae species group in Panama. The unique spermatheca shape of this species does not match any in the numerous populations so far surveyed in the recent or Caribbean radiations of Pharaxonotha ( Franz and Skelley 2008; Skelley and Segalla 2019; Tang unpublished data) and although DNA evidence is not yet available, the group is placed tentatively among the early diverging lineages, where there is a wide diversity of spermatheca morphologies.

Figures

Figure 9. Pharaxonotha panamensis from Z. stevensonii (A-E: female allotype). A–C) Dorsal, lateral and ventral habitus. D–E) Head, dorsal and ventral views. F) Male genital capsule and tegmen attached to median lobe, (top to bottom) ventral and lateral views. G) Tegmen, ventral view. H) Parameres of tegmen, lateral view. I) Retracted ovipositor and spermatheca, ventral view. J) Spermatheca (partially inflated).