Embates apicalis (Champion)

Prena, Jens, 2005, The Middle American species of Embates Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Baridinae), Zootaxa 1100 (1), pp. 1-151 : 1-151

24. Embates apicalis (Champion)

(Fig. 100–101, 253)

Ambates apicalis Champion 1907: 168 . Holotype female, Panama, labeled: “Type”, “ ♀ ”; “sp. figured”, “Bugaba/ Panama / Champion“ (BMNH). Hustache 1938 (cat.); O’Brien & Wibmer 1982 (cat.)

Ambates sp. 2 . Marquis 1991: 200

Embates [ apicalis ]. Alonso­Zarazaga & Lyal 1999 (global combination of all species of Ambates Schönherr 1836 with Embates Chevrolat 1833 )

Redescription. Habitus: Fig. 100, total length 3.0– 4.8 mm (m=3.9, n=30). Color: integument piceous; basic vestiture of brown and some slender, ochreous scales; ochreous scales condensed in small macula at elytral interstria 5 (indistinct at 3), in apical portion of elytron and in dorsolateral pronotal vitta; venter with slender, light­colored scales. Head: frontal fovea absent, rostrum moderately stout, subcylindrical, curved, subcostate dorso­ medially and dorsolaterally, basolateral margin edged, length of rostrum ♂♂ 1.10–1.23 x (m=1.17, n=11), ♀♀ 1.08–1.23 x (m=1.18, n=17) pronotal length, length of ante­antennal portion ♂♂ 0.39–0.41 x (m=0.41, n=11), ♀♀ 0.39–0.46 x (m=0.42, n=17) total rostral length, dorsal margin of antennal scrobe reaching rostral base before eye; funicular segment 2 longer than 1, club oblong ovate. Pronotum: length 0.84–0.94 x (m=0.89, n=29) maximum width, sides rounded, greatest width close behind middle, anterior portion tubulate. Disk densely and shallowly punctate, intervals isolated. Elytra: length 1.56–1.75 x (m=1.67, n=27) width at humeri, width 1.23–1.43 x (m=1.32, n=29) maximum pronotal width, sides subparallel in basal half, then increasingly narrowed toward apex, apices rounded conjointly, preapical callus developed moderately, striae moderate, punctures indistinct, interstriae flat, 7 and 9 subcostate. Legs: tibiae variously curved, ventral margin slightly bisinuate, distally with cluster of cupreous hairs, tarsal claws arcuate and separate at base. Male: apex of aedeagus round, middle sclerotized, anterolateral portion membranous (as Fig. 98), body of aedeagus of moderate length, basal third angular in lateral view, apodemes 2.3 x longer than body of aedeagus, flagellum thin, half as long as apodemes, transition to curved base gradual, basal appendage moderate, fused subdistally to base of flagellum, projecting beyond base (Fig. 101).

Plant association. Piper hispidum (Prena 2), P. urostachyum (Prena 8).

Distribution. Honduras to central Panama, secondary forests (Fig. 253).

Material examined. HONDURAS. Gracias a Dios: Río Plátano , 5 km W Las Marías ( JPPC 3 , RDCC) . NICARAGUA. Río San Juan: 10 km SE El Castillo ( JPPC) . Rivas: Isla de Ometepe, Volcán Madera ( SEAN) . COSTA RICA. Alajuela: 25 km SE Arenal ( CWOB) . Cartago: Turrialba, 700 m ( NMNH) . Guanacaste: S Sta. Cecilia, Est. Pitilla, 700 m ( INBC) . Heredia: Puerto Viejo, La Selva, 100 m ( CHAH, CWOB, INBC, JPPC 7 , NMNH 23 , SNSD) ; Sarapiquí, Chilamante ( CMNC) ; Braulio Carrillo N.P., Est. Cantarrana, 300 m ( JPPC 3 ) , Est. El Ceibo, 500 m ( INBC 2 , JPPC 3 ) , without site ( CNCI 3 ) ; 30 km N Cariari , 100 m ( INBC) . Limón: Tortuguero N.P., 50 m ( INBC 5 , JPPC 4 ) ; Res. Hitoy Cerere, 300 m ( JPPC) . Puntarenas: Monteverde ( CWOB) ; Osa, P.N. Corcovado, 50 m ( INBC) . San José: Zurquí de Moravia , 1600 m ( CNCI) . PANAMA. Bocas del Toro: 4 km W Chiriquí Grande, 200 m ( JPPC 2 ) ; 15 km SSW Changuinola , 200 m ( JPPC) . Canal Zone: Fort Sherman ( CWOB 4 , TAMU) ; Gatun dam ( HPSC) ; Coco Solo Hospital ( CWOB 2 , CMNC, HPSC 2 ) . Chiriquí: Bugaba ( BMNH) . Coclé: El Valle, 700–850 m ( HPSC 2 ) . Total 86 specimens.

Discussion. Embates apicalis can be confused with several species of equally small size. Embates tergosignatus and E. thoracicus are slightly stouter, have very narrow elytral striae and flat interstriae. Embates gracilis is more slender, and has a shorter rostrum. Embates todillofasciatus is larger and more elongate. The distinction of these species is straight forward when the vestiture is intact and can be used for identification.