Embates discissus Prena, 2005

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

47. Embates discissus Prena sp. n.

(Fig. 161, 256)

Holotype male (dissected), Panama, labeled: “ 3 mi W Cocoli / Panamá ”, C.Z. / 30 Aug. ‘74/ H.P. Stockwell ” ( CMNC).

Paratypes 7 (1 male, 6 females), Panama, labeled: “ Panamá: Canal Zone / Madden Forest Mi. 2.5/ 9° 05' N 79° 39' W ”, “12.viii.” ( CHAH); “ Fort San Lorenzo / Canal Zone / 9° 20' N 80° 0' W / 30 VI 73 Engleman ” ( CMNC, HPSC); “CANAL ZONE,/ Ft. Gulick, on/ weed, Aug. 1979 / H. J. Harlan ” ( CWOB); “Canal Zone,/ Pipeline Road/ May 12, 1978, CW&LB/ O’Brien & Marshall” ( CWOB); “ 7 km SE Gamboa / Panamá, C.Z./ 8 Oct. ‘80/ H.P. Stockwell ”, “ ♀ ” ( JPPC); “ R. Belzer / Cerro/ Campana/ May 24, 71” ( NMNH) .

Description. Habitus: as Fig. 162, total length 9.3–10.2 mm (m=9.6, n=5). Color: integument piceous, almost black; basic vestiture of minute, yellow to cupreous scales; scales yellow in dorsolateral pronotal vitta, in compound post­humeral elytral vitta reaching metepisternum and flank of metasternum, and in oblique subapical elytral fascia (Fig. 161). Head: frontal fovea minute, rostrum moderate, subcylindrical (as Fig. 163), sides attenuated between apex and antennal insertion, subcostate dorsomedially (♂) or not (♀♀), basolateral margin moderately edged, length of rostrum ♂ 1.17 x (n=1), ♀♀ 1.17–1.32 x (n=4) pronotal length, length of ante­antennal portion ♂ 0.34 x (n=1), ♀♀ 0.36–0.38 x (m=0.37, n=4) total rostral length, dorsal margin of antennal scrobe reaching rostral base well before eye; funicular segment 2 distinctly longer than 1, club oblong ovate. Pronotum: length 0.84–0.87 x (m=0.85, n=5) maximum width, widest in basal third, then roundly narrowed, anterior portion tubulate; disk densely punctate, intervals slightly rugose, dorsomedially subcostate or not. Elytra: length 1.75–1.85 (m=1.83, n=5) width at humeri, width 1.15–1.24 (m=1.19, n=5) maximum pronotal width, sides subparallel in basal half, apices rounded conjointly, preapical callus weakly developed, striae fine, punctures distinct, interstriae flat, 9 convex to subcostate distally. Legs: rather stout, tibia nearly straight, ventral margin with distal cluster of cupreous hairs, tarsal claws arcuate and separate at base. Male: aedeagus as E. obliquus .

Plant association. Not known (probably large­leaved species of the P.imperiale group, with the shoot­apex emerging from within the leaf­base at flowering nodes).

Distribution. Central Panama (Fig. 256).

Specific epithet. The name is a Latin participle of discindo meaning separated or disconnected.

Discussion. Embates discissus is related very closely with A. albovittatus and A. championi . All specimens of the type series are larger than the A. albovittatus I have seen, and the post­ and ante­macular elements of the dorsolateral vestiture are separated consistently from each other. Slight differences are apparent also in the shape and sculpture of the rostrum.