Euscelus postoculidens, Hamilton Table Of Contents, 2007

Hamilton, Robert W., 2007, Euscelus species of the West Indies (Coleoptera: Attelabidae), Zootaxa 1495 (1), pp. 1-34 : 8-9

Euscelus postoculidens n. sp.

( Figs. 3 , 21–24 )

Type locality: Dominican Republic

Type data: Holotype male with the following labels: Dominican Republic: Elias Pina, Sierra de Neiba, 9.3 km WSW Hondo Valle, 25 June 2003, 18-41-31N, 71-47-03W, 190 m, montane forest with Podocarpus, UV light, P Acevedo, M. De la Cruz ( CMNH) . Allotype female with the following labels: Dom. Rep., La Vega, 20 km SW La Piedra , May 29, 1978, CW & LB O’Brien and Marshall ( CWOB) . Paratype: 1 male, [labeled same as holotype] ( CMNH) .

Type holder: Carnegie Museum of Natural History , Pittsburgh, PA ( CMNH) and Charles W. O’Brien collection ( CWOB)

Description: Color: Reddish-brown overall with faint metallic sheen; middle and hind legs paler.

Size range: Males (n = 2) 5.7 x 2.3 mm to 6.5 x 2.7 mm; Females (n = 1) 6.2 x 2.7 mm. Head elongate, longer than pronotum, sub-cylindrical, only slightly wider at base, densely punctured; interspaces rugose; base finely and transversely strigate; frons wide, ½ as wide as rostral base, densely punctured; with line like median impression; impression extending from just behind eyes to level of rostral antennal insertions. Rostrum shorter than head, distinctly widened beyond antennal insertions; width at apex slightly more than ½ wider than rostral base; densely punctured; with pair post-labial spine like projections. Antennae long, as long as head and rostrum together; scape and first funicle segment ovo-globose; scape slightly longer, more robust; funicle segments 2–4 elongate, subequal, clavate; segments 5 and 6 subequal, clavate, shorter than segments 2, 3 or 4; segment 7, subequal in length to 5 or 6 but more apically widened; basal and middle club segments subequal; terminal segment slightly longer, acuminate. Pronotum wider than long, widest above procoxae, finely and transversely strigate; with weak pit like impression each side of middle; punctures irregular; postocular area with elongate blunt tipped projection; postero-lateral corner with blunt tipped angular projection; anterior collar wide, band like, distinctly punctured; basal carinae subequal, narrow. Scutellum sub-trapezoidal, widest across base, moderately punctured, sides sinuate, posterior angles square. Elytra longer than wide, widest at humeri, distinctly narrowed from humeri to apices; striae small, deep, rows irregular; intervals densely set with small punctures; intervals 5 and 7 carinate from just behind humeri to elytral apices; intervals 2 and 3 weakly raised at declivity; interval 6 carinate only from near declivity to apices; humeri simple; with small broadly rounded posthumeral denticle. Abdominal ventrites moderately punctured, sparsely setose; ventrites 4 and 5 with small median tubercles.

Femoral sexual dimorphism: The profemur in the male is armed with a single large blunt-tipped distiventral projection that is curved upward and inward. A small oval setose sensillum is present mid-ventrally at a distance from the base of the disti-ventral projection that is subequal to the distance between the disti-ventral projection and the tibial articulation. The profemur of the female is armed with single long, pointed and parallel-sided disti-ventral projection.

Distribution: This species is known only from the Dominican Republic.

Comments: A distinct species that is recognized by the short broad posthumeral denticles, the distinctly narrowed elytra and the densely punctured elytral interspaces and intervals. The males are recognized by the postocular and postlabial spines. The specific epithet is in reference to the prominent postocular spine like projection.

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.

FIGURES 21–24. E. postoculidens: 21 & 22 male holotype, abdomen removed; 23 & 24 female allotype.