Alphinellus minutus Bates, 1881

Alphinellus minutus Bates, 1881

( Figs 38–41 View FIGURES 38–41 )

Alphinellus minutus Bates, 1881: 154 .

Description. Female. Head capsule black, except dark brown apex of genae; ventral mouthparts mostly orangish brown, except palpomeres dark brown with yellowish-brown apex; postclypeus blackish close to frons, mostly dark brown close to anteclypeus, dark reddish brown laterally; anteclypeus blackish close to postclypeus, dark brown close to labrum, brownish centrally; labrum blackish close to anteclypeus, mostly brown centrally, yellowish brown anteriorly; scape orangish brown with irregular dark brown areas interspersed; pedicel orangish; antennomere III orangish on basal 2/3, dark brown on apical third; antennomere IV orangish on basal third, brown on apical third, reddish brown centrally; antennomeres V–VI orangish except brown apex (missing antennomeres VII–XI on right antenna and missing left antennae). Pronotum blackish on wide central area, except partially reddish-brown area close to posterior margin, reddish brown on sides (reddish-brown areas lighter depending on light intensity). Sides of prothorax blackish with irregular dark reddish-brown areas interspersed (reddish-brown areas lighter depending on light intensity). Ventral surface of thorax mostly blackish. Scutellum blackish except dark reddish brown central region. Elytra blackish on anterior third close to suture and scutellum and entire lateral area, brown basally on humeral region, reddish brown on remaining dorsal surface of anterior third; with wide, transverse band on middle of dorsal surface, gradually widened anteriorly toward side, slightly concave posteriorly, blackish close to suture, gradually brown toward side; laterocentral area entirely black; posterior half mostly reddish brown, with irregular orangish areas interspersed, except transverse, oblique brownish band on posterior quarter from suture to epipleural margin and brown area close to epipleural margin, not reaching apex. Coxae mostly dark brown; trochanters mostly yellowish brown; femoral peduncles reddish brown and femoral clubs dark brown except blackish ventral surface; tibiae mostly dark orangish brown on basal half, blackish on apical half; tarsomeres dark brown.Abdominal ventrites 1–3 blackish except dull yellowish-brown apex and dark reddish-brown central area and close light apex; ventrites 4–5 irregularly, both blackish and dark reddish brown, except dull yellowish-brown apex of ventrite 4.

Head. Frons densely, somewhat finely rugose-punctate; with moderately sparse, thick, dull yellowish-brown and whitish setae; with one long, erect dark-brown seta close to eyes. Area between antennal tubercles and posterior margin of upper eye lobes with sculpturing and pubescence as on frons, except smooth, glabrous central area. Remaining surface of vertex with abundant dull yellowish-brown pubescence partially obscuring integument. Area behind eyes with moderately abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument. Genae slightly shorter than lower eye lobe in frontal view; rugose-punctate, except smooth apex; with sparse whitish pubescence, except glabrous smooth area. Antennal tubercles with apex not projected; somewhat sparsely, finely punctate; with moderately sparse, thick, both dull yellowish-brown and whitish pubescence. Wide central area of postclypeus with sculpturing and pubescence as on frons; with one long, erect dark-brown seta on each side. Sides of postclypeus smooth, glabrous. Labrum shallowly, moderately finely punctate on basal half, smooth on apical half; with a few long, erect setae on basal half and sides of apical half, some setae are entirely pale, while others are dark brown basally and pale apically; apical margin with fringe of yellowish setae. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.32 times distance between outer margins of eyes; in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.51 times distance between outer margins of eyes. Antennae (from base of scape to apex of antennomere VI) 1.1 times elytral length, reaching posterior quarter of elytra. Scape, pedicel, and flagellomeres whitish pubescence not obscuring integument, denser from V, setae both thick and slender on scape, pedicel, and flagellomeres III–IV, except sparse yellowish-brown pubescence on dark integumental area of flagellomeres. Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III: scape = 0.48; pedicel = 0.21; IV = 0.74; V = 0.32; VI = 0.29.

Thorax. Prothorax wider than long, slightly divergent from anterolateral angles to lateral tubercles, then parallel-sided toward posterolateral angles; lateral tubercles moderately small, conical, slightly directed backward, located on posterior quarter. Pronotum distinctly, obliquely elevated on anterior third, slightly, gradually inclined toward posterior fifth, elevated on apical fifth; densely, coarsely punctate; sides with abundant, thick white pubescence partially obscuring integument, pubescence sparser on posterior fifth; central area with sparse, slender yellowish-brown pubescence, with a few short, thick, decumbent white setae interspersed posteriorly. Sides of prothorax densely, coarsely punctate, with both thick and slender white pubescence not obscuring integument. Prosternum and prosternal process with a few short, decumbent whitish setae; narrowest area of prosternal process 0.22 times procoxal width. Ventral surface of meso- and metathorax with abundant white pubescence not obscuring integument. Scutellum with sparse yellowish-brown pubescence. Elytra. Abundantly, coarsely, deeply punctate; centrobasal crest almost absent, represented by narrow, slightly elevated carina; longitudinal carinae almost absent, without elevated areas; anterior half of dorsal surface with wide, oblique white pubescent band, ascending from suture toward anterior fifth; remaining surface of dorsal on anterior half with sparse yellowish-brown pubescence, slightly more abundant laterally, and a few short, decumbent, thick white setae interspersed anteriorly; side of anterior half with sparse yellowish-brown pubescence and a few short, decumbent, thick white setae interspersed; posterior half with abundant, thick white pubescence not obscuring integument, except yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument on brownish integumental area. Legs. Femora and tibiae with abundant, both thick and slender white pubescence not obscuring integument, except sides of femora with sparser pubescence, and apical third of ventral surface and entire apical quarter of tibiae with moderately abundant, bristly yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument. Dorsal surface of tarsomeres with yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument.

Abdomen. Ventrites with abundant white pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence partially yellowish-white on ventrite 5. Apex of ventrite 5 truncate.

Variation. Scape and pedicel blackish or brown; antennomere III brown on basal 2/3; antennomere IV brown on basal half, blackish on apical half; antennomeres V–VII dark orangish brown, except blackish apex; antennomeres IX–XI blackish or dark brown; prothorax entirely blackish or dark brown; anterior half of elytra entirely blackish or dark brown; lighter areas on posterior half dark reddish brown; frons with abundant dull yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument; prothorax proportionally wider and more rounded from anterolateral angles to lateral tubercles; ventral surface of meso- and metathorax with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument; elytral longitudinal carinae more distinctly marked and with some areas slightly more elevated.

Antennae in one female. 1.6 times elytral length, reaching elytral apex at apical third of antennomere IX. Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III: scape = 0.54; pedicel = 0.17; IV = 0.75; V = 0.32; VI = 0.29; VII = 0.29; VIII = 0.25; IX = 0.25; X = 0.20; XI = 0.23 .

Dimensions in mm ( three females). Total length, 3.20–3.55–3.70; prothoracic length, 0.70–0.80–0.85; anterior prothoracic width, 0.65–0.75–0.80; posterior prothoracic width, 0.75–0.85–0.90; maximum prothoracic width, 0.85–1.05–1.00; humeral width, 1.25–1.35–1.40; elytral length, 2.20–2.50–2.70.

Material examined. MEXICO, Quintana Roo: Pt. [Puerto] Morelos, 3 females, 18. VI .1989, Jim Cope leg. (2 CSCA; 1 MZSP) .

Remarks. We have chosen to describe one of the females in detail and present the differences observed in the other two separately. In “dimensions,” the first measurements correspond to those of the female described.

Currently, this species is known from Mexico ( Quintana Roo and Campeche) and Guatemala ( Monné 2024b; Tavakilian & Chevillotte 2024). Although Santos-Silva et al. (2024) listed a female specimen from Mexico ( Campeche), it was not formally described. Roguet (2021) illustrated a specimen identified as male; however, the shape of the femora suggests it is female.