Estola apicomaculosa Vlasak and Santos-Silva, 2024

Estola apicomaculosa Vlasak and Santos-Silva , new species

( Fig. 32–39 View Figures 32–37 View Figures 38–43 )

Description. Holotype female ( Fig. 32–37 View Figures 32–37 ). Head capsule dark brown, except brown antennal tubercles; ventral mouthparts brown, except dark-brown palpomeres; anterior area of postclypeus mostly brown; anteclypeus brownish; labrum dark brown posteriorly and laterally, yellowish brown anterocentrally; scape dark brown, slightly lighter apically; pedicel brown; antennomere III reddish brown; antennomere IV orangish on basal quarter, reddish brown on remaining basal half, dark brown on apical half; antennomeres V–VII and IX–XI reddish basally, dark brown on remaining surface; antennomere VIII orangish except brown apex. Pronotum and sides of prothorax dark brown; ventral surface of prothorax brown except dark-brown irregular areas on prosternum. Mesoventrite and mesoventral process brown; mesanepisterna and mesepimera mostly dark brown. Ventral surface of metathorax mostly dark brown, more dark reddish brown depending on light intensity. Scutellum brown. Elytra brown, lighter on posterior quarter, except most punctures blackish. Femora dark brown. Tibiae dark brown on basal third, orangish brown on remaining surface, except brown ring about middle. Tarsi orangish brown. Abdominal ventrites brown laterally, dark brown centrally.

Head. Frons abundantly, coarsely punctate; with abundant yellow pubescence not obscuring integument, except yellowish-brown pubescence on sides of superior region; with long, erect, setae interspersed, setae dark brown basally, white on remaining surface, narrow basally, slightly, gradually widened toward apex. Area between antennal tubercles moderately abundantly, coarsely punctate; with abundant yellow pubescence partially obscuring integument centrally, except glabrous median groove, and moderately abundant yellowish-brown pubescence laterally not obscuring integument; interspersed erect setae as on frons. Area between upper eye lobes moderately abundantly, coarsely punctate; with narrow yellow pubescent band close to glabrous median groove and close to eyes, and abundant brown pubescence not obscuring integument on remaining surface; remaining surface of vertex moderately abundantly, coarsely punctate; with abundant, both brown and yellowish setae not obscuring integument, except glabrous median groove. Area behind upper eye lobes moderately abundantly, coarsely punctate; with dense yellow pubescence, except sparse brownish pubescence centrally close to prothorax. Area behind lower eye lobes sparsely, coarsely punctate close to eye, nearly smooth close to prothorax; with abundant yellow pubescence partially obscuring integument close to eye, glabrous close to prothorax; pubescent area with erect setae interspersed as on frons. Genae with abundant yellow pubescence, pubescence moderately sparser toward apex. Antennal tubercles mostly with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument. Wide central area of postclypeus with abundant yellow pubescence partially obscuring integument close to frons and abundant pale-yellow pubescence not obscuring integument close to anteclypeus; area close to frons with long, erect white setae interspersed, lateral setae longer; area close to anteclypeus with moderately long yellowish forward-directed setae interspersed. Sides of postclypeus glabrous. Labrum with transverse row of coarse punctures near middle; with moderately abundant, decumbent, both whitish and yellowish setae not obscuring integument, except glabrous anterocentral area; with abundant, long, erect setae interspersed about middle, setae dark brown basally, yellowish on remaining surface. Gulamentum smooth, glabrous, except sparse whitish pubescence on intermaxillary process. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.35 times distance between outer margins of eyes; in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.61 times distance between outer margins of eyes. Antennae 1.35 times elytral length, reaching elytral apex at apical third of antennomere XI. Scape with abundant pale-yellow pubescence not obscuring integument dorsally and laterally, pubescence more yellowish brown on some areas, abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument ventrally, and long, erect setae as on frons interspersed dorsally and laterally. Pedicel with abundant, both pale yellow and whitish pubescence not obscuring integument; with long, erect yellowish-white setae interspersed ventrally. Antennomere III with abundant yellow pubescence not obscuring integument dorsally and superior area of sides, and abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument ventrally; with long, erect setae ventrally, setae brownish basally, gradually whitish toward their apex; with a few moderately long, erect yellowish-white setae interspersed dorsally. Antennomere IV with abundant yellowish-white pubescence partially obscuring integument about basal third and abundant brown pubescence not obscuring integument on remaining surface; with a few moderately long, erect yellowish-white setae interspersed dorsally; with long, erect setae ventrally on basal third, setae brownish basally, yellowish white on remaining surface, and long, erect setae on apical half, setae dark brown on their basal 3/4, yellowish white on their apical quarter. Antennomeres V–VII and IX–XI with dense white pubescence basally and abundant brown pubescence partially obscuring integument on remaining surface; V–VII and IX–X with a few long, erect setae ventrally, setae dark brown on their basal 3/4, yellowish white on their apical quarter; V–VII and IX–X with moderately long, erect yellowish-white setae interspersed dorsally; XI with long, erect yellowish-white setae interspersed throughout, more abundant apically. Antennomere VIII with dense white pubescence except moderately sparse brownish pubescence apically; with moderately long, erect yellowish-white setae interspersed dorsally; with a few long, erect setae interspersed ventrally, anterior seta mostly yellowish white and posterior seta mostly dark brown. Antennal formula based on length of antennomere III: scape = 1.33; pedicel = 0.33; IV = 1.53; V = 1.07; VI = 1.00; VII = 0.80; VIII = 0.80; IX = 0.67; X = 0.57; XI = 0.60.

Thorax. Prothorax wider than long; anterior constriction moderately distinct; sides divergent from anterior constriction to lateral tubercles, then convergent toward posterolateral angles; lateral tubercle moderately small, conical, located slightly after middle. Pronotum abundantly, coarsely punctate; with abundant yellow pubescence not obscuring integument on some areas and moderately abundant yellowish-brown pubescence on remaining surface; with a few long setae as on frons interspersed, part of them brownish about their basal half and part darkened only basally. Sides of prothorax with sculpturing as on pronotum except glabrous anterior sulcus; with a few long, erect setae as on frons interspersed, and long, erect, slender setae also interspersed, setae dark brown about their basal half, gradually yellowish white toward their apex on remaining surface. Prosternum abundantly, coarsely punctate, except subsmooth posterolateral areas; with abundant yellow pubescence posterolaterally and moderately sparse yellowish pubescence on remaining surface; with a few long, erect whitish setae interspersed. Prosternal process sparsely, coarsely punctate; with sparse whitish pubescence, pubescence slightly more abundant laterally on anterior half; with a few long, erect setae as on frons interspersed; narrowest area located near base, 0.3 times procoxal width. Mesoventrite abundantly, coarsely punctate; with sparse whitish pubescence centrally and dense yellow pubescence laterally. Mesanepisterna and mesepimera moderately abundantly, coarsely punctate; with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument. Mesoventral process with sides convergent from base to apical fifth, then strongly widened; moderately finely and sparsely punctate; with moderately sparse yellowish-white pubescence, mostly absent on sides of apical region, except abundant yellowish-white pubescence on sides of anterior 3/4; narrowest area 0.40 times mesocoxal width; apex 0.67 times mesocoxal width. Metanepisterna and sides of metaventrite abundantly, coarsely punctate; with abundant pale-yellow pubescence not obscuring integument; remaining surface of metaventrite with moderately abundant pale-yellow pubescence not obscuring integument. Scutellum glabrous centrally, with abundant pubescence not obscuring integument laterally, pubescence yellowish brown close to glabrous area, yellow close to margins. Elytra. Sparsely, coarsely punctate on anterior 2/3, punctures gradually sparser and finer toward apex on posterior third; elytral apices individually rounded; about anterior half with tufts of yellow or pale-yellow pubescence, this area projected dorsally toward posterior third; remaining surface of anterior half with abundant, mostly yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument; remaining elytral surface with abundant pale-yellow pubescent maculae, dorsal macula on beginning of posterior third distinctly larger, and remaining surface with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument; with moderately abundant, long, erect setae as on frons throughout, some setae darker on their basal half. Legs. Femora with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument dorsally and laterally, pubescence irregularly sparser on some areas, and absent on small areas with long, erect seta as those on frons; ventral surface with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument. Protibiae with moderately sparse yellowish-brown pubescence on dark integumental areas and moderately abundant yellow pubescence on light integumental areas, pubescence bristly ventrally on apical half; with long, erect setae as on frons dorsally, and similar but shorter setae on basal half of ventral surface. Meso- and metatibiae with abundant pale-yellow pubescence on base of dorsal surface, whitish pubescence on base of sides and ventral surfaces, sparse pale-yellow pubescence on light integumental areas, and sparse whitish pubescence on dark integumental areas, pubescence bristly ventrally on apical half; dorsal surface of mesotibiae with moderately short, erect, thick blackish setae about middle; basal half of meso- and metatibiae with erect setae as on frons and remaining surface of dorsal and lateral surfaces with long, erect, thick white setae interspersed. Dorsal surface of tarsi with moderately abundant pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence pale yellow on basal segments, gradually whiter toward distal segments; with long, erect yellowish-white setae interspersed, erect setae slender on tarsomeres V; metatarsomere I distinctly shorter than II–III together.

Abdomen. Ventrites with dense yellow pubescence, except slightly sparser pubescence on center of ventrites 1–3 and center of basal half of ventrites 4–5; with long, erect setae as on frons laterally as well as long, erect white setae with acute apex. Posterocentral region of abdominal ventrite 5 slightly depressed.

Male ( Fig. 38–39 View Figures 38–43 ). Difficult to differentiate from female except for the genitalia, posterocentral region of abdominal ventrite 5 not depressed.

Dimensions (mm). (holotype female/ paratype females/ paratype males). Total length, 6.15/5.70–5.95/5.25–5.70; prothoracic length, 1.20/1.15–1.25/0.90–1.10; anterior prothoracic width, 1.25/1.20–1.30/1.05–1.15; posterior prothoracic width, 1.40/1.30–1.40/1.20–1.25; maximum prothoracic width, 1.70/1.65–1.70/1.40–1.60; humeral width, 2.15/2.05–2.20/1.90–2.00; elytral length, 4.50/4.10–4.35/3.80–4.00.

Type specimens. Holotype female from ECUADOR, Pichincha: Yellow House , 1400 m, San Carlos Mindo, 5 Jul 2023, J. Vlasak leg. ( MZSP, formerly JVCO). Three paratype females and two paratype males, same data as holotype ( JVCO).

Etymology. The specific epithet “apicomaculosa ” (Latin apex (tip) and maculosus (spotted, mottled)) refers to the cluster of pale-yellow pubescent maculae on apical third of the elytra.

Remarks. Estola apicomaculosa new species is similar to E.annulata (Fabricius, 1801) (see photographs on Bezark 2024a), but differs as follows: antennomere X reddish only basally; and elytra proportionally longer compared to prothorax. In E. annulata , antennomere X is yellowish white on the basal 3/4, and the elytra are proportionally shorter compared to the prothorax. The new species differs from E. albosetosa Breuning, 1940 , E. acirculata Bezark and Santos-Silva, 2024 , and E. albomarmorata Breuning, 1943 (see photographs on Bezark (2024a) and in Bezark and Santos-Silva (2024)) by the distance between upper eye lobes as wide as twice the maximum diameter of the scape (slightly wider than twice the maximum diameter of the scape in E. albosetosa and three times the maximum diameter of the scape in E. acirculata and E. albomarmorata ), elytra with dense and large macula with yellow pubescence on dorsal surface of apical half (absent in E. albosetosa , E. acirculata , and E. albomarmorata ), and erect setae on elytra distinctly shorter (longer in E. albosetosa , E. acirculata , and E. albomarmorata ); and from E. griseostictica Breuning, 1940 (see photographs on Bezark 2024a) by the presence of coarse erect setae (absent in E. griseostictica ).