Dyscolus liebherri, Traces, 2024

Dyscolus liebherri sp. nov.

(Fig. 4a-c)

ZooBank: https://zoobank.org/ ABCD404E-6C00-4BBE-B70E-FB063361B0FA

Holotype, ♂, Ecuador, Provincia Cotopaxi, Otonga , 79°00’W, 0°25’S, 1975 m, 11.VII.2007, trampa de luz, A.C. Proaño leg. // QCAZ-I 74256 ( QCAZ). GoogleMaps

Paratypes ( 4 ♂, 5 ♀)

- 1 ♂, Ecuador, Provincia Cotopaxi, Otonga , 1950 m, pyrethrum fogging, 3-5.VII.2001, P. Moret leg. ( CPM, immature specimen) ;

- 2 ♂, Ecuador, Provincia Cotopaxi, Otonga , 1800 m, 20.X.2000, I.G. Tapia leg. ( QCAZ, CPM) ;

- 2 ♀, Ecuador, Provincia Cotopaxi, La Otonga , 1800 m, 25.XII.1996, G. Onore leg. ( QCAZ, CPM) ;

- 1 ♀, Ecuador, Provincia Cotopaxi, Otonga , 1975 m, 79°00.204’W, 0°25.166’S, 11.VII.2007, Fumigación, Proaño & Barragán leg. ( QCAZ) GoogleMaps ;

- 1 ♂, 2 ♀, Ecuador, Provincia Pichincha, vía Calacalí – Los Bancos , 2100 m, 23.VII.2008, E. Tapia leg. ( CPMG, CPM) .

Diagnostic combination. – Dyscolus liebherri sp. nov. can be distinguished from all congeners, except D. shpeleyi sp. nov., by the combination of fully winged condition, strongly constricted neck, almost rounded hind angles of pronotum, elytra dark brown with a metallic lustre, elytral striae punctate, discontinuous, third interval with 3 setae and asetose fifth tarsomere.

b

c

e

f

Fig. 4. Dyscolus liebherri sp. nov. and D. shpeleyi sp. nov.

a -c. D. liebherri sp. nov. a. Habitus, paratype, ♀, Otonga, Ecuador. b -c. Aedeagus. b. Lateral view. c. Apex of the median lobe in dorsal view. d -f. D. shpeleyi sp. nov. d. Habitus, holotype, ♂, Baeza , Ecuador. e -f. Aedeagus. e. Lateral view. f. Apex of the median lobe in dorsal view .

Among the fully winged members of Dyscolus , D. lojaensis Perrault, 1993 , from southern Ecuador, is the species that is morphologically closest to D. liebherri sp. nov. and D. shpeleyi sp. nov. The overall facies is the same, but in D. lojaensis the elytra do not exhibit a metallic lustre, the posterior angles of the pronotum are completely rounded, the elytral striae are deeper and continuous, not punctate, and the fifth tarsomere bears ventral setae.

Description

Habitus . – Fig. 4a. Fully winged. Body length: 11.1-11.9 mm.

Colour. – Dorsal surface smooth and shiny; head black; pronotum piceous black with brownish lateral margins; elytra dark brown with a metallic lustre that varies from reddish to copperish or greenish. Femora dark brown with a reddish apex; tibiae and tarsi reddish brown to brownish; antennae and mouthparts reddish brown. Ventral surface testaceous.

Microsculpture, mesh pattern. – Head: transverse, obsolete on the disc, very faintly impressed in the basal area; pronotum: transverse, obsolete on the disc; elytra: transverse, consisting of very fine parallel lines, faintly impressed on the disc.

Head. – Convex, moderately broad; neck strongly constricted; eyes bulging, longer than the genae which are oblique, not convex; mandibles moderately long, acute; mentum tooth simple and acute. Antennae slender, with four antennomeres extending backward beyond the base of the pronotum; first antennomere 2.5 times longer than wide.

Prothorax. – Pronotum broad (PL / PW = 0.76-0.81), convex, as wide at base as at apex; basal and apical margins entirely bordered. Sides arcuate from middle to apex, straight in basal third, not sinuate; lateral margins broadly explanate; hind angles almost rounded; two pairs of lateral setae. Prosternal process not bordered.

Elytra. – Moderately elongate (EL / EW = 1.5-1.7), maximum width at 2/3 of their length; base slightly wider than the base of the pronotum, humeri broadly rounded. Striae thin and shallow, punctate, the first one continuous, the following interrupted between the punctures which extend longitudinally; intervals flat to subconvex; subapical sinuation evident; apex separately rounded. Third interval with 3 setae, the second one after the middle; umbilicate series of 18 to 20 setiferous punctures.

Abdomen. – Last visible abdominal ventrite with one pair ( ♂) or two pairs ( ♀) of setae along its apical margin, which is slightly emarginate.

Legs. – Slender; metafemora without setae on the anterior ridge and with two ventroposterior setae; metatarsomeres 1-3 dorsally smooth and convex, faintly sulcate externally, with no trace of an inner sulcus; fourth metatarsomere with a pair of strong subapical dorsolateral setae, apical lobes parallel, the outer lobe twice as big as the inner lobe. Fifth tarsomeres ventrally asetose.

Male genitalia. – Fig. 4b-c. Median lobe feebly and evenly arcuate throughout; apical blade acuminate, triangular in dorsal view; endophallus without sclerotized structures.

Female genitalia. – Unstudied.