Gnomidolon ecuadorense, Vlasak & Santos-Silva, 2025

Gnomidolon ecuadorense sp. nov.

( Figs 9–12 View FIGURES 9–14 )

Description. Male holotype. Head capsule black; ventral mouthparts brown and dark reddish brown, except paraglossa and palpi orangish brown; anteclypeus mostly light brown; labrum brown centrally, light brown laterally; mandibles black, except dark reddish-brown area before apical quarter; scape dark brown, except mostly reddish-brown ventral surface; pedicel dark brown on basal 2/3, mostly reddish brown on apical third; antennomere III mostly brown on basal third, orangish brown on remaining surface, except brown carinae; IV mostly orangish brown, slightly darker on carinae; V–XI orangish brown. Prothorax black, except dark reddish-brown posterior sides of pronotum, area close to posterior margin on sides of prothorax, and prosternal process (except orangish-brown spot at center of posterior third), and dark-brown anterior quarter of prosternum. Ventral surface of meso- and metathorax reddish brown, darker on some areas. Scutellum dark reddish brown. Elytra mostly dark orangish brown on triangular dorsal area of basal third, laterally covering humerus, and basal quarter and central area of epipleura; remaining anterior region to slightly after middle mostly orangish, except pale yellow laterally about anterior third, from middle of dorsal surface to epipleural margin; remaining surface black. Pro- and metacoxae dark brown with irregular dark reddish-brown areas; mesocoxae reddish. Trochanters dark reddish brown, except dark-brown base. Profemoral peduncle mostly dark reddish brown, darker on some areas, especially depending on light intensity; profemoral club black. Meso- and metafemoral peduncles orangish brown; mesofemoral club black, except brown apex, more dark reddish brown depending on light intensity; metafemoral club black dorsally and on inner surface, except reddish-brown apex, mostly dark orangish brown ventrally and on outer surface. Tibiae dark brown basally, gradually reddish brown toward middle, then orangish brown toward apex. Tarsi reddish. Abdominal ventrites 1–4 black, except dark-brown apex of ventrites 1–2 and brown apex of 3–4; ventrite 5 dark brown basally, gradually brown toward apex.

Head. Frons slightly opaque, sulcate close to eyes; abundantly, coarsely punctate, punctures partially anastomosed on central superior region, except smooth central area close to clypeus; each puncture with short, erect yellowish-white seta. Antennal tubercles moderately elevated, moderately abruptly elevated basally, forming triangular projection with blunt apex posteriorly; abundantly, coarsely, confluently punctate frontally, somewhat sparsely, finely punctate on remaining surface, except smooth apex; with sparse yellowish-white setae, except on smooth area.Area between antennal tubercles longitudinally carinate centrally close to frons, carina bifurcate toward posterior region; longitudinally sulcate laterally; opaque, except shiny carinae; with a few short yellowish-white setae. Area between antennal tubercles and area near posterior margin of upper eye lobes opaque; with longitudinal carina laterally, from posterior margin of antennal tubercles to near posterior margin of eyes; longitudinally sulcate close to lateral carinae, following sulci between antennal tubercles; central area somewhat abundantly, coarsely, shallowly punctate; with a few short yellowish-white setae anteriorly and a few long, erect yellowish-brown setae posteriorly. Remaining surface of vertex opaque, densely, transversely striate close to prothorax; area between eyes and striate area shiny, sparsely, shallowly coarsely punctate laterally, smooth centrally, glabrous. Area behind eyes tumid from middle of upper eye lobe; area behind upper eye lobe smooth close to eye, slightly striate close to prothorax, glabrous; area behind lower eye lobes smooth close to eye, abundantly, coarsely punctate on remaining tumid region, smooth close to prothorax; with long, erect yellowish-brown setae on punctate area, glabrous on remaining surface. Genae moderately abundantly, coarsely punctate, except smooth apex; with moderately abundant yellowish-white pubescence close to eye, glabrous on remaining surface; with long, erect yellowish-brown setae interspersed posteriorly. Wide central area of postclypeus abundantly, coarsely punctate; with moderately abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence sparser close to anteclypeus; with one long, erect yellowish-brown seta on each side. Sides of postclypeus smooth, glabrous. Labrum densely, minutely striate, glabrous close to anteclypeus; sparsely, finely punctate, with moderately long, erect yellowish-white setae on remaining posterior half; anterior half almost smooth laterally, abundantly, finely punctate centrally, with tuft of long, erect yellowish-brown setae laterally, and abundant light yellowish-brown setae centrally. Gulamentum smooth, glabrous on posterior third; anterior 2/3 coarsely, transversely striate punctate, with sparse, both short and long, erect yellowish-white setae. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.31 times distance between outer margins of eyes; in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.42 times distance between outer margins of eyes. Antennae 2.5 times elytral length, reaching elytral apex at apex of antennomere VII. Scape with dorsal and lateral surfaces abundantly, coarsely punctate on basal 2/3, punctures distinctly finer and sparser toward smooth apex on posterior third; ventral surface abundantly, finely, transversely striate, except smooth apical region; with sparse, short, decumbent whitish setae, sparser ventrally and on apical third of dorsal and lateral surfaces, absent on smooth apex. Pedicel and antennomeres III–XI with abundant yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument; pedicel and antennomeres III–IV with long, erect yellowish-brown setae ventrally, and on entire apex; VII–X with long, erect yellowish-brown setae on apex. Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III: scape = 0.64; pedicel = 0.14; IV = 0.59; V = 0.64; VI = 0.65; VII = 0.69; VIII = 0.64; IX = 0.59; X = 0.55; XI = 0.67.

Thorax. Prothorax distinctly longer than wide, sinuous in lateral view; anterior constriction distinct laterally; parallel-sided on anterior 3/4, narrowed on posterior quarter. Pronotum very sparsely, very finely punctate, with a few coarse, shallow punctures interspersed from slightly before middle to posterior quarter, each coarse puncture with a long, erect yellowish-brown seta; remaining surface with very sparse, minute whitish setae. Sides of prothorax sparsely, finely punctate, except smooth area close to anterior and posterior margins; with very sparse, minute whitish setae and a few long, erect yellowish-brown setae. Prosternum sulcate close to procoxal cavities; sparsely, finely punctate, punctures sparser on anterior quarter; with sparse, minute whitish setae, except abundant whitish pubescence close to procoxal cavities and on prosternal process. Prosternal process with sides convergent from base to near posterior third, then strongly triangularly widened; apex truncate; narrowest area 0.17 times procoxal width. Ventral surface of meso- and metathorax with abundant whitish pubescence obscuring integument on some areas, except glabrous U-shaped central area on mesoventrite. Mesoventral process with sides concave; apex distinctly notched centrally; narrowest area 0.47 times mesocoxal width. Scutellum with dense yellowish-white pubescence.

Elytra. Subparallel-sided on anterior 2/3, slightly concave before middle, gradually narrowed on posterior third; apex spiniform on outer angle, slightly projected on sutural angle, slightly obliquely truncate between them. Moderately abundantly, coarsely punctate on anterior half, punctures gradually finer and sparser toward apex on posterior half; punctures with minute whitish seta, except some with long, erect yellowish-brown seta. Legs. Coxae with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence absent on some areas. Trochanters with a few short, decumbent whitish setae and one long, erect yellowish-brown seta ventrally. Profemora fusiform; with very sparse, decumbent, minute whitish setae and sparse, long, erect yellowish-brown setae. Mesofemora pedunculate-clavate, club gradually, not strongly widened; with setae as on profemora; inner and outer apices with similar triangular projection. Metafemora gradually widened from base to apex; with setae as on profemora; inner apex with short spiniform projection and outer apex with long spine. Protibiae with sparse, decumbent, minute whitish setae, with long, erect yellowish-brown setae interspersed, except dense, bristly yellowish pubescence on apical 2/3 of lateral and ventral surfaces. Meso- and metatibiae with setae and pubescence as on protibiae, but pubescence distinctly sparser. Tarsi with moderately abundant yellowish pubescence distinctly not obscuring integument, and long, erect yellowish setae interspersed; metatarsomere I about as long as II–III together.

Abdomen. Ventrites 1–4 with dense whitish pubescence laterally, pubescence not reaching apex, and sparse, both yellowish and whitish setae on remaining surface, except glabrous apex. Ventrite 5 glabrous anterocentrally, with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument on remaining surface, and long, erect yellowish-brown setae interspersed on posterior third; apex rounded.

Dimensions in mm. Total length, 8.20; prothoracic length, 2.05; anterior prothoracic width, 1.05; posterior prothoracic width, 0.95; maximum prothoracic width, 1.10; humeral width, 1.50; elytral length, 5.10.

Type material. Male holotype from ECUADOR, Loja: vicinity of Macará , 700 m, at UV light, 20–24 Feb 2024, J. Vlasak leg. ( MZSP, formerly JVCO) .

Etymology. The name “ ecuadorense ” refers to the country of Ecuador where the holotype was collected.

Remarks. Gnomidolon ecuadorense sp. nov. is similar to G. friedi Clarke, 2007 ( Figs 13–14 View FIGURES 9–14 ), but differs as follows: vertex mostly glabrous; elytral apex not contrasting in color with area adjacent to it; and pro- and mesofemora dark on club, metafemora dark on dorsal and inner surface of club, and tibiae dark on basal half. In G. friedi , the vertex has somewhat abundant pubescence, the elytral apex is lighter than the area adjacent to it (variation not observed in the paratypes at our disposal and not indicated in the original description— six males and twelve females), and the femora and tibiae are light. It differs from G. proseni Martins, 1962 , G. parallelum Clarke, 2007 , and G. wappesi Martins, 2006 (see photographs on Bezark (2025) and in Clarke (2007)), especially by the elytra entirely dark on posterior third (apex distinctly contrasting in color with adjacent area in these three species); from G. bordoni Joly, 1991 , and G. gracile (Gounelle, 1909) especially by the prothorax black (reddish in G. bordoni and G. gracile ), and elytra without whitish transverse band between the anterior light and posterior dark colors (present in G. bordoni and G. gracile ); from G. insigne Martins, 1967 (see photographs on Bezark 2025 and in Martins 1967) especially by the elytra without blackish area on anterior third (present in G. insigne ), and mesofemoral club more distinctly pedunculate-clavate (more uniformly widened from base to apex in G. insigne ); and from G. amaurum Martins, 1967 (see photographs on Bezark 2025 and in Martins 1967), especially by the mesofemora less strongly pedunculate-clavate (distinctly pedunculate-clavate in G. amaurum ).

Gnomidolon ecuadorense has some features that make it difficult to include into the key to species of Gnomidolon from Martins (2006). For example, in the alternative of couplets “32” and “44” there is no good option, because the metafemoral club is not entirely dark; more importantly, it cannot be correctly included in the alternative of couplet “45,” because the head and prothorax are not reddish, nor are the head and prothorax contrasting in color. Considering the femoral clubs entirely dark and modifying the alternative of couplets “45” to “47:”

45(44). Head and prothorax not contrasting in color............................................................ 46 - Head and prothorax contrasting in color............................................................... 48

46(45). Head and prothorax from orangish to reddish.......................................................... 46’ - Head and prothorax dark........................................................................... 47

46’(46). Whitish anterior macula on elytra more distant from the central whitish macula; elytral apex contrasting in color with adjacent area. Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil ( Paraíba, Bahia, and Goiás)................. G. cruciferum (Gounelle, 1909)

- Whitish anterior macula on elytra closer to the central whitish macula; elytral apex not contrasting in color with adjacent area. Brazil ( Minas Gerais)............................................... G. ignicolor Napp & Martins, 1985

47(46). Anterior half of elytra with dark area; pro- and mesofemora orangish. Brazil ( Bahia and Espírito Santo) ..............

............................................................................. G. insigne Martins, 1967 - Anterior half of elytra without dark area; pro- and mesofemoral clubs dark. Ecuador........... G. ecuadorense sp. nov.

Note: The concept of Gnomidolon insigne sensu Martins (1971 , 2006) seems to encompass more than one species: specimens with different prothoracic color; apex of the antennal tubercles acute or blunt; different elytral color pattern; different width of femoral clubs; etc.

RHOPALOPHORINI Blanchard, 1845