Bibrax chullachaqui, Tapuy-Avilés & Díaz-Guevara & Caterino, 2025

Bibrax chullachaqui sp. nov.

Figs 1 A – C View Figure 1 , 2 A, B View Figure 2

Type material.

Holotype • ♂ ( MECN -EN 23779 ): “ Ecuador. Napo, Archidona. Pacto Sumaco , -0.658219, -77.59197. Malaise, 22-ene-2024. A Pazmiño | M Barreno ” / “ Caterino DNA voucher, Ext. MSC-13221, Morphosp. PS.A.003 ” / “ MECN -EN 23779 ”. GoogleMaps

Diagnosis.

BL = 1.89 mm (n = 1); body densely setose and brownish-orange; eyes prominent, borne on small prominence, comprising ~ 26 ommatidia; gular teeth well-developed, curved slightly dorsad; head rounded posteriorly, prolonged in front of eyes to prominent antennal base, vertexal foveae slightly impressed; frons finely punctate above; antennal scape thick and sinuate, slightly narrowed before apex (in lateral view), antennomere II (pedicel) swollen, approximately as long as III – V together, III – V similar in size, short, VI and VIII shorter, VII wider than long, IX – XI forming a club, IX and X transverse, X slightly wider than IX, X, and XI closely associated; pronotum rounded, widest anterad, with lateral lobes slightly produced; lateral longitudinal pronotal impressions very shallowly impressed; elytra longer than wide, slightly widened beyond midpoint, each with sutural and one lateral basal foveae, lateral with shallow longitudinal impression extending posteriorly ~ 2 / 3 elytron length; subhumeral fovea absent; flight wings present protibia swollen; metatrochanter not modified, metaventrite between second and third pair of legs with oblique carinae posterad a shallow median depression; last abdominal ventrite bearing small median apical marginal flange; third ventrite slightly flattened, posterior margin straight at middle. Aedeagus (Fig. 2 A, B View Figure 2 ) with basal bulb large, elongate oval, with blunt, apically knobbed pair of basal apodemes; diaphragm rather small, round, located just basad tegmen articulation; tegmen widened from base as it curves dorsad and distad, apex divided, with an elongate, sinuate subacute process extending beneath shorter, broad dorsal brush.

Distribution.

This species is known only from the lower (~ 1500 m), southern slopes of the Volcán Sumaco, in the western Amazon, Napo Province, Ecuador.

Remarks.

This species is most similar to B. bradleyi and B. popeye in having well-developed eyes and flight wings (at least in the male sex), while having the pronotum rather simply expanded toward the front, with only weak longitudinal sulci. It is distinctive in its dense covering of short, stiff setae, while the short swollen second antennomere and compact antennal club are also distinctive. While lacking any secondary sexual characters on the legs, the depressed male metaventrite is unusual.

Etymology.

The species is named after Chullachaki, a mythical ‘ one-footed’ spirit of the Amazonian jungle. He is purportedly able to change into any type of rainforest animal, guarding the forest against unwise uses.