Lecontella ensifera Rifkind, 2020

Lecontella ensifera Rifkind , new species

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( Figs. 13–14 View Figs )

Specimens Examined. Holotype male: Mexico, Oaxaca, 5 mi. W. El Camaron , May 20, 1969, H. Howden ( WFBM) . Paratypes: 1 F ( WFBM), Mexico, Oaxaca, 42 mi. SE Oaxaca , VII-13-52, E. E. Gilbert, C. D. MacNeil, collectors .

Description ( Holotype). Length: 10 mm. Color: Light brown; mouthparts and abdomen a little paler. Head: Surface densely, moderately finely punctate, densely but inconspicuously vested with short, suberect, pale setae and a few longer, erect pale setae; eyes large, protuberant; antenna ( Fig. 14 View Figs ) elongate, funicular antennomeres compact and robust; antennomeres 3–6 subconical (3 longer than the rest); antennomeres 7–10 subserrate, more broad than long; antennomere 11 extremely elongate (as long as antennomeres 2–10 taken together), compressed along its length, apex rounded. Pronotum: 2/3 as wide as long; widest at anterior margin; sides constricted at anterior 1/3 and more deeply constricted at posterior 1/3; surface shining, densely, deeply but rather finely punctate, anterior transverse impression distinct, broadly U-shaped, vestiture as on head. Elytra: Elongate (together more than 2× as long as broad), subcylindrical, disc subflattened above; sides parallel, arcuately convergent from posterior 1/6 to dehiscent apices; surface shining, strial punctures coarse, cribrate, extending to apices; vestiture moderately dense but inconspicuous, composed mostly of fine, suberect testaceous setae, intermixed with fewer longer, more robust suberect setae. Metaventrite: Shining; surface finely, shallowly rugulose/punctate, inconspicuously setose. Abdomen: Integument shining, moderately densely but finely and shallowly punctate, inconspicuously setose; ventrite 5 broad, sides oblique, posterior margin shallowly inflected at middle; ventrite 6 small, sides oblique, posterior margin apparently rounded; tergite 6 the same as ventrite 6, with hind margin slightly surpassing it.

Variation. The single paratype, a female, measures 8.5 mm in length. It can be distinguished from the male by the length of its terminal antennomere, which is no longer than the combined length of antennomeres 8–10.

Etymology. The specific epithet is a Latin adjective that translates to “sword-bearer,” a reference to the new species’ extremely elongate, blade-like terminal antennomere.

Distribution. Known from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, Mexico.

Biology. Specimens were presumably collected in tropical deciduous forest, the predominant vegetation community at the type locality.

Diagnosis. Males of L. ensifera are distinguished from congeners by the extreme length of antennomere 11. Pygidia of all described species of Lecontella Wolcott and Chapin are indistinguishable. Both sexes differ from any described congeners by the shape of the pronotum, which in L. ensifera is comparatively more slender, and shows a well-defined anterior constriction.