Panabachia ayauma, Muñoz-Tobar & Caterino, 2025

Panabachia ayauma sp. nov.

Figs 4 F View Figure 4 , 6 E View Figure 6

Type material.

Holotype • ♂ ( QCAZ-I -278819 ): “ ECUADOR: Chimborazo, El Releche , 3124 m, 00°38.400'S, 78°30.426'W, 8 - VII- 2016, SIMT 256 , Berlese, S. Muñoz & A Romero ” / “ Muñoz DNA Voucher, Ex. SIMT 256 , Morphosp. Releche 14 ”; deposited in QCAZI GoogleMaps . Paratypes ( 4 ♀) • 2 same data as holotype ( SIMT 257 , SIMT 283 ) ( QCAZ-I -278820 to 278821) GoogleMaps • 2: same locality as type, but collected on 22 - Jul- 2017 ( SIMT 340 , SIMT 341 ) ( QCAZ-I -278822 to 278823) GoogleMaps .

Other material.

1: same data as type, 22 - Jul- 2017 ( SIMT 342), but sample vial included parts of 1 male and 1 female specimen. It is unclear which was sequenced in Muñoz-Tobar and Caterino (2020) ( QCAZ-I -278824 ).

Diagnosis.

Head missing (lost during DNA extraction); male pronotum (Fig. 4 F View Figure 4 ) wider than long, widest toward front, sides more or less even rounded, basal margin of disk depressed; most of disk sparsely punctate and with long setae; median portion of disk glabrous, broadly longitudinally depressed from near base to just in front of middle, depression there splits around broad, posteriorly widened and truncate anteromedian ridge that is densely lined with transverse series of diverging setae; anterior depressions on each side of ridge deeply rounded, smooth, with longer setae in irregular series around anterior and lateral edges; laterad these median depressions, each side of pronotum has smaller, round, secondary depression, also with series of setae around lateral margin; elytron with three evenly spaced foveae, no discal stria, apical stria incomplete; male last abdominal ventrite depressed; opposing edge of male last tergite widened, setose; legs simple. Aedeagus (Fig. 6 E View Figure 6 ) broad and flat, with separate accessory sclerites; parameres separate, thin at base, converging and articulated with median lobe basad of middle, free and setose apically; median lobe with broad base, lacking basal apodeme; basal foramen large, ovate; median lobe slightly narrowed toward wide, very shallowly emarginate apex; accessory sclerites moderately asymmetrical, each bipartite, with thinner, flatter median portion and smaller, articulated lateral portion; the median elements weakly spatulate distally, with outer margins knobbed at articulation point; the lateral portions more strongly sclerotized, short, angulate on outer edge, scoop-like on inner apical surface. TL 1.35–1.41 mm, EW 0.37–0.42 mm.

Distribution.

This species is only known from subpáramo habitats surrounding the Releche Hacienda, province of Chimborazo, Ecuador.

Etymology.

The name of this species comes from the Kichwa, meaning ‘ the one that leads the way’.

Remarks.

The aedeagus of this species (Fig. 6 E View Figure 6 ), with a broad flattened tegmen, separate parameres, and large accessory sclerites, allies it with all those preceding. The tip of the aedeagus is distinct, being rather simply subtruncate. And the accessory sclerites themselves are subdivided into sclerotized and larger laminate portions. Externally the species is distinguished by a unique male pronotum (Fig. 4 F View Figure 4 ), depressed along much of the midline, opening into deep, paired anterior depressions, with a dense transverse setal series at the split.