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

Bibrax canelazo sp. nov.

Figs 5 A, B View Figure 5 , 6 A – D View Figure 6

Type material.

Holotype • ♂ ( MECN -EN 40836 ): “ Ecuador: Tungurahua, -1.4361, -78.3105, NaturetrekCandelariaRes , 2241 m, 13.XI.2024, M. Caterino, sifted litter ” / “ Caterino DNA voucher, Ext. MSC-13189, Morphosp. Cnd.005 ” / “ MECN -EN 40836 ” GoogleMaps . Paratypes (1 ♂ 1 ♀, same general locality as type) • 1: -1.4343, -78.3114, 2145 m GoogleMaps • 1: -1.4361, -78.3105, 2241 m ( MECN -EN 40332 , 40379 View Materials ) GoogleMaps .

Additional material.

• 1 ♂ ( MECN -EN 40794 ): “ Ecuador: Tungurahua, -1.3812, -78.2895, Rio Machay Reserve , 2416 m, 12.XI.2024, M. Caterino, sifted litter ” / “ Caterino DNA voucher, Ext. MSC-13147, Morphosp. Mch.010 GoogleMaps ; (1 ♂ 8 ♀, all Rio Machay Reserve) • 3: same data as preceding GoogleMaps • 4: -1.3895, -78.2929, 2239 m GoogleMaps • 1: -1.3801, -78.2889, 2434 m GoogleMaps • 1: -1.3829, -78.2909, 2382 m ( MECN -EN 40190 , 40206, 40215, 40220, 40229, 40283, 40285, 40292, 40296) GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis.

BL = 1.10 mm (n = 2). Body identical in most respects to B. onorei , with the following exceptions: antennomeres II-IV slightly more slender, elongate, antennomere III, in particular, nearly as long antennomere II; median longitudinal pronotal sulcus more deeply impressed; male with only last two abdominal ventrites modified, penultimate with weak depression in distal third, weakly margined by transverse carina, last ventrite short, concave, with small slightly transverse apical marginal tooth. Aedeagus (Fig. 5 A, B View Figure 5 ) with basal bulb short, distal surface flat, bearing large oblique diaphragm on left dorsolateral surface; with pair of basal apodemes well separated, obliquely truncate with outer edge longer; tegmen trunk-like, basally cylindrical, extending distad from middle of apical surface of basal bulb, bent ventrad, flattening toward broad paddle-shaped apex; tegmen with short ventral tooth and shorter, weakly sclerotized lobe extending distad below apex of tegmen.

Distribution.

This species is known from cloud forests of two localities at similar elevations on either side of the Rio Pastaza in Tungurahua province, Ecuador, both of them reserves managed by the EcoMinga Foundation.

Remarks.

There is little to separate this species externally from other small, flattened species described here. It is relatively small, and the male abdominal modifications are comparatively subtle, with only a small distal tooth at the apex of a shallowly depressed last ventrite. There is slight variation in aedeagal shape between the two localities, the ‘ apical paddle’ of the type population more elongate, narrower, and apically rounded, while that at Rio Machay is shorter, more quadrate, and pointed at middle. But for the present we prefer to recognize this as intraspecific variation. Discovery of additional populations of either form would allow further assessment of their respective status.

Etymology.

The name of this species refers to the popular Ecuadorian beverage, canelazo , made and enjoyed during Fiesta de Quito, an annual festival happening around the time of the discovery of this species (late November). The name also echoes the type locality Candelaria.