Rhodobaenus flecha Anderson 2022, new species
Creators: name: Anderson, Robert S.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Curculionidae
Rhodobaenus
Rhodobaenus flecha

description: Rhodobaenus flecha Anderson, new species
Figs. 3–4, 11–12
Specimen examined: Holotype female, labeled COSTA RICA: Cartago, El Guarco, San Isidro, Estacion Experanza, 2700 m, 8 Feb 2001, R. Gonzalez, red golpe sobre vegetacion, INB0003327111 (MNCR).
Diagnosis: Length 5.7 mm. Dorsally uniformly red (excepting the black midline of the pronotum). Rostrum long, very narrow, humped at base, red. Pronotum deeply transversely impressed near base. Pygidium long, strongly tapered, apex drawn out to pointed tip, with dense, long black setae forming a distinct apical tuft. Posterior femur with width at apex only very slightly greater than width at base, tarsus with claw bearing article excavate between claws.
Identification: This species is easily recognizable by the dorsally almost completely red color as in R. sanguineus, but distinguished from that species (in fact, any other species) by the very long, apically strongly tapered, setose pygidium. In Vaurie (1981) this species will key to Rhodobaenus sanguineus (Gyllenhal) in couplet 53. The two species share similar (although not identical) dorsal coloration but can be separated by the red rostrum in R. flecha (black in R. sanguineus) and the form of the pygidium.
Description: Length 5.7 mm in female. Cuticle black (midline of pronotum, lines along pronotal flanks, prosternum in front of procoxae, meso- and metasternum, abdominal ventrites) or red, no whitish spots around punctures. Rostrum humped over scrobe, strongly arcuate basally, very slightly arcuate apically, length subequal to length pronotum, glabrous, fine and narrow. Gular peduncle flat, not angulate behind. Antennal scape subcylindrical, about two-thirds length of rostrum, length slightly less than twice length funicle, very slightly clavate apically. Antennal scape with only article 1 longer than wide, articles 2–6 moniliform (2–5) to slightly wider than long (6), width of club greater than width of apex of rostrum; spongy apex slightly more than one-half length of club. Antennal groove with posterior border distant from anterior margin of eye by about width of scape. Pronotum about 1/3 longer than width across base, red with black midline and two black lines along upper part of flanks, basal area deeply transversely impressed. Elytra uniformly red, slightly wider than pronotum, length slightly more than twice that of pronotum, striae with punctures shallow, vaguely defined. Prosternum slightly swollen in front of coxa. Posterior femur with width at apex only very slightly greater than width at base, tarsus with claw bearing article excavate between claws. Pygidium with punctate part long, apex drawn out to pointed tip, with dense, long black setae forming a distinct apical tuft. Abdomen lacking ventral tubercle. Female not dissected, male not known.
Etymology: This species is named after the Spanish word for arrow, “flecha”, in reference to the drawn out, pointed pygidium.
description: Published as part of Anderson, Robert S., 2022, New species of Rhodobaenus LeConte, 1876 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Dryophthorinae) from Central and South America, pp. 267-273 in Zootaxa 5115 (2) on pages 268-270, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5115.2.5, http://zenodo.org/record/6352414