Metamasius leopardinus Anderson, new species
Creators: name: Anderson, Robert S.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2002
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Dryophthoridae
Metamasius
Metamasius leopardinus

description: Metamasius leopardinus Anderson, new species
(Figs. 86­87, 90­95)
Identification.—This species is very easily recognized by the distinct and unique form of the elytral strial punctures which are paired, filled with dense fine pale yellow pilosity, and extended about one­third of the way into the elytral intervals (Figs. 86­87). In the form of the punctures, this species approaches Sphenophorus cicatristriatus Fahråeus, although the punctures are not as large or as markedly developed as in that species. These punctures may be lacking or less dense in a variously developed median band giving the general appearance of a vague black transverse vitta (Fig. 86). The entire body, with the exception of the head and rostrum, median portion of the metasternum and ventrites 1 to 4, is deeply, regularly punctate, each puncture filled with the same dense fine pale yellow pilosity. Most of the specimens seen are totally black whereas a few possess various amounts of red on the pronotum and the elytra. In other characters this species resembles M. nudiventris Champion although in that species the pronotal disc is much less densely punctate and the punctures are not filled with pilosity as they are in M. leopardinus.
Description.— Male, length, 9.7­13.4 mm; width, 4.0­ 5.6 mm. Female, length, 10.2­ 13.7 mm; width, 4.2­5.8 mm. Color entirely black or black with small amounts of red laterally in longitudinal stripe on pronotal disc and in one or two irregular transverse series of spots on elytra, one at basal one­third, the other postmedian.
Rostrum slightly shorter than pronotum; elongate, cylindrical, shining, evenly curved, very finely, shallowly punctate; base slightly, gradually expanded in dorsal view only, basal expanded area short, about one­sixth total rostral length; rostrum glabrous ventrally; peduncle with anterior angle directed very slightly anteriorly; bilamellate anteriorly. Scrobe with posterior margin separated from anterior margin of eyes by less than width of base of scape. Antennal scape about one-half length rostrum; club slightly laterally compressed, oval; apical pilose part two-fifths to one-third length of entire club. Pronotum with lateral margins slightly convergent in basal two-thirds, moderately convergent to apex; moderately densely, deeply punctate, except slightly sparser medially on disc; flat or at most shallowly impressed medially at base. Pronotum with length slightly greater than width. Elytral length one and two-thirds times length pronotum; intervals impunctate, flat; striae with large, deep, paired densely pilose, obliquely oval punctures, extended up to one-third way into intervals. Scutellum broadly “V” shaped, slightly longer than width at
base, flat. Pygidium flat, with slightly raised, but not carinate, sparsely setose, median line in apical one-half, not tumescent; coarsely deeply punctate throughout; apex broadly rounded; apical margin with continuous row of uniformly short setae. Ventrally with front coxae separated by slightly less than one-half width of coxa; prosternum densely regularly punctate, flat between and anterior to front coxae. Lateral portions of meso-, metasternum and ventrites deeply, regularly punctate; middle of metasternum and ventrites 1 to 3 virtually impunctate, shining; last ventrite deeply regularly punctate, slightly impressed, finely setose, moreso in male than in female. Legs moderate in length, shallowly punctate, finely setose except subapically on femora where punctures large and dense; femora clavate, hind femur almost reaching apex of ventrite 4; inner margins of tibiae with setae in apical two-thirds, setae short, sparse on front tibiae, progressively longer on middle and hind tibiae; all tibiae straight. Tarsi each with third article widely dilated, pilose ventrally except in V shaped area in basal two-thirds and midline in apical one-third; all tarsi with third
articles symmetrical and with apical margins very slightly emarginate.
Sexual dimorphism.—Sexual dimorphism in M. leopardinus is evident in the form of the middle of ventrite 1 which is distinctly concave and subtuberculate laterally immediately adjacent to this concavity in males. In females, ventrite 1 is flat. Also, the apex of ventrite 5 is slightly more deeply impressed in males than in females.
Variation.—There is extensive variation in the pattern of the characteristic large elytral punctures. In some specimens, the punctures are more or less uniformly distributed over the elytra; however, in some specimens they are lacking, or sparser, in a broad median band, giving the impression of a median black vitta to the naked eye. Most of the specimens examined are completely black in color but four individuals have the lateral portions of the pronotal disc reddish and eight specimens have various amounts of red in one or two irregular transverse series of spots on the elytra.
Material examined.—Male HOLOTYPE labelled “Rio San Lorenzo, 1050m, / Tierras Morenas, Z.P. / Tenorio, Prov. Guanacaste / Costa Rica, Abr 1992 / F. Quesada / L­N 287800, 427600”, INBio barcode 867699 (INBC). Female ALLOTYPE labelled as holotype, INBio barcode 867647 (INBC). PARATYPES (13, 24). COSTA RICA. No further locality, F. Nevermann, 7.VI.1936 (1). GUANACASTE PROVINCE. Rio San Lorenzo, Tierras Morenas, Z.P. Tenorio, Apr 1992 (6, 16; 415418, 752431, 867659, 791859, 415227, 791861, 867652, 791854, 413029, 411620, 867650, 791845, 791853, 791858, 867700, 867677, 411619, 791856, 422412, 791857, 867651, 413032, 867655). CARTAGO PROVINCE. P.N. Tapanti, 1150m, Oct 1994 (1, 2; 2025118, 2025114, 2025113). Quebrada Segunda, 1250m, Mar 1992 (1; 741260); Apr 1992 (1; 699196); May 1992 (1; 950253); Jul 1992 (1; 712116); Mar 1993 (1; 1206517); May 1993 (1; 1206262). R. Grande de Orosi, desde Sendero La Pava Hasta la Catarata, 1700m, Mar 1995 (1, 1; 2423813, 2423814). SAN JOSE PROVINCE. Zurqui de Moravia, 1600m, malaise trap, XII, 1996, Hanson & Godoy (1). PANAMA. CHIRIQUI PROV­ INCE. 7 km S. Fortuna Dam. 15­17 May 1996, Wappes, Huether and Morris (1). Paratypes in AMNH, BMNH, CMNC, CWOB, INBC, USNM.
Distribution.— Costa Rica (Cartago, Guanacaste, San Jose), Panama (Chiriqui).
Natural history.—Specimens have been collected from 1050­1700 m elevation. One specimen was collected from a bromeliad.
Derivation of specific name.—This species is named after the form of the pale yellow pilose punctures which give specimens a finely spotted appearance.
Comments.—This species is quite common in the collections at INBio, but is represented by only one other specimen in the other collections examined.
description: Published as part of Anderson, Robert S., 2002, The Dryophthoridae of Costa Rica and Panama: Checklist with keys, new synonymy and descriptions of new species of Cactophagus, Mesocordylus, Metamasius and Rhodobaenus (Coleoptera; Curculionoidea), pp. 1-94 in Zootaxa 80 on pages 62-65, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.156033