Agnatis curvabilis, nov.sp.
Creators: name: Opitz, Weston
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Cleridae
Agnatis
Agnatis curvabilis

description: Agnatis curvabilis OPITZ nov.sp. (Figs 36, 172, 214, 279)
Holotype: ♂. Type locality: Estación Biol. Chamela, Jalisco, MEXICO, 15-23 July 1987, F. T. Hovore (WFBM). Paratypes: 41 specimens. Mexico: Estado de Jalisco, Estación Biologica Chamela, 7-15-VII-1987, at light, J. Chemsak, E. G. & J. M. Linsley (EMEC, 4; WOPC, 3); idem, 12-15-VII-1987, at light, J. Chemsak, E. G. & J. M. Linsley (EMEC, 3; WOPC, 3); idem, 14-VII- 1987, on Casearia tremula, F. a. Noguera (WFBM, 3; WOPC, 5); idem, 15-VII-1987, on Sapium pedicellatum, F. a. Noguera (WFBM, 1); idem, 16-VII-1987, on Casearia tremula, F. a. Noguera (WFBM, 2); idem, 25-VII-1988, on Coccoba sp., F. a. Noguera (WOPC, 1); idem, 15-23-VII-1987, on blossoms of Casearia, F. a. Noguera (WFBM, 3; WOPC, 1); idem, 15-VII-1987, on Casearia tremuls, F. T. Hovore (WFBM, 2; WOPC); idem, 19-VII-1987, blacklight + mercury vapor lamp, R. H. Turnbow (RHTC, 1); idem, 10-20-VII-1985, E. Giesbert (FSCA, 1); Route 200 km 165 N, Melaque Junction, 26-VI-1995, F. a. Noguera (WFBM, 1); Chamela, vicinity UNAM, 9-19-VII- 1993, J. E. Wappes (ACMT, 1); 5.5 km SE Cuautla, 29-VI-1995, 1610 m, F. a. Noguera (WFBM, 1); Estado de Oaxaca, 3 miles W Tehuantepec, reared from woody branch of Lonchocarpus, wood collected on VIII-1965, emerged on 21-VII-1966, G. H. Nelson (WFBM, 1); Road to Micro. Ocotepec, 16.8220°N 96.3653°W, 6 km S Mazatlán, highway 190, 9-VI-2011, R. L. Westcott (WFBM, 1). Guatemala: Departamento de Zacapa, 9 km W Teculuta, 3-VI-1991, Acacia thorn scrub, R. Anderson (CMNC, 1).
D i a g n o s i s: Among the 2 heretofore known species of Agnatis OPITZ, A. curvabilis most closely approximate A. variabilis OPITZ, from which A. curvabilis specimens differ by showing an ovoid hind body.
D e s c r i p t i o n: Size: Length 9.0 mm; width 4.0 mm. Form: As in Fig. 279. Color: Cranium bicolored, frons, region behind eye, and gular region testaceous, epicranium and venter sides black; antenna, scape black; prothorax bicolored, venter brown; pronotum mostly testaceous, with narrow black vitta at middle; elytra testaceous; pterothorax brown, legs mostly testaceous, femora infuscated distally; tarsi black; abdomen with transverse brown and testaceous lines. Head: Cranium finely punctate; antenna (Fig. 36) capitate, funicular antennomeres gradually wider from pedicel to 8 th antennomere, capitular antennomeres 8 and 9 triangular, antennomere 10 ovoid; eyes small, ommatidia small, ocular notch large, eye much narrower than frons (EW/FW 25/50). Thorax: Pronotum (Fig. 172) transverse (PW/PL 130/120), anterior transverse depression absent; disc coarsely punctate, lateral sides convex, disc concave paralaterally; elytral asetiferous punctures absent, setiferous punctures small and profusely distributed throughout elytral disc (EL/EW 380/140); Abdomen: Pygidium scutiform; aedeagus as in Fig. 214.
Variation: Length 7.0-10.0 mm; width 3.7-5.0 mm. This species is highly variable in color. The dorsum may be almost entirely black with only the epipleura testaceous, or the dorsum may be nearly entirely testaceous with only the elytral apex slightly black. The mostly dark elytra may have a green iridescence.
N a t u r a l H i s t o r y: The available specimens were collected during June and July. One specimen emerged from wood of a species of Lonchocarpus HUBER (Euphobiaceae). They were also collected on blossoms of Casearia tremula (GRISEB.) GRISEB. Ex WRIGHT (Salicaceae), on a species of Coccoloba P. BROWNE (Polygonaceae), and on the branches of a species of Acacia MARTINS (Fabaceae). Altitudinally, these beetles were collected from 300 to 2100 m, with blacklights and mercury vapor lights.
D i s t r i b u t i o n: This species is known from Mexico and Guatemala.
E t y m o l o g y: Thetrivialname, curvabilis, is a Latin name with a meaning of "bent"; with reference to the curvature of the side margins of the elytra.
description: Published as part of Opitz, Weston, 2019, Descriptions of new genera and new species of Western Hemisphere checkered beetles (Coleoptera, Cleroidea, Cleridae), pp. 959-1076 in Linzer biologische Beiträge 51 (2) on pages 971-972, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3746744