Enoclerus anctus Rifkind, n. sp.
Creators: name: Rifkind, Jacques
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Cleridae
Enoclerus
Enoclerus anctus

description: Enoclerus anctus Rifkind, n. sp.
(Fig. 1)
Type specimens. Holotype female (?): Costa Rica, Prov. Cartago, Turrialba, Monumento Nacional Guayabo, 1100 m, September 1994, G. Fonseca, LN217200_570300, #3203. Holotype deposited in CSCA. Paratypes: COSTA RICA: Cartago Province: 1, 18 km NE Turrialba, Feb. 4–10, 1978. E. Giesbert, coll.; 1, Turrialba, IX–1928, F. Nevermann; 2, Turrialba, IX–28, Schild, coll.; 1, La Suiza de Turrialba, 1923, Pablo Schild; Heredia Province,: 2, Est. Biol. La Selva, 50–150 m, 10°26' N, 84°01' W, 30 Dec. 1999, INBIo–OET, FOT/43/22, CR1002, 726292, Minquartia guianensis; 1, same data except labeled FOT 43/26, CR1002, 726202; 1, Est. Bio. La Selva, 50–150 m, 10°26' N, 84°01' W, INBio –OET, 19 Septiembre, 1997, bosque primario, M1/17/681, INBIO CR1002 283966; 1, Limón Province: Escocia, 22–X–26, F. Nevermann, coll.; 1, Hamburg Farm, Reventazón, Ebene Limón, 5–II–34, flight trap; Guanacaste Province: 1, Estación Pitilla, 9 km S. de Santa Cecilia, 700 m, Mar. 1995, P. Rios, C. Moraga, Malaise, L_N_329950_380450, #6211, INBIO CR1002, 426791; 1, same data except INBIO CR1002, 426834; 1, same data except INBIO CR1002, 426796; 1, same data except INBIO CR1002, 426795; 1, same data except no INBIO code label; 1, Est. Pitilla, 9 km S. de Santa Cecilia, 700 m, Malaise trap, 1989, L–N–330200, 380200, INBIO CR1000, 303275; 1, Estac. Cacao, SW side Volcan Cacao, 1000—1400 m, Malaise trap, 1988—1989, GNP Biodiv. Survey, 323300, 375700, INBIO CR1000, 075807; Alajuela Province: Sect. San Ramon de Dos Rios, 620 m, 20 Feb–6 Mar, 1995, F. A. Quesada, LN318100, 381900, #4401, INBIO, CR1002, 139097. Paratypes are deposited in CSCA, INBC, LACM, WFBM, and JNRC.
Diagnosis. This species recalls several Mexican and Central American congeners that all appear to mimic the small black ants which are common diurnally on the vegetation these beetles frequent (Rifkind 1997: 1122–1123). Among these, Enoclerus anctus is most similar to E. puravida Rifkind, also from Costa Rica. The new species differs from E. puravida as follows: eburneous midelytral fascia narrowly constricted ("pinched off") or narrowly interrupted before terminus internally on the elytral disk (entire in E. puravida); elytra with an elongate–ovate patch of short, erect pale setae arranged longitudinally posterior to the midelytral fascia (absent in E. puravida); legs black, except bases of meso– and metafemora ivory colored (legs red in E. puravida); elytral posterior 1/2 obsoletely to distinctly longitudinally sulcate/costate (never more than very feebly costate in E. puravida).
Description (Holotype). Length: 3.80 mm. Color: black; mouthparts, antennal scape and pedicel brownish (underside of scape and pedicel pale testaceous); middle and third pair of legs with trochanters and bases of femora pale testaceous; each elytron with a slightly oblique, raised eburneous wedge-shaped fascia at middle, broader at sides, complete to lateral margins, narrowed internally, then interrupted before terminus which, in turn, is interrupted at approximately mid-elytron (Fig. 1). Head: antennae rather elongate; funicular antennomeres narrow; club enlarged; surface densely punctate, moderately densely but inconspicuously vested with mostly reclinate silvery and black setae of moderate length. Pronotum: longer than broad; as broad as elytra at base; campanulate; subflattened above; transverse impression indistinct; posterior slope precipitous; posterior collar moderately broad; surface densely, rather coarsely granulate–punctate, clothed on anterior 1/2 with short, stout, recumbent silvery setae, intermixed with longer, finer, suberect silvery and black, suberect setae, all of which are directed anteriorly, and on posterior 1/2 with a dense but inconspicuous patch of suberect, posteriorly oriented, medium–length black setae, intermingled with a few longer, erect setae. Elytra: elongate (ratio of length to width 55:26), widest at middle; anterior margin bisinuate, sloping away from scutellum; humeri prominent; subbasal tumescences pronounced, prolonged longitudinally but obscured by surface sculpturing; disk depressed at middle, somewhat convex posteriorly; surface on anterior 1/2 very deeply and coarsely punctate, some punctures longitudinally elongated or contiguous, forming short, irregular longitudinal sulci, most distinctly anteriorly, laterad to subbasal tumescences; posterior 1/2 shining, sparsely, finely punctate, and shallowly, obscurely dimpled; elytral vestiture as follows: anterior 1/2 sparsely set with suberect, rather robust whitish setae, interspersed with fewer longer, erect, robust black setae; posterior 1/2 inconspicuously clothed with medium length, suberect and rather fine silvery and black setae, interspersed with a few longer, erect, black setae, except middle with a conspicuous, longitudinal patch of sort, subrecumbent white setae straddling the suture. Legs: pro– and mesofemora expanded distally. Metasternum: convex, sparsely vested laterally, glabrous and shining at middle. Abdomen: shining, sparsely vested and only obscurely punctulate.
Variation. Size ranges from 3.60 to 5.25 mm. In some specimens the midelytral fascia is bisected internally before the apex, in others it is merely constricted. The patch of whitish setae at midelytra is variable in extent and density. Finally, in some specimens, the elytral posterior 1/2 is costate rather than smooth. This characteristic may be an elevational cline, as it is expressed most distinctly in examples from lowland sites (e.g. La Selva, Heredia Province, Costa Rica at 150 m), appears less distinct in specimens taken at 650 m, and is notably obscure in beetles collected at locations between 700 m and 1100 m elevation.
Etymology. The specific epithet anctus — Latin for "choke" —refers to this species' constricted elytral fascia.
Distribution. Costa Rica, from the Atlantic lowlands of Heredia and Limón Provinces, to the volcanic slopes of the Cordillera de Guanacaste.
Biology. Most specimens were taken in Malaise traps; one individual was collected on Minquartia guianensis Aublet (Olacaceae).
description: Published as part of Rifkind, Jacques, 2012, New Central American and Mexican Enoclerus Gahan (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Clerinae): Part II, pp. 1-27 in Zootaxa 3397 on pages 2-3, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.213050