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

description: Metamasius wolfensohni Anderson, new species
(Figs. 107­108, 124­128)
Identification.—This species is easily recognized by its tubular body form, large barrelshaped pronotum which is rather evenly convex dorsally (Fig. 107), the short almost straight rostrum (Figs. 124­125), antennal club with the apical pilose part present only as a narrow line (Fig. 126), and prosternum with front coxae very narrowly separated by about the width of the antennal scape. In addition, males of this species have a series of rounded swellings or crenulations ventrally along the lateral margins of the rostrum (Fig. 124).
Description.— Male, length 12.2­13.5 mm; width 4.7­5.0 mm. Female, length, 7.1­ 12.5 mm; width 2.8­4.8 mm. Color black, elytra red in basal two­thirds except for black interval 10, subhumeral spot, and oblique spot at anterior one­third extended variously from interval 1 to 5. Some specimens with the pronotum with four broad red stripes, one on either side of the midline and one along each lateral margin.
Rostrum about one­half to two­thirds length of pronotum in male, slightly longer in female; elongate, narrow, cylindrical, virtually straight to very slightly curved; very finely shallowly punctate throughout; extreme apex glabrous and virtually impunctate, shining; base of rostrum abruptly expanded, basal expanded area short, about one­fourth total rostral length; ventral lateral margins with series of small crenulation or low irregular tubercles in male, area smooth in female; male also with venter of rostrum bisulcate adjacent to series of crenulations, sulci separated by low but acute median carina. Peduncle flat, bilamellate. Scrobe with posterior margin almost touching anterior margin of eyes. Antenna with scape short, about one­half length rostrum; club very slightly laterally compressed, oval; apical pilose part visible only as a narrow line at extreme apex. Pronotum slightly longer than wide; lateral margins evenly rounded to subapex, apex tubulate; widest at middle; sparsely, finely and shallowly punctate on disc, virtually impunctate medially in some specimens; more densely, deeply punctate along lateral, and anterior margins, and at middle of base; with slight crenulations on anterolateral margin behind eye; disc uniformly convex, “barrel­shaped”. Elytra one and one­third times length pronotum; with striae punctate, intervals very finely, irregularly punctate, slightly convex. Scutellum “V” shaped, length one and one­third times width at base, slightly convex, apical margin slightly emarginate at middle. Pygidium flat, deeply, densely regulalrly punctate, finely pilose subapically; apex subtruncate. Ventrally with front coxae separated by about width of antennal scape; prosternum somewhat convex anterior to coxae, otherwise flat. Meso­ and metasterna and ventrites with large shallow punctures, punctures sparser medially; last ventrite punctate, lacking pilosity. Legs short, matte, with large, moderately dense, shallow punctures; femora slightly clavate, short, hind femur almost reaching apex of ventrite 5; inner margins of all tibiae and femora with only very short, sparse, “peglike” setae arranged in pectinate manner; all tibiae slightly inwardly arcuate at apex. Tarsi each with third article widely dilated, pilose ventrally, except for glabrous narrow”V” shaped median area; all tarsi with third articles symmetrical and with apical margins very slightly emarginate.
Sexual dimorphism.—Males and females of this species can be distinguished by the shorter rostrum of males bearing a series of ventral crenulations or low swellings along the lateral margins.
Variation.—There is extensive size variation within this species with one small female examined which is almost one­half the size of the largest female. As noted in the description, there is variation in the color pattern on the pronotum of this species with two specimens from Costa Rica and one from Ecuador having the disc striped with red. Also, in the specimen from Ecuador, the elytra are more infuscate than on specimens from other localities.
Material Examined.—Male HOLOTYPE labelled “Est. Pitilla, 700m, 9km S / Sta. Cecilia, P.N. Guana­ / caste, Prov. Guan. Costa/ Rica, C. Moraga, 3­18 / Oct 1991, / L­N­ 330200, 380200”, INBio barcode 549111 (INBC). Female ALLOTYPE labelled “R. Sn Lorenzo, 1050m, / Tierras Morenas, R.F. / Cord. Guanacaste, Prov / Guan. Costa Rica. / C. Alvarado, Nov 1991, / L­N­287800, 427600”, INBio barcode 491890 (INBC). PARATYPES (4, 5). COSTA RICA. ALAJUELA PROVINCE. Res. For. San Ramon, 5 km N. Col. Palmarena, Rio Sn. Lorencito, 900m, Mar 1990 (1; 158510). CARTAGO PROVINCE. Monumento Nacional Guayabo, 1100 m, Nov 1994 (1; 2092983). GUANACASTE PROVINCE. Estacion Pitilla, 9 km. S. Santa Cecilia, 700m, 11­30 Jan 1993 (1; 1675931). Z.P. Tenorio, R. Sn. Lorenzo, Tierras Morenas, 1050m, Apr 1992 (1; 867691). PUNTARENAS PROVINCE. San Luis, Finca Buen Amigo, Monteverde, 4 km. S. de la Reserva, 1000­1350m, Jun 1996 (1; 2468659). May 1994 (1; 1870818). PANAMA. CANAL ZONE. Pipeline Road, 5 km N.W. Gamboa, 27 Jun 1985, H.P. Stockwell (1). CHIRIQUI PROVINCE. Fortuna (8°44’N, 82°15’W), May 17, 1978, O'Briens and Marshall (1). ECUADOR. NAPO PROVINCE. Yasuni N.P., Yasuni Research Station, 76°36’W, 00°38’S, 215m, 27.VII­1.VIII.1998, lowland rainforest, Ratcliffe et al. (1). Paratypes in CMNC, CWOB, INBC.
Distribution.— Costa Rica (Alajuela, Guanacaste, Puntarenas), Panama (Canal Zone, Chiriqui), Ecuador (Napo).
Natural history.—Specimens have been collected from 700­1350m elevation in montane evergreen forest in Costa Rica, and near 200m in lowland rainforest in Panama and Ecuador.
Derivation of specific name.—This species is named after James D. Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank, in recognition for the continuing support of INBio activities by the Global Environmental Fund of the World Bank.
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 75-77, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.156033