Embates aequiperabilis Prena 2005, sp. n.

(Fig. 209, 252)

Holotype male (dissected), Costa Rica, labeled: “ Rio San Lorenzo, 1050m,/ Tierras Morenas, Z.P./ Tenorio, Prov. Guanacaste / Costa Rica, M. Segura / 28 mar a 21 abr 1992 / L­N 287800, 427600”, CRI000 775821 (INBC).

Paratypes 10 (5 males, 5 females), Costa Rica, labeled: as holotype except A Marin, CRI000 413258 (INBC); “ Rio San Lorenzo, 1050 m, Tierras / Morenas, Z.P. Tenorio, Prov./ Guan. COSTA RICA. Abr 1991. C./ Alvarado. L­N­287800, 427600”, CRI001 398329 (JPPC); “ COSTA RICA, Punt. / Monteverde Reserve / 1500m, 18.VIII.1987 / H. & A. Howden” (HAHC); same data except 27.V.1979 (HAHC 2); “ COSTA RICA, Punt. / Monteverde, Hotel Bel­/ mar, cloud forest, ca./ 4500', V­28. VI­1­1994 ”, “Collectors/ J. Rifkind, P. Gum” (CWOB); “San Luis, Monteverde, A. C. Arenal, Prov./ Puntarenas, Costa Rica, 900 m, Jun 1993,/ Z. Fuentes, L N 250850_449250 #2198”, CRI001 918254” (INBC); Costa Rica, Puntarenas, Monteverde [no label attached, data retreived from database], INB0003030789 (INBC); “ COSTA RICA, S. Jose,/ Zurquí de Moravia,/ 1600m. malaise trap / V­1995, P. Hanson” (CWOB); “ Costa Rica, HEREDIA: 5/ km N San Isidro, Cerro/ Zurquí, 1800 m / 15.2.2000, leg. Prena ” (JPPC).

Description. Habitus: similar to Fig. 204, total length 4.8–8.0 mm (m=6.7, n=11). Color: integument piceous, two specimens from Cerro Zurquí partially rufous; basic vestiture of small cupreous and some yellow scales scattered along striae, yellow scales condensed in narrow, well­defined dorsolateral vitta between head and elytral apices; venter with dense vestiture of light yellow scales on prosternum and along flank (except ventrite 1). Head: frontal fovea absent, rostrum slender, subcylindrical, slightly more curved than in E. aliquantulus (Fig. 205), costate dorsomedially, basolateral margin moderately edged, length of rostrum ♂♂ 1.26–1.32 x (m=1.29, n=6), ♀♀ 1.30–1.39 x (m=1.34, n=5) pronotal length, length of ante­antennal portion ♂♂ 0.48–0.50 x (m=0.49, n=6), ♀♀ 0.49–0.53 x (m=0.52, n=5) total rostral length, dorsal margin of antennal scrobe reaching rostral base before eye; funicular segment 2 distinctly longer than 1 (Fig. 209), club oblong ovate. Pronotum: length 0.99–1.06 x (m=1.03, n=11) maximum width, sides subparallel in basal third, then roundly narrowed, anterior portion tubulate; disk densely punctate, intervals granulose. Elytra: length 2.11–2.27 x (m=2.17, n=11) width at humeri, width 1.27–1.34 x (m=1.30, n=11) maximum pronotal width, sides subparallel in basal half, then increasingly converging toward apex, apices rounded conjointly, preapical callus weakly developed, striae fine, punctures indistinct, interstriae flat, none costate. Legs: tibiae curved, ventrodistally with short fringe of cupreous hairs, tarsal claws arcuate and separate at base. Male: aedeagus as E. aliquantulus.

Plant association. Piper aequale (Prena 1).

Distribution. Costa Rica, Cordillera Central between 900 and 1800 m (Fig. 252).

Specific epithet. The name is a Latin adjective meaning “comparable”.

Discussion. Embates aequiperabilis is a notably slender species near E. aliquantulus. From this and other species with well­defined dorsolateral elytral vitta, it can be distinguished readily by the nude first ventrite, where the lateral vestiture is discontinued abruptly. All specimens were collected in premontane and montane forests of the Cordillera Central.