Hypotelus praecox Erichson 1840

Hypotelus praecox Erichson, 1840

(Figs. 10, 67, 68, 92, 93, 94, 113)

Hypotelus praecox Erichson, 1840: 841 (original description, type locality: "valle Araguensi Columbiae"); Fauvel, 1864: 39 (characters, distribution); Bernhauer & Schubert, 1910: 9 (catalog); Blackwelder, 1944: 101 (distribution); Herman, 2001: 1785 (distribution); Newton et al., 2005: 37 (distribution).

Type material. Hypotelus praecox Erichson 1840. Lectotype (here designed) deposited in ZMHB, female (photo, Fig. 10), dissected [abdominal segments 8 to 10 and spermatheca fixed on acetate plastic card and covered with Canada balsam], with labels: (1) “6821” [old white label, printed in black]; (2) “ nigriceps /m./ praecox /Er.” [old white label, handwritten]; (3) “Hist.-Coll. (Coleoptera)/Nr. 6821/ Hypotelus / praecox Erichs. /Columb., Moritz./Zoo. Mus. Berlin ” [green label, printed in black]; (4) “ SYNTYPUS / Hypotelus / praecox Erichson, 1840 /labeled by MNHUB 2016 ” [red label, printed in black]; (5) “ LECTOTYPE / Hypotelus praecox / Erichson, 1840 /det. S. Bortoluzzi, 2016” [red label, printed in black].

Paralectotype, deposited in ZMHB, female, with labels: (1) “6821” [old white label, handwritten]; (2) “ Type ” [orange label, printed in black]; (3) “Mus./Berol.” [white label, printed in black]; (4) “Hist.-Coll. (Coleoptera)/Nr. 6821/ Hypotelus / praecox Erichs. /Columb., Moritz./Zoo. Mus. Berlin ” [green label, printed in black]; (5) “ SYNTYPUS / Hypotelus / praecox Erichson, 1840 /labeled by MNHUB 2016 ” [red label, printed in black]; (6) “ PARALECTOTYPE / Hypotelus praecox / Erichson, 1840 /det. S. Bortoluzzi, 2016” [yellow label, printed in black].

Note: When we contacted the ZMHB for requesting the type material of Hypotelus praecox Erichson, 1840 we were informed that there are two specimens of H. praecox (probably types) under the name H. nigriceps Sharp. These were deposited in a box of Osoriinae with a label written: “genus = Hypotelus!/?types of praecox Er. /det. A.F.Newton 1989.”. Since there is no H. nigriceps in the genus Hypotelus, we contacted A.F. Newton (author of the additional label of the types), who clarified that those 2 "6821" specimens were filed in that collection as Eumalus nigriceps Sharp, but were actually Hypotelus and might be syntypes of H. praecox Er. Alfred F. Newton continued, that in the partially obscured label " nigriceps / m / praecox / Er." the "m" means "mihi" [of me], referring to whoever wrote this label. Therefore, this nigriceps apparently refers to a manuscript name of whoever did write the label, maybe Fauvel, but it is definitely not Sharp's writing. It seems clear that this " nigriceps " has nothing to do with Eumalus nigriceps Sharp, and those two nigriceps names were confused by someone later, who then placed the two H. praecox types under Eumalus. According to A. F. Newton this looks like a good case for a lectotype designation to clarify the name praecox and we agree with him.

Additional material. See Appendix 2.

Diagnosis. Hypotelus praecox is similar to Hypotelus pusillus but differs by the darker head compared to the pronotum (Fig. 10); male by shape of aedeagus, apex of median lobe forming a slightly hook (Figs. 67–68) and female by sternite 8 with posterior margin rounded and bursa copulatrix elongated (Fig. 92).

Redescription. BL: 2.8 mm, BW: 0.7 mm. Body slightly convex (Fig. 10); dorsal surface glossy; light brown, except head, mandibles and abdomen slightly dark brown. Dorsal integument of head and pronotum with dispersed fine punctures and undulate microstriae; elytra with dispersed fine punctures and only one longitudinal finely punctate stria close to elytral suture.

Male. Head. Supra-antennal area slightly prominent. Antennae reaching humeral angle; antennomeres 2 and 3 of equal length, antennomere 4 shortest and 5–11 gradually increasing in length toward antennal apex. Mandibles symmetrical.

Thorax. Pronotum wider than long (PW/PL=1.3); anterior angles rounded; apical half with somewhat curved sides and basal half gradually narrowing toward the base; with complete internal mid-longitudinal ridge and slight longitudinal median sulcus only on disc. Elytra somewhat longer than wide (EL/BW=1.1), not covering abdominal tergite 3.

Abdomen. Tergite 8 with posterior margin rounded; sternite 8 with posterior margin rounded; tergite 9 with short ventral struts; sternite 9 with posterior margin truncate and with two pairs of long setae; tergite 10 as female. Median lobe of aedeagus with curved shape and apex forming a slight hook in lateral view (Figs. 67–68).

Female. Similar to female except for: apical margin of sternite 8 with short setae; tergite 10 with posterior margin weakly pigmented, with short fringes and four setae on each side at apex (Fig. 93); bursa copulatrix elongated (Fig. 92); ovipositor consisting of a pair of weakly pigmented hemisternites and a pair of more apical coxites, and with many long setae on apex; spermatheca with globose capsule (Fig. 94).

Geographical records. In the current study, the species was examined from Colombia and Ecuador (Pichincha and Los Rios). Blackwelder (1944) listed it also from Brazil, but he considered that as a doubtful occurrence. Newton et al. (2005) listed this species from Colombia (Sabana de Torres) (Fig. 113).

Biological notes. The specimens have been found in rain forests and were collected by Malaise traps.