Scolytodes cenchros Jordal, sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D76B19AC-52C6-49D1-9AF9-D81331745DF9 (Figs 10, 13, 16)

Type material. Holotype, female: “ Ecuador: Napo Provincia, Yasuni Research Station, S0º40’16.7’’ W76º24’1.8’’, 12.7.1996, A. Cognato coll., Ex Cecropia leafstalk”. Allotype and paratypes: same as holotype (4 females, 3 males). Holotype, allotype and two paratypes deposited in MSUC, remaining paratypes in ZMBN (2) and USNM (2).

Diagnosis. Interstriae 10 sharply elevated far beyond level of metacoxae, protibiae without an additional mesal tooth. Glabrous, with confused shallow elytral punctures; female frons with a central diamond-shaped impunctate area. Closely related to S. pascopomus, distinguished from the latter by the less densely setose female frons, the lack of erect pronotal setae, the slightly less distinct striae, and by the more narrowly rounded anterior margin and elytral apex.

Description female. Length 1.7–2.1 mm, 2.1–2.2 times longer than wide; colour dark brown. Head. Eyes separated above by 2.5 times their width. Frons mainly flat, slightly impressed in punctated u -shaped area from epistoma to just below upper level of eyes; punctures small, deep, confined to impressed area, spaced by less than their diameter, surface generally smooth, median area impunctate, diamond-shaped and shiny, slightly elevated. Vestiture consisting of very fine and slightly raised setae in punctated area. Antennal club flattened, setae evenly distributed, sutures not indicated, a partial septum weakly indicated at basal third. Funiculus 6-segmented. Submentum lightly coloured. Pronotum 0.95 times as long as wide, widest at base, gradually curving towards a narrowly rounded front; surface smooth, weakly reticulated, punctures small, distinct, spaced by 2–3 times their diameter. Glabrous (0–0–0). Elytra 1.3 times longer than wide, 1.6 times longer than pronotum; sides straight on basal half, narrowly rounded behind; striae not impressed, punctures tiny, very shallow, in obscure rows and spaced by 3 times their diameter; interstriae 4 times wider than striae, punctures similar to and difficult to distinguish from those in striae, confused. Interstriae 10 reaching elytral apex. Appears glabrous, with microscopic interstrial and strial setae on declivity and close to margins. Legs. Procoxae separated by 0.7 times the width of a coxa. Mesocoxae separated by the width of one procoxa. Protibiae with lateral teeth 1 and 2 of similar size pointing laterad, tooth 3 of medium size (variable), 3–4 additional tiny lateral teeth towards tibial base. Mesotibiae with 6–7 lateral socketed teeth on distal half. Metatibiae with 6–7 lateral socketed teeth on distal third. Ventral vestiture. Setae on mesanepisternum and metanepisternum simple.

Description male. Similar to female except frons convex, vestiture restricted to a few setae close to eye margins and on epistoma.

Key. One can navigate through minor discrepancies to couplet 40, e.g. S. plumeriae Wood, but S. cenchros has a very different body shape and much shorter setae in frons.

Etymology. A Latin noun cenchros meaning ‘small diamond’ referring to the diamond shaped impunctate median area of the female frons.

Biology and distribution. Breeds in Cecropia leafstalks. It is only known from the lowland Amazonian type locality.