Passalus (Pertinax) quitensis ( Kaup 1871 )

Jiménez-Ferbans, Larry, Reyes-Castillo, Pedro & Bevilaqua, Marcus, 2022, The Brachypterous Species of Passalus (Pertinax) (Coleoptera: Passalidae), with the Description of a New Species from Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia, Neotropical Entomology 51 (5), pp. 722-741 : 730-733

Passalus (Pertinax) quitensis ( Kaup 1871)

( Figs. 7 , 8 and 9 )

Type material. Holotype: sex. ind. Ecuador. Quito. Proculejus quitensis Kp. / Br. Mus. // Type // Quito // 46 62 ( BMHN).

Additional material: Ecuador. Tung [urahua], El Tablón (Baños) 2800 m. vii-2001. D. Curoe col. // Passalus quitensis ( Kaup, 1871) / M. Bevilaqua det. 2019 ( CEMT) 1 ex.

Diagnosis: Frons anterior edge straight, with middle indentation continuing in a longitudinal groove, without secondary mediofrontal tubercles; mediofrontal + laterofrontal tubercles large, inner tubercles large, smaller than the mediofrontal + laterofrontal tubercles; prepisternum with scarce pubescence; mesosternal scars large, narrow and shallow, with an opaque surface; metasternal disc short delimited by punctuations lateroposteriorly; humeri and epipleura glabrous.

Redescription.

Habitus ( Figs. 7 a-b and 9): total length 30 mm, brachypterous, body convex.

Head ( Figs. 7c and 8 a-b): labrum with anterior border straight. Clypeus hidden below the frons, anterior angles small, positioned below the mediofrontal + laterofrontal tubercles. Frons anterior edge straight, with middle indentation continuing in a longitudinal groove, without secondary mediofrontal tubercles. Mediofrontal + laterofrontal tubercles large, conspicuous, with acute apex and projected forward. Frontal area transverse, wider than long, sloping, full of thick punctuations. Inner tubercles large, conspicuous, with slightly rounded vertices, smaller than the mediofrontal + laterofrontal tubercles, from which they are separated, but located closer to them than to the central tubercle. Anterior frontal ridges absent. Posterior frontal ridges strong, high, starting at obtuse angle at the base of the central tubercle, having a small tubercle located close to the central tubercle. Cephalic mamelon small, conspicuous and not divided by a longitudinal groove. Central tubercle conical, tall, with apex free. Lateroposterior tubercles small, conspicuous, slightly rounded shape, located near the central tubercle but not joined to it by a ridge. Laterofrontal areas prominent, containing some thick punctuations. Lateropostfrontal areas with few punctures. Postfrontal groove well-marked, with notch in the middle region. Epicranial sutures well-marked. Epicranial fossae deep. Anterior head angles well-developed, with obtuse vertices, smaller than mediofrontal + laterofrontal tubercles. Ocular canthus narrow, straight, reaching halfway to the eye (eyes reduced). Postorbital fossae large, well-marked, deep, with punctures and some setae. Hypostomal process broad, glabrous and slightly close from mentum. Medial basal mentum slightly dilated, with few setigerous punctuations only in the posterior region; with protruded anterior region, without notch. Lateral lobes of the mentum outer face rounded, inner face straight, with sparse setae. Lateral fossae of mentum rounded, large, shallow, with few punctuations and setae. Antennal club trilamellate, with short, thick, and straight lamellae. Mandibles with incisor lobe with three well-formed teeth at the apex; robust upper internal tooth with a larger superior tubercle than the lower one; large and tall dorsal teeth, directed forward; inconspicuous infrabasal fossae. Maxilla with lacinia bidentate at the apex. Ligula tridentate, middle tooth slightly larger and the same width as the lateral teeth.

Thorax ( Figs. 7 , 8 c-e and 9): pronotum rounded, punctures extended beyond the lateral fossae and marginal groove, same wide than elytra. Anterior edge slightly straight. Anterior angles obtuse. Marginal groove narrow, occupying 2/3 of the anterior margin of the pronotum, containing fine punctuations in the anterior and lateral part. Lateral fossae large, well-marked, deep, irregular in shape. Prepisternum with short setae located mainly in the lateroposterior region, the anterior region being glabrous. Prepimerum pubescence, mainly in the posterior region. Prosternellum rhomboidal, with rounded base. Mesosternum smooth and glabrous, with lateral areas opaque. Mesosternal scars large, narrow and shallow, with an opaque surface, without punctuations or setae. Posterior corner of the mesepisternum and mesepimere glabrous. Anterolateral part of metasternum and lateral fossa glabrous. Anterolateral part of metasternum and lateral fossa glabrous. Metasternal disc short and flat, with few punctures, delimited by a carina formed by punctuations in the lateroposterior region. Metasternal punctuations consisting in a group of thick punctures in the posterior region. Metasternal lateral fossea narrow, not dilated posteriorly, narrower than the mesotibia.

Elytra ( Figs. 7a and 9a,c ): striae narrower than interstriae; marked with rounded, shallow and inconspicuous punctuations on the dorsal striae, slightly more defined and deep on the lateral striae. Humeri and epipleura glabrous.

Abdomen ( Figs. 7b and 9b ): last sternite with marginal groove complete and well-marked.

Legs ( Figs. 7 a-b, 8a,e and 9): profemur with ventral anterior marginal sulcus well-marked and complete; posterior ventral edge with tuft of setae close to the apex. Protibiae not dilated. Mesotibiae with two or three small spines on the outer margin. Metatibiae without spines on the outer surface.

Comments: in the original description, Kaup (1871) made no reference to the species having reduced wings. However, Gravely (1918) indicates that the species possesses “rounded pronotum and fused and rounded elytra”, which corresponds to brachypterous species. Kaup (1871) only indicated as coming from Quito, which is located at more than 2500 m a.s.l.

Figures

Fig.7 Passalus (Pertinax) quitensis type: (a) dorsal habitus; (b) ventral habitus; (c) dorsal view of the head and pronotum

Fig. 8 Passalus (Pertinax) quitensis: (a) head; (b) mentum; (c) head and pronotum in dorso- lateral view; (d) mesosternum; (e) metasternum

Fig. 9 Passalus (Pertinax) quitensis: (a) dorsal habitus; (b) ventral habitus; (c) lateral habitus