An essay on the tribe Xylographellini (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea: Ciidae) Author Lopes-Andrade, Cristiano text Zootaxa 2008 2008-07-30 1832 1 1 110 https://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.1832.1.1 journal article 10.11646/zootaxa.1832.1.1 1175­5334 5126979 45A82AD6-F369-4A74-A280-048BAE6E2DA5 Scolytocis difficillimus Lopes-Andrade sp. nov. ( Figs 36–38 , 57 , 64A , 67A , 71 , 80 ) Etymology The specific epithet is a reference to the difficulty in recognizing the species, mainly in distinguishing it from Scol. bouchardi sp. nov. Diagnosis The species belongs to the bouchardi species-group, so it differs from the other Scolytocis mainly by the triconcave prosternum. It differs from Scol. bouchardi sp. nov. , the most closely related species, by the comparatively smaller body (total length less than 1.3 mm ) and small eyes (1.0X the basal width of scutellum). Description Holotype . ( Figs. 36–38 ) Measurements in mm: TL 1.16; PL 0.42; PW 0.53; EL 0.74; EW 0.53; GD 0.53. Ratios: PL/PW 0.80; EL/EW 1.40; EL/PL 1.75; GD/EW 1.00; TL/EW 2.20. Body dark brown; antennae, mouthparts and legs yellowish brown. Head with shallow, sparse, inconspicuous punctation; interstice between punctures finely microreticulate. Each antenna ( Fig. 64A , paratype ) with nine antennomeres (FL 0.078mm ; CL 0.150mm ; CL/FL 1.94); length of the antennomeres (in mm) as follows: 0.088; 0.040; 0.040; 0.013; 0.013; 0.013; 0.040; 0.038; 0.073. Eyes with greatest width 1.0X the basal width of scutellum. Pronotal punctation coarse, sparse, shallow; punctures separated by a distance of two to four punctures widths; interstice microreticulate; anterolateral margins slightly arched inwards; posterolateral angles broadly rounded; posterior margin without rugose border. Scutellum with some fine, sparse punctures; basal width 0.21X the EW. Elytral punctation confuse at base and subseriate at disc; punctures coarse, shallow, irregular; punctures without conspicuous border; interstice between punctures finely rugose; elytral apex subacute, declivity with weak concavity; cuticular globules very small, inconspicuous; elytral suture weakly margined at apical third. Each hindwing ( Fig. 57 ) with apical area bearing one vague, incomplete pigmented line near the anterior margin. Prosternum triconcave, without longitudinal carina at midline; surface shiny, rugose. Metaventrite bearing small and sparse setae, with interstice finely microreticulate; discrimen one-fifth the length of the metaventrite at midline. Abdominal ventrites bearing small and sparse setae; interstice finely microreticulate. Each metatibiae ( Fig. 67A ) broadly rounded, near 3.5X as long as broad; outer edge with spines (around 20) regularly distributed at apical two thirds and then getting sparser. Male genitalia (in a paratype ). ( Fig. 71 ) Apex of tegmen (sclerotized apical two-thirds) subtriangular; median lobe not observed, probably extremely membranous. Type series Holotype . (ANIC) Ecuador : /ECUAD: Pichincha Rio Palenque, 47Km.S Sto Domingo JULY 20-30, 1975 / S. & J. Peck Collectors / Rigidoporus sp. / Scolytocis difficillimus Lopes-Andrade HOLOTYPUS [printed on red paper] / . Paratypes . Ecuador : 4 specimens (2 ANIC, 2 LAPC), same data as holotype . All the paratypes with an additional label / Scolytocis difficillimus Lopes-Andrade PARATYPUS [printed on yellow paper]/. Variation Measurements in mm (n = 2, including the holotype ): TL 1.16–1.26 (1.21 ± 0.07); PL 0.42–0.42 (0.42 ± 0.00); PW 0.53–0.53 (0.53 ± 0.00); EL 0.74–0.84 (0.79 ± 0.07); EW 0.53–0.58 (0.55 ± 0.04); GD 0.53–0.53 (0.53 ± 0.00). Ratios: PL/PW 0.80–0.80 (0.80 ± 0.00); EL/EW 1.40–1.45 (1.43 ± 0.04); EL/PL 1.75–2.00 (1.88 ± 0.18); GD/EW 0.91–1.00 (0.95 ± 0.06); TL/EW 2.18–2.20 (2.19 ± 0.01). Distribution Known only from the type locality in Ecuador ( Fig. 80 ). Host fungi Rigidoporus sp. (Meripilaceae) . Comments I was a little bit reluctant in describing this species, due to its similarities to Scol. bouchardi sp. nov. However, after a careful comparison of morphological features, I concluded that some specimens from Ecuador , from a single field collection, are quite distinct and cannot be adequately included in any of the new northern Neotropical species of Scolytocis . After delimiting Scol. difficillimus sp. nov. , I found out that it was very similar to Scol. bouchardi sp. nov. in the morphology of hindwings, tibiae, and prosternum (“triconcave”), which led me to define a morphological group for both species (the bouchardi species-group).