Pericompsus (Pericompsus) stenocitharus Erwin 1974

Pericompsus stenocitharus

TYPE-LOCALITY.—Arroyo Guazu, Mbovero, Paraguay.

TYPE-SPECIMENS.—The holotype male and allotype are in MCZ. Three paratypes are listed below.

DESCRIPTION.—Form (Figure 137): Similar to P. centroplagiatus, except pronotum more constricted basally. Easily distinguished from all members of the group by the small contiguous punctures of the elytral interneurs, and the strongly microsculptured elytra.

Color: Rufotestaceous, midventer and elytral cloud rufous; antennal articles 7–11 almost white, rest of antennae and appendages testaceous.

Head: Across eyes subequal to width of pronotum; frontal furrows moderately impressed and evenly arcuate, each extended to posterior margin of eye; eyes moderately large and prominent.

Pronotum (Figure 137): Strongly subcordate, narrow, sides strongly sinuate and constricted in basal half; base broadly lobed; hind angles acute, prominent; side margins not reflexed; disc strongly convex.

Elytra: Each elytron with 6 punctate interneurs; punctures small and contiguous and more or less striate; rows 2–6 effaced in apical third, row 1 entire, though less impressed apically, interneur 7 effaced externally throughout; interneur 8 well impressed and foveate at middle; fovea large, subequal in width to width of elytral explanation; humeral margin strongly rounded at base, not connected to base of interneur 4; side margins strongly explanate, moderately coarsely serrate-setulose in basal fourth; chaetotaxy as in P. centroplagiatus; plica long and well developed externally.

Microsculpture: Moderately impressed, nearly isodiametric reticulation on elytra and anterior margin of pronotum; nearly effaced from frons and pronotal disc.

Genitalia: Male (Figure 142) (2 examined); female characteristic of group (1 examined).

Size: Length, 2.24–2.48 mm; width, 1.00–1.04 mm; 4 specimens measured.

VARIATION.—The small sample available is quite homogeneous.

NATURAL HISTORY.—Specimens were collected in May; one was teneral.

ETYMOLOGY.—Greek adjective, stenos, meaning “narrow,” and noun kitharos, meaning “thorax,” refer to the basally constricted prothorax.

LOCALITY RECORDS (Figure 144).—I have seen only the type-series from Arroyo Guazu, Mbovero, Paraguay (MCZ, USNM).