Pericompsus (Pericompsus) picticornis Bates 1871

Pericompsus picticornis Bates, 1871:245

DESCRIPTION.—Form (Figure 134): Similar to P. centroplagiatus except elytra more attenuated apically. Easily distinguished from members of that species by the tricolored antennae.

Color: Shiny rufotestaceous, midventer and elytral cloud rufous, antennal articles 4–6 infuscated, articles 7–11 pale testaceous.

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

Pronotum (Figure 134): Strongly subcordate, sides sinuate and strongly constricted in basal half; base broadly lobed; hind angles about right; side margins not reflexed, disc moderately convex.

Elytra: Each elytron with 6 punctate-striate 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 diameter to width of elytral explanation; humeral margins abruptly angulate at base, not connected to base of interneur 4; side margins strongly explanate, minutely serrate-setulose in basal fourth; chaetotaxy as in P. centroplagiatus; plica long and well developed externally.

Microsculpture: Effaced from dorsal surface except scutellum, which has shallowly impressed isodiametric reticulation.

Genitalia: Male (Figure 140) (3 examined); female not dissected.

Size: Length, 2.16–2.52 mm; width, 0.96–1.04 mm; 10 specimens measured.

VARIATION.—The large series from Nova Teutonia displays considerable variation in elytral form, from rather robust to narrowly attenuated apically. The larger specimens are more robust, the smaller ones more attenuated, although every degree is present in the sample at hand.

NATURAL HISTORY.—Specimens were collected March, April, September, and November. One April specimen was teneral.

LOCALITY RECORDS (Figure 144).—I have seen 95 specimens from the following localities:

SOUTH AMERICA: BRAZIL: Rio de Janeiro State, Rio Janeiro (BMNH, MNHP, USNM); Santa Catarina State, Nova Teutonia (CAS, JNeg, MCZ, UASM, USNM).