Pericompsus (Pericompsus) prionomus Erwin 1974

Pericompsus prionomus

TYPE-LOCALITY.—Barro Colorado Island, Canal Zone, Panama.

TYPE-SPECIMEN.—The unique holotype female is in MCZ. It was collected by M. Bates in 1935.

DESCRIPTION.—Form (Figure 93): Similar to P. pegasus, but easily distinguished from members of that species by the nearly contiguous punctures of the elytral interneurs.

Color: Shiny testaceous, middle of venter rufous, elytral cloud piceous.

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

Pronotum (Figure 93): Narrowly subcordate, sides sinuate and constricted in basal half; base broadly lobed; hind angles slightly obtuse, sharp, side margins not reflexed; disc moderately convex.

Elytra: Each elytron with 6 punctate interneurs; punctures small, separated longitudinally by their own diameter or less; rows 2–6 effaced at apical sixth, row 1 shallower apically, interneur 7 effaced externally throughout; interneur 8 well impressed, and foveate just anterior to middle; fovea large, subequal in diameter to width of elytral explanation; humeral margin moderately rounded at base, not connected with base of interneur 4; side margins moderately explanate, moderately coarsely serrate-setulose in basal fourth; chaetotaxy as in P. ephippiatus; plica long and well developed externally.

Microsculpture: Mostly effaced except on scutellum and in frontal furrows.

Genitalia: Male unknown; female not dissected.

Size: Length, 2.72 mm; width, 1.16 mm; the type measured.

NATURAL HISTORY.—The single specimen was collected in January; it was not teneral.

ETYMOLOGY.—Greek noun, prion, meaning “saw” (serrate) and, omos, meaning “shoulder,” referring to the coarsely serrate humeral margin of the elytron.

LOCALITY RECORDS (Figure 105).—I have seen only the type from Barro Colorado Island, Canal Zone, Panama.