Two new species of Cleridae (Coleoptera) from a Costa Rican cloudforest

Abstract

Two species of Clerini (Cleridae: Clerinae), Colyphus hansoni and Enoclerus (E.) puravida , are described from malaise trap samples collected in a patch of c1oudforest at Zurquí de Moravia, San Jose Province, Costa Rica. Colyphus hansoni is compared to its congeners and to the sympatric Enoclerus (Coniferoclerus) subviolaceus (Gorham). The new species is distinguishable from its congeners on the basis of color, seta! pattem and elytral sculpturing. A sympatric, undescribed Colyphus species resembles C. hansoni in details of shape and sculpturing, and may prove to be its sister species. Colyphus hansoni has the elyra tricolorous (red, ivory and black) and thus is easily separated from the undescribed species which has the e1ytra strictly bicolorous (stramineous and black). The generic status of the latter is discussed in relation to Colyphus. The presence of sexually dimorphic tarsal claws in Colyphus is noted for the first time. Enoclerus (E.) puravida is characterized as part of a complex of several similar and possibly related species distributed in Panarna and Costa Rica. It is similar lo several other Mexican and Central American Enoclerus species lhat share small size, ant-like form, shining black or reddish elytral integument and distinctive sculpturing of the elytral base. This group, consisting of E. (E. ) tubercularis (Gorharn 1882), E. (E.) gibbus Ekis 1976, E. (E.) albosignatus Ekis 1976, E. (E. ) puravida and sorne undescribed species, may eventually prove io form a clade-and thus warrant elevation to subgeneric or generic status. Among described species, E. (E.) puravida is most similar to the PananlalÚan E. (E.) albosignatus, from which it differs by having the base of each elytron coarsely alveoJate-¡iunctate and only incidentally and feebly costate, rather than smooth and "embossed" with !bree shalJow carinae. The two species also differ in details of coloration and pronotal sculpturing. E. (E.) puravida may be mimicking ants.