Muisca biordinis, nov.sp.

Muisca biordinis OPITZ nov.sp. (Figs 41, 71, 118, 97, 149)

Holotype: ♀. VENEZUELA, Táchira, Pregonero, Camp. Siberia Hospital, 1280 m, 10-31.VII. 1989, S. & J. Peck, 2 nd forest road, ex. mal. (CMNC). Paratypes: 4 specimens. Colombia: Departamento de Cauca, Cauca, Cauca Valley (WOPC, 1). Venezuela: Estado de Táchira, 50 km NE San Cristobal, picnic grounds, 20-V-1974, H. & A. Howden (WOPC, 1). Ecuador: Provincia de Catopaxi, San Francisco de las Pampas, 17-I-2002, F. T. Hovore (JNRC, 1); Provincia de Napo, Loreto Road, 7 km E Narupa, 16-IX-1998, F. Hovore (WOPC, 1).

D i a g n o s i s: Muisca biordinis specimens may be distinguished from those of its sister species, M. bitaeniata, by coloration of the pronotal disc. In M. biordinis specimens the pronotal disc shows two black lines. The pronotal disc is uniformly castaneous in M. bitaeniata specimens.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Size: Length 5.5 mm; width 2.5 mm. Form: As in Fig. 149. Color: Light castaneous, except frons and epicranium brown, pronotum with two brown, wide, paralateral lines, and each elytral disc with two brown oblong markings near humeral region, and with brown crescentiform fascia at middle. Head: Basal funicular antennomeres filiform, distal funicular antennomeres progressively shorter toward capitulum, capitular antennomeres 9 and 10 triangular (Fig. 41), antennomere 11 ovate; frons wider than width of eye (EW /FW 23/35). Thorax: Pronotum (Fig. 71) oblong (PW /PL 85/95), side margin with well-developed tubercle, disc coarsely punctate at sides, widely subglabrous at middle; elytral asetiferous punctation striate at middle of elytron end at elytral middle, otherwise punctures extend to elytral apical 2/3 rd (EL /EW 250/75). Abdomen: Pygidium subquadrate; posterior margin of 6 th visible sternite slightly concave at middle; aedeagus, phallic apex as in Fig. 118.

V a r i a t i o n: Size: Length 5.0- 5.5 mm; width 2.0- 2.5 mm. The elytral brown crescentiform fascia may be obliterated by the posterior expansion of the brown region from the elytral anterior margin and medial expansion of the brown region near the epipleural margin.

N a t u r a l h i s t o r y: Specimens was collected during January, May, September, and July; the holotype at 1280 m.

E t y m o l o g y: The trivial name, biordinis, is a Latin name derived from ordo (= line) and the prefix bi- (= two). I refer to the two wide brown lines on the pronotum.

D i s t r i b u t i o n (Fig. 97): This species is known from Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador.