Mephritus apicatus ( Linsley, 1935 )

García, Kimberly & Nascimento, Francisco Eriberto de Lima, 2020, Elaphidiini (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) from the Caribbean region of Colombia: New species, taxonomic notes and new geographical records, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia (Pap. Avulsos Zool., S. Paulo) 60 (23), pp. 1-8 : 7

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11606/1807-0205/2020.60.special-issue.23
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6D48FFC2-6C57-4CFD-A457-87F015D38421
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4615605
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03908E72-646C-FF9B-C724-F9212703FD56
treatment provided by	Carolina (2021-03-17 19:23:37, last updated by Plazi 2023-11-02 01:43:51)
scientific name	Mephritus apicatus ( Linsley, 1935 )
status

Treatment

Mephritus apicatus ( Linsley, 1935) View in CoL

( Figs. 14-15 View Figures 9-15 )

Geographical distribution: Mexico (Chiapas, Oaxaca); Nicaragua; Costa Rica; Panama; Brazil (Rondônia); Colombia (Atlántico, Bolívar), new country record.

Material examined: Colombia, Atlántico: Usiacurí ( Reserva Campesina La Montaña , 260 m, 10°46.0′02.6″N, 75°00.2′34.0″W, tropical dry forest), 14.V.2018, García, K. col., UV light trap (1♀ UARC) ; Bolívar: San Jacinto ( Reserva La Flecha , 324 m, 09°51′12.4″N, 75°10′41.4″W, tropical dry forest), 15-16.IV.2018, García, K. col., UV light trap (3♀ UARC), white light trap (1♂, 1♀ MZSP) GoogleMaps .

Remarks: This species was described by Linsley (1935) provisionally in the genus Nephalius Blanchard, 1843 , and later transferred to Mephritus by Napp & Martins, 1982. Originally, Linsley (1935) described the species habitus as yellowish-testaceous, with the head (in front of the eyes), antennae, legs, and apices of elytra black or rufo-piceous; he also mentioned that the elytral apex is spinose but did not specify any variation regarding the length of the spine. Specimens of M. apicatus from Colombia were examined and compared with specimens from the MZSP, and a chromatic variation was noticed. The head was completely dark in some specimens (not only in front of the eyes) ( Fig. 14 View Figures 9-15 ), while others were reddish, only dark in front of the eyes ( Fig. 15 View Figures 9-15 ); the color of the legs is also variable, with a tendency to be dark toward the femoral apex. Moreover, the length of the elytral spines is also variable among specimens.

References

Linsley, G. 1935. Notes and descriptions of new or little known neotropical Sphaerionini (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae). Revista de Entomologia, 5 (2): 139 - 149.

Napp, D. S. & Martins, U. R. 1982. Mephritus Pascoe, 1 866 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae): revalidacao do genero, chave para especies, notas sinonimicas e descricoes. Revista Brasileira Entomologia, 26 (1): 71 - 86.

Figures

Figures 9-15. (9, 13) Sphaerion sladeni Gahan, 1903: (9) Dorsal habitus; (13) Detail of pronotum and head. (10-12) Sphaerion costae sp. nov., paratype females: (10) Female with lateral margins of prothorax rounded, dorsal habitus; (11) Female with lateral margins of prothorax tuberculate, dorsal habitus; (12) Detail of pronotum and head.(14-15) Mephritus apicatus (Linsley,1935),dorsal habitus:(14) Male;(15) Female.Scale bars = 5 mm.