Tomopterchasia sullivanorum, Clarke, 2013

Clarke, Robin O. S., 2013, Bolivian Rhinotragini Vii: Provisional Report Of Higher Altitude Species (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) With Descriptions Of New Taxa, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 53 (28), pp. 373-406 : 373-406

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1590/S0031-10492013002800001
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B5879C-781A-D63F-E2EE-F92EFBE9FD96
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Tomopterchasia sullivanorum
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Tomopterchasia sullivanorum View in CoL sp. nov.

Fig. 9A View FIGURES 7‑12

Holotype male: 7.20 mm. Deposited at MNKM. Diagnosis: In male T. sullivanorum antennae are pale chestnut in colour (in T. cuneiformis dark chestnut); in T. sullivanorum pubescence on frons, front and hind margins of pronotum, and scutellum, brassy in colour (in T. cuneiformis yellow); in T. sullivanorum translucent panels on elytra almost uniformly densely punctate (in T. cuneiformis only densely punctate at base, impunctate at apex); in male T. sullivanorum inferior lobes of eyes separated by 1.3 diameter of antennal scape (in T. cuneiformis twice width of scape); in male T. sullivanorum antennae reaching middle of urosternite II (in T. cuneiformis shorter).

Description of holotype: Small, dull and densely punctured generally; abdomen (4.00 mm) 1.4 longer than forebody (2.85 mm). General colour opaque black and chestnut; the following black: head, prothorax, underside of forebody, most of abdomen (except midline of urosternites I and II broadly yellowish), and coxae. Antennae pale chestnut (scape slightly darker). Elytra dull black with broad, brownish, translucent panels running from humeri to apical third, the latter clouded with rufous.

Legs: Femora, and most of metatibiae dark chestnut; all tibiae yellowish at extreme base; pro- and mesotibiae, and tarsi chestnut.

Structure: Rostrum parallel-sided, moderately wide (0.40 mm), 2.7 wider than long. Labrum almost planar with clypeus, with group of small punctures to each side. Clypeus planar with frons, both somewhat depressed. Width of one inferior lobe (3.75 mm) of eyes about 1.7 width of interocular (2.25 mm). Interocular lying below level of eyes, frontal suture very narrow, partially obliterated by contiguous punctures, but traceable from antennal tubercles to near front margin of eye. Antennae passing apex of elytra at middle of antennomere IX; measurements: scape (0.45 mm); antennomere III (0.50 mm); IV (0.35 mm); V (0.45 mm); VI (0.40 mm); VII (0.37 mm); VIII (0.35 mm); IX (0.30 mm); X (0.25 mm); XI (0.35). Prothorax widest at middle, front and hind margins subequal (0.90 mm); apical constriction weak, basal one stronger (but narrow). Base of prosternal process narrow (about 0.05 mm), seven times narrower than width of procoxal cavity. Elytra short (1.85 mm), and moderately wide at humeri (1.15 mm). Abdomen: length of urosternite I 0.90 mm; II and III 0.85 mm; IV 0.75 mm; V 0.50 mm. Width at narrowest point 0.65 mm; and widest point 0.95 mm. Inclination of abdominal process about 80°.

Male variation: Colour variation minor, limited to changes of hue (the Incahuasi male is generally paler on body than holotype (which may be due to the age of the specimen, black becoming dark chestnut on prothorax and abdomen; but antennae darkening to chestnut, with paler scape).

Structure: The sex of the two paratypes is confirmed by the deeply foliate urosternite V; but the Floripondio male paratype presents certain characters tending towards those more typical of females, in particular: width of one superior lobe 1.27 width of interocular (about half way between male and female); and eyes correspondingly smaller and flatter; ratio forebody and abdomen much the same as in holotype, but abdomen slightly less elongate, and distinctly wider than in holotype (again, in appearance midway between male and female); and the antennae are shorter (reaching apical third of urosternite I). The Incahuasi male paratype differs from the holotype by the following: width of one superior lobe 1.42 width of interocular; the eyes large, but rather flat; ratio forebody and abdomen 0.67:1.00 (not very different from the other two types); but the abdomen distinctly more elongate (giving it a strongly male appearance) .

Measurements (mm): 3 males: total length 7.15-8.60; length of pronotum 1.10-1.35; width of pronotum 1.10-1.35; length of elytra 1.85-2.10; width at humeri 1.20-1.35.

Type material: Holotype male, BOLIVIA, Santa Cruz, 18°08’S / 63°44’W, 1914 m, Provincia Florida, Floripondio (east), on/flying to flowers of “Sotillo”, 26.XI.2009, Clarke & Zamalloa col. ( MNKM). GoogleMaps

Paratype with same data as holotype: 1 male, 26. XI .2009, Clarke & Zamalloa col. ( RCSZ) GoogleMaps .

Paratype with different data from holotype: Chuquisaca, Incahuasi , E Muypampa, 1600 m, 1 male, XII.1984, L.E. Peña col. ( MZUSP) .

Discussion: Although it could be, the author discounts any real possibility that T. sullivanorum and T. cuneiformis are conspecific; there seem to be too many small differences, and, certainly, their distribution would mitigate against this possibility: T. sullivanorum from the subtropical rainforest of subAndean Bolivia (which as noted in the introduction seem to contain an endemic fauna), and T. cuneiformis from the Mata Atlantica of eastern Brazil.

The one female of T. cuneiformis on loan to the author (from the MZUSP collection) would seem to be one of a series collected by Fritz Plaumann on the same occasion, and at the same place, as Fisher’s Type (male) and 5 Paratypes (3 males, 2 females). Curiously, the MZUSP specimen is brown (or could be termed “rufous”) in colour, but Fisher (1952) says: “this species is allied to Ischasia rufina Thomson , but differs from that species by being of a different colour” .

Etymology: T. sullivanorum is dedicated to Pat and Lisa Sullivan who have generously supplied us with collecting equipment for our work in Bolivia.