Meridiotroctes bicristata, Machado, Vanessa S. & Monné, Marcela L., 2009

Machado, Vanessa S. & Monné, Marcela L., 2009, Synopsis of the genus Meridiotroctes Martins & Galileo (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), Zootaxa 2261, pp. 66-68 : 68

Meridiotroctes bicristata sp. nov.

Fig. 1

Male. Integument brownish red. Ventral region covered with whitish pubescence, except mesepisternum and metepisternum with yellowish pubescence. Head mostly covered by orange-brownish pubescence and with coarse punctures between antennal tubercles. Frons with whitish pubescence and a row of brownish hairs. Antennae exceeding elytral apices by one antennomere; scape about 1.3 times shorter than antennomere 3; antennomeres 4-11 subequal and decreasing in length; antennomere 11 about 3.0 times shorter than 3. Scape covered by bands of brownish-orange pubescence intercalated with whitish pubescence; pedicel short, cylindrical, and covered by orange-brownish pubescence, except for a ring of whitish pubescence at apex; antennomeres 3-11 covered by whitish pubescence and dark-brown pubescence on apical third, except antennomeres 3-4 with a median band of dark-brown pubescence. Scape, pedicel, and antennomeres 3-7 with erect hairs on inner margin.

Prothorax about 1.5 times broader than long; with orange-brownish and whitish pubescence, the latter concentrated on the disk of the pronotum and on the lateral tubercles. Pronotum with sparse, coarse punctures near median and lateral tubercles. Intercoxal process of prosternum and mesosternum at most 1/3 as broad as coxal cavity. Apical margin of scutellum truncated, covered by dark-brown pubescence with a whitish median band.

Elytra with pubescence predominantly orange-brownish and whitish, with three bands of dark-brown pubescence, one narrow and oblique on basal third, and two transverse bands, one large and post-median and the other covering the apices. Elytral surface, except basal margin, with dense and coarse punctation; each puncture with one white seta. Elytra about 3 or 4 times as long as prothorax; two median cristae near base, the inner well developed and the outer less elevated, both almost reaching the median region; apices rounded.

Femora with whitish pubescence, except yellowish on apical third. Tibiae linear, with three bands of whitish pubescence intercalated with two bands of brown pubescence; protibial spurs short and subequal. First and second tarsi with whitish pubescence; third with brownish pubescence; fifth with brownish and whitish pubescence. Protarsi with dense, lateral, black setae. First urosternite 1/3 longer than the next urosternite; urosternites 2-4 subequal in length; urosternite 5 little longer than the fourth.

Female. Antennae reaching the elytral apices; protarsi without lateral black setae.

Measurements, in mm, male/female. Total length, 8.7–10.3/9.7–11.0; prothorax length, 1.6–2.1/2.0–2.1; prothorax width, 2.6–3.4/3.4–3.7; elytral length, 5.6–7.5/6.9–7.9; humeral width, 3.3–4.1/4.0–4.5.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the two cristae on the elytra of this species.

Type material. Male holotype, BRAZIL, Rio de Janeiro: Corcovado, 15.XI.1972 (C. Beduin leg.) ( MNRJ). Paratypes, Bahia: Maragojipe, female, X.1969 (B. Silva leg.) ( MNRJ); Rio de Janeiro: Corcovado: male, 30.XI.1972 (Alvarenga & Seabra leg.) ( MNRJ); female, 1.X.1977 (Seabra leg.) ( MNRJ); Tijuca, male, 1.XI.1962 (P. Bührnheim leg.) ( MNRJ).

Remarks. Meridiotroctes bicristata sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 ) has the pubescence color very similar to that of M. meridionale ( Fig. 2 ), and differs from M. meridionale mainly by the antennae in males exceeding the elytral apices by one segment; the elytra with two median cristae near the base, the inner well developed and the outer less elevated; and by a row of hairs on the base of the frons. In M. meridionale the male antennae do not reach the elytral apices, the elytra has only one median crista near the base, and there is no row of hairs on the base of the frons.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. 1, Meridiotroctes bicristata, male holotype; 2, Meridiotroctes meridionale, male; 3, Ozotroctes punctatissimus, male; 4, Psapharoctes hermieri, male; 5, Punctozotroctes guianensis, male.