Psyllotoxus dalensi Nearns and Tavakilian, 2012

Nearns, Eugenio H. & Tavakilian, Gérard-Luc, 2012, A new genus and five new species of Onciderini Thomson, 1860 Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) from South America, with notes on additional taxa, Insecta Mundi 2012 (266), pp. 1-23 : 9-10

Psyllotoxus dalensi Nearns and Tavakilian , sp. nov.

( Figures 4 a-d)

Description. Male. Length 12.5-13.0 mm (measured from vertex to elytral apices), width 5.0- 5.5 mm (measured across humeri). Habitus as in Fig. 4a. General form elongate-oblong, moderate-sized. Integument generally dark brown or black, with whitish, ochraceous, and pale red-orange pubescence; pronotal disk with whitish pubescence; elytral with central band of whitish pubescence; basal 1/3 and apical 1/3 of elytra with variegated whitish and pale red-orange pubescence; mesepimeron, mesepisternum, and lateral margins of humeri with dark brown or black pubescence; tibiae and metafemora with band of dark brown or black pubescence near middle.

Head with frons roughly subquadrate, about 3 times width of one lower eye lobe (as in Fig. 4c). Eyes with lower lobes moderate-sized, oblong; narrowest area connecting upper and lower eye lobes about 2 ommatidia wide. Genae elongate, about as tall as lower eye lobes.

Antennae nearly 2 times longer than body; antennal tubercles prominent, moderately separated; tubercles armed at apex with short blunt projection; scape robust, clavate, with distinct basal groove on inner face; antennomere III distinctly robust, strongly clavate; antennomeres IV and XI curved. Antennal formula based on antennomere III: scape=0.66; II=0.17; III=1; IV=0.85; V=0.73; VI=0.75; VII=0.74; VIII=0.72; IX=0.77; X=0.8; XI=1.12.

Pronotum subcylindrical, slightly wider at apex, transverse, about 1.5 times as wide as long, sides irregular, with a small, blunt protuberance each side behind middle ( Fig. 4a, d); disk with median, oval, glabrous region at basal half, adjacent to basal transverse sulcus; disk with two feebly elevated lateral tubercles; each lateral tubercle adjacent to apical transverse sulcus.

Scutellum transverse, apex rounded; central 1/3 glabrous, outer margins fringed with grayish or whitish pubescence.

Elytra about 1.6 times as long as width at humeri ( Fig. 4a), about 3.5 times as long as pronotal length, about 1.2 times broader basally than pronotum at widest (behind middle); sides roughly parallel, slightly attenuate to apices, gradually rounded to apices at apical 1/3, apices jointly rounded; basal 1/3 of elytra with moderate to dense punctation, surface granulate-punctate; humeri prominent, anterior margin arcuate, angle with moderate-sized, obtuse tubercle.

Venter with procoxae large, globose, with a moderate-sized, bunt protuberance projecting anteriorly, not uncate; narrowest area of prosternal process between procoxae about 1/3 as wide as procoxal cavity; apex of prosternal process not visible (specimens mounted on card). Mesosternal process not visible (specimens mounted on card). Fifth abdominal sternite slightly longer than IV.

Legs moderate in length; femora robust; metafemora clavate apically; tibiae slightly expanded apically; metafemora about 1/3 as long as elytra; tarsomere V about as long as I-IV combined.

Female. Length 12.5-13.5 mm (measured from vertex to elytral apices), width 5.0- 5.3 mm (measured across humeri). Similar to male except antennae shorter, about 1.25 times as long as body; antennal tubercles not armed at apex; scape less robust, without basal groove on inner face; antennomere III not distinctly robust, strongly clavate; pronotum more strongly transverse; procoxae without bunt protuberance; fifth abdominal sternite nearly 2 times as long as IV, with a median triangular impression.

Type Material. Holotype, male ( Fig. 4 a-d), “[ French Guiana] Route de Kaw pk33, 13 Février 1985, piégeage lumineux, G. Tavakilian leg., 0379” ( MNHN). Allotype, female, “[ French Guiana] 06/V/2010, Route de Kaw pk16, Réserve Trésor , ex larva (girdled branches), P.-H. Dalens leg.” ( PHDC). Six paratypes all from French Guiana: two females, same as allotype except “ 16/4/2010 ” and “ 13/II/2010 ” ( PHDC); one male, “ 02/III/2008, Piste de Counamama pk22, forêt de Counami, ex larva (girdled branches), P.-H. Dalens leg” ( PHDC); one male, same except “ 08/II/2008.” ( PHDC); one female, same except “ 15/I/2008 ” ( PHDC); one female, “Counami pk25, Counamama GF, 15/I/2008 ex larva” ( JLGC).

Etymology. We are pleased to name this species in honor of Pierre-Henri Dalens, for his generosity, collaboration, and contributions to the study of Cerambycidae . The epithet is a noun in the genitive case.

Diagnosis and Remarks. This species is distinguished from its congeners by the combination of the following characters: eyes with lower lobes about as tall as gena; pronotum with small-sized, blunt protuberance each side behind middle; base of elytra distinctly granulate-punctate; mesepimeron, mesepisternum, and lateral margins of humeri with dark brown or black pubescence. Psyllotoxus dalensi is described from eight specimens: three males and five females. Little is known about the habitat and behavior of this species; they were collected either at light or reared from unidentified girdled branches.