Psyllotoxus faurei 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 : 10-12

Psyllotoxus faurei Nearns and Tavakilian , sp. nov.

( Figures 5 a-d)

Description. Female. Length 12.0-14.0 mm (measured from vertex to elytral apices), width 4.8-5.3 mm (measured across humeri). Habitus as in Fig. 5a. General form elongate-oblong, moderate-sized. Integument generally ferrugineous, dark brown or black, with whitish, gray, ferrugineous, and brown pubescence; pronotal disk with whitish and ferrugineous pubescence; elytral with central band of whitish and gray pubescence; basal 1/3 and apical 1/3 of elytra with variegated whitish, gray, and ferrugineous 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. 5c). Eyes with lower lobes moderate-sized, oblong; narrowest area connecting upper and lower eye lobes about 2 ommatidia wide. Genae elongate, slightly shorter than lower eye lobes.

Antennae slightly longer than body; antennal tubercles prominent, moderately separated; tubercles armed at apex with short projection; scape robust, clavate, with feeble basal groove on inner face; antennomeres III-XI slightly curved. Antennal formula based on antennomere III: scape=0.8; II=0.22; III=1; IV=0.81; V=0.81; VI=0.73; VII=0.64; VIII=0.62; IX=0.62; X=0.57; XI=0.63.

Pronotum roughly conical, slightly narrower at base, transverse, about 1.6 times as wide as long, sides irregular, with a moderate-sized, blunt protuberance each side behind middle ( Fig. 5a, 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 or ferrugineous pubescence.

Elytra about 1.7 times as long as width at humeri ( Fig. 5a, d), about 3.3 times as long as pronotal length, about 1.2 times broader basally than pronotum at widest (at 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 dense punctation, surface granulate-punctate; humeri prominent, anterior margin arcuate, angle with moderate-sized, obtuse tubercle.

Venter with procoxae large, globose, not uncate; narrowest area of prosternal process between procoxae about 1/4 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 about 2 times as long as IV, with a median triangular impression

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.

Male. Length 11.0- 14.5 mm (measured from vertex to elytral apices), width 4.2-5.0 mm (measured across humeri). Similar to female except antennae longer, about 1.3 times as long as body; scape with distinct basal groove on inner face; genae transverse, distinctly shorter than lower eye lobes; pronotum less strongly transverse; mesosternal process subtruncate, about 1/2 as wide as mesocoxal cavity; fifth abdominal sternite about 1.5 times longer than IV, without median triangular impression.

Type Material. Holotype, female ( Fig. 5 a-d), “ Route de Kaw pk 38, 13 Janvier 1986 Guyane, piégeage lumineux, P. Gerdelat leg., 0759” ( MNHN). Allotype, male, “ Piste de Kaw pk 43, 7 mai 1993 Guyane, piégeage lumineux, Patrick Arnaud leg.” ( MNHN). Sixteen paratypes: one male, “ Route de Kaw , pk 39, French Guiana, 28 Jan 1995, F. T. Hovore, coll.” ( ENPC); one male, “ Piste Coralie pk 3, 16 Novembre 1990 Guyane, piégeage lumineux, Duranel & Sénécaux ” ( MNHN); one female, “ Route de Kaw pk 32, 18 Auot 1990 Guyane, piégeage lumineux, Michel Vialard leg.” ( MNHN); one female, “ Route de KAW pk 40, 24 Juillet 1984, piégeage lumineux, P. Sarry leg., 0759” ( MNHN); one female, “ Piste Changement pk 4, 5 Septembre 1991 Guyane, piégeage lumineux, Navatte & de Toulgoet, 759” ( MNHN); one female, “ 20/II/ 2004 piste Bélizon PK 15+15 lumière” ( JLGC); one male, same data except “ 28/V/2003 ” ( JLGC); one male “ 09/IX/1999 lumière piste de Bélizon PK 24” ( JLGC); two males, “ Kaw PK 37, 27-I-2001, PL ” ( DFPC); one male “ Piste de Kaw , pk 39, 29-VII-2000, Jos Thoma leg.” ( JTPC); one male “ 18/VI/2004 lumière piste de Bélizon PK 3+15, light trap, P.-H. Dalens leg.” ( PHDC); one male, “ 01/II/2006, Piste de Bélizon pk15+17, light trap, P.-H. Dalens leg.” ( PHDC); one male and one female, “ 09/III/2008, Piste de Counamama pk22, forêt de Counami, ex larva (girdled branches), P.-H. Dalens leg.” ( PHDC); one female, “ 11/III/2008, Piste de Counamama pk22, forêt de Counami, ex larva (girdled branches), P.-H. Dalens leg.” ( PHDC).

Etymology. We take pleasure in naming this species for Denis Faure, with appreciation for his collaboration. 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 slightly taller than gena (females) or distinctly taller than gena (males); pronotum with a moderate-sized, blunt protuberance each side behind middle; antennomere III in male specimens not distinctly swollen (strongly clavate). Psyllotoxus faurei is described from 18 specimens: 11 males and seven females. All known specimens were collected in French Guiana, either at light or reared from girdled branches .