Oxycoleus similis, Nascimento & Santos-Silva, 2021

Nascimento, Francisco Eriberto De L. & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2021, The interesting and complex tribe Oxycoleini (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae): a new genus, new species, and taxonomic notes, Zootaxa 5060 (3), pp. 353-370 : 362-364

Oxycoleus similis sp. nov.

( Figs 15–23 )

Description. Holotype female ( Figs 15–20 ). Head capsule and prothorax black; ventral mouthparts mostly reddish brown, palpomeres black with apex reddish brown, mentum and basal area of maxilla dark brown; antennae black basally, gradually brown toward apex. Ventral surface of meso- and metathorax dark brown, with posterocentral area of metaventrite irregularly dark reddish brown. Elytra almost dark brown basally (this area triangularly projected centrally), laterally and apically, remaining surface light brown. Femora black basally, gradually dark brown toward apex (dark brown area more dark reddish brown depending on light intensity); tibiae and tarsi dark brown. Ventrites orangish.

Head. Frons transverse, densely microscopically punctate, with fine, sparse punctures interspersed; with minute pubescence not obscuring integument, and a few erect yellowish-white setae interspersed laterally. Median groove deep, somewhat wide between clypeus and area between antennal tubercles. Area between antennal and anterior 2/3 of vertex and of area behind upper eye lobes with coarse, sparse, shallow punctures, and dense blackish pubescence obscuring integument, except part of punctures on vertex; pubescence behind upper eye lobes gradually becoming longer and bristly toward its inferior region; remaining surface of vertex and area behind upper eye lobes finely, sparsely punctate, glabrous. Area behind lower eye lobes almost smooth, glabrous, except a few long, erect brownish setae near eye. Genae with transverse row of minute punctures about middle, with minute, decumbent yellowish-white seta emerging from each puncture; remaining surface smooth, glabrous. Wide central area of postclypeus with short, somewhat thick, erect black setae close to frons, somewhat coarsely punctate on anterior region, with long, erect yellowish-white setae emerging from nearly all punctures. Sides of postclypeus smooth, glabrous. Labrum subcoplanar with anteclypeus posteriorly, inclined anteriorly; coarsely, abundantly punctate close to anteclypeus, minute, abundantly punctate anteriorly; with long, erect, somewhat abundant yellowish-white setae (setae more abundant toward anterior margin), and tuft of yellowish setae on central area of anterior margin. Gulamentum smooth, glabrous on posterior 2/3; anterior third finely, somewhat sparsely punctate, and short, erect, sparse yellowish-white setae. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.32 times distance between outer margins of eyes; in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.59 times distance between outer margins of eyes. Antennae 1.8 times elytral length, reaching elytral apex at apex of antennomere IX. Scape clavate; almost smooth dorsally, finely, somewhat abundantly punctate laterally and ventrally; dorsal surface mostly glabrous, sides and ventral surface with both decumbent and bristly, short brownish setae not obscuring integument. Pedicel with dark brown pubescence, except glabrous apex, short, erect dark brown setae interspersed dorsally, and long, erect dark brown setae ventrally. Antennomeres III–IV cylindrical, with dark brown pubescence, almost absent on narrow apex, and long, erect, thick, somewhat abundant dark brown setae ventrally. Antennomere V–X slightly, gradually widened toward apex; antennomeres V–VI with long, erect dark brown setae ventrally (setae distinctly sparser on VI); antennomeres V–XI with minute, abundant pubescence not obscuring integument, gradually lighter toward distal antennomeres. Antennal formula based on length of antennomere III: scape = 1.31; pedicel = 0.25; IV = 1.25; V = 1.44; VI = 1.31; VII = 1.25; VIII = 1.12; IX = 1.12; X = 1.00; XI = 1.12.

Thorax. Prothorax slightly longer than wide; sides rounded between anterolateral angles and anterior constriction, with distinct rounded projection centrally, then slightly divergent toward posterolateral angles. Pronotum tumid on each side of anterior fifth; anterocentral area with distinct longitudinal gibbosity; with narrow, transverse, somewhat arched sulcus on each side of apex of anterior fifth, and narrow, longitudinal sulcus connected to it near it inner apex; with large, slightly elevated gibbosity on each side between anterior and posterior constrictions, more elevated on its posterior half; with elevated gibbosity centrally, from near middle to posterior constriction, more elevated than lateral gibbosities; lateral gibbosities surrounded internally and posteriorly with narrow L-shaped sulcus; sides and posterior fifth with dense dark brown pubescence, except glabrous rounded anterior area and anterior 2/3 of central rounded area; remaining central area nearly glabrous; with a few long, erect, both brownish and yellowish setae interspersed anteriorly and laterally. Sides of prothorax with dense dark pubescence about posterior quarter, almost glabrous anteriorly, glabrous on wide central area; with a few long, erect yellowish setae especially anteriorly and posteriorly. Prosternum finely transversely striate on sides of anterior and posterior region; with dark pubescence on center of posterior half, absent on remaining surface; with somewhat long, erect yellowishbrown setae, especially on anterior half. Prosternal process very narrow on anterior half, strongly widened toward apex on posterior half; posterior margin widely concave. Ventral surface of mesothorax with dense grayish-white pubescence laterally, not obscuring integument, almost glabrous centrally except on narrow anterior area. Metanepisternum and sides of metaventrite with abundant grayish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, and long, erect yellowish-white setae interspersed (erect setae longer and more abundant on sides of metaventrite); remaining surface of metaventrite with long, erect yellowish-white setae, gradually shorter and sparser toward central area, except narrow posterocentral area with grayish-white pubescence. Scutellum glabrous except narrow fringe of short yellowish-white setae along margins. Elytra. Reaching about middle of abdominal segment II; strongly narrowed toward acute apex, distinctly dehiscent internally from basal third; lateral carina well-marked, especially from anterior quarter; somewhat coarsely and abundantly punctate; with yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, except glabrous humeral area, and narrow white pubescent band close to suture on anterior quarter; with a few short, erect yellowish setae. Legs. Profemora with long, erect, sparse whitish setae; meso- and metafemora with long, erect, sparse whitish setae, and band of decumbent pubescence on inferior area of sides, from base to apex in mesofemora, mostly on peduncle in metafemora. Protibiae with long, erect, sparse brownish setae dorsally and laterally, and dense, bristly yellowish-brown pubescence ventrally (gradually longer and denser toward apex); mesotibiae with long, erect, sparse brownish setae basally (this area larger dorsally and laterally), and dense, bristly yellowish-brown pubescence on remaining surface, with long, erect brownish setae interspersed; metatibiae slightly sinuous, with long, erect brownish setae, denser ventrally, and bristly brownish pubescence on posterior half of ventral surface. Metatarsomere I longer than II–III together.

Abdomen. Ventrite 1 and anterior area of 2 with long, erect, sparse yellowish setae, distinctly more abundant on 4–5 (2 and 3 with the characteristic dense setae). Distal margin of 5 widely concave.

Male ( Figs 22–23 ). Similar to female, except for the generic features. Anterior and posterior gibbosities on pronotum partially reddish brown. Vertex with dense dark pubescence covering almost entire surface. Anterior sulcus on each side of pronotum strongly arched, without longitudinal sulcus connected to it.

Dimensions (mm) (Holotype female/ paratype male). Total length, 9.25/9.75; prothoracic length, 1.50/1.50; anterior prothoracic width, 1.05/1.10; posterior prothoracic width, 1.35/1.50; maximum prothoracic width, 1.40/1.55; humeral width, 1.75/1.95; elytral length, 4.50/4.50.

Type material. Holotype female from PANAMA, Chiriquí: vic. Hornito , 4200’, 14-18.V.1996, Wappes, Huether & Morris leg. ( FSCA, former ACMT) . Paratype male from COSTA RICA, Guanacaste: Estación Mengo, 1100 m, SW side Volcán Cacao , 10º55’43”S, 85º28’10”W, VII.1988, Janzen & Hallwachs leg. ( MZSP) .

Etymology. The specific Latin epithet “similis,” means similar, and refers to the similarity in appearance between this species and other species of the genus.

Remarks. Oxycoleus similis is similar to O. brachypterus (Clarke, 2008) , but differs as follows: elytra proportionally longer, about 2.9 times pronotal length ( Figs 15, 21 ); metafemoral peduncle proportionally slender and longer, and metafemoral club more abruptly widened dorsally and ventrally ( Figs 19, 23 ). In O. brachypterus , the elytra area proportionally shorter, about 2.6 times pronotal length ( Figs 32, 34 ), metafemoral peduncle proportionally thicker and shorter, metafemoral club less abruptly widened ventrally, and not widened dorsally ( Figs 24 , 32, 34 ). The new species differs from O. piceus Giesbert, 1993 (see photographs of the holotype on Bezark 2021a) by the dense pubescence on vertex and sides of the pronotum (absent in O. piceus ), elytra with a few long erect setae (distinctly more abundant in O. piceus ), and metafemoral club narrower (distinctly wider in O. piceus ). Oxycoleus similis differs from O. clavipes Lacordaire, 1869 (see photographs on Bezark 2021a) by the elytra less triangular (more triangular in O. clavipes ), and femora entirely dark (bicolorous in O. clavipes ); from O. culicinus (Bates, 1870) (see photograph of the holotype on Bezark 2021a) by the elytra less triangular (more triangular in O. culicinus ), and metafemoral club proportionally narrower (wider in O. culicinus ); and from O. gratiosus ( Bates, 1885) (see photograph of the lectotype on Bezark 2021a) especially by the metafemoral club distinctly narrower (strongly widened in male of O. gratiosus ). The new species is also similar to Equescollum birai Nascimento, Botero & Lezama 2019 by the integument color and general appearance. However, the lack of a projection at the scape apex, easily separates O. similis from E. birai in which has such a projection (and is a generic character).

Figures

FIGURES 15–24. 15–20) Oxycoleus similis, holotype female: 15) Dorsal habitus; 16) Ventral habitus; 17) Lateral habitus; 18) Head, frontal view; 19) Metafemora; 20) Pronotum. 21–23) Oxycoleus similis, paratype male: 21) Dorsal habitus; 22) Ventral habitus; 23) Metafemora. 24) Oxycoleus brachypterus (Clarke, 2008), paratype female, metafemora.

FIGURES 32–37. 32–35) Oxymerus brachypterus (Clarke, 2008): 32) Paratype female, dorsal habitus; 33) Paratype female, ventral habitus; 34) Paratype male, dorsal habitus; 35) Paratype male, ventral habitus. 36–37) Oxymerus laetus Júlio, 1997, female from Brazil (Mato Grosso): 36) Dorsal habitus; 37) Ventral habitus.