Psyrassa peninsularis, Santos-Silva & Botero & Pérez-Flores, 2024

Santos-Silva, Antonio, Botero, Juan Pablo & Pérez-Flores, Oscar, 2024, New species, new geographical records and taxonomical notes on North and Central American Cerambycidae and Disteniidae (Coleoptera, Chrysomeloidea), Contributions to Entomology 74 (2), pp. 199-216 : 199-216

Psyrassa peninsularis sp. nov.

Figs 12–16

Type material.

Holotype female from MEXICO • Quintana Roo: MX 307, 12 km N Felipe Carillo Puerto , MV & UV light, 17. VI. 2009, Skillman & Hildebrant leg. ( FSCA, formerly FWSC).

Etymology.

The specific epithet “ peninsularis ” is derived from “ Yucatán peninsula, ” region where holotype was collected (Quintana Roo state).

Differential diagnosis.

Psyrassa peninsularis sp. nov. is similar to P. xestioides ( Bates, 1872) , but differs as follows (females): body proportionally stouter; upper eye lobes with five rows of ommatidia; pronotal and elytral punctures more abundant and coarser (Fig. 12 ); and elytra slightly longer than 3.0 times prothoracic length. In P. xestioides (Fig. 17 ), the body is proportionally slender, upper eye lobes with six rows of ommatidia, pronotal and elytral punctures are sparser and finer, as pointed out by Bates (1872) (“ thorace … sparsissime punctato [pronotum … very sparsely punctate]; ” “ elytris … suprá sparsissime puncatis [elytra … very sparse punctate anteriorly]), and elytra distinctly longer than 3.0 times the prothoracic length. Psyrassa peninsularis sp. nov. also resembles P. olegkozlovi Santos-Silva, Botero & Taboada-Verona, 2017 (see photographs on Bezark 2023 a and original description), but differs by the genal apex acute (rounded in P. olegkozlovi ), elytral punctures distinctly sparser (denser in P. olegkozlovi ), outer and sutural apical angles of elytra with long spine (with short triangular projection in P. olegkozlovi ), and the pubescence on scutellum and sides of the ventral surface of the meso- and metathorax whitish (almost golden in P. olegkozlovi ).

Description.

Holotype female. Integument mostly black; ventral mouthparts reddish brown, except palpomeres brown with yellowish-brown apex; anteclypeus and labrum brown; antennae dark brown basally, gradually brown toward apex. Elytra and tibiae gradually dark brown toward apex. Tarsomeres dark brown. Apex of ventrites 1–4 brown; ventrite 5 brown basally, gradually light brown toward apex.

Head. Frontal plate smooth, glabrous; remaining surface of frons almost smooth centrally, abundantly, coarsely punctate laterally, glabrous centrally, with moderately sparse whitish pubescence laterally. Area between antennal tubercles sparsely, finely punctate; with moderately sparse whitish pubescence; with a few long, erect whitish setae near eyes; remaining surface of vertex sparsely finely punctate; with sparse whitish pubescence. Antennal tubercles sparsely punctate, with a few short, decumbent whitish setae basally, smooth, glabrous on remaining surface. Area behind eyes smooth on narrow area close to eye, abundantly, somewhat coarsely punctate on remaining surface behind upper eye lobe, smooth behind superior region of lower eye lobe, and abundantly, coarsely punctate on remaining surface behind lower eye lobe; with sparse, short, suberect brownish setae on punctate area behind upper eye lobe, glabrous on remaining surface. Genae with acute apex projected sideward; with anterior margin of lower eye lobe almost touching distal margin at middle; somewhat sparsely, finely punctate; with sparse yellowish-white pubescence and a few long, erect setae of same color interspersed. Maxillary palpomere IV and labial palpomere III securiform. Wide central area of postclypeus subsmooth, glabrous close to frons, except coarse puncture on each side with long, erect yellowish seta, somewhat sparsely, finely punctate, with sparse whitish pubescence close to anteclypeus. Sides of postclypeus smooth, glabrous. Labrum sparsely, finely punctate, except denser, coarser punctures near anterior margin; with sparser yellowish-white pubescence, except abundant, short yellowish-brown setae directed forward on coarse punctate region; with long, erect yellowish setae interspersed on posterior 2 / 3 and a few long, erect, thick yellowish-brown setae interspersed laterally. Gulamentum smooth, glabrous on posterior 2 / 3; transversely striate, with sparse whitish pubescence and long, erect brownish setae interspersed on anterior third; intermaxillary process smooth, glabrous, transversely depressed centrally. Outer surface of mandibles, densely, coarsely punctate, except smooth apical third, somewhat abruptly narrowed close to smooth area; with sparse yellowish pubescence and long, erect, thick yellowish-brown setae interspersed on punctate area. Upper eye lobes with five rows of ommatidia; distance between upper eye lobes 0.40 times distance between outer margins of eyes; in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.57 times distance between outer margins of eyes. Antennae 1.15 times elytral length, almost reaching posterior quarter of elytra. Scape densely, coarsely punctate dorsally and laterally, except smooth apex; ventral surface sparsely, coarsely punctate; with sparse yellowish-white pubescence, except glabrous smooth apex; with a few long, erect yellowish setae interspersed on outer and ventral surfaces. Pedicel moderately sparsely, finely punctate; with sparse yellowish-white pubescence and long, erect yellowish setae interspersed, except smooth and glabrous apex. Antennomere III abundantly, coarsely punctate, except smooth apex; slightly, irregularly carinate dorsally; with sparse whitish pubescence, sparser ventrally, except glabrous smooth area; with a few long, erect yellowish setae interspersed. Antennomeres IV – X with abundant yellowish-white pubescence, denser from V; dorsally carinate, carina almost absent on X; ventral surface with long, erect yellowish setae, only apically from IX; dorsal surface with both, short and long, erect yellowish setae near apex. Antennomere XI constricted on apical quarter; with abundant yellowish-white pubescence, not obscuring integument, pubescence denser on apical quarter; with long, erect yellowish setae close to apical constriction. Inner apex of antennomere III with straight spine with acute apex, 2.4 times pedicel length (Fig. 15 ); inner apex of antennomere IV with slight arched spine with acute apex, 1.95 times pedicel length (Fig. 15 ); inner apex of antennomere V with straight spine with acute apex, 1.3 times pedicel length (Fig. 15 ); inner apex of antennomere VI with short spine with acute apex, 0.5 times pedicel length (Fig. 15 ); inner apex of antennomere VII with spicule (Fig. 15 ). Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III (excluding spine): scape = 1.40; pedicel = 0.25; IV = 0.97; V = 1.11; VI = 1.14; VII = 1.22; VIII = 1.14; IX = 1.14; X = 1.11; XI = 1.53.

Thorax. Prothorax distinctly longer than wide; anterior and posterior constrictions well- marked; sides slightly divergent between constrictions. Pronotum moderately sparsely, coarsely punctate, punctures denser on wide central region and laterally close to anterior constriction, with fine punctures interspersed anterolaterally; with sparse, long, erect yellowish setae and small whitish pubescent macula on each side near posterior margin. Sides of prothorax mostly coarsely rugose-punctate; with sparse, long, erect yellowish setae, erect setae distinctly more abundant near anterior margin. Prosternum transversely depressed centrally; sparsely, coarsely punctate on posterior third, striate-punctate on posterior region of central depression, striate on anterior region of central depression, almost smooth on anterior third, except anterior sulcus with abundant punctures laterally and a few punctures centrally; with a few short, decumbent whitish setae, except glabrous striate area and area close to anterior margin, and abundant whitish pubescence close to procoxal cavities; with a few long, erect yellowish setae interspersed anteriorly and posteriorly. Prosternal process with abundant whitish pubescence centrally and sides of anterior 2 / 3, almost glabrous on remaining surface; narrowest area 0.36 times procoxal width. Procoxal cavities almost close posteriorly. Mesoventrite with sparse whitish pubescence, except dense whitish pubescence laterally and close to mesocoxal cavities. Mesanepisterna, mesepimera, and metanepisterna with dense whitish pubescence. Metaventrite with dense whitish pubescence laterally and a few, both short, decumbent whitish setae and long, erect yellowish setae. Scutellum with dense yellowish-white pubescence.

Elytra. Apex with long spine on outer and sutural angles, outer spine longer than sutural one; anterior half, abundantly, coarsely punctate; punctures gradually finer and sparser toward apex on posterior half; with sparse, long, erect yellowish-brown setae throughout.

Legs. Femora sparsely, finely punctate on basal third, abundantly, coarsely punctate on remaining surface, except smooth apices; apices with subtriangular projection with rounded apex; with sparse yellowish-white pubescence and long, erect yellowish setae interspersed. Tibiae longitudinally carinate laterally; abundantly, coarsely punctate, especially dorsally and laterally; protibiae with sparse, long, erect yellowish-brown setae dorsally and laterally, erect setae denser close to inner apex, and dense, bristly yellowish-brown pubescence ventrally; meso- and metatibiae with very sparse, short, suberect yellowish setae, and long, moderately abundantly yellowish setae interspersed, except apex of ventral surface with abundant, bristly yellowish-brown pubescence. Metatarsomere I shorter than II – III together.

Abdomen. Ventrites sparsely, finely punctate, except smooth apex of ventrites 1–4; sides with abundant yellowish-white pubescence; remaining surface with very sparse yellowish-white pubescence, except glabrous apex of ventrites 1–4, and long, erect yellowish setae interspersed. Apex of ventrite 5 subtruncate.

Dimensions in mm.

Total length, 24.60; prothoracic length, 4.75; anterior prothoracic width, 3.20; posterior prothoracic width, 3.50; maximum prothoracic width, 4.05; humeral width, 4.90; elytral length, 16.20.

Figures

Figures 12–17. Psyrassa spp. 12–16. Psyrassa peninsularis sp. nov., holotype female: 12. Dorsal habitus; 13. Ventral habitus; 14. Lateral habitus; 15. Head, frontal view; 16. Antennomeres III – VII. 17. Psyrassa xestioides (Bates, 1872), female from Costa Rica (Limón, near Guapiles), dorsal habitus.