Tessaromma triste (Hope), 1841

Jin, Mengjie, Ślipiński, Adam, Keyzer, Roger De & Pang, Hong, 2017, Review of Australian genera Tessaromma Newman and Phlyctaenodes Newman with description of a new genus and species (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae: Phlyctaenodini), Zootaxa 4277 (1), pp. 67-85 : 78

Tessaromma triste (Hope)

( Figures 3 G, 3H, 4Q–U)

Meropachys tristis Hope, 1841: 53 . TL: Western Australia, Swan River ( OMNH, examined).

Meropachys sericans Erichson, 1842: 221 . TL: Tasmania (MNB, examined). New Synonym.

Description. Length 15.8–20.8 mm. Body integument light brown to dark brown with median longitudinal section and apices of elytra usually slightly lighter than pronotum and elytral bases; ventral side of thorax uniformly dark brown to almost black, abdomen with apical parts of each ventrite distinctly lighter than the bases. Vestiture double, composed of sparse brown or silvery bristles and short, strongly adpressed setae, yellowish on head and pronotum, golden and much denser on elytra forming not very distinctive wavy pattern at basal two thirds of elytra. Head with frontoclypeal suture not well visible, located in concave area and covered by dense setae. Eye lower section approximately three times as large as the upper section. Antennae densely setose ventrally; in male extending 2–3 antennomeres beyond elytral apices, in female reaching slightly beyond elytral apices; antennomere 4 as long as 3, but obviously shorter than 5. Prothorax 0.8–1.0 times as long as wide with sharp, posteriorly bent lateral projection near middle; constricted at apex and at base. Disc convex, with weak median longitudinal impression or with 2 weak elevations separated at middle. Scutellum broadly rounded or truncate apically with dense silvery setae, mostly arranged longitudinally. Elytra obliquely truncate apically. Each elytron with three dorsal and two lateral rows of distinct shiny protuberances, each bearing puncture and bristle apically; irregular and denser bristles present at apical, lighter part of elytra. Male genitalia: endophallus with a bunch of sclerotized spikes ( Fig. 4 Q, 4U).

Material Examined (18, ANIC; 3, QM; 4, NMV; 7, SAM; 1, RDKC). Tasmania: Liffey Valley; Hobart; Launceston ; Kingston ; Arthurs Lake ; Mt. Wellington .

Distribution (Fig. 6B). This species is endemic to Tasmania.

Biological data. Tessaromma triste specimens were collected by MV light trap throughout the entire year.

Remarks. The type locality of T. triste is certainly erroneous; all examined specimens of this species were collected in Tasmania, and so far, we have not seen a single specimen of Tessaromma from Western Australia.

Figures

FIGURE 3. A – D: Tessaromma nanum Blackburn. E – F: Tessaromma undatum Newman. G – H: Tessaromma triste (Hope). I – J: Tessaromma argenteonigra Gressitt (Holotype, BPBM).

FIGURE 4. A – D: Phlyctaenodes pustulatus (Hope); E – H: Phlyctaenodes pustulosus Newman; I – L: Phlyctaenodes sordidus (McKeown); M – P: Tessaromma nanum Blackburn; Q – U: Tessaromma triste (Hope); V – Y: Tessaromma undatum Newman. A, E, I, M, Q, V: penis; B, F, J, N, R, W: tegmen; C, H, K, O, S, X: sternite VIII; D, G, L, P, T, Y: tergite VIII; U: endophallus.