Tessaromma argenteonigra Gressitt, 1959

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 : 79-80

Tessaromma argenteonigra Gressitt

( Figures 3 I, 3J)

Tessaromma argenteonigra Gressitt, 1959 . TL: Bulolo , Morobe Distr. Papua New Guinea ( BPBM, examined)

Description. Length 8.5 mm. Body integument uniformly dark brown. Vestiture of sparse brown bristles and short, adpressed setae; yellowish, sparser and less obvious on head and pronotum, more or less denser on elytra. Dorsum surface with dense recumbent silver setae forming wavy pattern. Head as long as wide, including eyes slightly wider than prothorax at anterior margin. Frontoclypeus flat uniformly brown, without any yellowish areas in front of eyes. Frontoclypeal suture nearly invisible. Eye lower section at least 4 times as large as the upper section. Antennae sparsely setose ventrally, antennomere 4 as long as antennomere 3, shorter than antennomere 5. Prothorax almost as long as wide, with sharp median projection laterally. Dorsum with two strongly prominent admedian tubercles, very narrowly separated anteriorly and almost joined posteriorly. Scutellum distinctly narrowing posteriorly, rounded at apex, covered with dense golden adpressed setae. Elytra truncate to slightly pointed apically. Each elytron with sparse protuberances bearing puncture and bristle apically. Legs obviously bicoloured, yellowish brown on coxae, basal part of femur, and tarsi; dark brown on clavate area of femur, and tibia. Abdomen. Ventrites uniformly dark brown, truncate apically.

Types. “ Holotype, Tessaromma argenteonigra J.L.Gressitt | New Guinea: Bulolo , 880m, Aug. 25 1956 | E.J. Ford, Jr., Light Trap ” ( BPBM, holotype Bishop 2809).

Remarks. Tessaromma argenteonigra is very similar to T. nanum , particularly to its dark form distributed in North Queensland, but it can be easily distinguished by its gena in front of eyes without a yellowish spot and legs with particular bicolor pattern.

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).