Axina polycaula Opitz, new species

Figures 33, 63, 66, 71, 106.

Type material. Holotype. Female. Type locality: Serra da Bernada (Pernambuco), Duhant, 5.6.1894 (Brazil) (MNHN) . Paratypes. 5 specimens. Brazil: Estado do Pernambuco, no other information available (WOPC, 1) ; Serra da Bernada, 5-VI-1894, Duhant (MNHN, 1) ; Estado do Bahia, S. Antonio da Barra, 11-XII-1888, Gounelle (MNHN, 2) ; Estado do Ceará, Ceará, collection date and collector not noted (WOPC, 1) .

Diagnosis. The asetiferous punctures are profusely distributed on the elytral disc; they reach the elytral apex. These characteristics will distinguish the members of this species from specimens of other Axina species with a partial black pronotal midline; this midline reaches the pronotal anterior margin in specimens of Axina polycaula .

Description. Size. Length 10.0 mm; width 2.5 mm. Form. As in Fig. 106. Color. Cranium and thoracic venter black; frons, epicranium, and legs castaneous; antenna testaceous; pronotal dorsum mostly castaneous, with narrow black line that extends from mesoscutellum to pronotal anterior margin; elytra bicolorous, mostly testaceous, castaneous markings at elytron middle and before elytral apex. Head. Cranium finely punctate, frons about as wide as length of antennal pedicel; EW/FW 45/15. Thorax. Pronotum finely punctate, with 2 paralateral spheroid tumescences, disc narrowly concave near middle; PW/PL 110/120; elytra, asetiferous punctures not striate, punctures extend posteriorly to elytral apex, width of interstitial spaces variable; EL/EW 460/85. Abdomen. Female pygidium trilobed distally (Fig. 63, 66); aedeagus (Fig. 33).

Distribution (for map see Fig. 71). This species is known from Brazil.

Etymology. The specific epithet, polycaula, is a compound name that stems from the Greek poly (= many) and the Latin caula (= hole). I refer to the copious number of asetiferous punctures on the elytral disc.