Cymatodera romeroi Rifkind

Rifkind, Jacques, 2015, New species of Cymatodera Gray (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Tillinae) from México and Central America, with notes on others, Zootaxa 3946 (4), pp. 519-552 : 547-548

Cymatodera romeroi Rifkind , n. sp.

( Figs. 60–62 )

Type specimens. Holotype male: México, Oaxaca, 10 km N San Juan del Estado, 7-viii-1986, H. & A. Howden. Holotype deposited in CASC. Paratypes: MEXICO, OAXACA: 1, 14 km NW Diaz Ordaz, 2600 m, 15-VI-1979, H. & A. Howden; 1, Llano de [las] Flores, 7.6.2010, Benes & Secky, lgt. Paratypes deposited in CNIN and JNRC.

Diagnosis. Distinguishable from congeners based on unique elytral punctation, coloration and the shape of the male pygidium. From the similarly marked and possibly sympatric species C. bipunctata Gorham , the new species can be separated by virtue of its irregularly distributed, infuscate elytral punctures (punctures serially arranged and syncolorous with elytral integument in C. bipunctata ). Cymatodera romeroi is also very similar in facies to some specimens of C. liturata Gorham , but the shape of the male pygidium is entirely different.

Description. (Holotype). Length: 11.50 mm. Form: elongate, subcylindrical. Color: testaceous; head and pronotum reddish brown; venter castaneous to piceous, except ventrites 5 and 6; each elytron with a median, transverse, irregularly angulate, dark marking ( Fig. 60 ), attaining neither lateral margin nor suture; disk also bearing a scattering of rather large infuscate punctures, concentrated on anterior 1/2. Head: measured across eyes, wider than pronotum; surface finely, densely rugulose–punctate, moderately clothed with subrecumbent testaceous setae. Pronotum: longer than broad; surface rugulose–punctate, transversely rugulose above, vested as on head, with the addition of a few robust, erect setae. Elytra: elongate (ratio of length to width 29:11), subparallel; anterior margin shallowly V–shaped at middle; apices separately, rather narrowly rounded, slightly dehiscent; surface rather finely, densely, shallowly punctate, with the exception of several irregularly scattered, larger, deeper, punctures, these concentrated on anterior 1/2; posterior 1/2 bearing shallowly raised, longitudinal, striae. Metaventrite: shining; finely, shallowly, sparsely punctulate and set with a few whitish setae; surface without carinae. Abdomen: ventrite 5 with sides oblique, posterior angles subacute, posterior margin with a rather deep and broad arcuate emargination ( Fig. 61 ); ventrite 6 elongate, anterior margin subtly bisinuate, sides gradually tapering posteriorly, slightly sinuate apically, angles produced, subacute, hind margin rather deeply, narrowly emarginate ( Fig. 61 ); tergite 6 elongate (slightly surpassing ventrite 6), hind angles subtruncate, posterior margin with a shallow V– shaped inflection at middle ( Fig. 62 ).

Variation. The female pygidium has ventrite 5 with a deep V–shaped emargination; ventrite 6 and sternite 6 with posterior margins rounded. Both paratype specimens have the median elytral dark marking more distinct than in the holotype; one bears in addition a pair of large, dark maculae subbasally.

Etymology. The specific name is a patronymic honoring Jésus Romero Nápoles, authority on the Bruchidae .

Distribution. This apparently rare species is known only from the Sierra de Ixtlán of Oaxaca, México.

Figures

FIGURES 60 – 62. 60. Habitus of Cymatodera romeroi Rifkind, n. sp. (holotype male). 61. Pygidium (ventral view) of male Cymatodera romeroi. 62. Pygidium (dorsal view) of male Cymatodera romeroi.