Touroultia Nearns and Tavakilian

Nearns, Eugenio H. & Tavakilian, Gérard-Luc, 2012, New Taxa and Combinations in Onciderini Thomson, 1860 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) from Central and South America, with notes on additional taxa Eugenio H. Nearns, Insecta Mundi 2012 (231), pp. 1-24 : 8

Touroultia Nearns and Tavakilian , gen. nov. ( Lamiinae : Onciderini )

( Figures 4a–d , 5a–d )

Type species. Touroultia lordi , sp. nov., here designated.

Description. General form elongate-ovate, robust, small to moderate-sized. Head with frons elongate, about 1.5 times width of lower eye lobe. Eyes with lower lobes large, oblong. Genae distinctly shorter than lower eye lobes. Antennae distinctly longer than body; antennal tubercles prominent, moderately separated; scape robust, clavate; antennomere III longest. Pronotum subcylindrical, transverse, sides feebly sinuate; disk with three tubercles; disk with one basal transverse sulcus, and a more distinct oblique sulcus laterally which continues down the side. Scutellum transverse, apex rounded. Elytra with lateral margins slightly sinuate, gradually rounded to apices at apical 1/3; humeri prominent. Legs moderate in length; profemora robust; meso- and metafemora clavate apically; tibiae slightly expanded apically; metafemora about 1/3 as long as elytra.

The following key treats all currently known species including two new species described herein.

1. Genae roughly transverse, about 1/3 as tall as lower eye lobes; elytra with basal gibbosities moderately elevated.................................................................................................................... 2

– Genae roughly subquadrate, about 1/2 as tall as lower eye lobes; elytra with basal gibbosities feebly elevated ( Brazil) .............................. T. obscurella ( Bates, 1865) , new combination

2(1). Base of antennomeres IV-XI with grayish or pale testaceous pubescence; base of elytra with surface coarsely, moderately to deeply, granulate-punctate ( French Guiana) ......................... ......................................................................................................................... T. lordi , sp. nov.

– Base of antennomeres IV-XI with golden-yellow pubescence; base of elytra with surface finely, shallowly, granulate-punctate ( Ecuador) ..................................................... T. swifti , sp. nov.

Etymology. Touroultia , gen. nov. is named for Julien Touroult, with appreciation of his friendship and collaboration. The gender is feminine.

Diagnosis and Remarks. This genus closely resembles Priscatoides Dillon and Dillon, 1945 ( Fig. 3 a-d) but can be distinguished by the combination of the following characters: genae distinctly shorter than lower lobes, from 1/3 to 1/2 as tall (genae slightly shorter than lower eye lobes in Priscatoides ); frons distinctly elongate and narrow, about as wide as width of 1 to 1.5 lower eye lobes (frons about as wide as width of two lower eye lobes in Priscatoides ); pronotum subcylindrical in Touroultia (slightly narrower at apex in Priscatoides ); elytra about 3.75 times longer than pronotal length (about 4.3 times longer in Priscatoides ).

Figures

Figure 3. Priscatoides tatila Dillon and Dillon, 1945, holotype female. a) Dorsal habitus. b) Lateral habitus with original labels. c) Close-up of head. d) Close-up of pronotum.

Figure 4. Two species of Touroultia, gen. nov. a) T. lordi, sp. nov., holotype male, dorsal habitus. b) T. swifti, sp. nov., holotype male, dorsal habitus. c) T. lordi, sp. nov., holotype male, close-up of head. d) T. swifti, sp. nov., holotype male, close-up of head.

Figure 5. Touroultia obscurella (Bates, 1865), holotype male? a) Dorsal habitus with original labels. b) Lateral habitus. c) Close-up of head. d) Close-up of pronotum.