Megapurpuricenus, Eya

Eya, Bryan K., 2015, Revision of the Genus Crioprosopus Audinet-Serville, and description of three new genera of Trachyderini (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae), Zootaxa 3914 (4), pp. 351-405 : 398

Megapurpuricenus, Eya , gen. nov.

Type species: Megapurpuricenus magnificus ( LeConte, 1875) (monotypic)

Description. Form large, broad, somewhat depressed; elytra parallel-side to explanate, black with yellowish or reddish markings, not metallic. Head with front large, perpendicular, abruptly separated from anteocular space, dorsal surface coarsely, confluently punctate. Pronotoum similar formed and punctate in both sexes, sides prominently spinose, surface coarsely, contiguously punctate, very sparsely obscurely pubescent, disc with an elevated tubercle at middle, and pair of tubercles on each side; prosternum with intercoxal process, large, prominent, arcuate at apex; mesosternal process arcuate at apex; metasternum with intercoxal process (i.e, median protrusion of the basal segment of the abdomen between hind coxae) protuberant, anterior face (adjacent to midcoxae) concave; episterna of metathorax broad. Elytra distinctly (or acutely) margined at sides, and distinctly margined apically, surface very coarsely, deeply, confluently punctate on basal ½, densely but less coarsely punctate behind; apices broadly rounded. Legs slender, posterior pair elongate but femora not attaining elytral apices.

Remarks and diagnosis. A separate generic ranking is provided for magnificus (LeConte) due to the following characteristics, which are novel to this species: (1) pronotum that is similarly formed and punctate in both sexes with prominent lateral spines that are acute and recurved ( Fig. 19 a); (2) prosternal intercoxal process ( Fig. 20 a) that is large, prominent, and extending well below the plane of coxal cavity ( Fig. 20 b); and (3) mesosternal intercoxal process with apex that is broadly rounded, flat and slightly impressed medially ( Fig. 21 a). Other genera have lateral spines or tubercles on the pronotum that are more obtusely angulated as in the case of Purpuricenus , and prosternal intercoxal process, which either do not extend well below the plane of coxae or are prominent but ridged medially instead of protuberant around the base of coxal cavity as in magnificus . Also, the apex of mesosternal intercoxal process in other genera is acuminated medially ( Fig. 24 a), and are not broadly rounded, flat and slightly impressed in the middle. The larger robust form, and much coarser and confluent punctures on the dorsum (i.e., vertex, pronotum and elytra) will also distiniguish Megapurpuricenus from Purpuricenus .

Etymology. The etymology of the genus Megapurpuricenus is Mega, (or mégas) Μέγας ancient Greek for “great, large or mighty” and purpuricenus derived from the genus Purpuricenus Dejean.

Figures

FIGURES 19 – 24. Structural characters of Megapurpuricenus: Megapurpuricenus magnificus: 19: prothorax (male), 19 a: prominent, acute and recurved lateral spine; 20: prosternal and mesosternal intercoxal process (male), 20 a: large, prominent prosternal intercoxal process extending well below 20 b, 20 b: plane of coxal cavity, 21: mesosternal intecoxal process (female), 21 a: mesosternal intercoxal process with apex broad, rounded, flat, and medially impressed, 22: prothorax (female), 23: prosternal and mesosternal intercoxal process (female). Crioprosopus basileus: 24: mesosternal intercoxal process (female), 24 a: mesosternal intercoxal process with apex raised medially.