Ateralphus Restello, Iannuzzi & Marinoni, 2001

Souza, Diego De S. & Monné, Marcela L., 2013, Revision of the genus Ateralphus Restello, Iannuzzi & Marinoni, 2001 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae), Zootaxa 3736 (4), pp. 301-337 : 303-305

Ateralphus Restello, Iannuzzi & Marinoni, 2001

Ateralphus Restello, Iannuzzi & Marinoni, 2001: 300 ; Monné, 2005: 168 (cat., dist.); Monné & Hovore, 2005: 204 (check, dist.); Wappes et al., 2006: 32 (dist.); Wappes et al. 2007: 35 (dist.); Monné & Bezark, 2009: 219 (check, dist.); Monné & Bezark, 2010: 222 (check, dist.); Monné & Bezark, 2011: 228 (check, dist.); Monné et al., 2012: 30 (dist.); Monné, 2012: 77 (type); Bezark & Monné, 2013: 235 (check, dist.).

Type-species: Alphus subsellatus White, 1855 (by original designation).

Frons quadrangular to rectangular, slightly convex in lateral view (almost flat in larger species, e. g. A. variegatus ); with one row of long setae near malar area and sometimes extending to inner margin of lower ocular lobe; median llongitudinal suture well-defined, attaining occiput. Head with fine and inconspicuous punctation; slightly depressed, with coarse and sparse punctation among antennal tubercles, which are slightly prominent, obliquely directed backwards and widely separated. Eyes coarsely faceted. Upper ocular lobes semicircular, bordered at vertex by one row of straight setae; distance between lobes smaller than distance between antennal alveoli. Lower ocular lobes 2–3 times larger than upper ocular lobes, with posterior margin truncate. Labrum covered with dense and short setae; at transverse center with one row of long setae. Mandibles triangular, symmetrical, with apex acuminate and slightly curved; outer margin covered with short setae. Antennae filiform, long and finely punctate; antennomeres III–XI with one ring of dark brown setae at apical margin. Scape gradually dilated towards apex, reaching widest diameter at one third from apex; without scar; slightly shorter than antennomere IV and longer than V; antennomeres IV–XI gradually decreasing. Pedicel short, cylindrical and gradually enlarged to apex.

Prothorax ( Fig. 1 ) rectangular, transverse; with coarse and irregular punctation, covered with short setae; each side with one pointed lateral tubercle (lt), each with long and differentiated setae at dorsoposterior region; with one transverse elevation (te) near anterior margin, more elevated near prosternum. Pronotum flattened on anterior region; with one slight longitudinal elevation (le) near anterior margin; disc with one pair of median tubercles (mt), elevated and glabrous apically; with one faint elevation posterolateral (ep) to median tubercles covered with setae, which may be inconspicuous or may be present as one pair of small tubercles (e. g. A. javariensis ( Fig. 2 B)); with a third median tubercle posterior (pt) to median tubercles, but less elevated and with glabrous apex; apex of tubercles without granulation. Pro-, meso- and metasternum with dense and fine punctation. Prosternal process about 2–3 times narrower than diameter of one procoxa; longitudinally depressed, blackish on lateral margins and posterior margin truncate, with projections to sides. Mesosternum narrow, with anterior margin deeply depressed.

Mesosternal process subequal in length to mesocoxa; lateral margins without tubercles and with one bend near tubercular projection of mesocoxa; posterior margin bilobed. Metasternum with one median longitudinal sulcus from posterior margin, not reaching anterior margin; anterior apex truncate; on each side, two transverse and parallel furrows near posterior margin.

Elytra completely covered with setae; with coarse punctation irregularly distributed, denser at basal and lateral areas; slightly convex apically; almost flat at basal third; basal-crest (bc) ( Fig. 1 ) elevated, without tubercles or if present, slightly elevated and rounded; at basal third, near suture, with one “V”-shaped patch of dark brown setae. Humeri rounded, slightly projecting anteriorly and with small tubercles; with one carina (tuberculate or not) not raised diagonally, extending from humerus to carina beginning at base of basal-crest and extending near apex.

Forelegs shorter than mid and posterior legs. Pro- and mesocoxae globular. Mesocoxae with one slightly elevated tubercle near mesosternal process. Trochanter with one straight and long seta. Femora and tibiae subequal in length. Femora penduculate. Tibiae expanded apically; with one ring of dark brown setae at apical or subapical region. Mesotibiae covered with brown to black setae, with one oblique furrow. Tarsomeres V bicolorous, with dark brown setae, spread on two or three areas.

Ventral surface of body without sexual dimorphism related to presence of setae. Abdomen with fine and irregular punctation. Sternite I as long as next three sternites together; anterior margin long and acuminate, length about two thirds total length of sternite. Sternites II, III and IV subequal in length. Female sternite V (e. g. Figs. 82 ; 89) with one median longitudinal sulcus at basal fourth.

Male terminalia. Median lobe curved in lateral view; basal apophyses rounded apically. Tegmen length subequal or slightly longer than median lobe; parameres separated, with rounded apices provided with long setae; ring piece elongate and fused apically.

Female terminalia. Sternite VIII with lateral dense patch of long setae, near apical margin; sternal apodeme at least 2.5 times longer than sternite VIII. Segment VIII with a pair of sclerotized tergal apodeme. Segment IX membranous and cylindrical, formed by genital-anal chamber, length subequal to sternite VIII. Ovipositor long, with coxites parallel; basal half and apex gradually more sclerotized; one small cylindrical stylus with apical setae on apical region. Spermathecal complex with two sclerotized vaginal plates of triangular shape, located near common oviduct. Spermatheca densely punctate.

Discussion. Restello et al. (2001) proposed the genus Ateralphus , based mainly on pronotum characteristics (absence of longitudinal elevation near posterior margin and coloration of the setae near pronotum margin), in elytral patterns and in the presence of one longitudinal sulcus at basal fourth of females sternite V.

Ateralphus arose from the split of Alphus White , which originally had 22 described species. Restello et al. (2001) presented support for splitting the genus and described two new genera: Ateralphus and Exalphus .

The first work that mentioned the existence of these groups of species into Alphus was Martins (1985), who, based on characteristics from pronotum, punctation and setae covering of the elytra, established one group for the species Alphus tuberosus (Gemar, 1824) , A. capixaba Marinoni & Martins, 1978 and A. similis , described in this same work and provided an identification key for this group.

Since the description of Ateralphus , there are only two known works on the genus: Galileo & Martins (2006a), with the description of A. lacteus ; and Martins & Galileo (2007), in which the synonymy of A. javariensis with A. diringsi is proposed. Nevertheless, none of these studies cites or discusses the generic characteristics of Ateralphus .

Restello et al. (2001) discussed the relationships between Alphus , Ateralphus and Exalphus and its main diagnostic characteristics were summarized in a table. Only two characteristics are shared by the three genera: (1) presence of basal-crest and (2) coarse punctation at least on basal half of elytra. These characteristics, despite being common to the three genera, are present differently on each one and that way, may be used as first step to identification.

Of the three genera, Alphus may be more easily recognized based on the characteristics above. In this genus, the basal-crest is somewhat raised and sometimes even inconspicuous and the elytral punctation is arranged in longitudinal and parallel rows on the basal half. Ateralphus and Exalphus species share more characteristics among themselves than with Alphus . Both have thick and irregularly spread punctation on the elytra, denser on the basal third and on the lateral region, basal-crests ornate with strong tubercles and elevated carinae. However, in Exalphus these tubercles are strongly pronounced, while in Ateralphus they are more discrete and rounded.

Three characteristics were modified or excluded from the original description of Ateralphus : “rectangular frons”; “mesosternal process sloped on anterior half on angle of approximately 45° with respect to mesosternum and flat on the posterior half” and “femora with uniform coloring, without form defined bands or spots, only slightly denser on several points”. The frons is rectangular on eight of the nine species examined in this study, only A. javariensis has a square frons ( Fig. 107 ). The mesosternal process is flat on the posterior half ( Figs. 87–88 ) on eight of the nine species, and tumescent in A. tumidus new species ( Figs. 26–27 ). The species A. dejeani , A. senilis and A. lucianeae new species, each have one circular spot of dark brown setae on anterior surface of meso- and/or metafemora (e. g. Fig. 112 ). New information of terminalia was added to description of the genus. For male terminalia, uniformity was observed in: median lobe with basal apophyses rounded apically; tegmen with parameres separated, with setae on apical region and ring pieces elongated and united on apex. For female terminalia, the sternite VIII with patch of lateral setae near to apical margin; segment VIII with a pair of sclerotized tergal apodeme; segment IX membranous and cylindrical, subequal in length to sternite VIII; coxites parallel, with small and cylindrical stylus with setae on apex; spermatheca with fine and dense punctation.

Two groups of species were differentiated in Ateralphus based on characteristics of the upper and lower ocular lobes, genae and coloration pattern of the setae on the tibiae. The first group includes the species that have the upper ocular lobes separated by about three or more times the lobe width; lower ocular lobe narrow and rectangular-shaped, with height less than that of genae; genae parallel; and tibiae with ring or spot of dark brown setae on the subapical region. Three species belong to this group: A. lacteus , A. variegatus and A. tumidus new species. The second group includes the species that have the upper ocular lobes separated by twice or less the lobe width; lower ocular lobes broad and rounded, subequal to higher than that of genae; genae convergent; and tibiae with dense ring of dark brown setae on the apical region (at least on protibiae). The species that belong to this group are A. dejeani , A. javariensis , A. senilis , A. subsellatus , A. auritarsus new species and A. lucianeae new species.

Figures

FIGURE 1. A, Ateralphus subsellatus (White, 1855) and B, Ateralphus javariensis (Lane, 1965). bc = basal-crests, ep = elevation posterolateral to median tubercle, le = longitudinal elevation, lt = lateral tubercle, mt = median tubercles, tl = transverse elevation, pt = median tubercles posterior.

FIGURES 2 – 7. Ateralphus lacteus Galileo & Martins, 2006. Male: 2 – 3, median lobe, dorsal and lateral view; 4, tegmen. Female: 5, sternite VIII; 6, female terminalia; 7, coxites. Scales = 1 mm. Figures 2 – 4, 5 – 6, respectively, same scale.

FIGURES 82 – 86. Ateralphus subsellatus (White, 1855), female: 82, abdomen, ventral view; 83, tergite VII; 84, sternite VIII; 85, terminalia; 86, coxites. Scales = 1 mm. Figures 84 – 85, respectively, same scale. bc = bursa copulatrix, co = common oviduct, lo = lateral oviduct, sa = sternal apodeme, sd = spermathecal duct, se = patch of setae, sg = spermathecal gland, sg IX = segment IX, sp = spermatheca, st = stylus, ta = tergal apodeme, vp = vaginal plates.

FIGURES 104 – 112. 104 – 105, Ateralphus auritarsus new species: 104, scutellum and basal-crests region; 105, protarsus. 106, Ateralphus lucianeae new species, scutellum and basal-crests region. 107 – 109, Ateralphus javariensis (Lane, 1965): 107, frons; 108, prothorax; 109, scutellum and basal crests region. 110, Ateralphus senilis (Bates, 1862), scutellum and basal-crests region. 111 – 112, Ateralphus dejeani (Lane, 1973): 111, scutellum and basal-crests region; 112, epipleura and circular spot on the mesotibia and metatibia. Scales = 1 mm.

FIGURES 87 – 94. Ateralphus subsellatus (White, 1855): 87 – 88, mesosternal process, ventral and lateral view; 89, abdomen, ventral view; 90 – 93, variation of color pattern on the elytra; 94, protibia. Figures 87 – 88, respectively, same scale.

FIGURES 20 – 28. 20 – 21, Ateralphus lacteus Galileo & Martins, 2006: 20, male, elytral apex; 21, female, abdomen, ventral view. 22 – 25, Ateralphus variegatus (Mendes, 1938): 22, frons; 23, basal-crests and punctation on prothorax and elytra; 24, female, abdomen, ventral view; 25, protibia. 26 – 28, Ateralphus tumidus new species: 26 – 27, mesosternal process, ventral and lateral view; 28, tarsômero V. Scales = 1 mm.