Lepturges (Lepturges) consimilis, Heffern & Santos-Silva, 2024

Heffern, Daniel & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2024, American Lamiinae (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae): new species of Acanthocinini and Hemilophini and a new synonymy in Cirrhicera Thomson, Zootaxa 5418 (3), pp. 201-222 : 202-205

Lepturges (Lepturges) consimilis sp. nov.

( Figs 1–5 )

Description. Holotype female. Integument mostly dark brown; ventral mouthparts reddish brown, except maxillary palpomere III brown with yellowish-brown apex, and remaining maxillary palpomeres and labial palpomeres yellowish brown; anteclypeus brownish with irregular dark yellowish-brown areas; labrum brown laterally, yellowish brown on remaining surface. Antennomeres IV–VI dark yellowish brown on basal half, except dark brown base. Pronotum with one black circular macula on each side, and large, subtriangular black macula centrally. Elytra brown on circum-scutellar area, orangish brown on remaining surface, this area darker on basal third, except following blackish areas: one circular macula on dorsal surface of anterior seventh; longitudinal band on center of dorsal surface, from anterior quarter to posterior third; longitudinal band close to suture, from anterior sixth to near posterior quarter, this band slightly narrowed centrally; slightly oblique macula on dorsal surface of posterior quarter, this macula narrowed toward outer margin; macula on sides laterally on dorsal surface, from anterior seventh to anterior 2/7, this macula narrowed apically; longitudinal macula close to epipleural margin on anterior sixth; longitudinal band close to epipleural margin, from slightly after anterior sixth to before middle, this band distinctly widened on its anterior third and partially fused with dorsal macula located dorsally on anterior quarter; large, longitudinal, slightly oblique, subelliptical macula laterally on dorsal surface, from slightly before middle to posterior third. Pro- and mesocoxae mostly pale yellow; trochanters and femoral peduncles pale yellow on all legs; base of dorsal surface of meso- and metafemoral clubs and basal 2/3 of ventral surface of all metafemoral clubs pale yellow, with irregular, slightly brownish areas interspersed on ventral surface of meso- and metafemoral clubs.

Head. Frons densely, minutely, shallowly punctate; with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument, except pale-yellow pubescence centrally close to vertex. Area between antennal tubercles with dense pale-yellow pubescence, except glabrous median groove; remaining surface of vertex and area behind eyes with dense yellowish-brown pubescence, yellower depending on light intensity and source, except glabrous area close to prothorax. Antennal tubercles with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument frontally, dark-brown pubescence on base of dorsal surface, and abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument on remaining surface. Area between base of antennae and eyes with dense pale-yellow pubescence. Genae 0.7 times as long as lower eye lobe; with abundant yellowish-white pubescence toward ventral surface and whitish toward frons, both not obscuring integument, except glabrous apex; with a few long, erect dark setae interspersed. Wide central area of postclypeus with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument; with one long, erect seta on each side, setae dark-brown on basal half, yellowish on apical half. Sides of postclypeus glabrous. Anteclypeus with sparse whitish pubescence on basal half, glabrous on remaining surface. Labrum with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument on posterior 2/3, glabrous on anterior third, except anterior margin with fringe of yellowish-brown setae; with long, erect yellowish setae interspersed on pubescent region. Gulamentum glabrous, except intermaxillary process with whitish pubescence not obscuring integument. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.29 times distance between outer margins of eyes; in ventral view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.61 times distance between outer margins of eyes. Antennae 3.0 times elytral length, reaching elytral apex at basal third of antennomere VI. Scape with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, except apical 2/3 of dorsal surface with sparser yellowish-brown pubescence; apical quarter of ventral surface with a few long, erect dark-brown setae. Pedicel with dense whitish pubescence dorsally and laterally, sparser ventrally; with a few long, erect dark-brown setae ventrally. Antennomere III with abundant whitish pubescence basally, sparse whitish pubescence on basal half of ventral surface, and dark pubescence not obscuring integument on remaining surface; ventral surface with sparse, long, erect, thick dark-brown setae. Antennomeres IV–XI with moderately abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument, appearing to be darker on some antennomeres due to integument color; antennomeres IV–VI with sparse, long, erect dark-brown setae ventrally, setae sparser toward VI; VII–VIII with one long, erect dark-brown seta on ventral apex. Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III: scape = 0.91; pedicel = 0.11; IV = 1.00; V = 0.89; VI = 0.89; VII = 0.86; VIII = 0.89; IX = 0.97; X = 0.98; XI = 1.03.

Thorax. Prothorax wider than long; anterior constriction well marked; sides slightly rounded, gradually widened from anterior constriction to about middle, subparallel-sided from this point to lateral tubercles, then convergent toward posterolateral angles; lateral tubercle moderately small, apex blunt, slightly directed upward and backward. Pronotum abundantly, coarsely punctate; with abundant whitish pubescence close to anterior margin, and short fringe of whitish setae on anterior margin, abundant black pubescence not obscuring integument on black maculae, dense yellowish-brown pubescence on each side of anterior half, narrow white pubescence surrounding central black macula, abundant, both pale yellow and white pubescence centrally between anterior margin and central black macula, dense light yellowish-brown pubescence centrally close to posterior margin of central black macula, pale-yellow pubescence on each side of area with light yellowish-brown pubescence, and dense whitish pubescence on remaining surface; with a few long, erect dark-brown setae close to lateral tubercles of prothorax. Sides of prothorax with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, except yellower pubescence close to pronotum on anterior half, and whitish pubescence close to prosternum and procoxal cavities. Prosternum with dense whitish pubescence laterally, slightly yellower depending on light intensity, and abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument centrally, except glabrous anterior sulcus. Prosternal process with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument; narrowest area 0.25 times procoxal width. Wide central area of mesoventrite with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence slightly sparser on sides of this area, and dense yellowish-white pubescence laterally. Mesanepisterna with dense pale-yellow pubescence, except dense whitish pubescence close to mesoventrite and mesepimeron. Mesepimera with dense, both pale-yellow and whitish pubescence. Mesoventral process with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument; narrowest area 0.32 times mesocoxal width. Metanepisterna and sides of metaventrite with dense pale-yellow pubescence; remaining surface of metaventrite with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument. Scutellum with abundant yellowish pubescence, except whitish pubescence on margins. Elytra. Abundantly, moderately coarsely punctate on anterior half, punctures gradually sparser, finer, shallower on posterior half toward apex; apex slightly obliquely concave; humeral region with dense yellowish-brown pubescence not reaching epipleural margin; orangish-brown area with abundant whitish pubescence partially obscuring integument, except arched band with both, whitish and pale-yellow pubescence from orangish brown pubescent area to near suture; black areas with blackish pubescence not obscuring integument. Legs. With abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument, except apical half of protibia with dense dark pubescence, ventral apex of meso- and metatibiae with bristly yellowish-brown pubescence, and dorsal sulcus of mesotibiae with blackish pubescence not obscuring integument; ventral surface of mesotibiae with sparse, short, erect, thick dark setae, and apical third of dorsal surface with abundant, short, erect, thick dark setae; apical half of metatibiae with sparse, short, erect, thick dark setae. Metatarsomere I 1.9 times longer than II–III together.

Abdomen. Last tergite ( Fig. 5 ) distinctly surpassing ventrite 5, but not surpassing elytral apex; sides convergent toward near apex, then distinctly, abruptly narrowed and slightly divergent toward truncate apex. Ventrites with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument; ventrite 5 with sparse, long, erect dark setae interspersed on apical half; apex of ventrite 5 truncate, slightly concave.

Male. Similar to female, differing as follows: femoral clubs distinctly stouter; metafemur longer, almost reaching elytral apex; apex of last abdominal tergite rounded.

Dimensions (mm). Holotype female: Total length, 6.25; prothoracic length, 0.90; anterior prothoracic width, 1.15; posterior prothoracic width, 1.30; maximum prothoracic width, 1.70; humeral width, 1.95; elytral length, 4.65. Paratype male: Total length, 5.2.

Type material. Holotype female from PANAMA, Chiriquí: Las Lagunas For. Res., 8.7751ºN 82.6512ºW, 8- 9.V.2023, B.T. Raber leg. (TAMU, formerly DHCO) . Paratype male from COSTA RICA, Puntarenas: 6 km SE Santa Elena, 10.VI.1989, F.T. Hovore leg. ( LGBC) .

Etymology. Latin, “ consimilis ” (alike, very similar); allusive to the similarity with L. (L.) proximus Melzer, 1934 and L. (L.) festivus Bates, 1872 .

Remarks. Lepturges (Lepturges) consimilis sp. nov. is similar to L. (L.) proximus Melzer, 1934 ( Figs 6–7 ), but differs as follows: body slender ( Fig. 1 ); prothorax shorter, about 0.2 times elytral length; yellowish-brown pubescent macula on humeral region longer, length almost equal to distance between humerus and scutellum; dark central areas on elytra not fused apically; posterior dark macula on elytra narrower and located further away from the apex; and last abdominal tergite in females not surpassing elytral apex ( Fig. 2 ), abruptly narrowed near truncate apex. In L. (L.) proximus , the body is stouter, prothorax longer, 0.25 times elytral length (although the lengths are very close, they become very evident when specimens of both species are observed—we examined three paratypes, two males and one female of L. (L.) proximus , and the holotype female through photographs), yellowish-brown pubescent macula on humeral region shorter in all specimens examined, length distinctly shorter than the distance between humerus and scutellum, dark central areas on elytra often fused apically, posterior dark macula on elytra wider and located closer to the apex, rarely further from the apex, and last abdominal tergite in females often surpassing elytral apex ( Fig. 6 ), uniformly narrowed toward narrowly subrounded apex. Lepturges (Lepturges) consimilis sp. nov. is also similar to L. (L.) festivus Bates, 1872 (see photographs on Bezark 2024 and figure in Bates 1881), but differs especially by the presence of dark macula on center of the pronotum (absent in L. (L.) festivus ).

Figures

FIGURES 1–7. Lepturges (Lepturges) spp. 1–5) Lepturges (Lepturges) consimilis sp. nov., holotype female: 1) Dorsal habitus; 2) Ventral habitus; 3) Lateral habitus; 4) Head, frontal view; 5) Last abdominal tergite. 6–7) Lepturges (Lepturges) proximus Melzer, 1934, paratypes, dorsal habitus: 6) Female; 7) Male.