Tessaropa elizabeth Bezark

Bezark, Larry G., Tyson, William H. & Schiff, Nathan M., 2013, New species of Cerambycidae from Panama, with new distribution records (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), Zootaxa 3608 (4), pp. 273-277 : 274-275

Tessaropa elizabeth Bezark , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–3 )

Type material. Holotype: PANAMA: Darien: Female. Cerro Chucanti, 15 km W of Torti, 13–16 February, 2012. N 08° 47' 21.4" & W 078° 27' 05.5" - 875m, L.G. Bezark, collector, white lights (CASC). Paratype: PANAMA: Darien. Male. (same location and dates), William Tyson, collector, white lights (WHTC).

Etymology. This species is named for the daughter of the first author, Elizabeth Anne Bezark, who has been known to collect a cerambycid or two on occasion. The species name is a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. Tessaropa elizabeth sp. nov. differs from the other species in the genus primarily by the orange pronotum with the dark central longitudinal stripe, and the orange tips on the 11th antennal segments.

Description. Female ( Figs 1–3 ). Form elongate, slender, elytra short, rounded apically. Eyes completely divided. Integument black; the following orange: sides of pronotum except for dark central longitudinal stripe, apical fifth of terminal antennal segment (11th segment), and abdominal segments except for last tergite. Head shining, as wide as base of pronotum, densely punctate on front and antennal tubercles, those punctures larger than dorsal punctures, with dense short hairs, including on eyes. Antennae with tubercles separated at base, extending beyond tip of flight wings by one segment, extending beyond tip of abdomen by three segments; scape heavily, coarsely punctured, remaining segments finely punctured; third segment with abundant hairs internally, longer than on other segments. Pronotum wider than long, widest at middle, shining, base constricted, with dense reddish hairs laterally, black hairs along dark longitudinal stripe; dark hairs longer and more sparse on prosternum. Scutellum black, shining, rounded at apex. Abdomen with apex of last tergite truncate, last ventrite broadly, sharply, deeply emarginate apically, forming a v-shape, with a row of short brown, translucent teeth and abundant, internally curved, yellow hairs along the entire apical margin. Elytra black, shining, extending just beyond apex of first abdominal segment, with two barely evident, shining costae beginning behind the humeri and extending to about three-fourths the length, with abundant, short, golden recumbent hairs arranged laterally. Legs black, shining, pro and meso-femora clavate, metafemora elongate, all femora with a series of thin, narrow grooves, exhibiting a lined appearance (grooves oriented transversely from top to bottom), first tarsal segment about as long as following segments.

Dimensions in mm (female). Total length from front of head to tip of antennae 10.3, length from head to tip of flight wings 9.4; prothorax: length, 1.1; width at middle (widest part), 1.3; elytral length, 2.8; width at base 1.5. Male length 9mm.

Male: Differs from the female as follows: Antennae thinner, approximately 1.5 times the length of the body. Underside mostly black with a paler area in the middle of the basal two sternites. Abdomen broadly emarginate truncate at apex with outer edges rounded. Vitta of pronotum darkest at apex and base becoming noticeably paler from the middle to the apical 3/4ths.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3. Tessaropa elizabeth sp. nov., holotype female: 1, dorsal; 2, lateral, 3 ventral.