Methia tlaxcalaensis, Pérez-Flores, 2022

Pérez-Flores, Oscar, 2022, Contribution to the knowledge of the cerambycid fauna (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) of Tlaxcala, Mexico, Zootaxa 5155 (2), pp. 289-296 : 291-292

Methia tlaxcalaensis sp. nov.

Figure 2 (A–D)

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:9AF7C7B9-F75A-44FE-B600-20DEC607665C

Description. Female. Integument mostly reddish-brown, nearly brown on some areas; mouthparts reddish-brown except yellowish-brown parts of palpi; antennae reddish-brown on basal segments, gradually yellowish-brown toward distal segments; posterolateral areas of pronotum yellowish-brown; elytra brown on first third, light brown on posterior 2/3, except on whitish-brown diffuse maculae; coxae, trochanters and tibiae orange-brown; femora yellowish-brown on about basal half, gradually reddish-brown toward apex.

Head. Frons coarsely, densely, confluently punctate; with moderately short yellowish setae not obscuring integument, interspersed with long, erect, sparse setae of same color. Area between antennal tubercles and upper eye lobes moderately coarsely, shallowly, confluently punctate; with sparse, short yellowish setae not obscuring integument, interspersed with long, erect, sparse setae of same color. Remaining surface of vertex moderately, sparsely punctate, confluent close to eyes; with short, sparse yellowish setae close to eyes, glabrous on remaining surface. Antennal tubercles with sculpturing as on frons except nearly smooth distal area; with moderately yellowish setae not obscuring integument, interspersed with long, erect, sparse setae of same color. Area behind upper eye lobes finely punctate, punctures slightly sparser toward prothoracic margin; with short yellowish setae about middle of area between eye and prothorax, glabrous on remaining surface. Area behind lower eye lobes finely, sparsely punctate; with a few long, erect yellowish setae. Genae 0.13 times length of lower eye lobe; very finely, sparsely punctate; with short, sparse yellowish setae. Postclypeus with sculpturing as on frons on wide central area, smooth laterally; with sparse, yellowish setae on wide central area, glabrous laterally. Labrum smooth and glabrous. Median groove distinct from clypeus to behind upper eyes lobes, not reaching prothorax. Gulamentum finely, sparsely punctate, glabrous between prothorax and eyes, transversely striate, with long, erect, sparse yellowish setae between eyes. Eye lobes joined by one row of ommatidia; distance between upper eye lobes 0.17 times length of scape; in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.75 times length of scape. Antennae 1.56 times elytral length, reaching elytral apex about middle of antennomere IX. Scape rugose-punctate; with moderately sparse yellowish setae, interspersed with long, erect, setae of same color. Antennomeres with long, erect, abundant yellowish setae, shorter toward last antennomeres. Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III: scape = 0.46; pedicel = 0.07; IV = 1.03; V = 0.97; VI = 0.90; VII = 0.81; VIII = 0.75; IX = 0.72; X = 0.68; XI = 0.70.

Thorax. Prothorax 0.85 times longer than wide; anterior and posterior constrictions distinct; sides rounded between constrictions. Pronotum transversely striate, moderately coarsely, shallowly punctate; with short yellowish setae not obscuring integument, interspersed with long, erect, sparse setae of same color, slightly denser laterally. Sides of prothorax with sculpturing as on pronotum, moderately coarsely punctate, with long, erect, yellowish setae. Prosternum transversely striate, shallowly punctate; with short pale-yellow setae not obscuring integument, interspersed with long, erect, sparse setae of same color. Prosternal process laminiform, surpassing procoxae, apex with short yellowish setae. Ventral surface of meso- and metathorax with long, erect, sparse pale-yellow setae, denser laterally. Mesoventral process laminiform, reaching posterior third of mesocoxae. Scutellum with sparse, short yellowish setae. Elytra. Reaching about middle of ventrite V; coarsely, densely punctate throughout; with short, erect, moderately abundant brownish setae, yellowish on base; with three diffuse whitish-brown maculae, two on basal third, and one near apex; apex rounded. Legs. Pro- and mesofemora fusiform; metafemora elongate, slightly and gradually widened toward apex; with long, erect, sparse pale-yellow setae, denser ventrally; with long, erect pale-yellow setae throughout. Tibiae with long, erect, sparse yellowish setae, interspersed with short brown setae. Metatarsomere I as long than II–III together.

Abdomen. Ventrites finely, sparsely punctate; with short, sparse yellowish setae; apex of ventrite V deeply emarginate, with fringe of short, thick, curved yellowish-brown setae and long, erect, setae dorsally.

Dimensions (mm), female holotype /female paratype. Total length, 16.62/15.95; prothoracic length, 1.33/1.20; anterior prothoracic width, 1.17/1.08; posterior prothoracic width, 1.25/1.16; maximum prothoracic width, 1.56/1.38; humeral width, 2.75/1.95; elytral length, 11.82/10.86.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from Tlaxcala, the state where the holotype was collected, combined with the Latin suffix –ensis, meaning belonging to.

Type material. Holotype female labeled. “ MEX. Tlaxcala, Nanacamilpa, P. Canteada , Bosque Abies religiosa , Pinus y Quercus . T3 a 1 metro, 15/04/2018. 3020 msnm. 19º27´25.6´´N, 98º36´47.2´´O. Mendoza, col. ( CNIN) . Paratype female. México: Tlaxcala, Nanacamilpa de Mariano Arista, Bosque de pino-encino, 12/Mayo/2019, 19.45703 N, -98.60007 W, L. Ramos. Col. ( CNIN).

Remarks. Methia tlaxcalaensis sp. nov. ( Fig. 2 ) is easily distinguished from congeners by the elytra length and elytral integument pattern, with three diffuse whitish-brown maculae. Methia tlaxcalaensis sp. nov. is similar to M. vittata Chemsak & Linsley, 1964 and M. subvittata Chemsak & Linsley, 1964 but differs by the elytral integument pattern, with longitudinal vittae in these last two. Also, in M. vittata and M. subvittata the elytra surpassing the ventrites in length, in Methia tlaxcalaensis sp. nov. the elytra reach the middle of ventrite V.

Figures

FIGURE 2. A–D) Methia tlaxcalaensis sp. nov. holotype female: A) Dorsal habitus; B) Ventral habitus C) Lateral habitus; D) Head, frontal view.