Periaptodes Pascoe, 1866 : 282

Wallin, Henrik & Kvamme, Torstein, 2015, A review of the genus Potemnemus Thomson, 1864 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) with description of a new species from Papua New Guinea, Zootaxa 4040 (5), pp. 501-542 : 526-527

The genus Periaptodes Pascoe, 1866: 282 gen. res.

Figs. 44 , 75, 76, 77, 78 , 81 .

Notes. Breuning (1944: 507) designated Periaptodes testator Pascoe, 1866 as type species of the genus. The specimen was from Dorey (Manokwari) in West Papua. This is the type of the genus since Pascoe (1866) and other entomologists before Breuning did not designate a type. The designation by McKeown (1947: 123) of Periaptodes lictor Pascoe 1866 as the type of the genus is invalid (priority principle, ICZN, 1999). Periaptodes Pascoe, 1866 was synonymized by Slipiñski & Escalona (2013), but we disagree and resurrect the genus. They do not give an argumentation for why they synonymize the two genera. We present herein a number of morphological differences that we consider sufficient to motivate Periaptodes to be considered as a separate genus.

Examined type specimen of P. testator : HT ♂ BMNH, BL = 32.0 mm (photo examination), Indonesia, West Papua, Dorey (Manokwari), 1854-1862 (collected by A.R. Wallace, or his assistants, during the journey in the Malayan Archipelago);

Other examined specimen of P. testator : Papua New Guinea: 1♂ CUN, BL = 36.0 mm, East Sepik Province, Maprik, 1995.03, Det. Hüdepohl 1998 (new locality); 1♀ CUN, BL = 37.0 mm, Morobe Province, Bulolo, 1994 (new locality); Solomon Islands: 1♂ (no further locality data) CUN, BL = 32.0 mm, Malaita Island, 1987.05; 1♂ CUN, BL = 28.0 mm, Malaita Island, 1994-01.

In addition, a number of specimens were checked including the following species of Periaptodes : P. o l i v i e r i ( Thomson, 1864) (3 specimens, NHRS); P. l i ct o r (1 specimen, BL = 27.0 mm; IRSNB, labelled "Roon, Fruhstorfer / lictor Pascoe , Nov. Guinea., ex coll. de Moffarts, (photo examination); P. olivieri (2 specimens; IRSNB, photo examination); P. testator (8 specimens, IRSNB of which one specimen, BL = 29.0 mm, is labelled “Staud. (= Staudinger), Coll. E. Candèze; Periaptodes testator Pascoe , det. S. Breuning det. 1956, IRSNB (photo examination).

Re-description. species of Periaptodes are medium-sized to large with a body length of about 34–54 mm, and with body approximately 3.0 to 3.6 x longer than wide in most species. Elytral surface sub-depressed (never completely flattened medially), and smooth i.e. lack tubercles or spines ( Fig. 44 ). Antennae: relatively long in males, and extending beyond elytral apices with 5–6 antennomeres. The last antennomere in males is about as long as the penultimate. Head: square-formed with frons relatively narrow. Eyes and lower eye lobes (below scape) are very large and only slightly elongated, about 3 x as long as gena below. Thorax: pronotum is smooth and covered with small black spots. The surface of pronotum around the median tubercles is smooth, and is uniformly covered with greyish pubescence. Lateral spines are straight. Scutellum is triangular. Elytra: lateral carina only visible at humeri. Epipleuron evenly rounded medially, and densely covered with small, shining and flattened granules anteriorly. A few scattered granules are sometimes also present on elytral surface near humeri. The middle of elytra (along the transverse dark band) densely covered with coarse punctures ( Fig. 44 ). Posterior elytral margin has an oblique sutural spine, and a very long and distinct marginal spine. Scutellum is surrounded by a rounded, subapical brown or black patch (often laciniated posteriorly). The outer margin of the black patch surrounding scutellum is smooth without tubercles or spines as in Potemnemus . There is no elevated and transverse ridge on the middle of elytra. Elytra is supplied medially with a conspicuous, convex band forming a black and V-like pattern from the middle of elytra towards humeri. Posterior elytral margin have a small sutural spine and a slightly larger marginal spine. Venter: mesosternal process (mesoventrite) with median projection oblique. Legs: Uniformly grey. All legs lack spines or granules, tarsi are mostly pubescent, and male front tarsi are without spines or projections. Male genitalia in P. testator : aedeagus 4.5 mm long and broad dorso-ventrally, acutely curved towards apex ( Figs. 75, 76 ). Sclerite inside the internal sac is relatively long and thread-like. Parameres 2.0 mm long, distinctly narrow towards apices, both dorsally and ventrally very densely covered with long setae towards apices ( Fig. 77 ), the projection at base (between the two parameres) blunt. Tergite VIII 2.5 mm long and rounded, median part of apical margin supplied with very short and fine hairs ( Fig. 78 ).

Remarks. Species of the genus Periaptodes gen. res. are easily separated from those of Potemnemus by the smooth elytral surface (i.e. no trace of raised tubercles or spines), the very short lateral carina only visible at humeri, epipleuron evenly rounded medially and densely granulated anteriorly, elytral apex with a minute sutural spine and a very long and distinct marginal spine. The male genitalia are also different, especially the parameres that are strongly narrowing towards apex and densely supplied with long setae. The only exception from the general morphological characteristics of Periaptodes gen. res. appears to be Periaptodes potemnemoides Kriesche, 1936 , but the type is lost, and all that is available is the original description ( Krische 1936; Breuning 1944; Vitali & Casadio 2007). Species of the genus Periaptodes gen. res. are very widespread (cf. Breuning, 1944; Vitali & Casadio 2007; Slipiñski & Escalona 2013), and have been found on the islands of New Guinea, Moluccas, Solomon Islands and in Queensland, Australia ( Fig. 81 ). Pascoe (1866) gave the genus Periapodes gen. res. a very brief and inaccurate description, since he only presented similarities with Potemnemus rather than describing unique characters of Periaptodes gen. res. Periaptodes gen. res. was recently synonymised with Potemnemus ( Slipiñski & Escalona 2013) without supporting explanations other than referring to the original description. Based on the morphological differences presented herein, we disagree and resurrect Periaptodes gen. res. as a valid genus. Most species of Periaptodes gen. res. are extremely similar (sensu Vitali & Casadio 2007), and Vitali & Casadio (2007) even assumed that P. testator and P. l i c t o r belong to one and the same species due to the morphological similarities. Breuning (1944) included a brief re-description of the genus Periatodes gen. res. and also used the absence of spines on elytra as a character to separate Periatodes gen. res. from other genera (including Potemnemus ) which was included in a key in an earlier publication ( Breuning, 1943), and also used in a later description of a new species of Periaptodes ( Breuning 1980b) gen. res. The genus Periaptodes gen. res. is strongly in need of a modern revision (cf. Vitali & Casadio 2007).

Figures

FIGURE 81. Known records of Potemnemus spp. (red numbers) and Periaptodes spp. (blue numbers) from Australia, the island of New Guinea, Moluccas and Solomon Islands. 1. Potemnemus ennevei De Jong, 1947, 2. Potemnemus kaszabi (Breuning, 1973), 3. Potemnemus lima Pascoe, 1866, 4. Potemnemus nylanderi Wallin & Kvamme, 2014 nov. sp., 5. Potemnemus pristis Pascoe, 1866, 6. Potemnemus rosenbergii Vollenhoven van, 1871, 7. Potemnemus scabrosus (Olivier, 1790), 8. Potemnemus sepicanus Kriesche, 1923, 9. Potemnemus thomsoni Lansberge, 1880 sp. res., 10. Potemnemus trimaculatus Lea, 1918 sp. res., 11. Potemnemus tuberifer Gahan, 1894, 12. Potemnemus wheatcrofti (Breuning, 1971) comb. nov., 13. Potemnemus wolfi Berchmans, 1925 sp. res., 14. Periaptodes frater (Van de Poll, 1887), 15. Periaptodes lictor Pascoe, 1866, 16. Periaptodes olivieri (Thomson, 1864), 17. Periaptodes potemnemoides Kriesche, 1936, 18. Periaptodes testator Pascoe, 1866, 19. Periaptodes paratestator Breuning, 1980.

FIGURES 41 – 44. Habitus. 41. PT ♀ P. nylanderi nov. sp., lateral view; 42. HT ♀ P. tuberifer Gahan, 1894, 35.0 mm (photo: Maxwell Barclay, BMNH); 43. HT ♀ P. tuberifer Gahan, 1894, lateral view (photo: Maxwell Barclay, BMNH); 44. HT ♂ Periaptodes testator Pascoe, 1866, 32.0 mm (photo: M. Barclay, BMNH).

FIGURES 75 – 78. Male genitalia (from left to right: aedeagus lateral view, aedeagus dorsal view, parameres and tergite VIII). Periaptodes testator Pascoe, 1866.