Hovorodon bituberculatum (Palisot de Beauvois, 1805)

Lingafelter, Steven W., 2015, The Prioninae (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) of Hispaniola, with Diagnoses, Descriptions of New Species, Distribution Records, and a Key for Identification, The Coleopterists Bulletin 69 (3), pp. 353-388 : 357

5. Hovorodon bituberculatum (Palisot de Beauvois, 1805) ( Figs. 1g, h , 10e–f , 11b , 13b )

Discussion. This species, formally in the genus Nothopleurus Lacordaire but reclassified and redescribed by Santos-Silva et al. (2010), is widespread in the West Indies but apparently quite rare on Hispaniola. Only seven specimens (in addition to the holotype which was published without specific data as “ Saint-Domingue ” which in 1805 simply referred to the entire Island of Hispaniola) are known from the island, most collected in June and July. One specimen was collected in December, making it one of only three prionines, along with Stenodontes exsertus and Callipogon sericeum , known to occur in the winter months. Most were attracted to lights.

Although superficially similar to the common S. exsertus , H. bituberculatum can be recognized by differences in the mandibles and pronotum. The mandibles of males and females are very thick at the base in lateral view, and this thickness extends nearly to the apices where they abruptly narrow (in S. exsertus , the mandibles are only slightly thicker at the base and taper gradually toward the apices). The mandibles are very densely pubescent, particularly in males, along the mesal surface (sparsely pubescent in S. exsertus ). The pronotum is unevenly crenulate at the sides and in males is approximately the same width anteriorly as posteriorly. In females, the pronotum is slightly narrowed anteriorly. The pronotum, in most specimens, has a distinct, rounded lobe extending anteriorly on the anterolateral margins, unlike nearly all specimens of S. exsertus . Santos-Silva et al. (2010) states that H. bituberculatum is similar to the Lesser Antillean Hovorodon maxillosum (Drury) but differs by the form of the genal apex which is distinctly projecting laterally (not projecting in H. maxillosum ).

Hispaniolan Localities. D O M I N I C A N REPUBLIC: Hato Mayor Province (west of Sabaná del Mar, Parque Nacional Los Haitises, Bosque Húmido, July, M. A. and R. O. Ivie [WIBF]); La Altagracia Province (Punta Cana, near Ecological Reserve; Bonao [USNM]).

Figures

Fig. 1. Dorsal habitus of Hispaniolan Prioninae. a) Callipogon sericeum, major male, b) C. sericeum, female, c) Orthomegas cinnamomeus, female, d) Strongylaspis corticarius, male, e) Xixuthrus domingoensis, male, f) X.domingoensis, female, g) Hovorodon bituberculatum, male, h) H. bituberculatum, female, i) Stenodontes exsertus, major male.

Fig. 10. Hispaniolan Prioninae. a) Elateropsis dichroma, female holotype, ventral view, b) Elateropsis woodleyi, male holotype, ventral view, c) Solenoptera scutellata, male, ventral view, d) Solenoptera tomentosa, male paratype, ventral view, e) Hovorodon bituberculatum, female, prosternal process, f) H. bituberculatum, female mandible, lateral view, g) Stenodontes exsertus, female mandible, lateral view.

Fig. 11. Living Hispaniolan Prioninae (photographs by Rick Stanley). a) Xixuthrus domingoensis, male, b) Hovorodon bituberculatum, female, c) Elateropsis femoratus, male, d) Solenoptera dominicensis, male.

Fig. 13. Distribution maps of Hispaniolan Prioninae. a) Callipogon sericeum and Strongylaspis corticarius, b) Xixuthrus domingoensis and Hovorodon bituberculatum.