Solenoptera furfurosa (Galileo and Martins, 1993) Lingafelter, Steven W., 2015

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 : 366-369

22. Solenoptera furfurosa (Galileo and Martins, 1993) , new combination ( Figs. 4a, b , 5a–f , 17a )

Derancistrus furfurosus Galileo and Martins, 1993b: 205 .

Discussion. This species is endemic to Hispaniola and, until now, was known from one specimen collected in the central mountains in La Vega Province. The holotype was originally called a male by Galileo and Martins (1993b), but the structure of the abdomen (revealing the distal margin of sternite VIII) and undilated terminal maxillary palpomeres show it is actually a female. A newly discovered male specimen from the same province has been examined and shares nearly all characters with the holotype. However, it has sexually dimorphic characters such as more strongly, densely pubescent protibiae, micropunctate prosternal margins, longer antennae with more extensive sensory regions, and more dilated terminal maxillary palpomeres. The presence of these features, along with the absence of an anterolateral spine on the pronotum, justify transfer of this species to Solenoptera Audinet- Serville, 1832 (new combination). This last character was mentioned in Galileo and Martins (1993b) as problematic for the original assignment to Derancistrus Audinet-Serville, 1832 , and further evidence herein supports this and renders their generic key more effective as it removes this exception. Nevertheless, this raises some concern about potential synapomorphies for many genera in Solenopterini that should be investigated through rigorous phylogenetic studies.

This species is somewhat similar to the Cuban Derancistrus coeruleus Lameere, 1912 by having the prosternal process boldly notched at the apex and the elytra unicolorous, but it differs from that species (and all other Derancistrus ) by lacking an anterolateral pronotal spine and having an overall dark, red-brown to piceous color (black with metallic sheen in D. coeruleus ). It is most similar to Solenoptera helbi , new species and Solenoptera rugosa , new species (described herein) in overall structure, shape, and elytral punctation. However, those species are immediately distinguished by the leg color in which the tibiae and apex of the femora are black or piceous and strongly contrasting from the otherwise red-orange femora (the tibiae in S. furfurosa are only slightly and gradually darker than the femora and not distinctly bicolored). The prosternal process in S. furfurosa has more pronounced and divergent lobes, whereas in S. helbi and S. rugosa they are more rounded and less divergent. A full description of the male is presented, along with images showing dorsal and ventral details of both genders ( Fig. 5 ).

Description, Male. Size 38.0 mm long; 14.0 mm wide between elytral humeri; integument dark reddish brown with azureus tinge over most of elytra and antennae; pronotum, head, and scape lighter reddish brown; tibiae reddish brown, slightly darker than femora and coxae which are more orange; venter piceous to reddish brown at middle of thoracic sclerites. Head with pronounced, sparsely punctate sulcus on vertex and frons between upper eye lobes and antennal tubercles. Antennae extending to just beyond midpoint of elytra. Scape nearly impunctate; remaining antennomeres glabrous; sparsely punctate except for sensory regions. All antennomeres elongate, slightly broadened apically, but not triangular. Apical antennomeres progressively more flattened than basal antennomeres. Antennomeres 3–10 successively decreasing in length; 11 with subapical constriction and longer than 10. Poriferous sensory areas as follows: dorsal apicolateral patch on 3; occupying entire dorsolateral margins on 4–6; occupying nearly entire dorsal surfaces on 7–11.

Pronotum 12.0 mm wide; 7.0 mm long (1.7 times wider than long); with shiny, mostly impunctate, deep central sulcus with raised margins; margins of sulcus and lateral margins of pronotum with sparse, poorly defined, large punctures. Anterolateral pronotal margin extended into poorly defined spine, crenulate on posterior margin to a more projecting posteromedial spine which has mostly smooth, constricted margin to base. Pronotum glabrous except for few scattered long setae on margins. Prosternal process pronounced, broad, approximately as broad as procoxal width, extending to mesocoxae; surface shiny, glabrous, sparsely punctate; apex deeply notched, receiving mesosternal process. Prosternum with moderate basal ventral process.

Elytra 29.0 mm long; 7.5 mm wide (3.9 times longer than wide); glabrous; tapering apically; slightly divergent apically at suture. With small anterolateral explanate margin. Semirugose basally, punctation dense (much more than pronotum), punctures deep and large basally becoming smaller, shallower, and denser apically. Elytral apex dentiform apicolaterally and at suture, rounded between without crenulae. Scutellum triangular but not acute posteriorly; nearly impunctate. Legs short, hind femur extending to apical fifth of elytral apex. Femora gradually clavate, shiny, impunctate, glabrous; without denticles. Foretibiae densely pubescent ventrally; mesotibiae less so; metatibiae glabrous. Metasternum shiny, glabrous, impunctate. Metepisternum and mesepisternum shiny, glabrous, impunctate with margin between elevated into crest. Abdomen glabrous, impunctate. Last ventrite elongate with broad, median notch.

Hispaniolan Localities. D O M I N I C A N REPUBLIC: La Vega Province (no further data, 3 August 1967, L. H. Rolston, collector [holotype, EMEC]; Reserva Cientifica Ebano Verde, 19°01.9′N, 70°32.6′W, 4 September 1997, 1000 m,

P. W. Kovarik, collr., male specimen [WIBF, donated to USNM]).

Figures

Fig. 4. Dorsal habitus of Hispaniolan Solenoptera species. a) S. furfurosa, male, b) S. furfurosa, female holotype, c) S. scutellata, male, d) S. scutellata, female, e) S. vittata, male, f) S. vittata, female, g) S. helbi, female holotype, h) S. rugosa, female holotype, i) S. tomentosa, male paratype.

Fig. 5. Solenoptera furfurosa. Female holotype: a) Dorsal view, b) Ventral view, c) Lateral view. Male: d) Dorsal view, e) Ventral view, f) Lateral view.

Fig. 17. Distribution maps of Hispaniolan Prioninae. a) Solenoptera vittata and Solenoptera furfurosa, b) Solenoptera helbi, Solenoptera tomentosa, and Derancistrachroma melanoleuca.