Pteroplatus anchora Belon, 1903

Botero, Juan Pablo, Santos-Silva, Antonio & Bezark, Larry G., 2019, Revision of the genus Pteroplatus Buquet, 1840 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Cerambycinae) and taxonomic notes in Pteroplatini, Zootaxa 4658 (1), pp. 69-100 : 74-76

Pteroplatus anchora Belon, 1903

( Figures 10–17 )

Pteroplatus anchora Belon, 1903: 52 ; Tippmann, 1960: 138; Monné, 1994: 47 (cat.); Monné & Giesbert, 1994: 132 (checklist); Monné, 2005: 451 (cat.); Wappes et al., 2006: 20 (distr.); Monné & Hovore, 2006: 114 (checklist); Lingafelter et al., 2017: 110; Monné, 2018: 671 (cat.). Pteroplatus ancora ; Aurivillius, 1912: 455 (cat.); Blackwelder, 1946: 588 (checklist) (misspelling). Pteroplatus anchora ab. parvodelineatus Tippmann, 1960: 139; Lingafelter et al., 2014: 351. Pteroplatus anchora ab. latesuturalis Tippmann, 1960: 140; Lingafelter et al., 2014: 351. Pteroplatus anchora ab. zischkai Tippmann, 1960: 140; Lingafelter et al., 2014: 351. Pteroplatus anchora ab. medioelargatosignatus Tippmann, 1960: 140; Lingafelter et al., 2014: 351. Pteroplatus anchora ab. latefasciatus Tippmann, 1960: 140; Lingafelter et al., 2014: 351. Pteroplatus anchora ab. fereniger Tippmann, 1960: 140; Lingafelter et al., 2014: 351.

Redescription. Male. Head black dorsally, dark-brown ventrally, with violaceous reflections, especially dorsally; mouthparts reddish-brown, except dark brown mandibles. Scape, pedicel and antennomeres III–VI dark brown with violaceous reflections; remaining antennomeres brown. Pronotum yellowish-brown, with wide V-shaped black band centrally, from posterior to anterior margin. Sides of prothorax blackish with slightly violaceous reflections. Prosternum dark brown with slightly violaceous reflections, except transverse yellowish-brown band on each side of anterior quarter. Ventral side of meso- and metathorax and abdomen blackish with violaceous reflections. Scutellum blackish. Elytra mostly yellowish-brown, more brownish inside parts of reticules, except blackish band along suture, with slightly violaceous reflections, from base to near midlength, dark brown band on inclined area of basal third (with slightly violaceous reflections), and blackish distal fifth (with slightly violaceous reflections). Legs brown with slightly violaceous reflections (more distinct on tibiae).

Head. Frons with moderately elevated central plate, carina-shaped toward vertex, distinctly widened toward clypeus, nearly rounded anteriorly; transversely depressed on each side of central plate (more distinctly toward side); finely, abundantly punctate except smooth tumid area of central plate, and moderately sparse punctures on remaining surface of central plate; with short, erect, sparse brownish setae interspersed with long, erect setae of same color. Area between antennal tubercles and upper eye lobes narrowly carinate centrally (this carina following posterior area of central plate, and following toward area near prothoracic margin); finely, densely micropunctate interspersed with fine punctures except shining central carina with sparse, fine punctures; with short, decumbent and erect brownish setae, denser laterally, except glabrous central carina. Remaining surface of vertex densely micropunctate interspersed with fine punctures (punctures slightly coarser than on area between antennal tubercles and eyes); with minute, sparse, decumbent yellowish-brown setae. Area behind upper eye lobes with sculpturing and setae as on vertex; area behind lower eye lobes smooth close to upper eye lobes, with fine, sparse punctures close to eye toward ventral side, smooth on remaining surface; with long, erect brownish setae emerging from punctures close to eye, glabrous on remaining surface. Antennal tubercles with sculpturing as on frons except smooth distal area; with brownish setae more abundant than on frons except glabrous smooth area. Postclypeus finely, densely punctate on wide central area, smooth laterally; with both, short and long, moderately sparse brownish setae. Labrum coplanar with anteclypeus at posterior third, inclined at anterior 2/3; with short, erect yellowish-brown setae interspersed with long, erect, thicker brownish setae laterally. Genae densely finely punctate close to eye, smooth toward apex; with short, decumbent, sparse yellowish-brown setae on punctate area, glabrous on smooth area. Gulamentum nearly smooth, glabrous close to prothorax, somewhat depressed, striate-punctate, with both, short and long, erect, moderately sparse yellowish-brown setae on wide anterior area. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.67 times length of scape; in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 1.12 times length of scape. Antennae (only one specimen measured) 1.1 times elytral length, reaching posterior fifth of elytra. Antennomeres III–V with tuft of moderately short setae on posterior half; antennomere VI with tuft of long setae on posterior 3/4. Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III: scape = 1.40; pedicel = 0.38; IV = 1.03; V = 1.33; VI = 1.50; VII = 1.47; VIII = 1.23; IX = 1.13; X = 1.00; XI = 1.37.

Thorax. Prothorax widened in central area of sides; anterior margin narrower than posterior margin. Pronotum with large, sub-circular gibbosity on each side of posterior half; with narrow, slightly elevated carina centrally, not reaching anterior or posterior margins; transversely, widely depressed on anterior half; nearly smooth between V-shaped black band, finely, moderately abundantly punctate on V-shaped band, moderately sparsely punctate laterally; with short, decumbent, sparse yellowish setae (brownish on V-shaped band), interspersed with long, erect, sparse dark setae. Sides of prothorax densely micropunctate, interspersed with fine punctures anteriorly; with moderately long yellowish setae anteriorly, glabrous posteriorly. Prosternum with long, erect, moderately abundant pale yellow setae. Ventral surface of mesothorax with short, decumbent yellowish setae. Metanepisternum with abundant, decumbent yellowish setae interspersed with long, erect setae of same color. Metaventrite with setae as on metanepisternum laterally, sparser centrally. Scutellum with short, decumbent, sparse brownish setae. Elytra. Slightly widened from midlength; entirely reticulate between outermost carina and suture; moderately coarsely, shallowly, abundant punctate; with short, erect, moderately abundant pale yellow setae except darker setae on dark areas. Legs. Femora finely, densely punctate except sparsely punctate basal half of profemora; with short, decumbent yellowish-brown setae interspersed with long, erect yellowish setae. Tibiae densely finely punctate; with decumbent brownish setae interspersed with long, erect dark setae.

Abdomen. Ventrites with decumbent, moderately abundant yellowish-brown setae interspersed with long, erect setae of same color; apex of ventrite V slightly rounded.

Variation. Head entirely dark brown or violaceous; scape, pedicel and antennomeres III–VI violaceous; antennomeres VI–XI dark brown; parts of pronotum with slightly violaceous reflections; pronotum mostly black except four distinct violaceous areas, one on each side of posterior half, one centrally on posterior half, one on anterior quarter, expanded along anterior margin, and elongate yellowish-brown on center of anterior half; prosternum entirely dark brown, with violaceous reflections; scutellum violaceous; blackish band along elytral suture distinctly surpassing midlength; elytral macula on distal fifth violaceous; elytra almost entirely violaceous on anterior half (more blackish inside of reticules), except yellowish-brown area band starting at humerus, narrowed toward its apex, violaceous on posterior quarter (more blackish inside of reticules), and violaceous band along suture, from anterior to posterior violaceous areas; legs nearly entirely violaceous; erect setae on frons more abundant, especially longer setae; central carina on dorsal surface of head not surpassing posterior margin of upper eye lobes or reaching prothoracic margin; vertex with fine, transverse, sparse wrinkles near posterior margin of eyes; pronotum moderately abundantly punctate between V-shaped black band, especially posteriorly, and more abundantly punctate laterally toward posterior margin; short and decumbent setae on pronotum dark and slightly conspicuous, and long setae more abundant, especially laterally; sides of prothorax with both, yellowish and dark setae anteriorly; setae on ventral surface of meso- and metathorax darkened.

Dimensions (mm), 3 males. Total length, 10.25–12.15; prothoracic length, 1.70–2.00; anterior prothoracic width, 1.60–1.70; posterior prothoracic width, 1.75–1.95; maximum prothoracic width, 2.05–2.30; humeral width, 2.75–3.10; elytral length, 8.00–8.95. According to Belon (1903), the length of the holotype is 7.5 mm.

Material examined. BOLIVIA, Cochabamba: 2 males, 1889, P. Germain col. ( DZUP, former R. Oberthür collection); La Paz (new department record): Yungas de Totora (Sehuencas; 2,100 m) , 1 male, 20.III.1957, Zischka col. ( MZSP) .

Distribution. Pteroplatus anchora is known only from Bolivia, in the departments of Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, and La Paz.

Type. Holotype from Bolivia (Cochabamba), deposited at MNHN.

Remarks. The species was described based on a single specimen. According to Belon (1903) it is, probably, a male. While it is not possible to be sure by examining the photograph of the holotype, we also believe it is a male. Belon (1903) also reported (translated): “Mr. René Oberthür, to whom I have communicated my unique specimen, has been kind enough to inform me that he has in his collection a good series of the Bolivian species, and that he notes a great variability of the drawings, the elytra being sometimes almost completely invaded by the black color. In this case, the characteristic feature of P. anchora disappears. However, the species remains distinct; but, in order to discern it from its congeners, we must then resort to the minute details of the sculpture mentioned in the respective diagnoses.” It is not possible to know if all specimens in the former Oberthür collection (currently, housed at MNHN) belong to the same species. Based on the specimens examined by us, which exhibit great color variation (as well as the aberrations described by Tippmann (1960)), they are probably all of the same species.

Figures

FIGURES 10–17. Pteroplatus anchora: 10) Dorsal habitus, male, specimen 1; 11) Ventral habitus, male, specimen 1; 12) Lateral habitus, male, specimen 1; 13) Head, frontal view, male, specimen 1; 14) Dorsal habitus, male, specimen 2; 15) Dorsal habitus, male, specimen 3; 16) Holotype male, labels; 17) Dorsal habitus, holotype male.