Hormathus Gahan, 1890

Ivie, Michael A. & Spiessberger, Erich L., 2007, Clarification of the Correct Original Spelling of Caecomenimopsis jamaicensis Dajoz (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Diaperinae: Gnathidiini: Anopidiina), The Coleopterists Bulletin 61 (2), pp. 177-191 : 177-191

Hormathus Gahan, 1890

( Figs. 1a–d )

Transferred to Ibidionini , Division V, from Tillomorphini (revised tribal placement)

e) Eburia pseudostigma Lingafelter & Nearns , female; f) Eburia stigma (Olivier) , male;

g) Tillomorpha lineoligera Blanchard , lateral view of head showing coarsely faceted eye;

h) Ataxia hovorei Lingafelter & Nearns , female; i) Ataxia alboscutellata Fisher , female;

j) Atimiola rickstanleyi Lingafelter & Nearns , female; k) Drycothaea indistincta Lingafelter & Nearns , female.

Trinoplon Zayas 1975:116 . New synonym.

Hormathus bicolor ( Zayas 1975:116) . New combination.

Discussion. Martins (1967) transferred Hormathus Gahan into Tillomorphini on the basis of the finely faceted eyes. He also stated that the basal antennomeres that are swollen in males are similar to those of Pentanodes Schaeffer , Tetranodus Linell , and Diphyrama Bates of the Tillomorphini . Examination of specimens of Hormathus cinctellus Gahan 1890 ( Fig. 1c ), the type species (and only current member of that genus [Monné 2005a]), reveals that this genus belongs to Ibidionini , not Tillomorphini . The elongate, cylindrical prothorax without micropunctation on the venter or conspicuous dorsal punctures/rugae demonstrate proper affinities to Ibidionini . Furthermore, the type species of Tillomorpha Bates , T. lineoligera Blanchard 1851 ( Fig. 1g ), has very coarsely faceted eyes 180 (unlike many other tillomorphines), so this character can be used neither as a tribal-defining feature nor as a basis to transfer Hormathus to that tribe. The posteriorly closed procoxal cavities, the modified swollen basal antennomeres in males (with the fourth antennomere much shorter than the third and fifth), and the eyes without distinct upper eye lobes demonstrate affinities to Ibidionini , Division V of Martins (1970). Into this division Martins (1967) placed a species, Hadroibidion pullum (Martins 1962) , that he originally had placed in Hormathus . A color habitus photograph of the holotype was provided by Monné et al. (2006). Hormathus pullum differs from H. cinctellus in having upper eye lobes and having nearly fused antennomeres 10 and 11. It shares with H. cinctellus closed procoxal cavities, and absence of punctation on the pronotum. Martins and Napp (1986) described Hadroibidion vulgare Martins & Napp 1986 , however it has unfused antennomeres 10 and 11. They recognized that their decision altered the generic diagnosis. Hadroibidion species should be examined carefully to assess the potential need to synonymize that genus with Hormathus , but that is beyond the scope of this research.

Using the key in Martins (1970:881), H. cinctellus fits the couplet containing Xalitla Lane and Opsibidion Martins (couplet 3). It differs from Xalitla in not having punctation throughout the body (an atypical feature of Ibidionini ), and it differs from Opsibidion in having rounded elytral apices (an outer spine is present in Opsibidion ).

Zayas (1975) erected the genus Trinoplon for a new species, T. bicolor ( Fig. 1b ), in Cuba. This genus was characterized by the smooth, subcylindrical and impunctate pronotum, closed procoxal cavities posteriorly, and swollen scape and antennomeres 3–5. These are characters that are consistent with Hormathus , with which we synonymize Trinoplon . Hormathus bicolor ( Zayas 1975) has uniformly metallic blue elytra (sometimes slightly orange at base). Hormathus cinctellus has mostly black elytra with a red and blue hue, not metallic as in H. bicolor , and has a post-medial transverse ivory macula extending from the outer margin to near the suture. In the course of our research in the Dominican Republic, a third species of Hormathus was found and is described below. This is followed by a key to the three species of Hormathus .

Figures

Fig. 1. a–f. New species of Cerambycidae from Dominican Republic, along with similar taxa: a) Hormathus giesberti Lingafelter & Nearns, male; b) Hormathus bicolor (Zayas), male; c) Hormathus cinctellus Gahan, male; d) H. giesberti Lingafelter & Nearns, female;