Epipoda, Clarke, 2014

Clarke, Robin O. S., 2014, Bolivian Rhinotragini IX: new genera (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia (São Paulo) 54 (26), pp. 375-390 : 383-385

Epipoda gen. nov.

Figs. 3, 4

Type species: Epipoda abeli sp. nov., here designated.

Diagnosis: Epipoda differs from all species of Epimelitta (s. auct.) and Pseudophygopoda (and its related genera) by its closed coxal cavities; except for one species, Epimelitta postimelina Giesbert, 1996 , yet to be removed from this genus, which differs from Epipoda by its large size, fissate, relatively long elytra, and metatibial brushes.

Species of Epipoda are rather small, with short subulate (but not lobed), outwardly curved elytra (with distinct translucent panels), and with rather short, tumid hind femora; a combination of characters not found in any other genus, but approached by some species of Ecliptoides Tavakilian &Peñaherrera- Leiva, 2005 and Clepitoides Clarke, 2009 , but in both these genera the elytra are longer, reaching beyond middle of urosternite II (hardly passing base of II in Epipoda ), and legs generally much more slender than in Epipoda . Tomopterchasia Clarke, 2013 with elytra only just passing metacoxae (at least nearly reaching hind margin of urosternite I in Epipoda ), and metafemora more slender than in Epipoda .

Odontocera mellea White, 1855 , yet to be removed from this genus, has an undeniable similarity to species of Epipoda . Nevertheless, body of O. mellea is much more robust than the rather flattened form in Epipoda ; elytra only slightly longer (reaching apical third of urosternite II), but with sharply truncate and armed apices (apices truncate and unarmed in Epipoda ), and antennae longer (reaching base of urosternite II) and more filiform than in Epipoda .

Epipoda has one last character that is unique: the lateral lobes of the tegmen have distinctly notched apices ( Fig. 5 ); among the many Rhinotragini genitalia examined so far the apices of lateral lobes are rounded, or acuminate, but not truncate and excavate as in Epipoda .

Description of genus: small (about 8.0 mm), but moderately robust, compact species; forebody and abdomen of equal length (in male), longer than abdomen (in female).

Head with eyes distinctly narrower than width of prothorax. Rostrum short (about half length of inferior lobe of eye), 2.8-3.2 wider than long. Apical palpomeres cylindrical with truncate apices. Labrum short, two times wider than long; front margin straight, but declivous. Inferior lobes of eyes weakly convex (in female rather flat), slightly longer than wide; not contiguous, in male width of one lobe more than three times interocular distance, in female width of lobe 1.1-2.5 interocular distance; their distal margins lying adjacent to genae, proximal margins transverse. Superior lobes of eyes small and narrow, the distance between them about three times their own width; with 10 rows of ommatidia mesally, narrowed to 5 rows laterally. Mentum-submentum multicarinate and densely punctured (in transverse patch in both sexes). Antennal tubercles hardly prominent, the surface between them unusually rather flat. Antennae short, not reaching apex of urosternite I; filiform basally, crassate apically (especially in female E. vanini ); scape subpyriform (when view from above cylindrical, with base of segment characteristically truncate and narrowly pediculate), hardly shorter, to distinctly shorter, than antennomere III; antennomeres III and IV filiform; III much longer than other antennomeres; IV short, about half length of III; V longer than IV and VI-XI, crassate in female E. vanini , in E. abeli somewhat widened in male, less so in female; VI-X intermittently shorter towards apex, and hardly serrate; VI and VII, and VII and IX usually equal in length, X always slightly shorter; XI as long as VI and VII, rather rounded with small apical cone. Prothorax subcylindrical, moderately elongate in male, quadrate and more rounded at sides in female; sides widest before or behind middle; in male sides rounded for middle third, usually almost straight and moderately converging to apical margin, and sometimes more rounded (and always rather strongly converging) to basal constriction. Disc of pronotum weakly convex and broadly flattened; surface slightly irregular, with weakly raised calli as follows: a pair of broad ones forming an arc towards sides of disc; and, only in male, a broad, parallel-sided callus occupying most of midline (this one so weakly raised it may not qualify for status of callus, but is made to look more like one by what appears to be a moderately depressed, nar- row channel separating the median callus from the lateral ones); surface in female hardly irregular, with very weak pair of lateral calli only; apical constriction absent, basal constriction very narrow and almost planar with disc for middle third; apical and basal margins about equally wide, their borders weakly raised and narrow. Prosternum weakly declivous across apical third, in male almost flat, in female tumid at middle; prosternal process not arced, in male planar with prosternum, in female lying slightly below level of prosternum. Base of prosternal process long, in male moderately narrow, but not laminate (about five times narrower than width of procoxal cavity), in female wider (about one third width of coxal cavity); apex of process in male trapezoidal and transverse, in female a less transverse equilateral triangle. Procoxal cavities plugged at sides, just closed behind. Mesosternum strongly declivous, but in male mesosternal process inclined (ca. 45° of slope) from base to its apex, in female nearer vertical. Mesosternal process with moderately broad, flat base (in female about one third width of mesocoxal cavity, in male slightly narrower); towards apex sides rather strongly divergent, and apical margin deeply excavate, to form two rath- er narrow acuminate lobes. Mesocoxal cavity rather narrowly open to mesepimeron, the latter narrow at middle, 3-4 times wider at lateral and mesal margins. Elytra subulate with moderately broad truncate apices (apex slightly oblique in female), rather flat, without humero-apical costa; short, 1.7-1.9 longer than width of humeri; reaching from apex of urosternite I to basal third of II; humeri moderately projecting and prominent, not quite hiding sides of mesosterna (when viewed from directly above); incrementally dehiscent for apical two-thirds; the latter slightly to moderately strongly curved outwards; apices unarmed; each elytron with translucent panel occupying central half. Mesosternum in female slightly shorter than metasternum (0.9 length of metasternum), in male shorter (0.8 length of metasternum). Metathorax broad and somewhat tumid, but flattened on disc (even so, more prominent than mesocoxae); sides rounded from base to middle of apex; longitudinal suture represented by very narrow sulcus, lying in broad depression on apical two thirds of metasternum. Metepisternum moderately broad at base and subacuminate at apex, with unusual shining, impunctate, triangular area between basal and lateral margins. Abdomen in male almost cylindrical, annulated, moderately narrow (narrowest at base and apex of urosternite I, moderately widening to apex IV/base of V; urosternite I slightly elongate, II weakly transverse, III-V distinctly transverse. Male urosternite V weakly trapezoidal with rounded sides; well differentiated: with narrow, bell-shaped soleate depression reaching from base to apex, delineated laterally by narrow, weakly raised sides; sides of urosternite not alate (when viewed from the side); apical margin truncate. Abdomen in female much as male in shape, slightly more fusiform and much wider; narrowest at base of urosternite I, widening to middle of III, contracted to apex of V; all segments transverse; urosternite I subconical. Female urosternite V undifferentiated and not downturned, short and subconical, contracted near apex, (leaving apical third parallel-sided in E. abeli ); apical margin hardly rounded. Abdominal process in male a narrow isosceles triangle, distinctly inclined (about 20°), and intimately inserted between metacoxae; in female broader, and hardly inclined to abdomen. Ratio front/middle/hind leg 1.0:1.1-1.2:1.8-1.9. Front and middle legs rather short; strongly pedunculateclavate. Protibiae slightly shorter than profemora, straight, narrow at base, gradually widening to middle (in male E. abeli ), or cylindrical for apical two-thirds (in female); apical margin oblique, and in female micro-tuberculate. Pro- and mesofemoral claves broad and abrupt (when viewed from the side), the latter flatter laterally, strongly tumid mesally (when viewed from above); profemoral peduncle short and moderately narrow; mesofemoral peduncle flat and narrow, about half length of clave; mesofemora longer than mesotibia. Hind legs relatively short (lengths body/ hind leg 1.3-1.4); metafemoral peduncle slightly flattened, moderately broad and short (about half length of clave); clave fusiform, weakly abrupt, apex reaching from apical third of urosternite III to basal quarter of V. Metatibiae clothed with long, narrow, sparse setae; bisinuate (when viewed from above); longer than metafemora; slender, gradually widening from middle to apex; extreme apex rather abruptly, but not strongly widened, and distinctly wider than metatarsus. Metatarsus rather short (less than half length of metatibia), and narrow; metatarsomere I cylindrical in male (gradually widening from base to apex in female), short (but slightly longer than length of II + III); II moderately elongate, trapezoidal (base not pediculate); III small, short, and narrow, the lobes hardly diverging.

Male genitalia (based on E. abeli , fig. 5): aedeagus with characteristic tegmen; median lobe typical of many Rhinotragini. Tegmen: lateral lobes (parameres) long (length of lateral lobe 0.75 mm) and rather flat; each lobe almost equally wide (about 0.13 mm) from base to apex, moderately arced for basal half; apical margin of each lobe distinctly and abruptly excavate, and hardly setose; basal piece somewhat characteristic, V-shaped, short and rather narrow (and lacking stem of Y-shaped basal piece). Median lobe: moderately long (about 1.2 mm), slender, modestly arced; with acuminate apex (when viewed laterally), round- ed with small acuminate projection (when viewed dorsally); and dark bodies not evident.

Surface ornamentation: dorsad subglabrous; some fine, recumbent pubescence on frons, long suberect pubescence on pronotum, and noticeably denser, long suberect, and short recumbent mixture of hairs on basal third of elytra. Underside generally pubescent (more so in E. abeli ); brassy or silver coloured patches of recumbent pubescence on sides of mesothorax (particularly dense and yellower on mesepimeron and adjacent side of mesosternum), covering most of metasternum in male (basal part in female), and most of abdomen in female, less so in male (maybe rubbed); longer, suberect, ashy-coloured hairs on prosternum (untidy), and in rows on apical half of metasternum, and metepisternum, and scattered across surface of abdomen.

Puncturation on vertex of head and pronotum generally contiguous, uniformly small and alveolate (in the male E. abeli mixed with micropunctures in the narrow channels separating the lateral calli from the midline); elytra similarly, and almost as densely punctured, towards base of elytra the punctures subalveolate and beveled; on translucent panels sparse and shallow. Ventral surface generally covered by much finer puncturation, consisting of dense, very small, semi-alveolate punctures lying on smooth, reticulate surface; in a transverse patch across basal two-thirds of prosternum, on basal two-thirds of metasternum, and away from margins of each urosternite.

The species included in this genus are Epipoda abeli sp. nov. and Epipoda vanini sp. nov.

Etymology: the name of the genus is a combination of the Latin words “Epi” (to indicate its relative similarity to the epimellitines), and “poda” (its probable, closer, relationship with the phygopodines). The genus is neuter.

Figures

FIGURES 3‑5: 3, Epipoda abeli sp. nov.: A, male holotype, B, male paratype ventral aspect, C, female paratype. 4, Epipoda vanini sp. nov.: A, female holotype, B, female holotype ventral aspect. 5, Epipoda abeli sp. nov.: genitalia (length of median lobe about 1.2 mm), tegmen (left), median lobe (right).