Equescollum birai, Nascimento & Botero & Lezama, 2019

Nascimento, Francisco Eriberto de Lima, Botero, Juan Pablo & Lezama, Humberto, 2019, A new genus, a new species and taxonomic notes in Oxycoleini Martins & Galileo, 2003 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Cerambycinae), Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia (Pap. Avulsos Zool., S. Paulo) 59, pp. 1-6 : 3-6

Equescollum birai sp. nov.

( Figs. 1-8; 11 )

Merionoeda culicina ; Bates, 1885: 287, pl. 20, fig. 18 (not Stenoptrellus culicinus Bates, 1870 ).

Description: Female. General integument dark brown; flagellomeres brownish; mouthparts (except mandibles) reddish brown; elytra with anterior half light brown, gradually darker toward margins; metaventrite with large reddish-brown triangular shaped area from anterior median margin (between metacoxal cavities), gradually diverging posteriorly, reaching metanepisternum; metacoxae and abdominal ventrites I-II reddish brown, ventrites III-IV reddish brown centrally, gradually dark brown toward margins, V-VI entirely dark brown.

Head: Frons coarsely, densely punctate (except postclypeus), with short thick blackish setae, densely distributed, not obscuring integument, with sparse yellowish setae interspersed; frontoclypeal sulcus deeply marked; postclypeus smooth, setae and punctures sparsely distributed. Median groove deeply marked frontally, from frontoclypeal sulcus to level of posterior margins of antennal sockets, margins smooth and glabrous. Genae rounded. Labrum slightly brownish toward apex, surface coarsely punctate, with elongate yellowish setae sparsely distributed;maxillary palpomere IV and labial palpomere III securiform; mandibles coarsely, sparsely punctate dorsally. Area between antennal tubercles coarsely punctate, with short blackish setae, densely distributed, not obscuring integument. Area behind upper eye lobes coarsely, densely punctate, punctures sparser than on frons. Gulamentum punctate near lower eye lobes margins, remaining areas glabrous and smooth. Distance between upper eye lobes about 2.5 times largest width of upper eye lobe. Antennae about 1.8 times elytral length, reaching elytral apex, not reaching abdominal apex. Scape gradually widened distally, inner distal side with elongate rhombus projection; sparsely punctate; punctures sparser distally; surface with sparse, short erect blackish setae. Flagellomeres slightly, gradually widened toward apex, XI fusiform; surface with dense brownish pubescence, not obscuring integument; antennomeres III-VI with subdecumbent brownish setae on inner side. Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III: scape = 1.43; pedicel = 0.36; IV = 1.43; V = 1.43; VI = 1.29; VII = 1.14;VIII = 1.07; IX = 1.0; X = 0.93; XI = 1.07.

Thorax. Prothorax as long as wide; sides narrowed anteriorly, with slightly raised tubercle; posterior half with elevated tubercle; posterior fifth narrowed. Pronotum with six tubercles: four elliptical, two anterolateral, deeply marked anteriorly, and two posterolateral (largest), deeply marked at inner side and posteriorly; and two median tubercles, an elongate between anterolateral tubercles, and another elliptical, between lateroposteri- or tubercles. Pronotal disc with blackish pubescence between tubercles, posterior fifth with whitish pubescence. Prosternum transversely elevated at anterior fifth; central area coarsely punctate, with sparse whitish pubescence on central area and on posterior half. Mesoventrite coarsely, confluently punctate, especially on mesoventral process, with short, sparse, subdecumbent whitish setae (not obscuring integument); mesoventral process width about half diameter of mesocoxal cavity, apex semicircularly notched. Mesanepisternum and mesepimeron with fine, sparse punctures, poorly marked, surface with short sparse subdecumbent whitish setae (not obscuring integument). Metaventrite with sparse punctures, poorly marked, with short moderately abundant subdecumbent whitish setae on blackish area (not obscuring integument); reddish-brown area smooth, almost glabrous with sparse subdecumbent whitish setae, especially on anterior median margin; metathoracic discrimen reaching anterior median margin; metanepisternum with short, moderately abundant, subdecumbent whitish setae interspersed with elongate yellowish setae sparsely distributed. Scutellum length half its width; with whitish pubescence not obscuring integument. Elytra: Dehiscent from posterior half; humeri rounded and slightly projected forward; elytral sides with anterior two-thirds gradually convergent, posterior third coplanar with dorsal area, parallel-sided; posterior dorsal half with well-marked carina; surface coarsely, densely punctate, with sparse whitish pubescence evenly distributed. Legs: Coxae with sparse whitish pubescence; profemora with peduncle about one third clave length, meso- and metafemora with peduncle about half clave length; surface with sparse,erect yellowish setae; apex transversely truncate; pro- and mesotibiae with short, decumbent yellowish setae on inner distal half, remaining areas with sparse, erect, elongate brownish setae; metatibiae strongly arched, coarsely granulated-punctate, with sparse,erect, elongate brownish setae.

Abdomen: With 5 ventrites. Ventrites with sparse, erect yellowish setae, denser laterally.Ventrite I length about 2.3 times largest length of ventrite II, gradually widened posteriorly. Ventrite II gradually widened posteriorly, aligned with ventrite I, posterior margin semicircular, about 0.3 length of I laterally, posterior half with transverse semicircular depression,anterior median margin with row of elongate yellowish setae posteriorly directed; sideward with row (about 1/10 the total width of the ventrite) of thicker, longer setae (about twice median setae), strongly arched toward middle; median posterior margin (2/5 the total width of the ventrite) with row of elongate yellowish conchoidal setae; internal area of depression with abundant, thickened, short yellowish conchoidal setae, evenly distributed (not obscuring integument).Ventrite III with sides graduallyconvergentposteriorly,formingangleatposterolateral area, about half length of II laterally, posterior margin semicircular (posteriorly divergent); large semicircular area (posteriorly divergent) less sclerotized centrally, with row of elongate brownish setae posteriorly, posteriorly directed at anterior margin of less sclerotized area.Ventrite IV trapezoidal,about0.7 length of III laterally,slightly notched posteriorly, with elongate brownish setae laterally and on posterior margin,remaining area with sparse white pubescence. Ventrite V strongly notched, about half length of IV laterally,with elongate brownish setae laterally.

Male: Antennae about 2.5 times elytral length, surpassing elytral apex, reaching abdominal apex. Abdomen with 6 ventrites, ventrite II without modifications.

Dimensions (mm): Holotype, female, total length, 7.4; prothoracic length, 1.3; anterior prothoracic width, 1.0; posterior prothoracic width, 1.2; widest prothoracic width, 1.3; humeral width, 1.5; elytral length, 3.3. Paratypes, males (n = 2), total length, 5.1-7.0; prothoracic length, 1.0-1.2; anterior prothoracic width, 0.7-0.8; posterior prothoracic width, 0.9-1.0; widest prothoracic width, 1.0-1.1; humeral width, 1.2-1.4; elytral length, 2.4-3.0.

Type material: Holotype female from COSTA RICA, San José: Mora El Rodeo (Fila Diamante, 1.000 m), 22.I.2006, M.A. Zumbado LN col. ( MZSP) . Paratypes, COSTA RICA, Guanacaste (3 km SE R. Naranjo), male, 16-31.I.1993, F.D. Parker col. ( MZSP). Puntarenas: Estación Biológica Las Cruces ( OET), San Vito, Coto Brus , 1.000 m, male, 01-05. II.1998, H.J. Lezama & F. T. Hovore col. ( MICR) ; Península de Osa (Rancho Quemado), male, I.1993 (Malaise trap), E. Quesada col. ( MZSP) .

Etymology: The new species is named in honor of the late Ubirajara R. Martins de Souza (Bira).

Remarks: Bates (1870) described Stenoptrellus culicinus (currently Oxycoleus culicinus ) based on a single female with elytra pale ochre ( Fig. 10 ). Subsequently, Bates (1885) reported and figured from Panama ( Fig. 5 ) a specimen misidentified as O. culicinus . We can notice in the illustration by Bates (1885) that the specimen has a spineshaped projection in the scape.

Some evidences indicate that a specimen deposited at BNMH ( Fig. 4 ), which was examined through photography at Bezark (2018), and in a slide (made by Pe. Jesus Santiago Moure) is the same specimen used to make the illustration in Bates (1885) ( Fig. 5 ). Its projection is in the same position, at the apex of the scape and is also forwards. however, this projection is located on the inner side of the scape, and the Bates’s specimen was badly positioned. It is also possible to note that some antennomeres are absent ( Fig. 5 ), and the same occurs in this specimen,glued on a card.We believe that this specimen collected by Bates (1885) is an undescribed species (described herein).

The presence of projection in the scape is unique in the tribe. However, we find relevant to make some comparisons with some Oxycoleus species. Equescollum birai differs from the true O. culicinus ( Fig. 10 ) [both species identified as O. culicinus by Bates (1885)] especially by the presence of projection in the scape (absent in O. culicinus ). We have specimens of both sexes with projection in the scape;therefore, it cannot be a sexual dimorphism. Besides the shape of scape, the elytra in Equescollum birai sp. nov. is light brown on the anterior half, gradually darker toward margins (pale ochre in O. culicinus ), and strongly acuminate apically (subrounded in O. culicinus ).

Equescollum birai is similar to O. brachypterus ( Fig. 9 ), by the dehiscent elytra, acuminate apically, and by general integument color. Besides the scape, the new species have granulations in the metatibiae (generic features) absent in O. brachypterus .

Figures

Figures 1-5. (1-3) Equescollum birai, holotype female: (1) Dorsal habitus; (2) Ventral habitus; (3) Lateral habitus. (4) Slide of the specimen deposited at BNMH; (5) Illustration of the specimen identified as Oxycoleus culicinus (from Bates,1885).

Figures 6-11. (6-8) Equescollum birai: (6) holotype female,head;(7-8) paratypes male,respectively dorsal habitus and ventral habitus.(9) Oxycoleus brachypterus, dorsal habitus.(10) Oxycoleus culicinus,holotype,dorsal habitus.(11) drawing of Equescollum birai, dorsal habitus.