Sympleurotis amixtlani, Noguera & Gutiérrez & Monné, 2018

Noguera, Felipe A., Gutiérrez, Nayeli & Monné, Miguel A., 2018, A new species, and a new distribution record for the genus Sympleurotis Bates, 1881 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae) from Mexico, Zootaxa 4394 (1), pp. 144-146 : 144-145

Sympleurotis amixtlani sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–4 )

Holotype female. Length 12.8 mm; width: 4.5 mm. Integument dark brown dorsally, lighter brown ventrally; clothed with dense, recumbent, variegated white, ochraceous and dark brown pubescence. Head with lower eye lobes 1.3 times longer than genae; upper eyes lobes 0.7 times narrower than upper interocular space; antennae exceeding apex of elytra from seventh segment, antennal formula (proportion) based on length of third segment: scape = 0.81, II = 0.09, IV = 0.84, V = 0.56, VI = 0.43, VII = 0.40, VIII = 0.38, IX = 0.31, X = 0.29, XI = 0.25, antennomeres clothed with short pubescence, dark brown dorsally, more whitish ventrally with a line of very sparse erect setae on lower margin. Pronotum 1.4 X wider than long; base 1.2 X wider than apex; sides nearly straight; basally with deep punctures adjacent to margin, punctures contiguous medially; apex with deep punctures separated from margin and each other by a distance greater than their diameter; disc with five tubercles, two anterior in front of middle, transverse, extending sideways nearly to lateral margin and with a middle depression that almost divides them in two; two behind the middle, just behind the previous two, conical and apex obtuse; fifth placed centrally, slightly prominent, oblong, slightly backward from two posterior tubercles; with setigerous punctures scattered between tubercles and laterally, glabrous; pubescence dense, recumbent, variegated with bright ochraceous and white, with a dark brown macula in middle depression between anterior tubercles, with another irregular macula at base of each posterior tubercle. Scutellum with apex rounded, medially depressed, with dark brown pubescent margins and a whitish pubescent triangle centrally. Elytra twice as long as wide; almost parallel sided from base to apical third where it curves inward towards apex; apex truncate-emarginate, with a short acute projection on each margin; each elytron with a moderately prominent oblong elevation in basal third, extending obliquely to sutural margin, forming an "V"; basal half with glabrous punctures, separated from each other by a distance slightly larger than their diameter, punctures scarce towards apex; dense, whitish pubescence variegated with bright ochraceous, with an oblique band of dark brown on basal third, extending from elytral slope to middle part of elytra; another irregular pubescent band at base of second third, transverse, extending from elytral slope to near suture, and an irregular macula near apex. Sternum covered with dense whitish pubescence; metathorax and abdomen with scattered glabrous punctures. Ovipositor extending 0.5 mm beyond apex of elytra; urosternite strongly emarginate in "V" form; urotergite narrowing to apex, with apex truncate, with a central, narrow longitudinal depression, extending from near base to almost apex; with moderately dense whitish pubescence and long setae interspersed along lateral margins of apical third.

Type material. Holotype female, MEXICO, Jalisco, Centro Ecoturístico Amixtlán , Mpio. San José del Carmen, 19° 30ʼ 16.52̏ N, 103° 42ʼ 49.08 O ̏, 18–VI–2015, Trampa de luz, Cols. F. A. Noguera y N. Gutiérrez ( EBCC) .

Diagnosis. This species is clearly distinguished from other Sympleurotis species by the sides of the pronotum nearly straight, unlike congeners which have arcuate pronotal sides.

Etymology. This species is named after the Ecotouristic Center of Amixtlán (from the Náhuatl and meaning place between the clouds), a high elevation habitat (up to 1500 meters above sea level) with unique insect diversity that needs to be preserved.

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Sympleurotis amixtlani sp. nov. holotype female. 1) Dorsal habitus. 2) Laterral habitus. 3) Ventral habitus. 4) Photographed live on the trunk of arecently fallen tree.