Dihammaphora ruficollis Chevrolat, 1859

Napp, Dilma Solange & Mermudes, José Ricardo M., 2010, Revision of the genus Dihammaphora Chevrolat (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae). I. Species with 11 - segmented antennae, Journal of Natural History 44 (13 - 14), pp. 869-889 : 884-886

Dihammaphora ruficollis Chevrolat, 1859

( Figure 2D )

Dihammaphora ruficollis Chevrolat, 1859: 52 ; Monné, 2005: 522 (catalogue); Monné and Bezark, 2008: 138 (checklist).

Dihammaphora nitidicollis ; Silva, 1956: 120, fig. 9 (biology); Silva et al., 1968: 388 (hosts); Monné, 2001: 27 (catalogue, hosts); Monné, 2005: 521 (catalogue) (non Bates, 1870).

Redescription

Male. Integument black; prothorax reddish. Elytra and peduncles of femora black to brownish. Head densely, shallowly reticulate. Vertex glabrous. Frons, clypeus, antennal tubercles, genae, margin of lower eye lobes and mandibles densely clothed by whitish pubescence almost or totally obscuring integument.

Antennae exceeding middle of elytra by one or two segments. Segments 3–5 subcylindrical, barely expanded at apex; 6–11 densely microcorrugate, with whitish pubescence and short, whitish, sparse setae; 6 little longer than 5; 6–8 subserrate, decreasing in length, 9, 10 shortest, swollen; 11 suboval, as long as 3.

Prothorax narrow, either almost parallel at sides or widest at middle, somewhat sinuous behind middle and slightly attenuate from middle to apex. Pronotum with some dorsal, erect setae at apical third; latero-basal gibbosities prominent, rounded. Prosternum almost glabrous, with scattered, fine, shallow punctures.

Elytra slightly narrowed before middle. Disk depressed, especially at base; dorsal costa prominent from base almost to apex, straight or curved inwards at apex. Surface moderately coarsely, deeply punctuated; punctures more or less seriate in three to four rows between suture and dorsal costa, separated by one diameter or less, except at base and apical third with smaller, not seriate punctures; one row of punctures between dorsal and lateral costae. Finely, almost indistinctly, whitish pubescent, with some whitish, erect, inconspicuous setae. Margins weakly asperate. Elytral apices rounded-truncate.

Peduncles of femora evidently sulcate. Metafemora surpassing elytral apices by the apical third of club. Metatibiae straight. First segment of metatarsi about 1.3 times as long as the two following combined.

Female. Similar to male. Antennae reaching or barely exceeding middle of elytra. Metafemora reaching elytral apices, or not.

Measurements (mm) male/female. Total length, 6.3–7.7/5.8–7.5; prothorax length, 1.6–2.0/1.5–2.0; maximum width of prothorax, 1.1–1.3/1.0–1.2; elytral length, 4.2– 5.3/4.0–5.1; humeral width, 1.3–1.7/1.3–1.6.

Variability

Pubescence of frons clothing entire surface or forming a longitudinal vitta on each side from clypeus to antennal tubercles. Punctuation of elytra subseriate or vaguely seriate.

Type material. Two syntypes from Brazil, Rio de Janeiro ( BMNH, MNHN). The syntype deposited in MNHN and a slide of that in BMNH were examined .

Remarks

Dihammaphora ruficollis is similar to D. chontalensis Bates, 1872 and D. mineira sp. nov., in having the same body colour, and elytra pubescent, with dorsal costae prominent from base to almost apex and asperate margins. Dihammaphora ruficollis differentiates, principally, by the very short, almost indistinct pubescence of the elytra, the parallel-sided, narrow prothorax and brownish elytra ( Figure 2D ). In D. chontalensis and D. mineira the elytral pubescence is very dense, obscuring punctures, the prothorax is subrounded in D. mineira , and wider, gradually attenuate from base to apex in D. chontalensis ( Figure 2E,F , respectively).

Silva (1956) reported the behaviour of the larvae attacking dry branches of two varieties of orange trees. As a rule, the galleries are irregular and subcortical. At the end of the development, the larvae burrow into the wood to elaborate the pupal chamber. The specimens were identified as D. nitidicollis Bates, 1870 , which is recorded only from Amazonas State. However, given the description and figure of the adult provided by Silva (1956: 120, fig. 9), together with the origin of the material – all larvae were collected in Rio de Janeiro – it is more probable that the larvae belong into D. ruficollis .

Silva et al. (1968) repeated the hosts mentioned by Silva (1956), and noticed Chaelcedectes sp. ( Hymenoptera , Torymidae ) as parasite of the larvae. Monné (2001, 2005), following Silva (1956) listed Citrus sinensis (Rutaceae) as host of D. nitidicollis Bates, 1870 .

Examined material

Brazil. Rio de Janeiro: Niterói ( Columbandê ), one male, one female, October 1955, Arlê col. ( MNRJ) ; Rio de Janeiro (Represa Rio Grande ), two males, one female, October 1960 , two males, October 1963, five males, four females, October 1970, F. M. Oliveira col. ( MNRJ), two males, two females, October 1970, F. M. Oliveira col. ( DZUP); Parque Nacional da Tijuca, four males, two females, January 1977, Fragoso col. ( MNRJ); Seropédica: ( Instituto Biológico ), one male, 30 January 1931, Caldeira col. ( MZSP) .

Figures

Figure 2. Dihammaphora species. (A) Dihammaphora perforata Klug, female (?). (B) Dihammaphora ibirajarai Mermudes, female holotype. (C) Dihammaphora nitidicollis Bates, male (?) holotype. (D) Dihammaphora ruficollis Chevrolat, male. (E) Dihammaphora mineira sp. nov., male (?) holotype. (F) Dihammaphora chontalensis Bates, female holotype. (C) and (F) reproduced from slides.