Euderces elachys, Martins, Ubirajara R. & Galileo, Maria Helena M., 2013

Martins, Ubirajara R. & Galileo, Maria Helena M., 2013, New species and records of Cerambycinae and Lamiinae (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) from the Neotropical Region, Zootaxa 3683 (5), pp. 571-580 : 576-578

Euderces elachys sp. nov.

( Fig. 7, 8 )

Head black; frons dark red, microsculptured (50 x). Vertex microsculptured (50 x). Upper ocular lobes absent. Antennae red, reaching about middle of the elytra. Scape finely punctate (40 x). Antennomere III slightly longer than antennomere IV with inner apical spine rounded at apex. Antennomere IV with a much shorter but distinct acute spine. Antennomere V the longest. Antennomeres VI-X gradually shorter.

Prothorax black, with distinct basal constriction. Surface of pronotum finely microsculptured (50 x). Scutellum finely, sparsely pubescent. Elytra black; in the holotype ( Fig. 7 ) with wide transverse yellow band at anterior third. In the paratype ( Fig. 8 ), the transverse band is closer to the margin, and less contrasting, the elytra almost appearing entirely black. Long white hairs scattered the length of the elytra.

Femora reddish-black (holotype) or black (paratype) with sparse long hairs. Tibiae and tarsi reddish-black (holotype) or black (paratype). Thoracic sterna red (holotype) or black (paratype) with white pubescence. Urosternites reddish-black (holotype) or black (paratype).

Measurements, in mm, holotype female/ paratype male. Total length, 4.8/4.9; prothorax length 1.4/1.3; greatest width of prothorax, 0.9/1.0; width of basal constriction of prothorax 0.7/0.7; elytron length, 3.2/3.2; humeral width, 1.2/1.2.

Type material. Holotype female, ECUADOR, Manabi: Montecristi (5 km S), 10.III.2006, F. T. Hovore & I. Swift col. ( CASC). Paratypes: male, same data as the holotype, Montecristi (vicinity, 01,01534ºS, 80,68195ºW, 355 m), 17–26.II.2006, F. T. Hovore & I. Swift col. ( MZSP); same data as the holotype, 4 males ( CLBS, ISC). Etymology. Greek, elachys = small, refers to the measurements.

Discussion. The genus Euderces LeConte, 1850 contains 56 species ( Monné & Bezark, 2011), but only six occur in South America: E. dilutus Martins, 1975 ( Bolivia) , E. guerinii (Chevrolat, 1862) ( Colombia) , E. paraposticus Giesbert & Chemsak, 1997 ( Colombia) , E. posticus Pascoe, 1866 , ( Colombia), E. venezuelensis Giesbert & Chemsak, 1997 ( Venezuela) and E. waltli (Chevrolat, 1862) ( Brazil) .

Euderces elachys sp. nov. is the first species recorded for Ecuador and is distinguished from E. dilutus and from E. venezuelensis by the spine of antennomere III longer than antennomere IV, by the wide yellow elytra band, and by the base of the elytra sparsely punctate. In E. dilutus and E. venezuelensis , the spine of antennomere III is small, distinctly shorter than antennomere IV; the white band of the elytra is narrow and the elytral base densely punctate.

We have not seen the two species described by Chevrolat (1862a, b) however, according to the descriptions, E. elachys differs from them by the color and sculpture of the elytra. Euderces guerinii has a narrow, elevated, ivory fascia on the middle of each elytron, as well as a distinct narrow, black elevation. In E. waltli there is a strong basal gibbosity on each elytron along with four white fascia with the interval between the posterior ones dark red.

From E. paraposticus it differs by the sparse but uniform elytral punctation; in E. paraposticus , the posterior half of the elytra have a wide smooth transverse band and pubescent apical fourth. From E. posticus it differs by the elytra lacking an eburneous fascia, with sparse pubescence and uniform punctation. In E. posticus the elytra are densely punctate with an eburneous fascia, and the apical region densely pubescent.

Figures

FIGURES 7 – 10. Euderces elachys sp. nov.: 7. holotype female, length 4.8; 8. paratype female, length 4.9; 9. Epropetes tristis sp. nov., holotype (female?), length 5.4 mm; 10. Trichohippopsis barbatulus sp. nov., holotype male, length 11.6 mm.