Phygopoides maxwelli, Clarke, 2017

Clarke, Robin O. S., 2017, Bolivian Rhinotragini XI. New species of Phygopoda Thomson, 1864 and Phygopoides Peñaherrera-Leiva and Tavakilian, 2007 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), Insecta Mundi 2017 (568), pp. 1-18 : 11-16

Phygopoides maxwelli sp. nov.

Fig. 7-10

Holotype. Male: 11.15 mm. Deposited at MNKM.

Description of holotype ( Fig. 7 ). Moderately robust species. Forebody 1.20 longer than abdomen. Prothorax subcylindrical, 1.13 wider than head with eyes.

Surface features. Color: body almost entirely black. Labial palpomeres pale chestnut, maxillary palpomeres yellow. Elytra with small, testaceous-olive translucent panels. Apical half of antennae dark brown. Legs almost entirely dark chestnut, tibiae and tarsi blacker; but metatarsus yellow (base of metatarsomere I and apex of onychium black). Pubescence: pronotum, base of elytra and underside of head liberally clothed with long erect hairs, on underside long hairs reduced to metasternum and metepisternum. Dense, recumbent, silver-colored pubescence on the following: frons, center of prosternum (spreading to extreme sides of pronotum), most of meso- and metathorax and abdomen. Legs generally lacking noticeable pubescence; except metatibiae (densely setose for apical two-thirds, to form narrow, black brushes) and metatarsus (densely clothed with long, pale yellow hairs). Antennal scape almost glabrous; antennomeres III-V finely pubescent (below with fringe of longer setae on apex of III and most of IV-VI); VII-XI somewhat tomentose. Puncturation: on dorsad generally dense and alveolate; small on head, largest on base of elytra and sides of pronotum (the latter with small impunctate area anteriorly); along base of labrum row of simple punctures; elytra entirely dense (at base becoming rugose and beveled), except on translucent panels (smaller and sparse, separated by slightly more than their diameter), and separated by smooth surface of humero-apical costa. Underside of head with mixture of small and larger, alveolate punctures lodged between dense carinas across mentum-submentum. Underside of forebody: different on each thoracic segment as follows: prosternum sub-carinate with dense, relatively large, alveolate punctures embedded in matrix of micropunctures; mesosternum almost entirely micropunctate; metasternum micropunctate basally, towards apex and sides mixed with scattering of shallow, small and slightly larger punctures (without beveling). Surface of abdomen entirely micropunctate (especially towards sides), with very small, non-alveolate, shallow punctures on: urosternite I sparse, II- IV moderately dense, V dense and beveled.

Structure. Head: rostrum long (width/length 2.10), sides parallel. Mentum-submentum represented by well demarcated quadrate area. Labial and maxillary palpomeres cylindrical, moderately long, truncate at apex; galea long and narrow, lacinia short and broad. Labrum moderately large, about half as long as wide, front margin hardly emarginate and weakly declivous. Clypeus narrow, on higher plane than labrum and frons and separated from them by transverse depressions. Frons long, hardly convex, with distinct depression at midline; frontal suture not deep, exceptionally narrow, just traceable from base of frons to antennal tubercles. Inferior lobes of eyes large; 1.13 longer than wide; front margins lying on frons; strongly convex laterally, medially slightly more prominent than interocular (which, itself appears to be abruptly raised); contiguous (width of one lobe/interocular distance 15.00); hind margins almost transverse. Superior lobes of eyes narrow (ca. 0.20 mm wide medially, narrowed to ca. 0.15 mm laterally); with about 9 rows of ommatidia medially, 7 rows laterally; and separated by twice their own width. Antennal tubercles prominent; slightly rounded at apex; approximate (separated by 1.67 width of scape). Antennae: moderately long, apex reaching apical third of urosternite II and passing apex of elytra at middle of antennomere VIII. Scape subpyriform with weakly bent base (when viewed laterally); pedicel cylindrical. Antennomeres III-V filiform, VI weakly widened to apex and serrate, VII-X strongly widened to apex and serrate, weakly clipped at apex (and even XI with modified serration); XI subovate, with moderately long acuminate cone. Lengths (mm) antennal segments as follows: scape 0.65, pedicel 0.25, III 1.00, IV 0.60, V-VI 0.85, VII 0.80, VIII-IX 0.70, X 0.55, XI 0.65.

Prothorax: elongate, 2.00 mm, 1.14 longer than wide; cylindrical, sides regularly rounded from apex to basal constriction. Sides widest at middle (prothoracic quotient 2.00). Surface of pronotum moderately convex; with pair of long, wide, lobate calli laterally (these abrupt along a curved line from midline to sides of pronotum, but hardly traceable to apical half of pronotum); apical constriction weak, but not obsolete; basal constriction narrow towards sides, strongly declivous adjacent to lateral calli, sloping towards pronotal disc between calli (and a singularly deep “puncture” would suggest it to be fossate); apical margin moderately wide, not strongly raised, 0.94 width of hind margin; hind angles slightly obtuse. Prosternum declivous across apical 1/4, distinctly sloping to base of prosternal process. Prosternal process arced; base of process almost laminate (ca. 0.1 mm), about six times narrower than procoxal cavities; apex of process a moderately large equilateral triangle with all side margins abruptly raised. Procoxae large and narrowly separated; procoxal cavities plugged laterally, firmly closed basally.

Mesothorax: scutellum scutiform, moderately long and narrow, densely clothed with silver-colored pubescence. Elytra cuneate, almost flat, rather short (2.55 mm), reaching base of urosternite I; 1.38 longer than wide; regularly narrowed to apex, laterally slightly arced, weakly fissate for apical half (leaving elytral apices slightly divergent and well separated). Humeri hardly projecting and weakly prominent; not wide enough to hide sides of meso- and metasterna. With evanescent humero-apical costa (represented by slightly raised, smooth line) running from behind humerus to apical fifth. Apex of elytron weakly lobate, broad, blunt, surface weakly convex. Mesosternum rather short, deep and nearly abrupt. Mesosternal process with nearly flat, narrow base (0.10 mm); at apex a small equilateral triangle, narrowly and deeply notched at middle of hind margin (giving it a bilobed appearance). Width of mesocoxal cavity six times wider than base of mesosternal process; cavities narrowly open to epimeron. Length of mesosternum/length of metasternum 0.67.

Metathorax: relatively long, moderately broad (2.0 mm), body length/width metathorax 5.60; strongly rounded at sides to middle of metasternal apex. Metasternum strongly tumid at center, about level with mesocoxae; longitudinal suture moderately deep, wide and long, reaching basal third of metasternum. Metepisternum wide, weakly convex; nearly parallel-sided, but narrowed to subacuminate apex.

Abdomen: subcylindrical, narrowed from base to apex; rather short; strongly convex; moderately broad, distinctly annulated (exceptionally and abruptly constricted between urosternites I and II); urosternites I-IV widest at apex of I (1.50 mm), narrowest at apex of IV (1.05 mm). Urosternite I slightly elongate (1.65 mm), sides well rounded (giving it a somewhat conical appearance); II (0.85 mm) cylindrical, transverse, weakly widening from base to apex, sides slightly rounded; III (0.85 mm) cylindrical, strongly transverse, widest at middle, sides rounded; IV (0.75 mm) trapezoidal, transverse, widest at base, sides nearly straight. Urosternite V (0.70 mm) trapezoidal, weakly transverse; apex with wide, but not deep, truncate excavation (sides sharply pointed, but viewed laterally with broad, rounded wings); surface lacking distinct soleate depression (represented by weak circular depression at center of apical half). Abdominal process an equilateral triangle, coplanar with abdomen, apex moderately acuminate. Apical tergite trapezoidal, wider than long, convex, apex rounded, passing apex of urosternite V.

Legs: ratio length front/middle/hind leg 1.0:1.2:3.8; and body length/length of leg 2.4, 2.0, 0.9 respectively. Front and middle legs moderately robust, long; femoral claves somewhat tumid mesally, and widest at middle (when viewed from above). Front leg: tibia narrow at base, gradually widening to apex; apico-lateral margin weakly oblique, not toothed. Middle leg: femur 1.25 longer than tibia; lengths femoral clave/peduncle 1.94; length of femur/lateral width of clave 3.57; tibia moderately slender, gradually widening to apex. Hind leg: noticeably slender, and long (13.15 mm); femora moderately pedunculate-clavate, clave fusiform, long, weakly abrupt, peduncle weakly flattened, narrow, long (lengths clave/peduncle 0.70); femoral apex passes abdomen at middle of clave; tibiae slightly longer than femora (lengths femur/tibia 0.89); tibia weakly bisinuate (when viewed from above and from the side), hardly thickened to apex; tarsus rather short, about 2/5 length of tibia, and not much narrower than apex of tibia; metatarsomere I robust, cylindrical, long, 1.44 longer than lengths of II+III; II base pediculate, short, weakly trapezoidal; lobes of metatarsomere III moderately large, wide and divergent.

Genitalia ( Fig. 10 ). Aedeagus (dorsal aspect examined in situ): tegmen somewhat caliper-shaped, twisted and moderately chitinized; lateral lobes moderately long and narrow, about four times longer than wide, weakly divergent at base, towards apex abruptly diverging and narrowed to acuminate apex; the latter clothed with moderately dense, long, thick setae. Median lobe not visible.

Male variation. Color: of the 17 male paratypes two match the holotype ( Fig. 7 ), eleven match the rufous form of the allotype ( Fig. 8 ), and four are intermediates (black body parts and elytra becoming dark chestnut, antennae as holotype, legs hardly darker than rufous form). Structure: holotype is one of the largest male specimens; in smaller specimens, length of forebody (f) and abdomen (a) subequal (f/ a 1.07). Rostrum may be slightly more transverse in smaller specimens (w/l 2.13), less so in largest ones (w/l 1.91); and sides of rostrum may be slightly excavate and divergent. Frontal suture even shorter in many paratypes. Antenna: apex may reach base of urosternite III, and may pass elytra at apex of antennomere VII; VI a little more serrate; serration on XI stronger or weaker (but detectable in all paratypes), apical cone may be shorter and less acuminate. Prothorax: in general pronotal punctures larger in rufous forms; sides of pronotum may lack smooth areas; nearer quadrate in two paratypes (length/width 1.09), significantly longer in smallest paratype (l/w 1.20): in half the paratypes sides straight (or even slightly excavate) for apical half, and in two of these widest well behind middle (prothoracic quotient 1.50); paired lateral calli may be stronger or weaker, but present in all paratypes; apical constriction stronger in paratypes with excavate sides. Elytra: puncturation as holotype in nearly all paratypes (in one denser, in another larger on translucent panels); humero-apical costa strongest in holotype, in nearly all paratypes weaker (not prominent and areas with smooth interstices reduced), and in one absent; apical half weakly fissate in most paratypes, in few more fissate, in several simply dehiscent.

Description of female allotype ( Fig. 9 ). Robust; total length 11.75 mm. Forebody 1.42 longer than abdomen. Prothorax subcylindrical, 1.27 wider than head with eyes.

Surface features. Color ( Fig. 8 ): similar to rufous males; but slightly paler (forebody, pro- and mesofemora distinctly so). Other differences: scutellum, meso- and metathorax, and metatibiae chestnut or black (metatibiae different in colour, one black, one chestnut); abdomen dusky-rufous; antennal scape rufous, all antennomeres black; nearly all of metafemoral peduncle yellow. Surface ornamentation: distinctly less pubescent than male; head and prothorax almost glabrous; abdomen (with recumbent, silver pubescence much reduced on urosternite II, absent from apical segments). Metatibial brushes slightly stronger and longer than in males. Puncturation on dorsad and elytra as in males; reduced but not absent on underside.

Structure. Head: rostrum longer (width/length 1.92). Labrum significantly larger and more rectangular. Frons longer and flatter. Inferior lobes of eyes smaller (1.17 longer than wide); front margins closer to genae; less convex and flatter, about coplanar with interocular, the latter much wider than in males (width of one lobe/interocular distance 1.33). Superior lobes as in male; but separated by three times their width. Antennal tubercles further apart, separated by 2.17 width of scape. Antennae: about as long as male; apex reaching middle of urosternite II, and passing apex of elytra at middle of antennomere IX. Structure of antennomeres similar to males, but more robust, same ones serrate (including XI); III 1.38 longer than scape. Lengths (mm) antennal segments as follows: scape 0.80, pedicel 0.25, III 1.10, IV 0.65, V 0.95, VI 0.85, VII 0.80, VIII 0.75, IX 0.70, X 0.55, XI 0.65.

Prothorax: quadrate, length 2.10 mm; cylindrical, sides more rounded towards base, widest at middle (prothoracic quotient 2.10); calli slightly less tumid; apical constriction slightly stronger; apical and basal margins equally wide. Prosternum hardly declivous, coplanar with base of prosternal process. Prosternal process as male; but base 6.6 times narrower than procoxal cavities and apical triangle flat.

Mesothorax: scutellum larger and wider. Elytra slightly flatter and shorter (2.55 mm), not passing middle of metacoxae; 1.09 longer than wide, regularly narrowed to apex, laterally almost straight, somewhat fissate for apical 2/5ths (leaving elytral apices parallel to each other and well separated). Humeroapical costa ill defined. Apex of elytron broader and flatter. Mesosternum shorter; mesosternal process flat; base wider (3.5 times narrower than width of coxal cavity); apex bilobed (being more widely notched at apex, and sides more divergent than in male). Length of mesosternum/length of metasternum 0.73.

Metathorax: broader (2.2 mm), body length/width metathorax 5.22; sides as in male, but slightly less rounded. Metasternum less tumid than in male. Metepisternum more acuminate at apex.

Abdomen: strongly vespiform, broad, widest (2.15 mm) at middle of urosternite II; rather short; more strongly convex; less annulated (but constriction between urosternites I and II still apparent); urosternites I-IV narrowest at apex of IV (1.10 mm). Urosternite I very robust, broad, transverse (length 1.40 mm), and conical (with sides strongly rounded); II (1.00 mm) cylindrical, strongly transverse; III (0.9 mm) wide and trapezoidal; IV (0.70 mm) narrower and trapezoidal. Urosternite V (0.85 mm) conical moderately down-turned, apical margin subacuminate. Abdominal process exceptionally robust, base coplanar with abdomen, apex broad and slightly up-turned. Apical tergite conical, elongate, flat, apex rounded (and just passing apex of urosternite V).

Legs: ratio length front/middle/hind leg 1.0:1.2:3.1; and body length/length of leg 2.4, 2.0, 0.8 respectively. Middle leg: femur 1.30 longer than tibia; length of femur/lateral width of clave 3.71. Hind leg: noticeably slender, and long (15.15 mm); pedunculate-clavate (lengths clave/peduncle 0.72); femoral apex passes abdomen before middle of clave; tibiae longer than femora (lengths femur/tibia 0.90), bisinuate (when viewed from above), straight and not thickened to apex (when viewed from the side); tarsus rather long, about 2/5 length of tibia; metatarsomere I less robust, 1.47 longer than lengths of II+III.

Color variation in females. Paratypes somewhat darker than allotype; forebody and elytra suffused with dark brown; meso- and metathorax duskier; antennae slightly paler (sepia); pro- and mesofemora darker (pale chestnut); metatibiae blacker. In one paratype abdomen similar to allotype, in the others mostly suffused with black. In one paratype metatibial brush as in allotype (black), in the others sepia.

Diagnosis. Males of Phygopoides maxwelli have both black and rufous forms (all males of Phygopoides pradosiae Peñaherrera-Leiva and Tavakilian, 2003 , described from 16 specimens, are black).

This basic diagnostic cannot be validated for Phygopoides talisiaphila Peñaherrera-Leiva and Tavakilian, 2003 (described from one male and one female). However, in males of P. maxwelli , the antennal apex fails to reach apex of urosternite II; (in male P. talisiaphila , antennae reach IV); prosternal process six times narrower than width of procoxal cavity (in male P. talisiaphila four times narrower).

Females of P. maxwelli almost lack black color on body and legs (in both French Guiana species body is partly black and legs almost entirely so).

Species sample data.

Measurements (mm): 24 males, 4 females: total length 8.50-11.15/11.75-12.2; length of pronotum 1.50-2.00/2.10-2.25; width of pronotum 1.25-1.75/2.05-2.10; length of elytra 2.10-2.55/2.40-3.00; width at humeri 1.50-1.85/2.20-2.25.

Type material: Holotype male, BOLIVIA, Santa Cru z, Hotel Flora and Fauna, 5 km SSE of Buena Vista, 17°29’96'’S/63°39’13'’W, 440 m, on/flying to flowers of “Ramoneo”, 13.VIII.2008 ( MNKM).

Paratype with almost same data as holotype: male, 25.X.2000, R. F. Morris col. ( RFMC) ; 2 males and female, 1-8. XI. 2002, J. Wappes col. ( ACMT) ; male, 10-29.XI.2003. B. K. Dozier col. ( FSCA) ; male, 14.VIII.2008 ( RCSZ) .

Paratypes with same data as holotype, but different host flowers: on/flying to flowers of “ Sapaimosi chico”, male, 1-10.XI.2002, S. W. Lingafelter col. ( SLPC) ; on/flying to flowers of “ Sapaimosi ” male, 21.XII.2005 ( EMEC) ; male, 28.VIII.2008 RCSZ). On /flying to flowers of “Sama blanca”, male, 8.XII.2005 ( RCSZ) ; female, 23.XI.2006 ( BMNH) ; male, 27.XII.2007 ( RCSZ). On /flying to flowers of “Sama blanca chica”, 2 males, 21.X.2006 ( RCSZ) ; male 21.IX.2009 ( BMNH). On /flying to flowers of “Tutumillo espinoso”, 4 males, 29.X.2006 ( RCSZ) ; male, 31.X.2006 ( NMNH) ; same data ( CMNH) ; same data ( MZSP) ; male and female (allotype), 22.XI.2007 ( RCSZ) ; female, 23.XI.2009 ( RCSZ) ; male, 24.XI.2009 ( FSCA) .

Distribution. The genus is a new Bolivian record; Monné (2016) registered it for Surinam, French Guiana and Brazil.

Etymology. This species is named after Maxwell Barclay (BMNH) for his public promotion of the importance of taxonomy; and his defense of the rights of the many private individuals who pioneered this science in the past, and still do so today.

Discussion. Over the years the author has published a number of taxonomic papers confirming the well understood link between geographical distribution and speciation. Briefly (and there may be exceptions), Rhinotragini species of the western Amazonian fauna are rarely conspecific with those of the eastern Amazonian fauna; and those from the “Guianas” and northern Brazil are more like each other than they are to those from southern Brazil. Species from the Chaco forests of north-western Argentina and southern Bolivia are not conspecific with the Amazonian fauna of Bolivia, nor with the Amazonian/ Cerrado/Mata Atlantica fauna of Brazil.

In this context, P. fugax Thomson, 1864 (probably described from “northern” Brazil) seems to have too big a distribution to be one species; GO, BA, MG, ES, RJ, SP (“northern” States) and PR, SC (“southern” States). For example, the metatibial brushes of my male and female from Espírito Santo ( Baixo Guandu ) look much more like P. longiscopifera than Thomson’s holotype (see Carelli and Monné’s Fig. 17) and the drawing by Carelli and Monné (Fig. 52) .

In their list of specimens examined Carelli and Monné refer to seven male specimens from Baixo Guandu (collected at the same time by the same collector as mine). Close examination of the genitalia becomes a prerequisite to resolve whether or not specimens with an unusually wide distribution are conspecific.

Figures

Figures 7-10. Phygopoides maxwelli sp. nov. 7) Male holotype. 8) Male paratype, rufous form. 9) Female allotype, rufous form. 10) Genitalia male holotype, in situ, showing structure of tegmen.