Blabia morrisi, Wappes, James E., Galileo, Maria Helena M. & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2017

Wappes, James E., Galileo, Maria Helena M. & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2017, New species, new records and notes on Lamiinae from Neotropical Region (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), Zootaxa 4290 (1), pp. 83-98 : 90-92

Blabia morrisi sp. nov.

( Figs 14–18 )

Description. Holotype female. Head mostly dark brown, with base of gulamentum reddish-brown; mouthparts light yellowish-brown; anteclypeus and labrum reddish-brown, darker laterally; scape, pedicel and antennomere III brown dorsally, gradually reddish-brown toward ventral side; antennomeres IV–VII reddish-brown on basal half, gradually darker toward apex; antennomeres VIII–XI mostly dark brown with irregular more reddish-brown areas (primarily VIII); thorax dark brown; elytra dark brown on basal third, variegated with irregular reddish-brown areas on distal 2/3, darkened on apex; profemora pale yellow; mesofemora pale yellow with dark macula at about middle of outer side; metafemora pale yellow with dark macula after middle of outer side; protibiae pale yellow except dorsal surface brown; mesotibiae pale yellow except distal half of dorsal surface dark brown; metatibiae pale yellow except dark brown distal half of dorsal surface and most of sides; tarsi tawny; abdominal ventrites reddish-brown variegated with irregular brown areas.

Head. Frons finely, abundantly punctate throughout; with yellowish-brown pubescence slightly obscuring integument; with long, erect, dark setae close to lower eye lobes. Vertex finely, abundantly punctate, depressed between antennal tubercles and posterior margin of upper eye lobes; with yellowish-brown pubescence partially obscuring integument, more brownish toward sides of area close to prothoracic margin. Antennal tubercles finely, abundantly punctate on base, minutely punctate toward apex; with yellowish-brown pubescence partially obscuring integument. Area behind eyes finely, abundantly punctate; with yellowish-brown pubescence partially obscuring integument; with long, erect, sparse dark setae close to lower eye lobe. Genae moderately finely, abundant punctate close to eye, gradually sparser toward smooth apex; with yellowish-brown pubescence exposing integument. Gulamentum nearly glabrous and smooth, except for narrow area close to mentum with minute, sparse yellowishbrown setae. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.40 times length of scape; in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.65 times length of scape. Antennae 1.8 times elytral length, reaching elytral apex at basal fourth of antennomere VIII; antennae, pedicel and antennomeres with long, erect, dark, thick setae ventrally, gradually shorter and sparser toward antennomere XI; antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III: scape = 0.94; pedicel = 0.14; IV = 0.93; V = 0.70; VI = 0.67; VII = 0.58; VIII = 0.53; IX = 0.50; X = 0.44; XI = 0.40.

Thorax. Prothorax 1.15 times wider than long (including lateral tubercles); lateral tubercles large, with acute apex slightly directed upward and backward, placed slightly before middle. Pronotum coarsely, abundantly punctate; central area with yellow pubescent narrow band from base to apex; integument exposed on each side of central band, but denser laterally, forming slightly distinct band; with long, erect, sparse, dark setae. Sides of prothorax with sculpture as on pronotum; with yellow pubescence partially obscuring integument; some erect setae inserted on somewhat inconspicuous tubercle. Prosternum and prosternal process moderately coarsely and abundantly punctate; with yellow pubescence partially obscuring integument, more bristly at apex of prosternal process. Mesosternum moderately coarsely, sparsely punctate centrally, smooth laterally; with yellow pubescence not obscuring integument. Mesepisternum and mesepimeron, and metepisternum moderately coarsely, abundantly punctate; with yellow pubescence partially obscuring integument. Mesosternal process strongly inclined at base, somewhat tumid dorsally. Metasternum coarsely, abundantly punctate laterally, smooth toward central discrimen; with yellow pubescence partially obscuring integument. Scutellum with yellow pubescence obscuring integument. Elytra. Moderately coarsely, abundant punctate on basal third, gradually finer, sparser toward apex; humeri with small tubercle dorsally; marmorate with yellowish-white pubescence throughout; with long, erect, dark, sparse setae; apex slightly obliquely truncate, with outer angle distinctly projected and acute at apex. Legs. Femora with yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, interspersed with long, erect, sparse pale yellow setae; apex of metafemora without spine. Tibiae with yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, interspersed with long, erect, pale yellow setae, distinctly denser on dorsal side of meso- and metatibiae.

Abdomen. Ventrites punctate laterally (punctures gradually finer and sparser toward V); remaining surface impunctate; with yellow pubescence not obscuring integument, interspersed with long, erect, sparse yellow setae (denser at apex of V); distal margin of ventrite V concave.

Male. Differs from female by the slightly longer antennae (2.05 times versus 1.80 times elytral length, reaching elytral apex at basal third of antennomere VII).

Variations. Distal antennomeres mostly reddish-brown; gulamentum entirely dark brown; metafemora nearly brown on distal half; metatibiae entirely brown on distal half; abdominal ventrites entirely dark brown.

Dimensions (mm). Holotype female/ paratype male/ paratype females. Total length, 8.70/8.00/8.85-10.0; prothoracic length, 1.60/1.40/1.50–1.60; basal prothoracic width, 1.35/1.30/1.20–1.90; distal prothoracic width, 1.50/1.30/1.20–1.80; widest prothoracic width (between apices of lateral tubercles), 1.85/1.70/1.20–1.95; humeral width, 2.20/2.00/2.10–2.30; elytral length, 6.30/5.90/5.30–7.00.

Type material. Holotype female BOLIVIA, Santa Cruz: El Refugio Los Volcanes (3363’), 18-24.X.2014, Morris & Wappes col. ( MNKM) . Paratypes – BOLIVIA, Santa Cruz: 1 male, 2 females same data as holotype (1 female MZSP; 1 male, 1 female RFMC) ; 4 km N Bermejo ( El Refugio Los Volcanes ; 18°06’S / 63°36’W; 1045- 1350 m), 1 female, 5-7.XII.2015, Wappes, Kuckartz & Skillman col. ( ACMT) .

Etymology. Named for Roy F. Morris, II—great friend and avid collector of Cerambycidae , including the holotype of this species, who for many years has allowed us to describe most of the new species he so often discovers.

Remarks. Blabia morrisi sp. nov. ( Figs 14–18 ) primarily differs from B. intricata Martins & Galileo, 1995 ( Figs 19–20 ) by the longer scape and narrower, more elongate prothorax. It differs from B. bicuspis (Bates, 1866) ( Fig. 21 ), by the antennal tubercles more distant at base, and lower eye lobes about as long as gena (closer at base and longer than gena in B. bicuspis ). The shorter eye lobes of Blabia morrisi differs it from B. galba Martins & Galileo, 1995 ( Fig. 22 ), B. incompta Martins & Galileo, 1995 ( Fig. 24 ), and B. similis (Breuning, 1940) ( Fig. 23 ) all of whom have eye lobes longer than the gena. It differs from B. longipennis Galileo & Martins, 2003 ( Figs 25– 26 ) by the shorter lower eye lobes and metatibiae (both are longer in B. longipennis ). It is also similar to B. meinerti (Aurivillius, 1900) ( Fig. 27 ), but differs by the narrower and more elongate prothorax.

Blabia morrisi sp. nov. can be included in the alternative of couplet “20” from Martins & Galileo (1995) (translated):

20(19). Lower eye lobes distinctly shorter than gena. Peru.................................... B. strandiella Breuning, 1943 - Lower eye lobes as long as genae........................................................................21 21(20). Scape in male longer than 4 times distance between upper eye lobes, and at least 3 times in female; prothorax narrower and

more elongate ( Figs 14, 18 ). Bolivia (Santa Cruz)............................................. B. morrisi sp. nov. - Scape in male approximately 3.6 times as long as distance between upper eye lobes, and 2.7 times in female; prothorax wider

and shorter ( Figs 19–20 ). Colombia........................................... B. intricata Martins & Galileo, 1995

Figures

FIGURES 14 – 27. 14 – 18, Blabia morrisi sp. nov.: 14, dorsal habitus, holotype female; 15, ventral habitus, holotype female; 16, lateral habitus, holotype female; 17, head, frontal view, holotype female, 18, dorsal habitus, paratype male. 19 – 20, B. intricata: 19, dorsal habitus, paratype female; 20, paratype male. 21, B. bicuspis, head, frontal view, male. 22, B. galba, head, lateral view, paratype female. 23, B. similis, head, lateral view, male. 24, B. incompta, head, frontal view, holotype male. 25 – 26, B. longipennis, paratype female: 25, head, frontal view; 26, metatibia. 27, B. meinerti, dorsal habitus, male.