Elytroleptus similis Chemsak & Linsley, 1965

GRZYMALA, TRACI L. & MILLER, KELLY B., 2013, Taxonomic Revision and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Genus Elytroleptus Dugés (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae: Trachyderini), Zootaxa 3659 (1), pp. 1-62 : 45-46

Elytroleptus similis Chemsak & Linsley, 1965

( Figs. 18 , 38 )

Elytroleptus similis Chemsak & Linsley, 1965: 197 ; 1975: 110; 1982: 57; Chemsak et al., 1992: 83; Monné & Giesbert, 1995: 148; Noguera & Chemsak, 1996: 402; Monné, 2005: 606; Monné & Hovore, 2006: 143.

Type locality. Mexico, Puebla , 19 miles northwest of Calcaloapan .

Type information. Holotype. Elytroleptus similis ( CASC, ♂) labeled: ‘ MEX: Puebla, Calcaloapan , 19 mi. NW. VII- 30-63/W.A. Foster Collector/ HOLOTYPE Elytroleptus similis Chemsak + Linsley/California Academy of Sciences Type No. 9213’.

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished from all other species of Elytroleptus by the following combination of characters: 1) elytral margins subparallel, greatest width <1.5 × humeral angle width, 2) large, deep elytron punctation, 3–4 punctures between suture and costa I medially, 3) elytron punctation diameter subequal medially and basally, and 4) pronotum with moderate, deep punctation. This species most closely resembles E. pallidus and can be distinguished by the elytron punctation subequal in diameter medially and basally and the larger, fewer punctures on the pronotal disc, males also possess densely punctate oval areas dorsad of lateral margins of pronotum indicative of sexually dimorphic prothoracic gland pores.

Description: Male. TL 7.4–9.6 mm, GW 2.3–2.8 mm. Body elongate, subparallel, dorsoventrally flattened.

Head. HL 0.5–0.8 mm, HW 1.2–1.6 mm, DBE 0.8–1.0 mm, DBA 0.5–0.6 mm. Piceous, except vertex, frons, postclypeus, anteclypeus, labrum, maxilla, and labium testaceous. Finely punctate with long, suberect to erect, sparse, testaceous pubescence; short, appressed, more dense pubescence on vertex; gular region glabrous; rugose posterior to lower eye lobe. Antennal tubercles slightly raised, subtriangular, and separated by approximate width of four antennal sockets. Genal apices generally rounded, width greater than ½ × height. Eyes moderately large, finely faceted, lower lobe with about 27 facets at greatest height; integument ventral to lower lobe about 0.1 × eye height; deeply emarginated at antennal insertion, with 2–3 facets at greatest emargination point. Antennae black, extending to approximately 2/5 elytral length, scape and antennomere V subequal; pedicel ½ × antennomere III length; antennomere III, IV, and VI subequal; antennomeres V–VIII decreasing in length; antennomeres VIII–X subequal; antennomere XI longer than X and moderately appendiculate.

Thorax. PL 1.3–1.7 mm, PW 1.5–1.8 mm. Pronotum piceous, width slightly greater than length, apical width subequal to basal width, lateral margins angulate, widest medially. Central pronotal disc shining, punctate with long, sparse, erect, testaceous pubescence; laterad to center, two (one on each side) distinct longitudinal, arcuate lines of dense, appressed, testaceous pubescence overlying slightly raised testaceous integument, each of similar width throughout and occupying ¼ of pronotal disc area; punctation on shining areas deep, individual punctures large and subequal in diameter and shape, majority strongly delimited; oval, more densely punctate areas dorsad of lateral margins indicative of sexually dimorphic gland pores; pronotal disc flat to slightly convex, sides impressed in dorsal aspect, margin apparently elevated, calli absent. Pro-, meso-, and metasternum dark brown to black, shining, with sparse, erect, pale yellow to testaceous setae. Scutellum piceous, small, subtriangular, length subequal to width, medially impressed, with short, moderately dense, recumbent, black and testaceous pubescence.

Wings. EL 5.6–7.1 mm. Elytron testaceous. About 4.2 × PL, width at humeral angles subequal to PW. Elytron subparallel, greatest width <1.5 × width at humeral angle. Elytron with 3 distinct costae; from suture, costa I arising from anterior margin and extending to 3/5 elytral length, costa II arising from anterior margin and extending to 4/5 elytral length, costa III arising from humeral angle and extending to 3/5 elytral length; elytron with large, deep punctation, 3–4 punctures medially between suture and costa I, becoming indistinct, shallower apically, subequal basally; elytron with sparse, short, suberect, testaceous pubescence, one seta per puncture, outer elytral margins with pubescence more dense. Metathoracic wing completely darkly tinted.

Abdominal Sternites. Testaceous, except ventral, basal aspects of segments III–VI piceous. Shining, finely punctate, covered in sparse, short, suberect, testaceous pubescence. Legs. Testaceous except coxae, trochanters, basal femurs, apex of protibia, apical ½ of mesotibia, apical 4/5 of metatibia, and tarsi piceous. Femora and tibia covered in sparse, suberect pubescence, testaceous over testaceous integument, black over black integument; tarsal pubescence recumbent, black, and more dense. Metatibia slightly sinuate. Genitalia. Sternite VIII sides gradually tapering towards apex, two slightly sinuate anterolateral areas (one on either side), often with slight concavity medially. Tergite VIII gradually tapering towards apex, lacking sinuate areas, often with slight concavity medially. Female. TL 8.5–8.9 mm, GW 3.0– 3.3 mm, HL 0.5–0.6 mm, HW 1.2–1.3 mm, DBE 0.7–0.8 mm, DBA 0.5–0.6 mm, PL 1.4–1.5 mm, PW 1.6–1.7 mm, EL 6.6–6.8 mm.

As male, except antennomeres V–XI less strongly serrate; antennomere XI less strongly appendiculate. Pronotum lacking sexually dimorphic densely punctate oval area dorsad of lateral margin.

Intraspecific variation. Head with testaceous basal band. Pronotal integument entirely piceous. Leg integument coloration varying from above description to largely testaceous.

Phylogenetic relationship. In some trees, this species is recovered as sister to the clade composed of E. pallidus , E. ignitus , E. apicalis , E. grandis , E. limpianus , E. nigripennis , and E. quadricostatus supported by the homoplasious characters of the pronotum clothed with distinct longitudinal lines of dense appressed pubescence (Character 4), the basad medial pronotal disc area with punctures smaller or absent (Character 9), the elytral pubescence similarly suberect/recumbent basally and apically (Character 19), and the male 8 th sternite with lateral areas lacking sinuous areas (Character 20). Other equally parsimonious trees place this species as sister to E. pallidus supported by the homoplasious character of the pronotal punctation with shallow punctures (Character 6) ( Figs. 31 , 32 ).

Distribution. Mexico (Oaxaca, Puebla ) ( Fig. 38 ).

Natural history. Flight period June and July. Adults have been collected on flowers and foliage in the family Bignoniaceae ( Tecoma stans (L.) Juss. ex Kunth).

Material examined. MEXICO, Oaxaca: Diaz Ordaz , 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 9–10.vii.1994, Giesbert, E. ( FSCA) ; El Tule, 1 ♂, 17.vii.1987, Kovarik, Schaffner ( MAIC) ; Miltepec , 1 ♀, 15–16.vii.1971, Clark, Murray, Hart & Schaffner ( TAMU) ; 1 ♂, 11–12.vii.1973, Mastro & Schaffner ( TAMU) . Oaxaca, 1 ♂, ( BMNH) . Tamazulapan , 1 ♂, 6.vi.1949 ( EMEC) . Tlacolula , 1 ♀, 16.vii.1955, Vaurie, C. & P. ( EMEC) . Yanhuitlan , 1 ♀, 9.vii.1992, MacRae, T. ( DHPC) ; 1 ♂, 6.vi.1938, Greenfield, E. ( EMEC) . Puebla: Tehuacan , 1 ♂, 23.vi.1951, Evans, H.E. ( EMEC) ; 1 ♂, 22.vii.1987, Kovarik & Schaffner ( TAMU) ; 1 ♂, 5.vii.1962, Janzen, D.H. ( EMEC) ; Teontepec , 2 ♂, 18.vii.1996, R. L. Westcott ( RLWE) .

Figures

FIGURE 31. Three of six most parsimonious trees retrieved from phylogenetic analysis of Elytroleptus (L = 59, CI = 50, RI = 75). Numbers above branches are characters and numbers below branches are character states. Characters are optimized for

FIGURE 32. Strict consensus for six most parsimonious cladograms resulting from cladistic analysis of Elytroleptus. Numbers above branches are Bremer support values.

FIGURE 38. Distribution map for Elytroleptus rufipennis, Elytroleptus scabricollis, and Elytroleptus similis.

FIGURES 16–18. Dorsal habitus of Elytroleptus rufipennis (LeConte) (16), Elytroleptus scabricollis Bates (17), and