Ceresium scutellaris Dillon & Dillon, 1952

Waqa-Sakiti, Hilda, Winder, Linton & Lingafelter, Steven W., 2015, Review of the genus Ceresium Newman, 1842 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) in Fiji, ZooKeys 532, pp. 15-53 : 33-35

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Cerambycidae

Ceresium scutellaris Dillon & Dillon, 1952 Fig. 13

Ceresium scutellaris : Dillon and Dillon 1952: 19, Fiji: Viti Levu, Nandarivatu, holotype (BPBM).

Description.

Based on the holotype specimen (BPBM) and four specimens from 1981 and 2004 surveys (FNIC, USP). Size 11.5-16.5 mm long, 2.2-3.5 mm wide at humeri; integument color light brown (Fig. 13a). Head with very shallow interantennal tubercle region, tubercles only slightly raised; punctate with very sparse golden pubescence on tubercles and throughout frons; vertex and occiput with dense golden pubescence and a glabrous median line running longitudinally. Golden pubescence denser around eye margins. Frons and frontoclypeal margin densely, coarsely punctate with sparse, long, golden hairs (Fig. 13b). Antennae long, extending beyond elytra by 3-4 antennomeres. Antennae with vestiture of short, dense, ochraceous setae (longer at apices of antennomeres). Antennomeres unspined and expanded at apices except for antennae 9-11; last antennomere about 1.2 times length of penultimate. Antennomere 3 shorter than scape; 5 very long and the longest. Scape long, clavate, extending to apical sixth of pronotum.

Pronotum arcuate, slightly transverse, apex slightly narrower than base; tubercles absent. No calli. Pronotum with fine, sparse, evenly spaced golden pubescence throughout. Pronotum with fine and dense punctures (Fig. 13c). Elytron finely granulate punctures becoming shallower and indistinct towards apex. Sparse golden pubescence, evenly spaced throughout. Elytral apex rounded to suture. Scutellum parallel-sided and then broadly rounded at apex, covered with dense, golden pubescence. Legs moderate in length, femora distinctly but gradually clavate, hind femora extending to beyond base of fourth ventrite.

Venter of abdomen and thorax with moderately dense, ochraceous pubescence at sides, but sparse pubescence along middle, except for prosternum which is sparsely pubescent throughout. Prosternal process very, weakly notched and not expanded at apex. Procoxal cavities open posteriorly (Fig. 13d). Mesocoxae closed laterally to mesepimeron. Mesosternum declivous, without anterior tubercle, and sulcate anteriorly. Apex of terminal ventrite truncate to unevenly rounded, without notch.

Remarks.

This species was not included in the key in the original publication ( Dillon and Dillon 1952). It is distinct, along with Ceresium olidum , in having an incomplete prosternal process between the procoxae. It is distinguished from that species by having the pronotum with uneven punctation, the third antennal segment extending nearly to the posterior margin of pronotum, and having the head, pronotum and scutellum with dense yellowish tomentum. In Ceresium olidum , the pronotum has uniform, dense punctation, the third antennal segment extends to about the midpoint of pronotum, and the head, pronotum and scutellum has fine, sparse, ochraceous pubescence. This species is endemic to Fiji and known only from Viti Levu where specimens have been taken on dead branches and at lights ( Dillon and Dillon 1952).