Axina luzia Opitz, 2020

Opitz, Weston, 2020, Taxonomic revision of the Western Hemisphere checkered beetle genus Axina Kirby (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Clerinae), Insecta Mundi 2020 (793), pp. 1-70 : 25-26

Axina luzia Opitz , new species

Figures 28 , 71 , 99 .

Type material. Holotype. Male. Type locality: Santa Luzia do Itanhi , SE (Faz. Crasto), 09-12.IX-1999, A. Bonaldo col. ( MNHN). A second label reads: Col. MCN 164040 . Paratypes. 8 specimens. French Guiana: Commune Cayenne, 100 km SW Cayenne , 4-XI-1987, collector not legible ( WOPC, 1) . Brazil: Estado do Bahia, Cachimbo ,?-?-1890, C. H. Pujol ( MNHN, 2; WOPC, 1) ; Estado do Pernambuco, Serra de Communiati , 3-XII-1893, Gounelle ( BMNH, 1; MNHN, 2) ; Estado do Minas Gerais, Inst. Cath.?-?-1907, collector not noted ( MNHN, 1) .

Diagnosis. The members of A. luzia are superficially similar to those of A. ordinis and A. polycaula ; specimens of these three species have a short black line on the pronotum base. Axina luzia specimens are proportionally shorter (about three times longer than wide) than those of A. ordinis . From A. polycaula specimens those of A. luzia differ by having the asetiferous punctures not extending to the elytral apex.

Description. Size. Length 9.0 mm; width 2.8 mm. Form. As in Fig. 99 . Color. Cranium bicolorous, frons and epicranium castaneous, remainder black; antenna testaceous; thorax black, except center of pronotal disc widely castaneous, pronotum with narrow black line that extends from mesoscutellum to discal indentation; elytra bicolorous, mostly flavotestaceous, epipleural margin widely dark brown, brown marking extends mesally at elytral base, at middle of elytral disc and just in front of elytral apex where brown marking is contiguous with sutural margin; legs mostly black, tarsi testaceous; abdomen bicolorous, visible basal 3 sternites brown, apical 3 sternites yellow. Head. Cranium finely punctate, frons about as wide as length of antennal pedicel; EW/FW 50/13. Thorax. Pronotum finely punctate, with 2 paralateral spheroid tumescences, disc narrowly concave near middle; PW/ PL 110/150; elytral asetiferous punctures scattered, punctures extend posteriorly to elytral 3/4, interstitial spaces very wide; EL/EW 540/85. Abdomen. Female pygidium minutely trilobed on posterior margin; aedeagus ( Fig. 28 ), phallobasic lobes short, nearly contiguous, phallic plates serrate; phallobasic apodeme abbreviated.

Variation. Size. Length 9.0–11.0 mm; width 2.8– 2.8 mm. The black narrow line on the pronotum disc may be shortened or absent.

Natural history. Specimens were collected in Brazil during March and October.

Distribution (for map see Fig. 71 ). This species is known from Brazil.

Etymology. The specific epithet, luzia , is a noun in apposition and refers to the type locality.

Figures

Figure 71. Distribution map for Axina species: A. luzia, A. munda, A. minas, A. pallidioccabus, A. picta, A. pollex, A. polycaula, A. proxima, A. rio, A. villa, A. vista, A. nigrifrons, A. ochra.

Figures 25–28. Aedeagi. 25) Axina bella. 26) A. ignota. 27) A. klisis. 28) A. luzia.

Figures 98–101. Habitus of Axina species. 98) Axina lateralis. 99) A. luzia. 100) A. munda. 101) A. minas.