Axina pollex 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 : 28-29

Axina pollex Opitz , new species

Figures 32 , 64 , 71 , 105 .

Type material. Holotype. Male. Type locality: ARGENTINA TUCUMAN 11 km. O, de Las Sejas coll. L. Stange, collection date not noted ( FSCA) . Paratypes. 30 specimens. Brazil: Estado do Mato Grosso , Corumba, collection day and collector not noted ( CMNH, 1) ; Mato Grosso,?-?-1886, P. Germain ( MNHN, 1). Argentina : Provincia de Tucumán, 11 km. O, de Las Cejas, collection day not noted, L. Stange ( FSCA, 1) ; idem,?- I-1968, L. Stange ( FSCA, 1) ; Provincia de Chaco, Tres Estacas ,?- II-1992, collector not noted ( WOPC, 1) ; Charata ,?- I- 1995, collector not noted ( AMNH, 1; BMNH, 1; CUIC, 1; WFBM, 5; WOPC, 1) ; Provincia de Entre Rios, Liebig ,?- I-1990, collector not noted ( MCNZ, 1; WFBM, 2) ; Provincia de Rio Negro, El Bolsón ,?- II-1955, collector not noted ( FMNH, 4; SDEI, 1) ; Provincia de Córdoba, 4 km NE Cruz del Eje , 20-II-1982, H. & A. Howden ( CMNC, 1) ; San Vicente, collection day not noted, J. Frenzel S ( WFBM, 1) ; Provincia de Santiago del Estero, Chaco Santiago del Estero, boards du Rio Salado , Environs d’Icaño,?-?-1909, E. R. Wagner ( MNHN, 2) ; idem,?-?-1910, E. R. Wagner ( MNHN, 1) ; idem, Santiago del Estero, collection date and collector not noted ( MNHN, 1) ; Provincia de Catamarca, San Antonio, 6-18-II-1958, R. Golbach ( MLPA, 1). Paraguay: Departamento de Paraguarí , Hotel Gabriela near Paraguarím 28-30-XI-2017, MV & UV lights, J. E. Eger ( FSCA, 1) ; Departamento de Cordillera, Caacupé, Campo Evangelico Neatestamentaria , 15-18-XI-2016, MV & UV lights, J. E. Eger ( FSCA, 1) .

Diagnosis. In A. pollex specimens the distal limit of the metatibia is dark, the limit is testaceous in superficially similar specimens of A. analis .

Description. Size. Length 8.0 mm; width 2.0 mm. Form. As in Fig. 105 . Color. Cranium bicolorous, venter castaneous, frons testaceous; antenna testaceous; prothorax bicolorous, venter and pronotum sides dark castaneous, center of disc broadly testaceous; pterothorax, legs, except tarsi flavotestaceous; elytra bicolorous, humeral angle and epipleural margin brown, disc with faintly visible marking at middle and transverse fascia before apex; abdomen, 3 basal visible sternites brown, 3 apical visible sternites yellow. Head. Cranium coarsely punctate, frons wider than length of antennal pedicel; EW/FW 40/15. Thorax. Pronotum coarsely punctate at sides, finely punctate in middle, with 2 tumescences, slightly concave at middle; PW/PL 85/120; elytra, asetiferous punctures striate, punctures extend to elytral apical 3/4, width of interstitial spaces variable; EL/EW 360/70. Abdomen. Female pygidium emarginate ( Fig. 64 ); aedeagus ( Fig. 32 ), phallobasic lobes short, digitiform, nearly contiguous; phallic plates minutely serrate subapically; phallobasic apodeme abbreviated.

Variation. Size. Length 8.0–13.0 mm; width 2.0– 3.8 mm. The brown markings on the elytron disc vary in prominence.

Natural history. Specimens were collected from Argentina during January and February.

Distribution (for map see Fig. 71 ). This species is known from Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina.

Etymology. The specific epithet, pollex , is a Latin noun with the meaning of “thumb”. I refer to digitiform configurations of the phallobasic lobes.

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 29–32. Aedeagi. 29) Axina minas. 30) A. megaspina. 31) A. pallidioccabus. 32) A. pollex.

Figures 64–65. Female genitalia. 64) Axina pollex. 65) A. phallospina.

Figures 102–105. Habitus of Axina species. 102) Axina pallidioccabus. 103) A. picta. 104) A. piperata. 105) A. pollex.