Bisaltes (Bisaltes) confusa, Juárez-Noé & González-Coronado & Bezark, 2022

Juárez-Noé, Gino, González-Coronado, Uzbekia & Bezark, Larry G., 2022, A new species of Bisaltes Thomson, 1868 from Peru and Ecuador (Cerambycidae, Lamiinae, Apomecynini), Zootaxa 5169 (2), pp. 183-187 : 184-186

Bisaltes (Bisaltes) confusa sp. nov.

( Figs 1–5 )

Bisaltes (Bisaltes) fuscomarmoratus ; Galileo et al. 2016: 15 misidentified

Description. Holotype male. Integument black; antennomeres dark brown; palpomeres and tarsommeres reddish brown; head, thorax, elytra and ventral side with yellowish and fulvous pubescence.

Head. Frons wider than long; with yellowish white pubescence; some areas of vertex close to prothorax with yellowish white pubescence and fulvous pubescence at central area close to pronotum. Punctures on frons sparse and fine, partially obscured by pubescence; with long, abundant setae; punctures on vertex sparse and fine, with setae short and sparse, denser centrally. Inferior ocular lobes shorter than genae; distance between superior ocular lobes equal to 0.80 times scape length; distance between inferior ocular lobes equal 1.21 times scape length. Genae with long, abundant setae, mainly laterally. Antennae long attaining base of distal one-fourth of elytra; scape, pedicel and antennomere III with dorsal yellowish pubescence, exposing integument at: distal third of antennomere IV, distal four-fifths of antennomere V, distal one-fourth of antennomere VI, distal three-fourths of antennomere VII, distal one-fourth of antennomere VIII, distal three-fourths of antennomere IX, distal one-fourth of antennomeres X and XI. Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III: scape = 1.15; pedicel = 0.23; IV = 1.21; V = 0.91; VI = 0.81; VII = 0.72; VIII = 0.63; IX = 0.54; X = 0.50; XI = 0.46.

Thorax. Pronotal punctures fines, abundant, partially obscured by pubescence; lateral tubercles of prothorax placed centrally, acute, prominent; slender longitudinal yellowish white pubescent band (from middle to apex) at each side of the middle part of pronotum and some areas of anterior margin; slender longitudinal yellowish white pubescent band (from base to apex) at level of lateral tubercles of prothorax; wide longitudinal yellowish white pubescent band (from base to apex) at lateral sides (almost at level of prosternum); wide longitudinal fulvous pubescent band (from base to apex) at each outer sides of dark longitudinal bands of pronotum; slender and wide longitudinal fulvous pubescent band above and under lateral tubercles of prothorax; disc with short, sparse yellow setae; anterior margin with short, abundant yellow setae; lateral sides with long, sparse yellow setae. Prosternum and metaventrite with yellowish pubescence, vaguely mottled with fulvous pubescence, and with long, abundant yellow setae; metanepisternum with short, sparse yellow setae. Elytra. Finely, abundantly punctate; with oblique longitudinal yellowish white pubescent band, at basal half, from humerus to suture joined to slender longitudinal yellowish white pubescent band (from middle to apical quarter), along suture; transverse yellowish white pubescent band, at preapical area, reaching suture and outer edge; scutellum with fulvous pubescence; wide and oblique longitudinal fulvous pubescent band, at anterior half reaching the suture and exposing integument in the less dense areas; transverse fulvous pubescent band (from middle to apical third), at posterior half, exposing integument in the less dense areas; transverse fulvous pubescent band at apical area, reaching suture and outer edge; short, sparse yellow setae across all elytra; distal one-fourth with group of dark-brown thick setae; apex slightly emarginate, with long, sparse yellow setae; outer angle acute and projected. Legs. With fulvous pubescence vaguely mottled with yellowish pubescence; femora and tibiae with long, abundant yellow setae; dorsal side of protarsi with long, sparse dark setae. Metatarsomere I as long 0.75 times II–III together; metatarsomere V as long as 1.10 times II+III together.

Abdomen. Ventrites finely, abundantly punctate; ventrites 1–5 with fulvous pubescence and yellowish pubescence laterally; ventrites 1–4 with long, abundant yellow setae, setae denser laterally; ventrite V with long yellow setae laterally.

Female. Similar to male; metatibiae not widened.

Variability. Yellowish white and fulvous areas may be lighter or darker (yellowish white becoming white, fulvous becoming dark-brown or light brown); fulvous areas on anterior half of elytra very dense, slightly exposing integument; sides of scutellum dark; ventrites 1–5 with yellowish-white pubescence centrally.

Dimensions (mm) (holotype male/ paratype males/ paratype female). Total length, 12.90/10.40–13.0/12.90; length of prothorax at center, 2.25/2.10–2.25/2.25; width of prothorax between apices of lateral tubercles, 3.60/2.85– 3.60/3.50; anterior width of prothorax, 2.30/2.10–2.30/2.25; posterior width of prothorax, 2.40/2.25–2.40/2.40; humeral width, 4.20/3.20–4.10/4.10; elytral length, 10.10/7.55–10.10/10.00.

Type material. Holotype male from PERU, Piura region, Ayabaca province, Cuyas cloud forest, 2640 m, 04º36’S, 79º43’W, 04. VII.2014, G. Juárez & U. González leg. ( MUSM). Paratypes — 1 male and 1 female ( MUSM), all same data as holotype; 2 males — ECUADOR, Loja province, 18.5 km. N. Gonzanama, 04°08’08.5’’S, 79°23’36.4’’W, 22.II.2006, F. T Hovore and I. Swift leg. ( LGBC).

Diagnosis. B. (B.) confusa sp. nov. belongs to the group of species with inferior ocular lobes shorter than the genae and elytra with pale yellowish pubescence. It differs from nearly all species of the group by sides of scutellum being dark.

Remarks. B. (B.) confusa sp. nov. is similar to Bisaltes (Bisaltes) brevicornis Breuning, 1939 . However, it differs by the inferior ocular lobes of the eyes being shorter than the genae (as long as genae in B. (B.) brevicornis ), antennomere III not exposing integument (exposing integument on distal one-fourth in B. (B.) brevicornis ), scutellum small with wide central pubescence not forming longitudinal band (scutellum large with slender central pubescence forming longitudinal band in B. (B.) brevicornis ), oblique longitudinal yellowish white pubescent band reaching humerus and attaining the suture almost before the middle (not reaching humerus and attaining the suture beyond the middle in B. (B.) brevicornis ).

According to Galileo et al. (2016) and Monné (2022) B. (B.) fuscomarmoratus is distributed in Ecuador and Peru. However, the specimens collected from Ecuador identified by Martins as B. (B.) fuscomarmoratus from the collection of LGBC ( Galileo et al. 2016) is B. (B.) confusa sp. nov., therefore, B. (B.) fuscomarmoratus is excluded from the Ecuadorian fauna. B. (B.) confusa sp. nov. differs from B. (B.) fuscomarmoratus as follows: antennomeres V, VII and IX exposing the integument on distal three-fourths (totally exposing the integument on antennomeres V, VII and IX in B. (B.) fuscomarmoratus ); elytra with fulvous pubescence (elytra with pale yellowish pubescence in B. (B.) fuscomarmoratus ).

B. (B.) confusa sp. nov. can be included in the alternative of couplet “24”, from Breuning (1971) (translated; modified):

23 Elytra with pale yellowish pubescence or vaguely mottled with light brown pubescence............................ 24

24(23) Inferior ocular lobes of eyes as long as genae; antennomere III exposing integument at distal one-fourth; scutellum with slender central pubescence forming longitudinal band................................................. B. (B.) brevicornis

- Inferior ocular lobes of eyes shorter than genae; antennomere III not exposing integument; scutellum with wide central pubescence not forming longitudinal band.................................................... B. (B.) confusa sp. nov.

Etymology. The specific epithet comes from the Latin “confusa” meaning “confusing”, in reference to the fact that the new species was originally incorrectly identified as B. (B.) fuscomarmoratus .

Figures

FIGURES 1–7. 1–5, Bisaltes (Bisaltes) confusa sp. nov., holotype male: 1) Dorsal habitus; 2) Ventral habitus; 3) Lateral habitus; 4) Photograph of live holotype; 5) Head, frontal view. 6) Paratype male, dorsal habitus. 7) Bisaltes (Bisaltes) brevicornis holotype male, by Keita Matsumoto.