Tragidion deceptum Swift and Ray

Swift, Ian & Ray, Ann M., 2008, A review of the genus Tragidion Audinet-Serville, 1834 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae: Trachyderini), Zootaxa 1892, pp. 1-25 : 17-19

Tragidion deceptum Swift and Ray , new species

( Figs 3 B–C, 7D)

Tragidion annulatum: Linsley, Knull , and Statham, 1961:23

Description. As in Figs 3 B, C. Male: form moderately sized, elongate, black integument with tawny-orange elytra. Head: opaque, black, moderately clothed in erect pubescence throughout; frons and genae densely pubescent, with shallow, sparse punctures; vertex elevated, forming a lateral ridge; antennal tubercles prominent, projecting out and slightly lateral; antennal scape black, ovoid, more or less equilateral, moderately punctate, pubescence black, appressed; second antennomere black, slightly longer than wide, clothed in short, dense, subappressed pubescence; antennomeres 3–11 annulated in orange, 6–10 entirely carinate on outer face, 3–10 with short apico-lateral spine with 3–6 increasing in size of spine, 6 the longest, 7–10 decreasing in size; antennomere 11 apendiculate, linear, filiform; antennae surpassing the elytral apices by at least four entire antennomeres. Pronotum: black to dark brown, wider than long, moderately pubescent; generally punctate throughout, with punctation on the anterior margin and pleura coarse, deep, not confluent, primarily in association with gland pores; medial callus similar to other species, expanded posteriorly and roughly tapering to a point anteriorly, glabrous in the central portion and very sparsely, finely punctate along the outer margin; two peripheral, smaller, rounded calli of similar vestiture positioned laterally to either side of the medial callus; lateral pronotal tubercles moderate, slightly behind middle, not forming a spine, projecting directly out, moderately pubescent and somewhat obscured by pronotal pubescence, projecting out to the width of the elytra at humeri; venter of pronotum very coarsely, densely punctate; prosternal process parallel sided, attaining the posterior edge of the coxae, apex emarginate, slightly expanded at apex, narrower than the coxa; procoxal cavities open. Elytra: tawny-orange, 2½ × as long as humeri; elytra generally parallel sided; densely pubescent with short, appressed hairs distributed evenly throughout elytra; broad black band at base of the elytra covering the humeri and exceeding the scutellum by at least 3 × its length; four moderately impressed costae on each elytron, somewhat narrowed at middle of elytra; the costa closest to the suture originating medially from the base of each elytron, extending apically at an obtuse angle toward the suture, meeting the suture at a point ¼ from the base and extending parallel to the suture, often so close as to be obscured; second costa originating from the same point as the first, extending apically in a straight line, confluently terminating at % the apex; third costa originating from a point slightly lateral to the previous two, extending apically straight down the elytron and confluently terminating at % the apex; fourth costa originating at a point on the pleura of the elytron, then extending apically below and curving around the humeral angle along the lateral margin of the elytron, confluently terminating before the apical %; elytral apices broadly rounded; scutellum triangular, black, moderately pubescent with appressed setae slightly longer than elytral pubescence. Legs: black, pubescent-punctate on dorsal surface of femora and tibiae; metafemora gradually increasing in width apically, not clavate; metatibiae moderately sinuate in lateral view, primarily on the posterior edge; pubescence of metatibiae short, black, erect, moderately dense, becoming more dense apically, without bright metallic blue reflections; metatarsi somewhat slender, first tarsomere approximately equal in length to the following two; tarsal claw inserted to ½ its length into third tarsomere. Ventral surface: black, finely, moderately punctate-pubescent, not obscuring the surface; pubescence short, appressed on ventrites, longer, suberect pubescence on mesosternum; mesosternal process broad, bilobed with rounded lateral projections into the mesocoxal cavities, not attaining the posterior edge of the mesocoxae; fifth ventrite trapezoidal, margin entire. Size 14.91 to 30.16 mm; mean 21.17 mm; n = 56.

Female: similar in general form to male, differing the following aspects: Head: more densely pubescent with longer hairs; antennae shorter, scape smaller in diameter, antennomeres 3–6(7) annulated in orange, 3 and 7–11 black, antennomere 3 reaching the posterior edge of the pronotum, antennae attaining the elytral apices or nearly so. Pronotum: densely pubescent with long erect black setae, obscuring the surface, generally lacking medial pronotal calli, surface finely densely punctate including venter, lacking large, coarse punctures associated with gland pores. Elytra: bright orange. Legs: metatibiae with longer, more dense setae, with diffuse metallic blue reflections in oblique light. Ventral surface: black pubescence on ventrites of two kinds, long, suberect and short, apprised, both with diffuse metallic blue reflections; fifth ventrite quadrate, with setal brush. Size 16.59 to 27.08 mm; mean 21.86 mm; n = 41.

Diagnosis. Tragidion deceptum is closely related to T. carinatum Thomson. Unfortunately , T. carinatum is known only from the holotype female, and the male remains undescribed (see above). The original description is brief, thereby making an adequate determination of this species difficult. Species within the genus Tragidion are strongly sexually dimorphic and dichromatic and females often provide fewer salient diagnostic characters and are generally morphologically homogenous, further confounding identification in the T. deceptum- T. carinatum species complex.

The holotype of T. carinatum , which is labeled as collected in “ Mexico ”, is similar to the female of T. deceptum , but differs in having the antennae entirely black, shorter, with the third antennomere only attaining the middle of the pronotum, and the antennae reaching % the apex of the elytra. In T. deceptum , the female has annulated antennae, the third antennomere attains the posterior edge of the pronotum, and the antennae extend to the apex of the elytra or nearly so. These characters are constant in the large type series. Female specimens from northern and central Mexico all have long, annulated antennae, agreeing with T. deceptum . Additional specimens are needed from southern Mexico to determine if these antennal characters are clinal. Given the consistency of the characters in the Arizona, Texas, and Sonora material, treatment of T. deceptum as distinct seems to provide the best hypothesis given current data. Our treatment also offers a full, modern description of the material from this region, creating stability in determining species. For further discussion see account of T. carinatum .

Material examined. Holotype male, from USA, Arizona, Cochise County, Huachuca Mountains, Miller Canyon, 16 July 2001, I Swift & FT Hovore, collectors ( USNM). Allotype female, same data as holotype ( USNM). Paratypes: 27 males, 21 females, same data as holotype ( ISPC); one female: Arizona, no date, no collector ( MCZC); two females: Arizona, Cochise County, 6 miles west of Portal, 18 August 1973, EF Giesbert, collector ( FSCA); one female: Arizona, Chiricahua Mountains, 20 July 1908, no collector ( MCZC); one female: Southern Arizona, Chiricahua Mountains, 0 9 July 1908, no collector ( MCZC); four males: Arizona, Chiricahua National Monument, 20 July 1908, no collector ( MCZC); one male: Arizona, Cochise County, Chiricahua Mountains, 13 July 1965 ( JCPC); one female: Arizona, Cochise County, Chiricahua Mountains, Onion Saddle, 10 August 1967, GL Godfrey, collector ( INHS); one male: Arizona, Cochise County, Cave Creek, 7000 feet, 21 August 1975, no collector ( JWPC); 11 males, 6 females: Arizona, Cochise County, Huachuca Mountains, various dates ( EMEC); two males, one female: Arizona, Cochise County, Huachuca Mountains, Carr Canyon, 24 July 1983, JD Ryan, collector ( DHPC); one female: Arizona, Cochise County, Huachuca Mountains, Garden Canyon, 11 July 1982, R&K Gemmill ( RGPC); one female: Arizona, Cochise County, Huachuca Mountains, Ramsey Canyon Nature Preserve, 1.6 km up Hamburg Trail, 18 July 1995, SD Gaimari, collector ( INHS); one female: Arizona, Huachuca Mountains, Miller Canyon, HA Wenzel, collector ( MCZC); 13 males, 17 females: Arizona, Huachuca Mountains, Carr Canyon, various dates in July 1972, 2001, 2003, 2005 ( CASC); ten males, 7 females: Arizona, Huachuca Mountains, various dates in July 1908, 1957, 1970, 1979 ( USNM); four males, five females: Arizona, Huachuca Mountains, various dates in July 1963, 1964, 1969, 1982, 1989 ( FSCA); one male: Arizona, Cochise County, Southwest Research Station, 17 July 1976, LL Lampert, collector ( FSCA); one male, one female: Arizona, Cochise County, Texas Canyon, 17 July 1977, EF Giesbert Collector ( FSCA); one female: Arizona, Cochise County, Texas Canyon, 13 July 1980, J Cope, collector ( JCPC); one female: Arizona, Texas Pass, Dragoon Mountains, 15 July 1980, FT Hovore ( JWPC); one male: Arizona, Miller Canyon, 17 July 1963, GH Nelson, collector ( JWPC); Arizona, Palmerlee, 17 June 1909, no collector ( MCZC); one male: Arizona, Pinal Mountains, 28 July 1944, FH Parker, collector ( FSCA); two males: Arizona, Santa Rita Mountains, Madera Canyon, various dates June, July 1963, 1975 ( FSCA); one female: Arizona, Santa Cruz County, Pena Blanca, 30 July 1962, RH Arnett & E VanTassell, collectors ( FSCA); one female: Arizona, Santa Cruz County, Atascosa Mountains, 1 mile south White Rock Campground, 20 July 1999, J Cope, collector ( JCPC); one female: New Mexico, no date, no collector ( USNM); one male: Texas, 4 miles southeast of Ft. Davis, Hwy 118, 16 June 1963 GH Nelson, collector ( USNM);one female: Texas, Chisos Mountains, Big Bend National Park, J Bequaert, collector ( MCZC); one male: Texas, Davis County, 12 miles west Ft. Davis, DJ Heffern, J Huether, R Androw, collectors ( DHPC); one male: Texas, Davis County, Davis Mountain Resort, 1–2 July 1995, DJ Heffern, collector ( DHPC); one male: Mexico, no date, no collector ( MCZC); one male: one male, two females: Mexico, Chihuahua, Canyon Prieto, vic. Primavera, 0 2 July 1947 ( CASC); one female: Mexico, Nuevo Leon, Galeana, 17 June 1972, S Hale, collector ( DHPC).

Distribution ( Fig. 7 D). Southwestern USA, including the states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, and the states of Sonora, Chihuahua, and Durango in Mexico. It occurs in Madrean Oak and Oak-Conifer woodlands throughout this region.

Ecology. This is a montane species and adults have been reared from the recently dead branches of several species of Quercus occurring in the southwest, including Q. arizonica , Q. hypoleucoides , and Q. oblongifolia . Development of larvae requires one year. The larvae feed in the heartwood, creating long galleries extending the length of the branch. Beetles pupate in a cell parallel to the grain. Adults are generally active during the summer months, from July to September. Often, they can be found feeding and aggregating on Baccharis sarothroides . This species has been collected feeding on the same Baccharis plants with T. densiventre Casey in a few lower canyons bordering desert habitats in the Huachuca Mountains of southeastern Arizona. In general, however, T. densiventre is found in desert floor habitats. A few adults of T. deceptum have also been taken in fermenting molasses traps.

Etymology. The species epithet refers to the fact that this species has gone unnoticed by many authorities. A photograph of this species labeled as T. annulatum was featured in the Cerambycidae of the Chiricahua Mountains ( Linsley et al. 1961). It is a noun in apposition.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Dorsal habitus photos of Tragidion spp. A, Tragidion coquus (female); B, T. deceptum (male); C, T. deceptum (female); D, T. densiventre (male); E, T. densiventre (female); F, T. dichromaticum (male).

FIGURE 7. Distribution map of Tragidion spp. A, Tragidion agave; B, T. gracilipes; C, T. annulatum; D, T. deceptum; E, T. densiventre; F, T. auripenne.