Tillomorphites spinipes, Vitali, 2017

Vitali, Francesco, 2017, Two new fossil species of Tillomorphites Vitali (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) and remarks on the morphological evolution, mimicry, biogeography and phylogeny of the tribe Tillomorphini, Baltic Journal of Coleopterology 17 (2), pp. 147-160 : 151

Tillomorphites spinipes n. sp.

( Figs. 3a - b )

Holotype

Baltic amber, ex coll. M. Veta, author’s coll. FS56BS30.

The type is included in a 23 x 13 x 6 mm rectangular piece of yellow amber with no observable syninclusions. The beetle is mostly covered by turbidity, especially on the head and along the right side; moreover, it lacks the right antennomeres VII-XI.

Differential diagnosis

Though scarcely visible, this species is well characterised by the presence of an apical spine on the antennomere V and of strong erect setae on the meso- and metatibiae. Moreover, it differs from T. robustus in the larger body size and from T. otiliae n. sp. in the elytra and the antennae completely covered with erect setae.

Description

Sex unknown, Body length ~ 6 mm.

Eyes reniform. Antennae 11-segmented, shorter than body, covered by some short sub-erect setae; antennomeres III - V with a long fine spine at the apex; antennomeres V - X externally dentate at the apex; antennomere proportions according to the formula:?:?:?:?:?: 1.2: 1.1: 0.9: 1.0: 0.8: 0.5.

Pronotum longer than wide, obtusely angulated before the middle and strongly inflated before the base; regularly convergent anteriorly; disc seemingly uneven, smooth and glabrous. Scutellum transverse.

Elytra parallel-sided, feebly depressed on the middle of the disc, about 2.7 times as long as wide at humeri; base feebly convex, concave in correspondence of the posterior angles of the prothorax; humeri rounded; lateral margins furrowed; apex largely rounded; disc smooth, throughout covered with some semi-erect long setae.

Legs relatively short and robust, apparently smooth, femora clavate; tibiae linear, covered with 3 - 4 conspicuous sub-erect black setae, as long as those of antennae or elytra, on the outer side and some short semi-recumbent setae on the inner side; metatarsus about one-half as long as metatibia; metatarsomere I as long as II and III together or as onychium; metatarsomeres II and III transverse.

Prosternum seemingly smooth; intercoxal process fairly narrow, triangular; procoxae globose, procoxal cavities rounded, externally rounded; visible urosternites (I-V) progressively shortened to the apex, very finely and densely punctured, covered with a fine dense recumbent pubescence and some sparse erect setae.

Etymology

From the Latin “ spini-pes ”, i.e. “with spined legs”.

Figures

Fig. 3a Tillomorphites spinipes n. sp., Holotype, dorsal view.