Estola imitatrix, Martins, Ubirajara R., Galileo, Maria Helena M. & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2015

Martins, Ubirajara R., Galileo, Maria Helena M. & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2015, Four new species of Desmiphorini (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae), ZooKeys 513, pp. 1-11 : 5-6

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Cerambycidae

Estola imitatrix sp. n. Figs 7, 8, 9

Description.

Holotype female. Integument black, except for: antennomere III reddish on basal third; antennomeres IV and VI reddish on basal two-thirds; antennomere V reddish on a narrow ring at base; tibiae with wide reddish ring on basal half, close to middle, and another covering approximately entire distal third; protarsomeres I–II mostly reddish; meso- and metatarsomeres I–III mostly reddish.

Head. Frons transverse; coarsely, moderately abundantly punctate; pubescence yellowish-brown, centrally mixed with white pubescence; with long, moderately abundant setae. Vertex moderately coarsely, abundantly punctate (punctures mostly obliterated by pubescence); pubescence yellowish-brown, mixed with whitish pubescence, more distinctly on central tuft; with long, thick setae. Coronal suture marked from clypeus to anterior edge of prothorax, but mostly obliterated by pubescence. Antennal tubercles with yellowish-brown pubescence. Area behind eyes with yellowish-brown pubescence, more whitish, slightly denser closer to eyes; with long, yellowish setae behind lower eye lobes, mainly near eyes. Genae with yellowish-brown pubescence, mixed with sparse long setae. Gula glabrous, with very fine, sparse punctures towards prothorax; punctures slightly more distinct and sparse short setae present towards anterior edge; area close to anterior edge with band of yellowish-brown pubescence. Lower eye lobes about 2.5 times longer than genae; distance between upper eye lobes equal to 0.55 times length of scape; distance between lower eye lobes equal to length of scape. Length of antennae from base of scape to apex of antennomere VI equal to 0.90 times elytral length (lacking antennomeres VII-XI); scape and pedicel with sparse, long setae throughout; antennomeres III–VI ventrally with sparse, long setae; antennal formula based on antennomere III: scape = 1.23; pedicel = 0.42; IV = 1.34; V = 1.11; VI = 1.00.

Thorax. Prothorax transverse. Pronotum coarsely, abundantly punctate (punctures partially obliterated by pubescence); pubescence yellowish-brown, moderately dense, on central triangular area, wide oblique band with white, dense pubescence on basal half, remaining surface with white pubescence, mixed with yellowish-brown pubescence; with long, thick, sparse setae (mainly anteriorly). Sides of prothorax with short, conical tubercle slightly before middle; coarsely, abundantly punctate; pubescence on tubercle white; remaining surface with yellowish-brown pubescence, denser towards ventral side of thorax, mixed with white pubescence on some areas. Ventral side of thorax with yellowish-brown pubescence, mixed with long setae (mainly centrally on prosternum and mesosternum). Scutellum centrally with brown pubescence, laterally with yellowish-brown pubescence. Elytra. Coarsely, densely, deeply punctate on basal half, sparser on distal half; pubescence, yellowish-brown, mixed with white pubescence; the latter forming a basal band, following along suture and connected with wide, transverse, somewhat distinct band slightly after middle, not reaching lateral margin; with long, thick, moderately abundant setae throughout; apex individually rounded. Legs. With long, yellow, moderately abundant setae.

Abdomen. Urosternites with yellowish-brown pubescence.

Dimensions in mm

(female). Total length, 5.75; length of prothorax at center, 1.20; greatest width of prothorax (between apices of tubercles), 1.65; anterior width of prothorax, 1.40; posterior width of prothorax, 1.45; humeral width, 2.30; elytral length, 4.30.

Type material.

Holotype female from BOLIVIA, Tarija: 300m S Palo Marcado (21°28'S, 63°08'W; ca. 300m; edge of Pilcomayo River; dry Chaco Forest; beaten dry Acacia tree), 12.XII.2007, R. Clarke & S. Zamalloa col. (MNKM).

Etymology.

Latin, imitatrix = a female imitator; allusive to similar appearance to Estola basiflava Breuning, 1943.

Remarks.

Estola imitatrix differs from Estola densepunctata Breuning, 1940, and Estola basiflava as follows: body is wider; antennomere III, distinctly shorter than scape; antennomere III, light only on basal third; and pronotum has bands of white pubescence. In both species the body is slightly narrower, the antennomere III is about as long as the scape (sometimes slightly shorter) and dark, at most, on distal third (32 specimens of Estola densepunctata , and 2 of Estola basiflava were examined), and the pronotum has no bands with white pubescence. It differs from Estola compacta Breuning, 1940, by the white pubescence on the base of elytra, prolonged along the suture (yellowish and not prolonged in Estola compacta ), and by the antennomere III being widely-ringed with black (entirely yellowish in Estola compacta ). Estola imitatrix can be separated from Estola fuscomarmorata Breuning, 1940, by the body being shorter and wider (narrower and more elongated in Estola fuscomarmorata ), by the antennomere III being distinctly shorter than IV (about the same length in Estola fuscomarmorata ), and by the antennomere III being ringed with black (entirely yellowish in Estola fuscomarmorata ).

Estola imitatrix can be included in the alternative of couplet “6”, from Breuning (1974) (translated; modified):