Urgleptes puertoricensis Gilmour, 1963

Ravin, Ian S. & Lingafelter, Steven W., 2015, Review of the genus Urgleptes Dillon (1956) of Hispaniola (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Acanthocinini): descriptions of five new species and one new synonymy, ZooKeys 532, pp. 55-85 : 56

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Cerambycidae

Urgleptes puertoricensis Gilmour, 1963 Figs 1, 8b, 15

Diagnosis.

This species can be distinguished easily by the mostly dark brown scape, slightly flavous at the base (in Urgleptes sandersoni the scape is darkened apically with a subapical pale ring). This species is most similar to the highly variable Urgleptes sandersoni by the elytral maculae (most specimens have a darkened periscutellar region and a zigzag pubescent fascia extending from the lateral margin obliquely toward the middle combined with variable subapical maculae). The posthumeral macula never attains the base in Urgleptes puertoricensis , whereas in Urgleptes sandersoni this macula originates basally and extends along the epipleuron.

Redescription.

Measurements: body length: 3.1-4.7 mm; body width: 1.1-1.5 mm; elytral length: 2.1-3.2 mm; elytral width: 0.6-0.8 mm; pronotal length: 0.6-0.9 mm; pronotal width: 1.0-1.4 mm; body length/pronotal length: 4.9-5.1; elytral length/elytral width: 3.7-4.1; pronotal length/pronotal width: 0.6.

Head: covered in moderately dense, ashy, appressed setae, becoming denser on genae and eye margins; setae light brown at vertex suture. Antenna: with exception of apical antennomeres being mostly dark, antennomeres 3-7 flavous, covered with moderately dense, appressed, dark pubescence; dark annulate at apices. Antennal apices with thickened bristle-like setae along mesal surface of third and fourth segments. Antennae extending beyond elytral apices by 4-6 segments. Antennal scape basally flavous, transitioning to brown; covered in fine gold pubescence apically. Scape extending to posterior one-fourth of pronotum. Eye: lower eye lobe about twice the height of upper eye lobe; lobes connected by 5-7 rows of ommatidia in most specimens. Upper eye lobes separated by little more than greatest width of scape. Mouthparts: frontoclypeal margin with two long, black setae aligned with edge of upper eye lobe. Clypeus without pubescence; labrum pallid with sparse, translucent setae; and 4-6 long, suberect, black setae two-thirds length of those found at frontoclypeal margin.

Thorax: pronotum broadly rounded at sides to posteriorly directed, short, acute tubercle on posterior fourth of each side; constricted along posterior fifth behind lateral tubercles; constriction demarcated with row of large, separate punctures across disc, continuing behind base of tubercles and down sides (partially obscured by dense white pubescence); no other distinct punctures visible. Dense, white anterolateral pubescence converging posteromedially around brown pubescent fascia of variable width. Lateral tubercles covered in dense, white pubescence extending ventrally to proepimeron. No distinct calli present on pronotal disc. Pronotal integument mostly brown but darker beneath brown pubescent fascia along posterior constriction and base of lateral tubercles; anterior pronotal collar distinctly dark brown. Prosternum smooth, impunctate, covered with uniform, translucent pubescence. Prosternal process narrow between procoxae (less than one-fifth width); greatly expanded behind procoxae. Mesosternum smooth, impunctate, covered with uniform, translucent pubescence. Mesosternal intercoxal process slightly broader than prosternal process, just less than one-fourth width of mesocoxa. Metasternum smooth, impunctate, covered with uniform, appressed, ashy-white to translucent pubescence. Integument of ventral sclerites mostly light brown, becoming dark brown at sides. Scutellum brown with nearly black posterior edge (some specimens posteriorly fringed with white pubescence); broadly rounded posteriorly. Elytra: moderately densely, coarsely punctate (some specimens with punctures more pronounced than others); punctures partially obscured by dense, appressed, mottled pubescence; elytra lacking tubercles and erect setae. Integument mostly light brown, with exception of darker brown maculae and corresponding dark brown pubescent fasciae. Periscutellar region dark brown to black (sometimes with medial, white pubescence parallel to suture). This region often surrounded by light brown integument covered in dense, white pubescence reaching slightly variable dark brown submedial epipleural macula that is mostly covered in white and brown pubescence. Elytron with dark macula as follows: pubescent zigzag fascia extending from lateral margin obliquely towards middle, not quite attaining suture; with two posteriorly directed parallel fasciae (occasionally weakly connected), ending postmedially along elytral disc. Subapical brown macula extending anterolaterally, narrowly branching toward suture (some specimens with branched maculae merged, almost connecting with medial maculation), surrounded by appressed, dense, white pubescence. Elytral apex subtruncate, with outer apical angle more produced posteriorly than sutural angle. Legs: femora mostly dark brown with exception of metafemora; slightly flavous basally and subapically, most apparent on metafemora; uniformly covered with pale white to gold pubescence. Tibiae basally flavous, becoming dark brown apically; with thickened postmedial bristle-like setae. Mesotibiae with dorsal concavity apically also lined with bristle-like setae. Tibiae approximately equal in length to femora. Tarsomeres basally flavous, becoming dark brown apically; coated with short, suberect, dark setae and off-white pubescence ventrally on second through fifth segments.

Abdomen: ventrites covered with appressed, pale to translucent pubescence. Integument light brown with posterior third of each ventrite noticeably darkened. Fifth ventrite one and one-half times longer than fourth ventrite and fringed with slightly denser off white pubescence.

Distribution.

This species was originally described from Puerto Rico and has also been recorded from the Virgin Islands ( Monné 2015). Hispaniola and the Dominican Republic represent new island and country records, respectively, for this species. This species is uncommonly collected but wide ranging (Fig. 15) throughout the Dominican Republic. Most specimens have been collected by beating vegetation from May through July.

Material examined.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Barahona Prov., South slope of Sierra Martin Garcia, 530 m, 18°21.012'N, 71°01.765'W, 9 December 2014, S. W. Lingafelter (USNM, 2); La Altagracia Prov., Parque Nacional del Este, Boca de Yuma entrance, 18°21.904'N, 68°37.087'W, beating vegetation at night, 5 August 1999, M. A. Ivie (WIBF, 2); La Vega Prov., 1 km NW Manabao, 5 June 1994, M. C. Thomas (FSCA); Monte Cristi Prov., 8 km N Villa Elisa, 31 May 1994, M. C. Thomas (FSCA); 13.2 km N Villa Elisa, 2 June 1994, M. C. Thomas (FSCA); Pedernales Prov., 25 km N of Cabo Rojo, 679 m, 18°06.769'N, 71°37.245'W, day collecting, 10 July 2004, Charyn J. Micheli (USNM); Parque Nacional Jaragua, trail to Carlitos, 6 km S of hwy 44, 106 m, 17°48.93'N, 71°28.27'W, beating vegetation, 8 July 2004, Charyn J. Micheli (USNM, 2); Los Tres Charcos, 13 July 1996, M. C. Thomas (FSCA); PUERTO RICO., Guánica Forest, 25-26 July 1969, H. & A. Howden (WIBF, 3).