Coleoxestia clarkei, Santos-Silva & Wappes, 2017

Santos-Silva, Antonio & Wappes, James E., 2017, Six new species and a new country record of Coleoxestia Aurivillius, 1912 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Cerambycinae), Insecta Mundi 2017 (572), pp. 1-19 : 2-4

Coleoxestia clarkei sp. nov.

( Fig. 4–8 )

Description. Holotype female. Integument black; mouthparts reddish brown with dark brown regions; antennae gradually brown toward distal segments; basal 2/3 of femoral club orange; abdominal ventrites III–IV with narrow orangish distal band.

Head. Frontal plate coarsely, confluently punctate, except smooth longitudinal middle region; with minute, erect, sparse setae on punctate area. Frontolateral depression ill-delimited; coarsely, confluently punctate; with minute, erect, sparse setae. Area between antennal tubercles opaque, smoothly, confluently punctate, glabrous. Remaining surface of vertex coarsely, confluently punctate (punctures distinctly coarser than on frontal plate); with long, erect, sparse setae close to eyes, glabrous on remaining surface. Epicranial suture distinct from frontal plate to center of region between eyes and prothoracic margin; carinate between frontal plate to middle of upper eye lobes. Area behind upper eye lobes coarsely, confluently punctate close to vertex, gradually finer, sparser toward lower eye lobe; with long, erect, sparse setae close to eye, with short, erect, sparse setae on remaining surface. Area behind lower eye lobes, closer to upper eye lobe, smooth close to eye, finely, sparsely punctate close to prothoracic margin, glabrous; area closer to ventral surface of head coarsely, confluently, smoothly punctate close to eye, followed by oblique, wide, almost smooth band, gradually finely, densely striatepunctate in triangular area closer to prothoracic margin (wider toward ventral surface of head); punctate area close to eye with long, erect, sparse setae, remaining surface glabrous. Antennal tubercles finely, moderately abundantly punctate; with minute, erect, sparse setae. Genae finely, sparsely punctate, except for smooth area closer to base of mandible; with short, sparse setae (slightly denser close to eye) interspersed with long, erect, sparse setae, except for glabrous smooth area. Submentum minutely, abundantly punctate (mainly centrally), interspersed with coarse, sparse punctures; with short, abundant setae interspersed with long, erect, sparse setae. Postclypeus opaque, finely, sparsely punctate, mainly centrally, except for shining, smooth lateral area; with minute, sparse setae (mainly centrally), except for glabrous lateral area, with one long, erect seta close to shining area. Labrum coplanar with clypeus, except for depressed center of distal region; with short setae interspersed with long, erect setae (more abundant distally, mainly in depressed area). Distance between upper eye lobes 0.40 times length of scape; distance between lower eye lobes in frontal view 0.75 times length of scape. Antennae 1.25 times elytral length, almost reaching elytral apex. Scape finely, abundantly punctate; with minute seta emerging from each puncture, interspersed with long, erect, sparse setae (longer and slightly more abundant ventrally). Antennomere III with long, erect setae ventrally; nodose apically. Antennomere IV gradually enlarged from base to apex; apex nodose; with long, erect setae ventrally. Antennomere V nodose at apex; with long, erect setae ventrally (sparser than on IV). Antennomere VI nodose at apex; with long, erect seta ventrally (distinctly sparser than on V. Antennomeres VII–X with apex gradually from obtusely angulose to ortho-angulose ( Fig. 3 ). Greatest width of antennomere XI 0.15 times its length. Antennal formula (ratio) based on antennomere III: scape = 0.52; pedicel = 0.13; IV = 0.48; V = 0.59; VI = 0.62; VII = 0.61; VIII = 0.56; IX = 0.57; X = 0.54; XI = 0.76.

Thorax. Prothorax slightly wider than long (greatest width 1.1 times length); lateral tubercles distinct, with central ones almost conical; sides of prothorax coarsely, abundantly punctate (less so toward anterior margin). Pronotum with peripheral sulcus distinct only laterally; fusiform plate widened behind constriction; surface with five tubercles: one on each side of basal half, subrounded, distinct; one on each side of distal half, subrounded, less distinct; one centrally in basal half, longitudinal, clearly distinct. Pronotal surface between anterior and posterior constrictions transversely plicate, less so on longitudinal and lateral tubercles in basal half; area between ridges coarsely punctate, mainly close to longitudinal tubercle; with long, erect, sparse setae laterally and dorsally in basal quarter. Prosternum obliquely inclined, from prosternal process to middle, coarsely, sparsely punctate (smooth centrally), with short, decumbent, abundant setae (distinctly sparser laterally, glabrous centrally) interspersed with long, erect, sparse setae; distal half tumid from middle to peripheral sulcus, with short, decumbent setae centrally, interspersed with long, erect, sparse setae; area from peripheral sulcus to anterior margin glabrous. Prosternal process longitudinally sulcate centrally; with short, decumbent setae interspersed with long, erect setae laterally and distally. Mesoventrite, mesepimeron and mesaepisternum with short, decumbent, abundant setae. Mesoventral process deeply emarginated centrally; without tubercle. Metaepisternum and narrow band on sides of metaventrite with short, decumbent, abundant setae; remaining surface of metaventrite with minute, very sparse setae interspersed with a few long, erect setae. Scutellum with short, decumbent, abundant setae laterally. Elytra. Shining, very finely, moderately abundantly punctate; basal third vermiculate into network with a puncture in center, gradually less distinct toward middle; distal quarter with minute, sparse setae, interspersed with long, sparse, erect setae; apex bispinose. Legs. Femora clavate; apices of meso- and metafemora with rounded lobe; ventral side of peduncle of profemora coarsely, confluently punctate; ventral side of peduncle of meso- and metafemora distinctly finer, less punctate than on profemora.

Abdomen. Ventrites with minute sparse setae interspersed with long, sparse setae (minute and long setae more abundant on ventrite V); apex of ventrite V rounded.

Male ( Fig. 7 ). Differs from female mainly by the longer antenna (left antenna entirely ill-formed in the single paratype male), 1.4 times elytral length, slightly surpassing or just reaching elytral apex. Apex of ventrite V truncate, widely emarginate centrally.

Variation. Area of vertex between upper eye lobes and prothorax finely, sparsely punctate in male paratype; central lateral tubercle of prothorax distinctly conical; basal third of elytra not vermiculated into network.

Dimensions in mm (holotype / paratype male/ paratype female). Total length 29.90/21.10/27.75; length of prothorax at center 4.55/3.35/4.25; greatest width of prothorax 4.95/3.70/4.70; anterior width of prothorax 3.60/2.80/3.40; posterior width of prothorax 4.55/3.30/4.15; humeral width 6.90/4.75/6.50; elytral length 19.65/14.20/19.50.

Type material. Holotype female from BOLIVIA, Santa Cruz: 4-6 km SSE Buena Vista (Hotel Flora and Fauna), 1-8.XI.2002, J. E. Wappes col. ( MNKM) . Paratypes – BOLIVIA, Santa Cruz: 4 km SSE Buena Vista (Hotel Flora and Fauna ; 17º29’S / 63º49’W; 350-400 m), 1 female, 22-25.XI.2013, Wappes & Skillman col. ( ACMT) ; 4-6 km SSE Buena Vista (Hotel Flora & Fauna; 17º29.95’S, 63º33.15’W; 400- 500 m; blacklight), 2 females, 3-14.XI.2003, S. Lingafelter ( SWLC) ; Florida (4 km N Bermejo, Refugio los Volcanes , 18º06’S / 63º36’W, 1000-1200 m), 1 male, 11.XII.2015, Skillman, Wappes and Kuckartz col. ( MZSP) ; Haico (Andrés Ibáñez Province, near Potrerillo del Guenda ; 17º40.5’S, 63º26.6’W; 425 m; mv/uv lights), 1 male, 1 female, 22-23.XI.2013, S. Lingafelter ( SWLC) .

Etymology. Named for Robin O. S. Clarke (Hotel Flora and Fauna, Buena Vista, Bolivia) in recognition of his many taxonomic contributions to the knowledge of New World Cerambycidae .

Remarks. Coleoxestia clarkei sp. nov. is similar to C. sanguinipes (Bates, 1884) , but differs as follows: distance between upper eye lobes in male 1.50 times width of one lobe; distance between upper eye lobes in female 1.45 times width of one lobe; antennomeres dark; antennomere IV uniformly enlarged from base to apex at outer side, not enlarged near apex of inner side; sides of prothorax not distinctly plicate; elytra shining, not or slightly vermiculate into network in basal half; tibiae entirely black. According to Fragoso (1993), one of the syntypes of C. sanguinipes (sex not specified, but apparently a female): distance between upper eye lobes 1.9 times width of one lobe; antennomeres reddish after distal area of antennomere III; antennomere IV abruptly enlarged near apex (both sides); sides of prothorax plicate; elytra shining (but not vitreous, distinctly duller than on pronotum) (according to Eya and Chemsak (2005): C. sanguinipes has “surface slightly opaque, vermiculate into network with a puncture in center”; “coriaceous in appearance”); tibiae gradually lighter toward apex. It is also similar to C. kuratai Eya and Chemsak, 2005 , but differs by the tibiae sulcate laterally, from near base to distal third (not sulcate in C. kuratai ), antennomere IV as above described (as in C. sanguinipes and in C. kuratai ). From C. striatepunctata Eya and Chemsak (2005) it differs mainly by the antennomere III shorter and thicker, and the pronotum distinctly less rugose-punctate and not distinctly raised medially on basal half.

Coleoxestia clarkei sp. nov. can be included in the alternative of couplet “13” from Martins and Monné (2005). However, as some characters used in this alternative of couplet (dimensions, color, elytral sculpture) are variable in the species, they cannot be used to correctly separate it from C. sanguinipes , C. polita ( Waterhouse, 1880) and C. anthracina Martins and Monné, 2005 .

Figures

Figures 4–16. 4–8, Coleoxestia clarkei sp. nov.: 4) Holotype female, dorsal habitus. 5) Holotype female, ventral habitus. 6) Holotype female, lateral habitus. 7) Paratype male, dorsal habitus. 8) Holotype female, head. 9–12, C. eyai sp. nov., holotype male: 9) Dorsal habitus. 10) Ventral habitus. 11) Lateral habitus. 12) Head. 13) C. chemsaki sp. nov., holotype male, metatarsus. 14) C. aurigena, holotype female, metatarsus. 15) C. femorata, male, antennomere III. 16) C. chemsaki sp. nov., holotype male, antennomere III.

Figures 1–3. Coleoxestia, general descriptive terminology (Fragoso 1993). 1) Head. 2) Prothorax, shown in profile (diagrammatic). 3) Antennomeres (diagrammatic): A – nodose; B – nodose-flattened; C – semi-angulose; D – obtusely angulose; E – ortho-angulose; F – acute-angulose.