Licracantha formicaria Lingafelter

Lingafelter, Steven W., 2011, New myrmecomorphous longhorned beetles from Haiti and the Dominican Republic with a key to Anaglyptini and Tillomorphini of Hispaniola (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Cerambycinae), ZooKeys 106, pp. 55-75 : 60-61

Licracantha formicaria Lingafelter sp. n. Figs 12Map 1

Diagnosis.

The single known species is recognized by the modified myrmecomorphic antennae with strong mesal spines on antennomeres 3-5, the suprascutellar projection of the pronotum, the matte integument with micropunctation throughout the dorsal surface, the dense, white pubescence on the sides of the meso- and metasternum, the purple hue on the apical two-thirds of the elytron, and the glossy integument ventrally and on the elytral epipleuron.

Description.

Male. 4.86 mm long; 1.37 mm wide at humeri. Color: Integument of head, pronotum, elytron, and legs mostly dark reddish brown with purple hue on apical two-thirds of elytron and legs; antenna dark reddish brown except for base of scape and antennomeres 3-5 which are lighter orange. Head: Matte, with micropunctation throughout and indistinct larger depressions; setae sparse, short, golden; gena short, produced anteriorly into acute tooth near base of mandible; frons short, broad, without evident frontal-genal ridge, anteclypeal sulcus, or interantennal groove or depression; eye with single small lobe present anteroventral to antennal tubercle; laterally as protuberant as pronotum; finely faceted; antennal tubercle weakly, gradually elevated; antenna 11-segmented, short, extending to middle of elytron; highly myrmecomorphic with elongate scape extending to nearly middle of pronotum; antennomere 2 short, angled, causing remaining antennomeres to be potentially articulated in opposing direction from scape; antennomeres 3-5 spinose apicomesally, lighter than remainder; antennomeres 6-11 abruptly shortened, shorter than scape; antennomeres 1-5 with sparse, elongate, golden setae; 6-11 with denser, appressed golden setae. Mandible yellow with piceous apex; terminal palpomeres broadly dilated. Pronotum: Matte, with uniform micropunctation throughout and interspersed, separate, shallow punctures; without calli or tubercles; distinctly longer than broad, 1.61 mm long, 1.04 mm wide (length/width = 1.55); anterior four-fifths abruptly elevated above constricted posterior fifth; base distinctly narrower than elytron; posteriorly produced into suprascutellar process at middle; sparsely pubescent with scattered, erect and appressed, short, golden setae, more dense at posterior margin of elevation. Prosternum: Densely, uniformly micropunctate, glabrous; prosternal process very narrow between procoxae; broadly expanded behind, closing procoxal cavities posteriorly; highly impressed anterior to procoxae; strongly downwardly curved anteriorly. Elytron: Matte, except for glossy, anterior epipleural region; uniformly micropunctate throughout; scattered, sparse, appressed, golden setae, mostly concentrated on basal third; dark reddish brown to piceous at basal third, separated from lighter purplish brown apical two thirds with oblique pale fascia that does not extend to suture; constricted and depressed near white fascia, gibbous at base and apex; elytral apex rounded to suture; 2.79 mm long, 0.67 mm wide (length/width = 4.16). Scutellum: Small, rounded posteriorly; short, golden setae present on middle. Legs: Femora short, stout, with strongly clavate apices on abruptly narrowed peduncles; metafemur not attaining elytral apex; tibiae straight, apically expanded, each with single, strong, curved tibial spine; sparsely pubescent with scattered golden setae. Venter: Mostly glossy, sparsely pubescent except on sides of posterior margin of metasternum and mesosternum which have dense, white pubescence, the former coinciding with white fascia of elytron; mesosternal intercoxal process about 3 times as broad as prosternal process, with small lateral projection into mesocoxa and middle notch receiving anterior projection of metasternum. Ventrite 1 most elongate; remaining ventrites successively shorter and elevated towards elytral apex; apex of fifth ventrite broadly rounded, without notch, sulcus, or other modification.

Etymology.

The specific epithet, formicaria, is a Latin adjective referring to the very antlike facies.

Type material.

Holotype, male: Dominican Republic, La Vega Prov., 4.7 km SE Jarabacoa, July 16, 1996, M. C. Thomas, collector (FSCA).

Remarks.

Only a single specimen is known of this monotypic genus. It is similar to arboreal ants of the genus Cephalotes Latreille, and they may be the model for this myrmecomorphic longhorn. These distinctive ants with large heads and spines on the thorax that resemble the suprascutellar process of the beetle, are slow moving and frequently beaten from vegetation in the Dominican Republic where this specimen was collected (Lingafelter pers. obs). There are six species of these ants known from Hispaniola (Perez 2008).