Ceresium nigroapicale Dillon & Dillon, 1952

Waqa-Sakiti, Hilda, Winder, Linton & Lingafelter, Steven W., 2015, Review of the genus Ceresium Newman, 1842 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) in Fiji, ZooKeys 532, pp. 15-53 : 25

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Cerambycidae

Ceresium nigroapicale Dillon & Dillon, 1952 Fig. 8

Ceresium nigroapicale : Dillon and Dillon 1952: 27, Fiji: Viti Levu, holotype (BPBM).

Description.

Based on the holotype specimen (BPBM) and two specimens from 2008 surveys (FNIC, USP). Size 8.5-12.0 mm long, 2.0-2.5 mm wide at humeri; integument color maroonish-brown (Fig. 8a). Head with shallow interantennal tubercle region, tubercles only slightly raised; punctate with very sparse ochraceous pubescence on tubercles and throughout frons; vertex and occiput bare. Ochraceous pubescence sparsely around eye margins. Frons and frontoclypeal margin coarsely punctate with sparse, short and long, ochraceous hairs (Fig. 8b). Antennae long, extending beyond elytra by almost two antennomeres. Antennae with vestiture of short, dense, ochraceous setae (longer at apices of antennomeres). Antennomeres unspined and not expanded at apices; last antennomere almost subequal in length of penultimate. Antennomere 3 and 4 each shorter than scape; 5-9 longest except for 10-11 and subequal in length. Scape long, clavate, extending to apical fifth of pronotum.

Pronotum cylindrical, widest at basal third and slightly longer than wide. Pronotum with four dense patches of yellow pubescence on either side. Apical one largest in size and remaining three almost subequal in size, all arranged longitudinally on either side of pronotum. Pronotum glabrous at center with a few scattered yellow setae with large irregular punctures (Fig. 8c). Elytron with sparse, evenly spaced ochraceous pubescence. Punctation shallow, sparse, gradually becoming shallower and indistinct towards apex. Elytral apex rounded to suture. Scutellum narrowly rounded, covered with dense, ochraceous pubescence. Legs small to moderate in length, femora distinctly but gradually clavate, hind femora extending to base of fourth ventrite.

Venter of abdomen and thorax with sparse ochraceous pubescence throughout. Prosternal process narrow, approximately 1/4 width of procoxa, notched and expanded at apex. Procoxal cavities open posteriorly (Fig. 8d). Mesocoxae closed laterally to mesepimeron. Mesosternum slightly declivous, without anterior tubercle, and sulcate anteriorly. Apex of terminal ventrite truncate to unevenly rounded, without notch. In males, fifth sternite narrow elongate, with a deep V-shape emargination medially extending basally more than one-half its length.

Remarks.

This is one of two species characterized by dense pubescent maculae on the pronotum, the other being Ceresium guttaticolle . That species has two patches on either side, subequal in length, while Ceresium nigroapicale has three or four areas of yellowish pubescence on either side, with the apical noticeably larger. Ceresium nigroapicale is further distinguished by the elytra having diffusely darker coloration apically and laterally and very coarse punctation on the basal half. This is another rare species that is endemic to Fiji and known only from Viti Levu. Specimens have been collected in July and September by beating vegetation ( Dillon and Dillon 1952).