Bisaltes (Bisaltes) lateralis, Bezark & Santos-Silva, 2023

Bezark, Larry G. & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2023, Expanding knowledge of American Cerambycidae (Coleoptera): new species, new records, and morphological variations, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 63, pp. 1-19 : 8-10

Bisaltes (Bisaltes) lateralis sp. nov. ( Fig. 3 )

Description: Holotype female: Integument mostly dark brown; ventral mouthparts mostly brown, with apex of palpomeres yellowish brown; anteclypeus testaceous, except brown central area and apex; antennomere III dark reddish brown on basal ¾, dark brown on apical quarter; antennomeres IV and VI reddish brown on basal ⅔, dark brown on apical third; antennomeres V and VII reddish brown on basal quarter, dark brown on apical ¾; antennomere VIII orangish brown on basal ¾, irregularly dark brown on apical quarter; antennomere IX orangish brown on basal ¾, dark brown on apical quarter; antennomeres X and XI orangish brown on basal half, dark brown on apical half. Tarsomeres I-II dark brown; III mostly brown; IV reddish brown; V dark brown on basal ¾, reddish brown on apical quarter; tarsal claws reddish brown.

Head: Frons ( Fig. 3D ) somewhat abundantly, coarsely punctate; pubescence yellow, different on left side and right side (apparently, not lost, but due to ill-formation – only left side described), short, thick, mostly with truncate apex, with sparse, distinctly long yellow setae interspersed centrally, and dense, distinctly long yellow setae interspersed on most lateral area; area close to eye with a few long, erect white setae. Area between antennal tubercles and upper eye lobes sparsely, coarsely punctate, punctures slightly sparser centrally; with moderately sparse, minute, thick, decumbent yellow setae, slightly more abundant laterally, and dense, longer yellow pubescence close to base of antennal tubercles and eyes (this pubescence longer close to antennal tubercles, and mostly absent on left side); with a few long, erect brown setae laterally between antennal tubercles. Remaining surface of vertex sparsely, coarsely punctate; with abundant, thick, decumbent, short yellow setae not obscuring integument, and longer, abundant yellow pubescence interspersed centrally, longer pubescence not reaching prothorax; with a few long, erect brown setae interspersed. Area behind upper eye lobes with abundant yellow pubescence close to eye and entire area close to lower eye lobe, sparse, minute, yellowish on remaining surface.Area behind lower eye lobes with abundant yellow pubescence partially obscuring integument, and long, erect white setae interspersed. Genae about as long as lower eye lobe; somewhat abundantly, finely punctate, except smooth apex; with abundant yellow pubescence close to eye and close to smooth area, this pubescence almost absent on right side, and abundant, short, thick, minute, decumbent yellow setae on remaining surface, except glabrous smooth apex; with sparse, long, erect white setae interspersed. Wide central area of postclypeus with abundant pale-yellow pubescence close to frons, and abundant, moderately long pale-yellow setae directed forward close to anteclypeus; with long, erect white setae interspersed close to frons. Sides of postclypeus almost glabrous. Labrum coplanar with anteclypeus at posterior third, inclined at anterior ⅔; with sparse yellowish-white pubescence on posterior third, somewhat abundant, long, erect, both yellow and whitish setae laterally on sides of anterior ⅔, and glabrous on remaining surface. Gulamentum ( Fig. 3B ) somewhat sparsely, finely punctate, glabrous, except intermaxillary process with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument. Distance between upper eye lobes ( Fig. 3A ) 0.48 times distance between outer margins of eyes; in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.72 times distance between outer margins of eyes. Antennae as long as elytra, almost reaching posterior quarter of elytra. Scape ( Fig. 3E ) with abundant, both pale-yellow and white pubescence not obscuring integument, dorsally and laterally, pubescence denser on apical cicatrix, and abundant yellowish-white pubescence ventrally; with long, erect whitish setae interspersed ventrally. Pedicel and light areas of antennomeres III-XI with abundant white pubescence almost obscuring integument on some distal segments; dark-brown apical region of antennomeres III-XI mostly with brown pubescence not obscuring integument; pedicel and antennomeres III-XI with long, erect dark-brown setae interspersed ventrally, erect setae gradually sparser from III to X; antennomeres IV-V with a few moderately long, yellowish setae on apex of dorsal surface; antennomeres VI-XI with moderately long,erect white setae interspersed throughout. Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III: scape = 1.00; pedicel = 0.25; IV = 1.05;V = 0.83;VI = 0.67;VII = 0.58;VIII = 0.53; IX = 0.44; X = 0.39; XI = 0.30.

Thorax: Prothorax wider than long; lateral tubercles subconical, located centrally; sides slightly divergent from anterolateral angles to lateral tubercles, convergent toward posterolateral angles. Pronotum ( Fig. 3A ) transversely sulcate close to posterior margin; somewhat sparsely, coarsely punctate; sides with wide yellow pubescent band from anterior to posterior margin, pubescence minute, thick, except distinctly longer and denser yellow pubescence on inner side of anterior third of right band, sparse, moderately long, decumbent yellow pubescence interspersed on middle of left band, short, thick white setae interspersed on posterior half of both bands, white setae more abundant near lateral tubercles of prothorax, and denser and longer yellow pubescence close to posterior margin; central region with sparse brown pubescence, except both pale-yellow and yellowish-brown setae interspersed on part of anterior third, and a few short, both pale-yellow and white setae near posterior sulcus; central area of posterior sulcus with abundant, both yellow and white pubescence no obscuring integument, yellow pubescence longer; with long, erect brown setae interspersed, especially on anterior ⅔. Sides of prothorax ( Fig. 3C ) with dense, both yellow and yellowish-white pubescence. Prosternum somewhat sparsely and coarsely punctate; sides of posterior ¾ and area close to procoxal cavities with dense, both pale-yellow and white pubescence; remaining surface with moderately sparse, both pale-yellow and white pubescence; with long, erect white setae interspersed throughout. Prosternal process with abundant, both pale-yellow and white pubescence not obscuring integument, except sides of apex almost glabrous; narrowest area 0.31 times procoxal width. Mesoventrite with somewhat sparse whitish pubescence, except minute yellowish pubescence close to mesoventral process, somewhat abundant, minute white pubescence laterally close to mesanepisternum, and somewhat abundant pale-yellow pubescence laterally close to procoxal cavities. Mesanepisternum and mesepimeron with somewhat abundant, minute, both yellow and white pubescence. Mesoventral process slightly, gradually narrowed toward truncate apex; apex 0.53 times mesocoxal width; with somewhat abundant, both yellowish and white pubescence not obscuring integument. Metanepisternum with abundant, both pale-yellow and white pubescence partially obscuring integument. Metaventrite sparsely, coarsely punctate laterally, punctures slightly finer centrally; sides with dense, both yellow and white pubescence, except mostly of posterior half of left side with minute, both pale-yellow and white pubescence not obscuring integument; central region with abundant, both yellow and white pubescence partially obscuring integument, pubescence longer than on sides, except metaventral process and center of posterior third with shorter and sparse, both yellow and white pubescence; with long, erect white setae interspersed centrally. Scutellum with abundant, both yellow and white pubescence laterally and basal half, sparse, minute yellowish pubescence on remaining surface, except apex with somewhat abundant, both yellow and white pubescence. Elytra: Sparsely, coarsely punctate on anterior quarter, punctures gradually finer and sparser on remaining surface toward apex; apex obliquely truncate, with outer angle triangularly projected; with abundant, brown, yellowish-brown, and white pubescence not obscuring integument, except posterior sixth with dense white pubescence, with pale-yellow pubescence interspersed, and a moderately large pale-yellow macula on center of dorsal surface; with long, erect dark brown setae throughout, more abundant on posterior quarter. Legs: Procoxae with erect projection close to anterior margin of trochanter; all coxae with abundant, both yellow and white pubescence not obscuring integument. Trochanters with abundant, long, erect white setae ventrally. Profemora with abundant yellowish pubescence basally, with long, erect white setae interspersed, erect setae distinctly more abundant ventrally; remaining surface with yellow pubescence, denser on some areas, sparser and short- er on others, with sparse, long, erect white setae interspersed. Mesofemora with dense yellow pubescence dorsally and ventrally, and abundant, both pale-yellow and white pubescence not obscuring integument laterally; with long, erect white setae interspersed, slightly more abundant on basal region of ventral surface. Metafemora with somewhat abundant, both yellow and white pubescence basally, abundant, mostly white pubescence with yellow pubescence interspersed on remaining surface, except sides of central region mostly with brown pubescence; with long, erect, sparse white setae interspersed, and a few long, erect dark brown setae interspersed on apical half. Protibiae with somewhat abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument, denser and bristly on apical third of ventral surface; with long, erect white setae interspersed. Mesotibiae with abundant white pubescence not obscuring integument on basal third, abundant, both pale-yellow and white pubescence on sides of apical ⅔, and dense, bristly pale-yellow pubescence on dorsal and ventral surfaces of apical ⅔; with long, erect white setae interspersed on basal half. Metatibiae with somewhat abundant, both pale-yellow and white pubescence not obscuring integument, except mostly pale-yellow bristly pubescence on apical half of ventral surface and apical third of ventral surface; with long, erect both dark-brown and white setae interspersed. Dorsal surface of tarsi with abundant white pubescence not obscuring integument, and long, erect brown setae interspersed; metatarsomere I slightly shorter than II-III together.

Abdomen: Ventrites 1-4 ( Fig. 3B ) with both yellow and white pubescence,more abundant laterally, except short fringe of yellow pubescence on sides of apex; with a few long, erect white setae interspersed. Ventrite 5 depressed posterocentrally; with both yellow and white pubescence, longer and more abundant laterally and depressed apical region;with sparse,both white and yellow setae interspersed, except apical region with somewhat abundant dark-brown setae interspersed.

Dimensions in mm (holotype female): Total length, 7.05; prothoracic length, 1.30; anterior prothoracic width, 1.25; posterior prothoracic width, 1.30; maximum prothoracic width, 1.60; humeral width, 1.75; elytral length, 5.15.

Type material: Holotype female from ECUADOR, Manabi: 5 km S Montecristi , 10.III.2006, F. T. Hovore & I. Swift leg. ( CASC).

Etymology: The specific epithet lateralis in Latin refers to the lateral longitudinal pubescent bands on the pronotum.

Remarks: Bisaltes (Bisaltes) lateralis sp. nov. is similar to B. (B.) flaviceps Breuning, 1940 but differs by the pronotum with wide yellow longitudinal pubescent band laterally (entirely covered with yellowish pubescence in B. (B.) flaviceps ). The original description of B. (B.) flaviceps (Breuning, 1940) and redescription (Breuning, 1971) do not provide important information. Therefore, we are using mostly the photograph of the holotype taken by Jesus Santiago Moure (see Bezark, 2023 and Santos-Silva & Bezark, 2022) to find more differences to separate the two species. The antennomeres III-XI appear to be much more slender in B.(B.) flaviceps . However,we do not know if it is due to the angle of the photograph.

Figures

Figure 3. Bisaltes (Bisaltes) lateralis sp.nov., holotype female:(A) Dorsal habitus;(B)Ventral habitus;(C) Lateral habitus;(D) Head,frontal view;(E)Scape.