Neoptychodes hondurae ( White, 1858 )

Santos-Silva, Antonio & Botero, Juan Pablo, 2023, A new synonymy in Neoptychodes (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae) and notes on Neoptychodes cosmeticus with a revised key to species of the genus, Iheringia, Série Zoologia (e 2023014) 113, pp. 1-6 : 1-5

Neoptychodes hondurae ( White, 1858)

( Figs 1–5 , 8–12 )

Ptychodes hondurae WHITE, 1858:412 .

Neoptychodes hondurae hondurae ( White, 1858) ; MONNÉ, 2023:791 (cat.).

Taeniotes trivittatus TASCHENBERG, 1870:194 . Syn. nov.

Neoptychodes hondurae trivittatus ( Taschenberg, 1870) ; MONNÉ, 2023:791 (cat.).

Remarks. WHITE (1858) described Ptychodes hondurae ( Figs 11, 12 ) based on a single specimen from Honduras. Later, TASCHENBERG (1870) described Taeniotes trivittatus ( Figs 1–4 ) based on a single male from Ecuador. BATES (1880) synonymized T. trivittatus with P. hondurae , and reported the species from Mexico (Oaxaca), Honduras, Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador; BATES (1885) added Guatemala as a country where the species occurs.

DILLON & DILLON (1941) described Neoptychodes and included N. hondurae ; in this work, Taeniotes trivittatus was kept in the synonymy of N. hondurae . A few years later, BREUNING (1943), evidently not knowing the work by DILLON & DILLON (1941), transferred White’s species from Ptychodes Audinet-Serville, 1835 to Taeniotes Audinet-Serville, 1835 , and considered T. trivittatus as a subspecies of T. hondurae . According to him on T. hondurae trivittatus (translated): “The light longitudinal median band on the vertex and pronotum wider; the sutural band of the elytra wider, but dissolved in a quantity of isolated spots; the lateral pubescent band less regular, widened in places; the anterior border of the forehead and the genae as well as a macula on the sides of the prosternum also covered with light pubescence”. Examining photographs of the holotype of T. trivittatus ( Figs 1–4 ), it is possible to see that some information by BREUNING (1943) is not true: the longitudinal pubescent band on the vertex and on the pronotum are distinctly narrower than in the holotype of P. hondurae ( Figs 11, 12 ). However, this is a variable feature in Neoptychodes hondurae ; therefore, cannot be used as a differential feature. In the same way, the lateral pubescent band on the elytra is very similar in the holotypes of both species. However, this is another variable characteristic in N. hondurae , and also cannot be used to separate the two forms of the species. It is true that the sutural pubescent band on the elytra is somewhat wider and is not complete in the holotype of T. trivittatus . However, it is just a variation and not due to loss of part of the pubescence, as suggested by TASCHENBERG (1870) (translated): “… and those at the suture are completely interrupted in places, but decided only by rubbing, as the irregularity proves”. The width and length of the elytral pubescent band along elytral suture is very variable in N. trilineatus (Linnaeus, 1771) ( Figs 18–23 ). Therefore, there is no reason to suppose that it is not also variable in N. hondurae . In fact, specimens with the sutural pubescent band of the elytra as in the holotype of T. trivittatus are much more common than those with this pubescence as in the holotype of P. hondurae .

BREUNING (1961) listed Taschenberg’s species as Neoptychodes hondurae ssp. trivittatus , status maintained until today in catalogs and checklists ( TAVAKILIAN & CHEVILLOTTE, 2022; BEZARK, 2023; MONNÉ, 2023).

Comparing photographs of the holotypes of P. hondurae and P. trivittatus , we were not able to find a reliable difference. Furthermore, we examined a specimen from Honduras ( Fig. 8 ), agreeing with the holotype of P. trivittatus , what reinforce that it is just a variation of the species. We have seen photographs of some specimens of N. candidus ( Bates, 1885) identified as N. hondurae . This makes the identification of these species very problematic and suggests that the geographical distribution of the two, indicated in the catalogs and checklists, is doubtful.

DILLON & DILLON (1941) provided a key to species of Neoptychodes :

“1. Elytra with small, distinct, rounded, orange spots, as well as white vittae ............................................ trilineatus

– Elytra without distinct orange markings ...................... 2

2. Elytra without sutural vitta................................ cretatus

– Elytra with a sutural vitta............................................. 3

3. Sutural vitta broken ....................................... hondurae

– Sutural vitta entire, attaining apex................ candidus ”

In the redescription of N. hondurae, DILLON & DILLON (1941) reported: “elytra with a sutural vitta to middle, widened at both ends, remainder of suture with small, irregular dots to apex.” The figure provided by them ( Fig. 5 ) reflects this description exactly. However, both the figure and the description do not agree with the holotype of T. hondurae and agree very well with the holotype of T. trivittatus . Thus, the less frequent form of the species, that of the holotype of P. hondurae , could not be recognized by the key or the redescription. Furthermore, it may easy conduct to misidentification of some specimens of N. hondurae as N. candidus ( Bates, 1885) . This is especially because, probably, the sutural pubescent band on the elytra may be somewhat variable in N candidus too.

Therefore, we believe that the key needs to be adjusted to separate these two species, and also include N. cosmeticus Martins & Galileo, 1996 :

Key to the species of Neoptychodes

1. Elytra with small, distinct, rounded, orange spots, as well as whitish sutural pubescent band ( Figs 18–23 ). United States of America (Arizona), Mexico (Baja California, Colima, Tamaulipas, Nayarit, Guerrero, Puebla, San Luís Potosí, Mexico, Morelos, Yucatán, Sonora, Oaxaca, Durango), Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Caribbean .... .......................................... N. trilineatus (Linnaeus, 1771)

– Elytra without distinct orange markings ..................... 2

2(1). Elytra without sutural pubescent band ................... 3

– Elytra with sutural pubescent band ............................. 4

3(2). Sides of the elytra with longitudinal pubescent band from base to apex, not or slightly reaching dorsal surface on anterior half ( Figs 6, 7 , 13–17 ). Panama, Colombia, Ecuador............. N. cosmeticus Martins & Galileo, 1996

– Sides of the elytra with large pubescent maculae, sometimes partially fused, at least some of them distinctly reaching dorsal surface on anterior half ( Fig. 25 ). Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama............................ N. cretatus (Bates, 1872) 4(2). Sutural pubescent band of the elytra not attaining apex, entire or fragmented; spine on the elytral apex not located on sutural angle ( Fig. 27 ), often inclined sideward ( Figs 1–5 , 8–12 ). Mexico (Oaxaca), Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador.......................... ................................................ N. hondurae ( White, 1858)

– Sutural pubescent band of the elytra usually reaching apex; spine on the elytral apex ( Fig. 26 ) located on sutural angle, straight ( Fig. 24 ). Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Peru......................................... N. candidus ( Bates, 1885)

Figures

Figs 1–5. Neoptychodes hondurae (White, 1858). Holotype male of Taeniotes trivittatus Taschenberg, 1870, by Karla Schneider: 1, dorsal habitus; 2, dorsal habitus showing the entire antennae; 3, lateral habitus; 4, label; 5, Neoptychodes hondurae (White, 1858), elytron, by DILLON & DILLON (1941).

Figs 6–12. Neoptychodes spp. Neoptychodes cosmeticus Martins & Galileo, 1996: 6, paratype male from Colombia (Valle del Cauca), which was deposited at the MNRJ as being the holotype, by Steven W. Lingafelter; 7, paratype female from Ecuador belonging to the CMNC, illustrated by MARTINS & GALILEO (1996) as the holotype. 8–12, Neoptychodes hondurae (White, 1858): 8, male from Honduras, dorsal habitus; 9, female from Panama, dorsal habitus;10, female from Panama,lateral habitus; 11, holotype of P. hondurae, by Jesus Santiago Moure; 12, holotype of P. hondurae, by John Chemsak.

Figs 18–27. Neoptychodes spp., dorsal habitus. 18–23, N. trillineatus (Linnaeus, 1771): 18, male from Colombia (La Guarida); 19, male from Mexico (Chiapas, Motozintla); 20, male from Mexico (Durango); 21, male from Panama (Barro Colorado); 22, male, specimen 2, from Mexico (Chiapas, Motozintla); 23, male from Mexico (Veracruz, San Andrés Tuxtla). 24, N. candidus (Bates, 1885), female from Colombia (El Diviso). 25, N. cretatus (Bates, 1872), female from Costa Rica (Limón, Guácimo). 26, 27, elytral apex: 26, N. candidus, female; 27, N. hondurae, male.

Figs 13–17. Neoptychodes cosmeticus Martins & Galileo, 1996, holotype female: 13, dorsal habitus; 14, ventral habitus; 15, lateral habitus; 16, head, frontal view; 17, labels.