Pseudagaone suturafissa Tippmann, 1960

Clarke Abstract, Robin O. S., 2010, Bolivian Rhinotragini Iii: New Genera And Species (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 50 (16), pp. 239-267 : 263-266

Pseudagaone suturafissa Tippmann, 1960

Figs. 10A, 10B

Pseudagaone suturafissa Tippmann, 1960:126 , pl. 6, fig. 12b. Monné, 2005:517 (cat.).

Diagnosis: P. suturafissa is a very characteristically marked species unlikely to be confused with any other species of Rhinotragini . It is larger (11.5-16.6 mm) than the other species of the genus (9.0-12.0 mm), more elongate, and narrower.

Description of male: moderately robust species of medium size, with abdomen (4.7 mm) shorter than forebody (7.0 mm). General colour opaque yellow (some mouthparts, elytra and peduncles translucent); the following opaque black: palpomeres, mandibles, sides of clypeus, and adjacent part of frons (dusky); apex and dorsal surface of antennal segments I-V; apical half of antennomeres VI-XI; irregular black fascia occupying central front two-thirds of pronotum (inverted, looks like a “sitting cat” in profile); calliper-shaped, elongate fascia occupying elytra (on each elytron occupying posterior 4/5, rounded at base, narrowing towards apex, apical fifth entirely black); small, discrete, fascia at side of metasternum; oblique, oval fascia at base of metepisternum; apical half of urosternite V (the fascia narrowing laterally); last visible tergite. Legs yellow (including coxae), the following black: upper surface of protibiae, mesotibiae and profemora, all of mesofemoral clave, most of metafemora clave, and all tarsomeres.

General pubescence: yellow. Head almost glabrous; short, sparse, pubescence on genae and adjacent area of frons; long, but not dense on mentum-submentum. Prothorax glabrous above, except narrow fascia of short, shining hairs at sides of apical constriction, and basal third of pronotum (denser and mixed with longer hairs); below with inconspicuous patch at centre of prosternum. Underside of meso- and metathorax almost entirely, finely, pubescent, the hairs denser and shining towards sides; less dense and longest on hind parts of metasternum. Scutellum, and basal fifth of elytra microscopically asperate. Abdomen with dense, recumbent, shining patches at sides, and spreading inwards along hind margins of urosternites I-IV; and rows of long erect hairs at midline. Protibiae densely clothed with shining, golden recumbent pubescence mesally, longer and sparser on mesotibiae, white, fine, and not dense (except extreme apex) on metatibiae. Antennal segments I-VI setose ventrally.

Surface ornamentation: uniform, dense, small, alveolate and somewhat scabrous on upperparts, as follows: on head at front margin of frons and vertex, pronotum (not dense at sides), scutellum (microscopic), and entire surface of elytra. On underside more variable, as follows: mentum-submentum small, semi-alveloate punctures dispersed between narrow, transverse carinas, paired arced carinas delimiting this area from smooth neck; trapezoidal patch of semi-alveolate punctures centred on middle of prosternum. Mesosternum densely micropunctate. Metathoracic punctures generally hidden by thick pubescence, but hind parts of metasternum moderately densely covered with shallow, slightly bevelled, transverse punctures; and similar punctures, but smaller and sparser, on abdomen. Legs generally punctate: surfaces of femora and tibiae transversely bevelled (less so at sides of femora) with moderately close, setose punctures.

Structure: head with eyes (1.9 mm) distinctly narrower than width of prothorax. Rostrum wide (1.35 mm), moderately long (0.6 mm), shorter then length of inferior lobes of eyes (1.00 mm), sides slightly emarginate, and slightly wider at apex. Labrum moderately small, projecting, strongly transverse (three times wider (0.6 mm) than long), sides moderately rounded. Clypeus very short, separated from frons by distinct declivity, and impunctate. Eyes large; inferior lobes round and convex, distal margins lie on frons, proximal margins slightly oblique, interocular V-shaped, narrow (0.15 mm) but not contiguous, 1/6 width of lobe, frontal suture, narrow and moderately long (from distal margin of eyes to base of antennal tubercles); superior lobes with 11-12 rows of fine ommatidia, separated by 0.5 mm, about twice their own width. Apices of antennal tubercles rounded, separat- ed by twice width of scape. Antennae moderately long, reaching apex of urosternite II; all segments elongate, almost filiform; antennomere III elongate, narrow and cylindrical, IV + V shorter and slightly thickened at apex, VI becoming shorter and moderately serrate, VII-X decrementally so (the tips of apical angles cut off straight); XI with narrow apical cone; scape subpyriform, regularly widening from base to apex, shorter (0.75 mm) than antennomere III, III longer (1.35 mm) than rest, IV (0.70 mm), V (0.90 mm), VI (0.85 mm), VII (0.80 mm), VIII (0.70 mm), IX (0.65 mm), X (0.60 mm) XI (0.70 mm). Prothorax: quadrate (2.35 mm long, 2.20 mm wide); sides rounded, more contracted in front (1.70 mm wide) than behind (2.35 wide), and widest at middle. Pronotum convex, surface slightly irregular, but lacking discrete calli or depressions, and disc not depressed; apical constriction moderate; basal constriction moderately strong, narrow, with small fovea adjacent to hind angle; border of front margin moderately prominent; hind angles almost right-angled; basal sixth declivous, but not abruptly. Prosternum declivous across apical third; base of prosternal process narrow (0.15 mm), about one sixth width of coxal cavity, slightly arched, apex moderately large, subtrapezoidal, inclined to base, rather weak-looking, sides slightly inclined; procoxal cavities ovate, closed at sides and behind. Mesothorax: mesosternum with deep, abrupt declivity; base of mesosternal process depressed to midline, relatively narrow (0.30 mm), about one third width of coxal cavity; apex of process bilobed, the lobes short and rounded at sides to apex, slightly diverging and separated by short notch; mesocoxal cavities not widely open to epimeron; mesepimeron narrow and constricted at middle. Scutellum small, narrow and bifid at apex, each minute lobe capped by rounded eminence. Surface of elytra rather flat and even (without prominent humeri, nor with humero-apical costae); epipleur steeply sided to well behind humeri, then almost planar with disc from middle to apex (which also describes sutural border); elongate, with apical teeth just reaching middle of urosternite V, 2.9 longer (7.3 mm) than width of humeri (2.5 mm); humeri rounded, not projecting; sides regularly (but not strongly) narrowed from behind humeri to apical quarter (leaving metepisterna clearly visible), then equally wide to apex; sutural margin straight for basal third, then abruptly and broadly fissate, slightly converging for apical quarter, but leaving apices well apart; apices truncate, with sutural border prolonged into short tooth, and lateral border into long acute tooth. Metathorax: metasternum moderately large, convex and somewhat flattened, more so behind, with complete longitudinal suture; sides slightly contracted to apex, apical margin oblique. Metepisternum moderately wide, widest at base, not strongly narrowed to apex. Abdomen: apiform and strongly convex, widest at middle of urosternite I, II-V subequal in length, II-IV strongly transverse, with slightly rounded sides; V trapezoidal, with flat, horseshoe-shaped area at middle, apical margin bisinuate, with rounded projection at centre; abdominal process almost planar with abdomen, triangular, sides moderately raised towards apex, apex moderately pointed, and intimately inserted between metacoxae. Apical tergite transverse, trapezoidal with evenly emarginate apical margin, and overlapping apex of urosternite V. Lateral lobes of tegmen large, strongly curved and slightly twisted, lobes diverging, elongate and narrow, with slightly acuminate apices. Legs: moderately robust; ratio length front to hind leg 1.0:1.3:2.0; front and middle legs strongly pedunculate-clavate (pro- and mesofemoral peduncle and profemoral clave flattened at sides, profemoral clave slightly, and mesofemoral clave more strongly tumid mesally); hind leg more slender, cylindrical, peduncle cylindrical and slightly shorter than clave. Front leg (5.8 mm), apex of tibia weakly toothed, and with short, oblique, excision laterally. Middle leg (7.5 mm), femora spiculate below, tibia regularly thickened from base toward apex, somewhat abruptly at apex. Hind leg about as long as body (11.8 mm), tibia bisinuate, narrow, hardly thicker at apex, nearly as long (4.7 mm) as clave (4.85 mm); tarsi incrementally longer from front leg to hind leg; on front and middle legs tarsomeres I-III incrementally larger; on hind leg incrementally shorter; metatarsomere I cylindrical, shorter (0.75 mm) than II + III (0.85 mm), II almost parallel-sided, III slightly shorter (0.40 mm) than II, with narrow, well spaced lobes.

Description of female ( Fig. 10B ): colour differences not marked, but note the following: all of clypeus, and adjacent frons, black; black fascia on pronotum scutiform, not at all irregular, and fascia on elytra truncate at base (not rounded as in male).

Structure: forebody/abdomen length 7.0/ 5.5 mm. Rostrum twice as wide (1.5 mm) as long (0.75 mm), about as long as inferior lobes (0.8 mm), and widest at base. Eyes slightly smaller; inferior lobes slightly longer than wide, round and convex, distal margins lie on genae, proximal margins slightly more oblique, interocular almost flat, each half occupied by shallow sulcus, relatively wide (0.60 mm), 4/5 width of lobe, frontal suture, broader and longer (reaching base of clypeus). Antennae moderately long, just reaching base of urosternite II; formula as male, except urosternite III much longer (1.35 mm) than IV (0.55 mm). Basal constriction of pronotum stronger. Metasternum as male but less flattened, and apical margin truncate. Elytra 2.7 longer than width of humeri; apical teeth just reaching apex of urosternite V; humeri slightly more prominent than male; sides regularly narrowed to apex; sutural margin straight for basal two-fifths, then abruptly and broadly fissate. Metepisternum wider than male. Abdomen robust, longer, but much wider (2.4 mm) than male (1.9 mm); urosternite V triangular (slightly broader at base), depressed across middle, apical margin obtusely rounded. Apical tergite elongate and subconical, and apical margin truncate.

Measurements (mm): 2 males / 3 females: total length 11.5-12.4/12.1-16.6; length of pronotum 2.4/2.4-3.0; width of pronotum 2.1-2.2/2.1-2.8; length of elytra 7.3-7.5/7.2-10.8; width at humeri 2.4-2.5/2.5-3.8.

Material examined: all from the same locality, by same collectors ( R. Clarke & S. Zamalloa), and in the RCSZ collection, unless otherwise stated. BOLIVIA, Santa Cruz: Hotel Flora & Fauna, 5 km SSE of Buena Vista, 17°29’96”S/ 63°39’13”W, 430 m. The following material with different host-plants: on/flying to flowers of “Bejuco hoja lanuda”, 1 female, 05. V.2005 ; on/flying to flowers of “ Tutumillo espinosa”, 1 female, 28.X.2006 , 1 female, 23. XI.2009 ( MZUSP); on/flying to flowers of “ Sapaimosi ”, 1 male 16.XII.2006 , 1 female, 25.XII.2006 , 1 male, 06.I.2008.

Material examined (in the ACMS collection): BOLIVIA, Santa Cruz, Reserva Natural Potrerillo de Guenda , 40 km NW Santa Cruz, 17°40’S / 63°27’W, 370 m, 1 female, 09-28. XI.2006, B.K. Dozier col.

Discussion: Tippmann (1960) described the monotypic genus Pseudagaone from the Department of Cochabamba, Bolivia. Since P. suturafissa Tippmann, 1960 is endemic to Bolivia, has never been illustrated, and photographs of the species unavailable on the internet, the opportunity is taken here to publish photographs of both sexes and register the species occurrence in the Department of Santa Cruz. It should be noted that Tippmann describes and provides a sketch (Textskizze 2) of the apices of the elytra as coming together (touching); in the Santa Cruz specimens ( Fig. 10 ) this is not so.

Tavakilian & Peñaherrera-Leiva (2007) described Neoregostoma cerdai from French Guiana, but subsequently recognised its true placement to be in the genus Pseudagaone Tippmann, 1960 . Since they were aware that the author intended publishing a redescription of the Bolivian species ( P. suturafissa ), it was thought appropriate to establish this new combination at the same time: Neoregostoma cerdai Tavakilian & Peñaherrera-Leiva, 2007 = Pseudagaone cerdai ( Tavakilian & Peñaherrera-Leiva, 2007) comb. nov.

Tavakilian & Peñaherrera-Leiva (2007) made reference to the similarity of Neoregostoma cerdai to Neoregostoma spinipenne ( Fuchs, 1961) ; whether or not the latter should also be placed in the genus Pseudagaone will have to wait until the specimen can be examined.

Figures

FIGURES 8‑10: 8. Ommata (Chrysaethe) amboroensis sp. nov., A. male holotype. 9. Neoregostoma bettelai sp. nov., A. female holotype. 10. Pseudagaone suturafissa Tippmann, 1960, A. male, B. female.