Axina chiasta Opitz, new species

Figures 44, 73, 94.

Type material. Holotype. Male. Type locality: Brazil: Minas Gerais, Pedra Azul,?- XII-1970, F. M. Oliveira (FSCA) . Paratypes. 34 specimens. Brazil: Estado do Minas Gerais, Pedra Azul,?- XII-1970 (AMNH, 1; BMNH, 1; CASC, 1; CUIC, 1) ; idem,?- XI-1970, F. M. Oliveira (WOPC, 1); idem,?- XI- 1971, 800 m, F. M. Oliveira (CMNC, 1; CNCI, 1; CSCA, 1; WOPC, 1); idem,?- XI-1971, Seabra & Oliveira (CMNH, 1; EMEC, 1; FMNH, 1; MCNZ, 1: MNHN, 1; OXUM, 1; WOPC, 2; SDEI, 1; SMTD, 1; USNM, 1; WFBM, 1; WOPC, 2); idem,?- XI-1972, F. M. Oliveira (PMNH, 1); idem,?- XI-1972, Moacir Alvarenga (FSCA, 1; WOPC, 3); Estado do Bahia, Encruzilhada,?- XI-1974, Moacir Alvarenga (WOPC, 4) ; Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, collection date not noted, Fry (USNM, 1) ; Estado do Espírito Santo, Linhares,?- XI-1973, Moacir Alvarenga (TAMU, 1) .

Diagnosis. The brown X-like marking on the basal ½ of the elytron disc will distinguish the members of this species from congeners.

Description. Size. Length 7.5 mm; width 1.7 mm. Form. As in Fig. 94. Color. Cranium, thorax, and abdomen castaneous; antenna testaceous; elytra bicolorous, mostly flavotestaceous, basal half with brown X-like marking, each elytron with slender brown streak on side, distal ½ of elytron disc with brown angular marking that narrowly extends towards elytral base along sutural margin; legs flavotestaceous. Head. Cranium finely punctate, frons slightly wider than length of antennal pedicel; EW/FW 37/10. Thorax. Pronotum finely punctate, with 2 tumescences, concave at middle; PW/PL 70/105; elytra, asetiferous punctures concentrated in middle of disc, one stria proximal to sutural margin; EL/EW 350/50. Abdomen. Aedeagus (Fig. 44), phallobasic lobes short; edge of phallic plates minutely serrate; phallobasic apodeme abbreviated.

Variation. Size. Length 6.5–11.0 mm; width 1.8–2.0 mm. The brown markings on the elytron disc vary in prominence.

Natural history. Specimens were collected in Brazil during November and December, some at 800 m.

Distribution (For a map Fig. 73). This species is known from Brazil.

Etymology. The specific epithet, chiasta, is a Greek name derived from chiasmos (= crosswise). I refer to the X-like marking in the basal ½ of the elytral disc.