Phrynidius hondureno Noguera, Anderson & Santos-Silva, 2025

Noguera, Felipe A., Anderson, Robert & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2025, Synopsis of Phrynidius Lacordaire (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae, Apomecynini): description of new species, new records, checklist and updated key to species, Zootaxa 5686 (3), pp. 301-338 : 318-322

Phrynidius hondureno Noguera, Anderson & Santos-Silva , sp. nov.

( Figs 48–59 )

Dimensions in mm (male holotype /male paratypes /female paratypes). Total length, 6.30/5.80–7.30/5.80–7.85; prothoracic length, 2.00/1.90–2.35/1.70–2.45; anterior prothoracic width, 1.65/1.60–1.85/1.60–2.15; posterior prothoracic width, 1.95/1.80–2.15/1.70–2.45; maximum prothoracic width, 2.15/2.10–2.50/2.05–2.75; humeral width, 2.10/1.90–2.30/1.95–2.70; elytral length, 3.65/3.40–4.50/3.60–4.80.

Description. Male holotype ( Figs 48–57 ). Integument mostly black, more dark brown depending on light intensity; anteclypeus dark yellowish brown; anterior fifth of labrum brownish; ventral mouthparts reddish brown, except yellowish apex of palpomeres; antennae dark brown, slightly lighter depending on light intensity.

Head. Frons convex, abundantly, coarsely punctate; with dense pale yellowish-brown pubescence close to clypeus, sparse on remaining surface; with minute, erect, squamiform yellowish-brown setae interspersed; with a few short, squamiform, arched whitish setae interspersed. Median groove very fine, distinct from clypeus to prothoracic margin. Area between antennal tubercles subsmooth; with moderately sparse pale yellowish-brown pubescence and minute, squamiform yellowish-white setae interspersed. Remaining surface of vertex somewhat sparsely, coarsely punctate; sides and area close to prothorax with abundant pale yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument; remaining surface subglabrous.Antennal tubercles not close to each other in dorsal view ( Fig. 48 ); in frontal view, almost forming V-shaped area ( Fig. 55 ); frontally almost entirely glabrous; dorsal area between them with abundant pale yellowish-brown pubescence basally, glabrous apically. Area behind eyes abundantly, coarsely punctate close to eye, smooth close to prothorax; with very sparse, minute yellowish-white setae close to eye, glabrous close to prothorax. Genae 2.3 times longer than lower eye lobe; somewhat sparsely, coarsely punctate, except smooth apical third; with very sparse, minute pale yellowish-brown pubescence on wide area close to eye, distinctly abundant close to glabrous apex. Wide central area of postclypeus close to frons with abundant pale yellowish-brown pubescence partially obscuring integument and short, squamiform, arched yellowish-white setae interspersed; area close to anteclypeus with sparse yellowish-white pubescence. Sides of postclypeus mostly glabrous. Labrum moderately abundantly, finely punctate, with coarse punctures interspersed; with very sparse, decumbent yellowish-white setae close to anteclypeus, absent on remaining surface; with long, erect yellowish-brown setae, more abundant laterally and close to light anterior area; anterior margin with fringe of dense yellowish-brown setae. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.54 times distance between outer margins of eyes; in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.76 times distance between outer margins of eyes; upper eye lobe slightly oblique in relation to the axis of lower eye lobe; area between eye lobes without ommatidia ( Fig. 54 ). Antennae 1.75 times elytral length, slightly surpassing elytral apex. Scape slightly, gradually widened on basal third, subcylindrical on remaining surface; with dense pale yellowish-brown pubescence except apex of dorsal surface with sparser yellowish-white pubescence; with short, squamiform, arched, both whitish with yellowish setae interspersed dorsally and laterally. Basal half of pedicel with sparse yellowish-brown setae dorsally, glabrous on remaining surface; posterior half with dense yellowish pubescence. Antennomere III slightly arched; with dense yellowish pubescence basally and apically, and dense pale yellowish-brown pubescence on remaining surface; with short, squamiform whitish setae interspersed dorsally. Antennomere IV without depressed and flattened area on apex of outer surface ( Fig. 53 ); with abundant yellowish-white pubescence basally and on apical third, and dense pale yellowish-brown pubescence on remaining surface; with short, decumbent, slightly thicker whitish setae interspersed on basal 2/3. Antennomeres V–VI with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument. Antennomeres VII–IX with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument basally and dense, yellower pubescence on remaining surface. Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III: scape = 0.78; pedicel = 0.15; IV = 0.56; V = 0.31; VI = 0.30; VII = 0.30; VIII = 0.27; IX = 0.26; X = 0.25; XI = 0.32.

Thorax. Prothorax slightly wider than long; sides gradually widened from anterolateral angles to about posterior third, then rounded and narrowed toward subparallel-sided posterior sixth. Pronotum somewhat rugose; with four, moderately elevated tubercles centrally, one on each side slightly before middle, one centrally almost aligned with lateral ones, another centrally on posterior half; moderately abundantly, coarsely punctate; with abundant pale yellowish-brown pubescence partially obscuring integument, pubescence denser on longitudinal center of posterior half; with a few short, squamiform, arched whitish setae interspersed. Sides of prothorax somewhat rugose, abundantly coarsely punctate; with abundant pale yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument.Prosternum moderately abundantly coarsely punctate, punctures shallower centrally; with abundant yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence denser laterally. Prosternal process gradually widened from base to apical sixth, them more strongly widened; abundantly, coarsely punctate; with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument; narrowest area 0.45 times procoxal width. Ventral surface of meso- and metathorax with abundant pale yellowish-brown pubescence partially obscuring integument on some areas. Mesoventral process subparallel-sided on apical 2/3; apex truncate; with sculpturing and pubescence as on prosternal process; narrowest area 0.42 times mesocoxal width. Scutellum with its exposed region triangular ( Fig. 52 ), with base of this area about 3.0 times its length; with abundant light yellowish-brown pubescence obscuring integument, except glabrous anterolateral areas. Elytra. Ovoid, strongly inclined apically; epipleural margin distinctly inclined on posterior third; anterior 3/4 of dorsal surface with abundant, moderately large conical tubercles, not aligned; apical quarter with sparse small conical tubercles; abundantly, coarsely punctate; with abundant pale yellowish-brown pubescence partially obscuring integument, pubescence absent on some areas; apex with very short, squamiform, arched whitish setae interspersed. Legs. Femora slightly, gradually widened on basal half, more distinctly widened on apical half; ventral surface concave near apex; with dense pale yellowish-brown pubescence and short, squamiform, arched whitish setae interspersed. Protibiae concave ventrally near apex; with distinct spiniform projection on apex of ventral surface ( Fig. 56 ); with abundant yellowish-white pubescence basally; apex of dorsal surface glabrous; sides of apical quarter with sparse whitish pubescence; remaining surface with dense pale yellowish-brown pubescence except apical quarter of ventral surface with dense, bristly yellowish-brown pubescence. Mesotibiae with pubescence and setae as on protibiae on basal 3/4; apical quarter with moderately sparse whitish pubescence on sides, abundant, bristly yellowish-brown pubescence ventrally, and fringe of dense golden setae on dorsal sulcus. Metatibiae with abundant yellowish-white pubescence basally; apex of dorsal and lateral surfaces with sparse whitish pubescence; apex of ventral surface with dense, bristly yellowish-brown pubescence. Dorsal surface of tarsomeres with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument, except glabrous central region of tarsomeres I–II; central apex of tarsomeres I–II with a few short whitish setae directed backward.

Abdomen. Sides of ventrite 1 and most of intercoxal process with abundant pale yellowish-brown pubescence. Ventrites 2–4 mostly with sparse yellowish-white pubescence; ventrite 5 with moderately sparse, short yellowish-brown pubescence on basal third, and more abundant and longer yellowish-white pubescence on remaining surface.

Female ( Figs 58–59 ). Similar to male, differing by the antennae shorter, 1.52 times elytral length, reaching about posterior quarter of elytra, and ventral apex of pro- and mesotibiae ( Fig. 58 ) without spine.

Variation. Integument mostly brown or light brown; antennae brown except dark brown distal segments; frons with dense pale yellowish-brown pubescence throughout; vertex with abundant pale yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument throughout; genae with dense pale yellowish-brown pubescence throughout; area between eye lobes with one ommatidium; ventral surface of meso- and metathorax with very sparse yellowish-brown pubescence; elytra with abundant pale yellowish-brown pubescence throughout.

Etymology. The epithet ‘ hondureno ’ (Spanish, meaning a resident of Honduras) refers to the country of the type locality of the new species.

Type material. Male holotype from HONDURAS, Santa Barbara: 13 km SE El Mochito, 22.VII.1977. C.W. & L. O’Brien & Marshall leg. ( FSCA, formerly RHTC). Paratypes — 4 males, 3 females, same data as holotype (1 female, MZSP; 4 males, 2 females, RHTC) ; 2 males, 6 females, same data as holotype except 16.VII.1977 (1 male, MZSP; 1 male, 6 females, RHTC) ; 2 males, 2 females, same data as holotype except 31.VII.1977 ( RHTC) . Olancho: P. N. [Parque Nacional] La Muralla , 1 female, 31.V.1995, R. Turnbow leg. ( RHTC) ; 1 female, 1.VI.1995, R. Turnbow leg. ( RHTC) ; 1 male, 2.VI.1995, R. Turnbow leg. ( RHTC) ; 1 female, 15°05’49”N, 86°44’17”N, 1450 m, 4-7.VII.2002, A.B.T. Smith ( CMNC) ; 5 males, 3 females, 15.09430 -86.73870, 1400-1500 m, 2–4.V.2010, R.S. Anderson, cloud forest ( CMNC) ; 2 females, 15.09814 -86.74039, 1500m, 2.V.2010, LLAMA Wa-C-01-1-02, sifted leaf litter ( CMNC) . Cortés: 4 km S Potrerillos , 1 female, 1.VIII.1977, C.W. & L. O’Brien & Marshall leg. ( RHTC) ; Merendon , 15°30’12”N 88°11’54”W , 1 female, 7.VI.2003, R. Turnbow leg. ( RHTC) .

Remarks. Phrynidius hondureno is similar to P. wibmeri (see photographs on Bezark (2025) and in Noguera & Santos-Silva (2023)), but differs as follows: antennae slightly surpassing elytral apex in males; and antennomere IV ( Fig. 53 ) without depressed area with dense pubescence on apical area. In P. wibmeri , the antennae in males reach about posterior third of the elytra and the antennomere IV has flattened and depressed area with dense pubescence. It differs from P. sanctabarbaraensis ( Figs 24–34 ) by the body more convex (less convex in P. sanctabarbaraensis ), and by the epipleural margin distinctly inclined posteriorly ( Fig. 50 ) (practically straight from base to apex ( Fig. 26 ) in P. sanctabarbaraensis ). It also resembles P. obrieni (see photographs on Bezark (2025) and in Noguera & Santos-Silva (2023)), but differs by the elytra without conspicuous erect setae (present in P. obrieni ).

Figures

FIGURES 48–54. Phrynidius hondureno, holotype male: 48) Dorsal habitus; 49) Ventral habitus; 50) Lateral habitus; 51) Latero-oblique habitus; 52) Scutellum; 53) Antennomere IV; 54) Eye lobes.

FIGURES 55–59. Phrynidius hondureno, 55–57) Holotype male: 55) Head frontal view; 56) Apex of protibia; 57) Frontooblique habitus. 58–59) Paratype female: 58) Apex of protibia; 59) Dorsal habitus.

FIGURES 24–34. Phrynidius sanctabarbaraensis. 24–33) Holotype male: 24) Dorsal habitus; 25) Ventral habitus; 26) Lateral habitus; 27) Latero-oblique habitus; 28) Antennomere IV, dorsal view; 29) Antennomere IV, lateral view; 30) Protibia, frontal view; 31) Scutellum; 32) Head, frontal view; 33) Eye lobes. 34) Paratype female, protibia, lateral view.