Phrynidius stegosaurus 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 : 308-309

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

( Figs 8–23 )

Dimensions in mm (female holotype /male paratype /female paratypes). Total length, 8.95/7.70/9.10–9.15; prothoracic length, 2.65/2.55/2.90–2.92; anterior prothoracic width, 2.15/1.90/2.30–2.35; posterior prothoracic width, 2.15/1.95/2.30–2.40; maximum prothoracic width, 2.65/2.40/2.70–2.85; humeral width, 2.35/2.20/2.45– 2.70; elytral length, 5.60/4.60/5.40–5.70.

Description. Female holotype ( Figs 8–15 ). Integument mostly blackish; anteclypeus mostly dark brown; antennomeres IV–XI brown.

Head. Frons convex, sparsely, coarsely punctate; with dense pale yellowish-brown pubescence, except glabrous median groove, and short, squamiform, suberect whitish setae interspersed. Vertex and area behind eyes with sculpturing and pubescence as on frons, except glabrous median groove; with interspersed squamiform whitish setae, shorter and sparser than on frons. Antennal tubercles distant from each other forming U-shaped area between them; with dense pale yellowish-brown pubescence and abundant, short, suberect, squamiform whitish setae interspersed. Genae 1.5 times longer than lower eye lobe; with dense pale yellowish-brown pubescence except glabrous apex. Wide central area of postclypeus with pubescence and whitish setae as on frons posteriorly, with abundant yellowish-white pubescence laterally close to anteclypeus, glabrous centrally close to anteclypeus, except a few short whitish setae on anterior margin; with long, erect yellowish-brown setae interspersed. Sides of postclypeus smooth, glabrous. Labrum sparsely, both coarsely and finely punctate; with sparse, long, erect yellowish-brown setae except anterior margin with fringe of dark yellowish-brown setae. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.45 times distance between outer margins of eyes; in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.77 times distance between outer margins of eyes; upper eye lobe oblique in relation to the axis of lower eye lobe; area between eye lobes with one ommatidium. Antennae 1.35 times elytral length, reaching posterior quarter of elytra. Scape gradually widened on basal quarter, subparallel-sided on apical 3/4; with dense pale yellowish-brown pubescence, except pale-yellow pubescence on dorsal apex, and short, arched, squamiform white setae interspersed, white setae more abundant dorsally. Pedicel almost glabrous on basal half, posterior half with pubescence and white setae as on scape. Antennomere III slightly arched, with pubescence and white setae as on scape. Basal 4/5 of antennomere IV with pubescence and white setae as on scape; apical fifth abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, and short, suberect whitish setae interspersed; apex with a few short white setae directed forward. Antennomeres V–IX with pubescence and setae as on apical fifth of IV. Basal 3/4 of antennomere X with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, and short, suberect whitish setae interspersed; apical quarter with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument and apex with a few short white setae directed forward. Antennomere XI with abundant whitish pubescence partially obscuring integument. Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III: scape = 0.85; pedicel = 0.17; IV = 0.52; V = 0.29; VI = 0.26; VII = 0.26; VIII = 0.25; IX = 0.25; X = 0.25; XI = 0.30.

Thorax. Prothorax slightly longer than wide; sides slightly rounded from anterolateral angles to posterior quarter, subparallel-sided from this point toward posterolateral angles, with two rounded protuberances, one before and one after middle. Pronotum with central region gradually elevated from near posterior margin to about middle, then concave and followed by distinctly elevated tubercle; with irregular gibbosity on each side of anterior half; surface distinctly rugose, sparsely, coarsely punctate; with dense dark yellowish-brown pubescence; anterocentral tubercle with short, decumbent, squamiform white setae converging toward apex; remaining surface with a few short, decumbent, squamiform white setae. Sides of prothorax coarsely rugose-punctate; with dense dark yellowish-brown pubescence. Prosternum sparsely, coarsely punctate; with dense dark yellowish-brown pubescence laterally, pubescence slightly sparser centrally. Prosternal process with dense yellowish-brown pubescence, except glabrous margins; narrowest area 0.36 times procoxal width. Central area of mesoventrite with sparse brownish pubescence anterocentrally and laterally; sides with dense yellowish-brown pubescence. Mesanepisterna with dense dark yellowish-brown pubescence. Mesepimera mostly glabrous. Metanepisterna and sides of metaventrite with dense yellowish-brown pubescence; remaining surface of metaventrite with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument; metaventrite with short, decumbent, squamiform yellowish-white setae interspersed. Scutellum with its exposed region triangular ( Fig. 13 ), with base of this area slightly wider than 2.5 times its length; with abundant pale-yellow pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence almost absent anterolaterally. Elytra. Ovoid, with base almost as wide as posterior region of prothorax; sides of dorsal surface with row of five large, elevated tubercles, anterior one conical and smallest of them; sides with abundant, both small and moderately large tubercles, largest ones located superiorly just after middle; surface rugose, except dorsal area between row of tubercles and suture with small, slightly elevated protuberances; sparsely, coarsely punctate; with dense dark yellowish-brown pubescence, appearing to be lighter in some areas depending on light intensity, and short, decumbent, squamiform whitish setae interspersed, setae more abundant on tubercles. Legs. Pro- and mesofemora slightly, gradually widened on basal half, more distinctly widened on apical half; metafemora more abruptly widened dorsally on apical half; all femora with dense dark yellowish-brown pubescence and moderately abundant, short, decumbent, squamiform yellowish-white setae interspersed. Protibiae with dense dark yellowish-brown pubescence except apex of dorsal and lateral surfaces with a few short, decumbent yellowish-white setae, apex of ventral surface with dense, bristly yellow setae, darker depending on light source and intensity; with short, decumbent, squamiform whitish setae interspersed. Meso- and metatibiae with dense dark yellowish-brown pubescence, except apex with sparse yellowish-white pubescence dorsally and laterally and abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument ventrally; dorsal sulcus on mesotibiae with dense fringe of dense golden setae. Dorsal surface of tarsomeres with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument, except glabrous anterocentral half of tarsomeres I and anterocentral third of tarsomeres II; central apex of tarsomeres I–II with a few short yellowish-white setae directed backward.

Abdomen. Ventrites with abundant, yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence yellower on center of intercoxal process; with short, bristly, squamiform yellowish-white setae interspersed.

Male. Similar to the female, but differing as follows: antennae brown from pedicel to antennomere XI, 1.85 times longer than the length of the elytra, reaching the apex of the apical fifth of the elytra; the elytral tubercles are less prominent and appear somewhat more separated from each other, with different arrangement—although they are aligned obliquely, they do not form a clear row as in the holotype. The third elytral tubercle is located closer to the elytral suture.

Variation ( Figs 16–23 ). General pubescence yellowish-brown; scape brown; pedicel and antennomeres III–XI orangish brown; legs mostly dark brown; area between eye lobes without ommatidia; lateral prothoracic rounded protuberances slightly distinct; apex of central area of pronotum before concavity with sparse, short, decumbent, squamiform white setae; central area of mesanepisterna with moderately sparse yellowish-white pubescence; scutellum with dense yellowish-brown pubescence anterocentrally and sparse white pubescence on remaining surface; area between row of tubercles and suture on dorsal surface of elytra with distinct tubercle basally; abdominal ventrites with dense yellowish-brown pubescence.

Etymology. The term ‘ stegosaurus’ (from the Greek “ stegos,” meaning covered, especially with a roof, and “ sauros,” meaning lizard = lizard covered with tiles) refers to the resemblance between the elytral tubercles present in this species and the broad, vertical dorsal plates found in the species of the genus Stegosaurus Marsh, 1887 ( Stegosauridae ).

Type material. Female holotype from GUATEMALA, Alta Verapaz: Chelemhá Cloud For. [Forest] Reserve , 15.38538 -90.06398, 2203 m, beating plants, 1.VI.2014, M.A. Jansen & M. Barrios leg. ( FSCA, formerly FWSC). Paratypes — 1 female, same data as holotype, except 15.38538 -90.06162, 31.V–1.VI.2014, G. Zhang, M. Jansen & M Barrios leg. ( FWSC) . El Progreso: Cerro Pinalón , 15.08650 – 89.94445 ± 206 m, 2550 m, 1 male, 3.V.2009, LLAMA #Go-B-01-2-01, cloud forest, beating veg, WORLD WEEVIL DATABASE WWD 0126157 ( CMNC) . Cerro Pinalón , 15.08385 – 89.94442 ± 207 m, 2570 m, 3.V.2009, LLAMA #Go-B-01-1-01, cloud forest & treefall gap, beating veg., 1 female, WORLD WEEVIL DATABASE WWD 0126155, R. Anderson leg. ( CMNC) ; Cerro Pinalón, Finca Las Nubes , 2574 m, 15.08385°N 89.94258°W, cloud forest—various, 2009-016, 2 females, 1– 5.V.2009, R. Anderson leg. ( CMNC and CNIN) .

Remarks. Phrynidius stegosaurus is similar to P. tuberculatus , but differs as follows: distance between apices of antennal tubercles distinctly greater than basal diameter of antennomere III; central region of the pronotum gradually elevated from near posterior margin to about middle, then concave and followed by distinctly elevated tubercle; and elytra with two moderately large tubercles on laterodorsal surface between anterior and posterior laterodorsal tubercles. In P. tuberculatus , the distance between apices of the antennal tubercles is slightly smaller than the basal diameter of antennomere III, the central region of the pronotum is gradually and slightly elevated from near the posterior margin to after the middle, then gradually inclined towards the anterior margin, and the elytra with one large tubercle on the laterodorsal surface, between the anterior and posterior laterodorsal tubercles. It differs from P. echinoides ( Figs 106–108 ), by the pronotum with a strongly elevated tubercle on the anterior half (absent in P. echinoides ), prosternal and mesoventral processes narrower (wider in P. echinoides ), and the body, in lateral view, less elevated (more elevated in P. echinoides ). Additionally, as we cannot see a spine on the apex of pro- and mesotibiae and the last segment of the palpi is fusiform in the holotype of P. echinoides , we think it is a female; therefore, another difference is the length of the antennae (longer in P. echinoides ).

Figures

FIGURES 8–15. Phrynidius stegosaurus, holotype female: 8) Dorsal habitus; 9) Ventral habitus; 10) Lateral habitus; 11) Latero-oblique habitus; 12) Fronto-oblique habitus; 13) Scutellum; 14) Head, frontal view; 15) Eye lobes.

FIGURES 16–23. Phrynidius stegosaurus, paratype female: 16) Dorsal habitus; 17) Ventral habitus; 18) Lateral habitus; 19) Latero-oblique habitus; 20) Fronto-oblique habitus; 21) Scutellum; 22) Head, frontal view; 23) Eye lobes.

FIGURES 106–108. Phrynidius echinoides, holotype female: 106) Dorsal habitus; 107) Ventral habitus; 108) Lateral habitus.