Phrynidius tigranensis 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 : 304-306

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

( Figs 1–7 )

Dimensions in mm (female holotype /female paratypes). Total length, 8.05/7.85–7.90; prothoracic length, 2.25/2.25– 2.35; anterior prothoracic width, 1.95/1.80–1.90; posterior prothoracic width, 2.00/1.90–2.00; maximum prothoracic width, 2.25/2.20–2.30; humeral width, 2.20/2.05–2.20; elytral length, 5.15/4.85–4.95.

Description. Female holotype. Integument mostly dark brown; apex of palpomeres yellowish; anteclypeus pale yellowish brown.

Head. Frons convex, sparsely, coarsely punctate; with abundant pale-yellow pubescence not obscuring integument on longitudinal area close to median groove and laterally between inferior margin of eyes and clypeus, and transverse area close to antennal tubercles and clypeus; remaining surface with sparse pale-yellow pubescence; with short, squamiform, arched yellowish-white setae interspersed throughout.Vertex coarsely, deeply punctate; with dense, bristly pale pubescence laterally between antennal tubercles and upper eye lobes, glabrous centrally between upper eye lobes, and with dense, bristly yellowish-brown pubescence with glabrous areas interspersed between upper eye lobes and prothorax. Area between eyes sparsely, coarsely punctate; with dense pale yellowish-brown pubescence obscuring integument, not obscuring punctures; with a few short, arched, squamiform yellowish-white setae interspersed. Antennal tubercles close to each other, with area between them V-shaped; with abundant pale yellowish-brown pubescence partially obscuring integument, and abundant, short, arched, squamiform yellowish-white setae interspersed, except glabrous apex. Genae 1.8 times longer than lower eye lobe; sparsely, coarsely punctate, except smooth apex; with abundant pale-yellow pubescence not obscuring integument on wide area close to eye, glabrous on apex, and dense pale-yellow pubescence close to glabrous area; with short, arched, squamiform yellowish-white setae interspersed. Wide central area of postclypeus with abundant, bristly pale yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument close to frons, distinctly sparser and yellowish-white close to anteclypeus; with short, squamiform yellowish-white setae interspersed on area close to frons and long, erect, squamiform yellowish-brown setae interspersed on area close to anteclypeus. Labrum sparsely, finely punctate close to anteclypeus, abundantly coarsely punctate centrally, and abundantly, coarsely, shallowly punctate anteriorly, with dense fine punctures interspersed, including inside coarse punctures; with sparse whitish pubescence on posterior half and moderately long, erect yellowish-brown setae on sides of remaining surface, except anterior margin with fringe of dense yellowish-brown setae. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.49 times distance between outer margins of eyes; in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.75 times distance between outer margins of eyes; upper lobe slightly inclined in relation to the axis of lower eye lobe; area between eye lobes without ommatidia. Antennae as long as elytra, reaching middle of elytra. Scape gradually widened on basal half, subparallel-sided on apical half; with abundant pale-yellow pubescence not obscuring integument basally and apically and moderately sparse, squamiform, decumbent brown pubescence on remaining surface; with abundant, slender, erect, arched dark-brown setae and sparse, squamiform, erect, arched yellowish setae interspersed. Pedicel almost glabrous basally, with abundant yellowish pubescence partially obscuring integument on remaining surface; with a few short, erect, slender, arched dark-brown setae and a few short, erect, squamiform, arched yellowish-white setae interspersed. Antennomere III with abundant yellowish pubescence on basal fifth and moderately sparse brown pubescence on remaining surface; with abundant, slender, erect, arched dark-brown setae interspersed throughout, and sparse, squamiform, erect, arched yellowish-white setae interspersed on basal half. Antennomere IV with abundant yellowish pubescence partially obscuring integument on basal quarter, abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument apically, and abundant brown pubescence not obscuring integument on wide central area; with moderately abundant, slender, erect, arched dark-brown setae interspersed on basal 3/4, and sparse, squamiform, arched yellowish-white setae interspersed on basal half; apical region of outer margin without modification ( Fig. 5 ). Antennomeres V–X with abundant dark yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence lighter apically, and a few short, slender yellowish-white setae interspersed. Antennomere XI with abundant yellowish-white pubescence partially obscuring integument. Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III: scape = 1.19; pedicel = 0.26; IV = 0.67; V = 0.38; VI = 0.38; VII = 0.36; VIII = 0.33; IX = 0.33; X = 0.33; XI = 0.47.

Thorax. Prothorax as long as wide; sides slightly, gradually widened from anterolateral angles to posterior third, then narrowed toward posterior sixth and subparallel-sided toward posterolateral angles. Pronotum coarsely rugose except longitudinal central area smooth and slightly elevated; with arched, slightly distinct gibbosity on posterior half; sparsely, coarsely punctate; posterior half with psi-shaped pale-yellow pubescent macula and remaining surface with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument; with short, subdecumbent, squamiform yellowish setae interspersed. Sides of prothorax coarsely rugose-punctate; with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument; with short, subdecumbent, squamiform yellowish setae interspersed. Prosternum sparsely, coarsely punctate, punctures shallower centrally; with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence partially obscuring integument laterally, and abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument on remaining surface, yellowish-white pubescence slenderer than yellowish-brown pubescence. Prosternal process sparsely, coarsely punctate; with abundant pale-yellow pubescence not obscuring integument; narrowest area 0.39 times procoxal width. Central area of mesoventrite with moderately sparse yellowish-white pubescence and sides with dense light yellowish-brown pubescence. Mesanepisterna with sparse yellowish-white pubescence close to prothorax and dense light yellowish-brown pubescence close to mesepimeron. Mesepimera almost glabrous. Mesoventral process slightly narrowed centrally, truncate apically; with yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument and short, decumbent, squamiform yellowish setae interspersed; narrowest area 0.5 times mesocoxal width. Metanepisterna and sides of metaventrite with abundant light yellowish-brown pubescence partially obscuring integument; remaining surface of metaventrite with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument; metaventrite with short, suberect, squamiform, arched yellowish setae interspersed. Scutellum almost semi-circular shaped, with abundant pale-yellow pubescence partially obscuring integument on apex of exposed area, glabrous on sides of exposed area. Elytra. Basally narrowed, wider than posterior region of prothorax, widened, rounded toward posterior quarter, then narrowed toward rounded apex; widest area 1.5 times humeral width; with moderately abundant small tubercles with blunt apex, not distinctly aligned, tubercles somewhat greater on sides of posterior third; surface somewhat rugose, sparsely, coarsely, deeply punctate; with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence on some areas, glabrous on others (probably partially lost), pubescence denser on tubercles. Legs. Femora slightly, gradually widened on basal half, more distinctly widened on apical half; with abundant pale-yellow pubescence basally and apically and brown pubescence not obscuring integument on remaining surface; with short, suberect, squamiform, arched yellowish setae interspersed. Protibiae concave ventrally near apex; with abundant pale-yellow pubescence basally, except glabrous base of ventral surface, and brown pubescence on remaining surface, brown pubescence absent on some areas, except sides of apical area with whitish pubescence not obscuring integument near glabrous apex, and dense, bristly yellowish-brown pubescence on apex of ventral surface; with moderately abundant, short, erect, slender, arched dark-brown setae and sparse, short, suberect, squamiform, arched yellowish setae interspersed. Meso- and metatibiae with pubescence and setae similar to those on protibiae, except dorsal sulcus on mesotibiae with fringe of golden setae. Dorsal surface of tarsomeres with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, except glabrous central area of tarsomeres I–II; central apex of tarsomeres I–II with a few short yellowish-white setae directed backward.

Abdomen. Ventrites with abundant, both whitish and yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology. The epithet ‘ tigranensis’ refers to the name of La Tigra National Park, a protected natural area in Honduras, where the individuals of the type series were collected.

Type material. Female holotype from HONDURAS, Francisco Morazán: P. N. [Parque Nacional] La Tigra , 19.V.1995, R. Turnbow leg. ( FSCA, formerly RHTC). Paratypes — 2 females, same data as holotype ( MZSP; RHTC) .

Remarks. Phrynidius tigranensis is similar to P. armatus (see photographs on Bezark (2025) and in Noguera & Santos-Silva (2023)), but differs as follows: antennomere IV ( Fig. 5 ) about 3 times as long as its maximum width; pronotum with slightly distinct gibbosities ( Fig. 4 ); prothorax about as long as humeral width ( Fig. 1 ); in lateral view, base of the elytra slightly inclined toward the posterior region of the pronotum ( Fig. 3 ); narrowest area of prosternal process narrower than half of procoxal width ( Fig. 2 ); central width of the mesoventral process 0.5 times mesocoxal width ( Fig. 2 ). In females of P. armatus (studied through photographs of the allotype female), the antennomere IV is slightly longer than 4.0 times its maximum width, pronotum has distinct tubercles, especially centrally, in lateral view, the base of the elytra is distinctly inclined toward the posterior region of the pronotum, prothorax distinctly longer than humeral width, prothorax distinctly longer than its maximum width, narrowest area of prosternal process distinctly wider than half of procoxal width, central width of the mesoventral process about 2/3 mesocoxal width. It differs from P. salvadorensis salvadorensis and P. salvadorensis montecristensis (see photographs on Bezark (2025) and in Franz (1954)) especially by antennomere IV shorter and the base of the elytra slightly inclined toward the posterior region of the pronotum in lateral view, while the antennomere IV is proportionally longer and the elytra are distinctly inclined toward the posterior region of the pronotum in the two subspecies of P. salvadorensis ; from P. asper Bates, 1885 (see photographs on Bezark 2025) especially by the maximum elytral width about 1.5 times humeral width (2.0 times humeral width in P. asper ); from P. pallifemoralis ( Figs 102–105 ) by the antennomere III with abundant, erect, and arched dark setae (almost absent in P. pallifemoralis ), and by the antennomere IV slightly longer than half of III (slightly shorter than III in females of P. pallifemoralis ); from P. cristinae by the antennomere IV distinctly shorter than the basal width of the elytron (about as wide as the basal width of the elytron in P. cristinae ), and elytra proportionally longer and narrow (shorter and wider in P. cristinae ); and from P. murallaensis ( Figs 35–47 ) by the antennomere III shorter than basal width of the elytron (from slightly to distinctly longer in P. murallaensis ), and antennomere IV at most as long as half of basal width of the elytron (distinctly longer than half of basal width of the elytron in both sexes of P. murallaensis ).

Figures

FIGURES 1–7. Phrynidius tigranensis, holotype female: 1) Dorsal habitus; 2) Ventral habitus; 3) Lateral habitus; 4) Laterooblique habitus; 5) Antennomeres III–IV; 6) Head, frontal view; 7) Eye lobes.

FIGURES 102–105. Phrynidius pallifemoralis, paratype female: 102) Lateral habitus; 103) Latero-oblique habitus; 104) Fronto-oblique habitus; 105) Head, scape, and pronotum.

FIGURES 35–41. Phrynidius murallaensis, holotype male: 35) Dorsal habitus; 36) Ventral habitus; 37) Lateral habitus; 38) Latero-oblique habitus; 39) Antennomeres III–IV; 40) Apex of protibia; 41) Apex of mesotibia.

FIGURES 42–47. Phrynidius murallaensis. 42–44) Holotype male: 42) Head, frontal view; 43) Scutellum; 44) Eye lobes. 45–47) Paratype female: 45) Apex of protibia; 46) Apex of mesotibia; 47) Dorsal habitus.