Mecas skillmani Santos-Silva and Androw, 2022

Santos-Silva, Antonio & Androw, Robert A., 2022, New species, new synonymies, a new rank, and new records in Desmiphorini, Saperdini, and Hemilophini (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae), Insecta Mundi 2022 (938), pp. 1-14 : 6-8

Mecas skillmani Santos-Silva and Androw , new species

( Fig. 18–21 )

Description. Holotype female. Integument mostly dark brown; posterior area of vertex reddish brown, except brownish median groove; palpi yellowish brown, except brownish maxillary palpomere IV and labial palpomere III; anteclypeus dark reddish brown; pronotum with wide reddish-brown band centrally, from base to apex, except blackish elongated band centrally; epipleural margin of elytra light reddish brown; femora light reddish brown; protibiae dark brown dorsally, reddish laterally and ventrally; mesotibiae dark brown dorsally, dark reddish brown laterally, light reddish brown ventrally, except blackish apex of lateral and ventral surfaces; metatibiae dark brown dorsally and laterally, dark reddish brown ventrally on anterior 2/3, dark brown on posterior third; tarsal claws dark reddish brown.

Head. Frons finely, abundantly punctate; with dense yellowish-white pubescence close to clypeus and eyes, dense yellowish-brown pubescence from middle to vertex, and dense pale yellowish pubescence between these two pubescent areas; with long, erect, abundant brown setae throughout. Area between antennal tubercles and eyes with dense yellowish-white pubescence. Antennal tubercles finely, abundantly punctate; with yellowishbrown pubescence and yellowish-white pubescence interspersed basally, brown, not obscuring integument on remaining surface. Vertex coarsely, abundantly punctate; with dense yellowish-brown pubescence, not obscuring punctures laterally, yellower, partially obscuring punctures centrally, except glabrous area close to prothorax; with long, erect brown setae on pubescent area, slightly more abundant laterally. Median groove distinct, glabrous, smooth from clypeus to prothorax. Area behind upper eye lobes coarsely, abundantly punctate; with yellowishbrown pubescence partially obscuring integument close to eye, glabrous close to prothorax. Area behind lower eye lobes tumid close to eye; moderately coarsely and abundantly punctate throughout; tumid area with yellowish pubescence close to upper eye lobe, yellowish-white on remaining surface; with short, erect brownish setae interspersed on tumid area; glabrous close to prothorax. Genae with dense yellowish-white pubescence, and short, erect brownish setae interspersed. Anterior area of gulamentum with a few bristly yellowish-white setae. Postclypeus finely, abundantly punctate; with dense yellowish-white pubescence, slightly yellower centrally, and long, erect setae of same color interspersed. Labrum coplanar, smooth, glabrous close to anteclypeus; remaining surface inclined, concave, finely, abundantly punctate, with white pubescence not obscuring integument and long, erect yellowish setae interspersed. Outer side of mandibles with dense yellowish-white pubescence and long, erect setae of same color interspersed on basal 2/3, smooth, glabrous on posterior third. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.34 times distance between outer margins of eyes; in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.54 times distance between outer margins of eyes. Antennae 1.4 times elytral length, reaching elytral apex at base of antennomere XI. Scape finely, densely punctate; with brownish pubescence not obscuring integument dorsally, and dense yellowish-white pubescence on remaining surface; with long, erect, sparse brownish setae interspersed dorsally, and long, erect, sparse yellowish-white setae interspersed ventrally. Pedicel and antennomeres III–XI with brownish pubescence dorsally, and yellowish-white pubescence ventrally; antennomeres VI–XI with yellowish-white pubescence basally on dorsal surface; pedicel and antennomeres III–V with long, erect, sparse brown setae ventrally (setae gradually sparser toward V); antennomeres III–X with long brown setae on dorsal apex (setae gradually shorter and sparser toward X); antennomere XI with short yellowish setae directed forward on apex. Antennal formula based on length of antennomere III: scape = 0.69; pedicel = 0.21; IV = 1.00; V = 0.79; VI = 0.76; VII = 0.68; VIII = 0.63; IX = 0.60; X = 0.54; XI = 0.57.

Thorax. Prothorax slightly wider than long; sides slightly rounded centrally. Pronotum slightly carinashaped centrally, from base to apex; with narrow transverse sulcus close to anterior and posterior margins; coarsely, abundantly punctate, except smooth blackish elongated central band, and oblique band on each side of central region, which are almost smooth anteriorly and posteriorly, and abundantly punctate centrally; reddish-brown central band with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence partially obscuring integument, except yellowish-white pubescence surrounding blackish central band; blackish central band and anterior and posterior regions of oblique lateral bands glabrous; remaining surface with abundant, short yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument, except yellowish-white pubescence on sides of anterior and posterior transverse sulcus, and pale yellow pubescence between posterior sulcus and posterior margin, with long setae of same color directed backward; with long, erect yellowish-brown setae throughout. Sides of prothorax coarsely, abundantly punctate, except smooth, narrow area close to anterior and posterior margins; with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence close to pronotum, gradually yellowish-white toward prosternum, both partially obscuring integument; with long, erect, sparse yellowish-brown setae interspersed. Prosternum coarsely, moderately abundantly punctate; with dense yellowish-white pubescence partially obscuring integument, with yellowish-brown pubescence interspersed centrally. Prosternal process almost laminiform centrally, triangular on posterior half; with abundant yellowish-white pubescence obscuring integument, and long, erect setae of same color interspersed on posterior half. Ventral surface of meso- and metathorax with abundant grayish-white pubescence, distinctly denser laterally; with long, erect setae of same color interspersed. Mesoventral process gradually narrowed toward apex. Scutellum with abundant pale-yellow pubescence basally, yellowish-white on remaining surface. Elytra. Coarsely, abundantly punctate on basal half, punctures gradually finer, slightly sparser on posterior half; sutural and epipleural margins tumid, gradually less so toward apex; with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument, except yellow pubescence on sutural and epipleural margins, pubescence gradually paler toward apex; with long, erect, moderately abundant brownish setae throughout. Legs. Femora with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, whiter depending on light intensity, and long, erect setae of same color interspersed, especially ventrally. Protibiae with yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument dorsally and laterally, yellowish and bristly ventrally, and long, erect yellowish-white setae interspersed dorsally. Mesotibiae with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, whiter depending on light intensity, except short, thickened, abundant yellowish-brown band of setae laterally, from about basal quarter to near apex, where it is inclined toward dorsal surface; apex with fringe of thick yellowish-brown setae; with long, erect yellowish-white setae interspersed. Metatibiae with abundant, mostly yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, and short yellowish-brown setae interspersed, except posterior third with bristly, thick yellowish-brown setae; apex with fringe of thick yellowish-brown setae; with long, erect yellowish-white setae interspersed. Metatarsomere I longer than II–III together.

Abdomen. Ventrites with dense grayish-white pubescence obscuring integument. Apex of ventrite 5 deeply notched centrally.

Dimensions (mm). Total length, 10.70; prothoracic length, 1.60; anterior prothoracic width, 1.65; posterior prothoracic width, 1.70; maximum prothoracic width, 1.75; humeral width, 2.45; elytral length, 7.50.

Type material. Holotype female from MEXICO, JALISCO: MX525, 2 km S MX 70, 20.35577°N, 104.58041°W, 3.VII.2018, F. Skillman and J.F. Limon leg. ( FSCA, formerly FWSC).

Etymology. The new species is dedicated to Frederick W. Skillman, one of the collectors of the holotype.

Remarks. Mecas skillmani new species is similar to M. linsleyi Knull, 1975 ( Fig. 22–24 ), but differs as follows: body slender; ommatidia slightly coarser ( Fig. 20 ); lower eye lobes longer than genae ( Fig. 21 ); pronotum with wide and oblique band on each side of the central region ( Fig. 18 ); and pronotum with wide reddish-brown band centrally from base to apex (18). In males and females of M. linsleyi , the body is stouter, ommatidia slightly finer ( Fig. 24 ), lower eye lobes as long as genae ( Fig. 24 ), pronotum with two circular spots on each side of the central region ( Fig. 22 ), and pronotum and sides of prothorax orangish brown on anterior half or more ( Fig. 22, 24 ). It is also similar to M. marginella LeConte, 1873 (see photographs on Bezark 2022), but differs by the more slender and longer body (shorter and stouter in M. marginella ), and presence of a central smooth area and mostly smooth oblique areas on the pronotum (absent in M. marginella ); it differs from M. menthae Chemsak and Linsley, 1973 (see photograph on Bezark 2022) by the longer and more slender body (shorter and stouter in M. menthae ), and sides of the pronotum with an oblique band on each side (small and circular in M. menthae ); and from M. pergrata (Say, 1824) (see photograph on Bezark 2022) by the body longer and more slender (shorter and stouter in M. pergrata ), and by the pronotum with an oblique band on each side (with two circular spots obliquely placed on each side of the pronotum in M. pergrata ).

Figures

Figures 18–24. Mecas spp. 18–21) Mecas skillmani sp. nov., holotype female. 18) Dorsal habitus. 19) Ventral habitus. 20) Lateral habitus. 21) Head, frontal view. 22–24) Mecas linsleyi Knull, 1975, holotype male. 22) Dorsal habitus. 23) Ventral habitus. 24) Lateral habitus. Figures 22–24 by Stephanie Ware.