Odontogracilis mudgei, Bezark & Santos-Silva, 2023

Bezark, Larry G. & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2023, New species and new country records for Neotropical Cerambycinae (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), Zootaxa 5227 (4), pp. 473-485 : 481-484

Odontogracilis mudgei sp. nov.

( Figs 21–25 )

Description. Holotype male. Head capsule black; ventral mouthparts brownish with irregular yellowish-brown areas; anteclypeus yellowish-brown centrally, dark brown laterally; labrum blackish anterocentrally, yellowish brown on remaining surface, darker close to blackish area; scape, pedicel, and antennomere dark brown; antennomere IV–X dark brown, except orangish-brown base of ventral surface; antennomere XI dark brown, except brownish apex. Prothorax and ventral surface of meso- and metathorax black. Elytra light orangish brown basally, black laterally from anterior seventh to posterior seventh, this area gradually dark brown toward posterior region, black on suture from scutellum to about apex of anterior quarter, then gradually lighter, becoming reddish brown from middle; remaining surface translucent. Pro- and mesofemora dark brown; metafemoral peduncle dark brown close to trochanter, pale yellow on remaining surface; metafemoral club black. Protibiae blackish, except dark orangish-brown macula on dorsal surface of anterior third; mesotibiae dark brown basally, light yellowish-brown on remaining basal third, black on apical 2/3; metatibiae yellow on basal half, black on remaining surface. Tarsi black. Ventrite 1 brown apically, with large, triangular yellow macula centrally from anterior fifth to apical brown area, remaining surface blackish, except yellowish apex of intercoxal process; ventrite 2 with brown apex, slightly reddish brown close to brown apex, yellow on remaining surface, this area slightly darker toward apex, except blackish band on each side of anterior 2/3; ventrites 3–4 orangish brown, except dark-brown apex, this area darker on 3; ventrite 5 orangish.

Head. Frons densely, finely punctate close to clypeus, punctures sparser between eyes; with dense yellow pubescence, more yellowish-white close to base of antennal tubercles, except glabrous median groove, and sparser pubescence centrally close to clypeus. Area between antennal tubercles somewhat sparsely, finely punctate, except coarse, confluent punctures anterocentrally, and sparse, coarse punctures on sides of remaining surface; with sparse yellowish-white pubescence, and long, erect yellowish-brown setae interspersed. Remaining surface of vertex abundantly, coarsely punctate close to eyes and prothorax, punctures slightly sparser close to prothorax, sparsely, finely punctate on remaining surface; with yellowish-white pubescence centrally between eyes, almost glabrous on remaining surface. Area behind upper eye lobes densely, coarsely, confluently punctate; with sparse, short, erect brownish setae. Area behind lower eye lobes abundantly, coarsely punctate, except smooth small area close to base of eye; with dense, narrow yellow pubescent band centrally close to eye, glabrous superiorly close to eye, and with sparse yellowish-white pubescence inferiorly close to eye; remaining surface with sparse, short, erect brownish setae; with both short and long, erect yellow setae interspersed on area close to eye. Area between upper eye lobes and antennal base with dense yellow pubescence. Genae somewhat coarsely rugose-punctate, except smooth apex; with sparse, short, bristly yellowish setae, absent on central area close to eye and on smooth apical area, pubescence denser, partially yellowish white and yellow close to frons; with long, erect brownish setae interspersed toward ventral surface. Antennal tubercles depressed, with somewhat abundantly both yellow and yellowish-white pubescence frontally, sparse yellowish pubescence on remaining surface. Gulamentum smooth, glabrous on posterior third; anterior 2/3 with arched striate-punctate area from anterolateral areas to smooth posterior area, and somewhat abundantly, coarsely punctate on remaining surface, and with sparse, both short and long, erect yellowish-brown setae. Ventral surface on sides of gulamentum somewhat rugose-punctate, with long, erect dark setae anteriorly, and very long, erect yellowish-brown setae posteriorly. Wide central area of postclypeus glabrous close to anteclypeus, with abundant yellow pubescence close to frons, pubescence slightly darker and sparser centrally; with very long, erect yellowish seta on each side. Sides of postclypeus glabrous. Labrum concave on wide posterocentral region, this area with somewhat fine punctures, with sparse, both short and yellowish-white and long and yellowish-brown setae, and very long, somewhat translucent erect setae on sides on anterior region; remaining surface glabrous, except anterior margin with fringe of yellowish-brown setae. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.30 times distance between outer margins of eyes; in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.08 times distance between outer margins of eyes. Antennae 0.85 times elytral length, slightly surpassing middle of elytra. Scape sparsely, finely punctate, except smooth dorsal apex and ventral surface with a few fine punctures on posterior third; almost glabrous dorsally, except a few long, erect yellowish-brown setae basally, with somewhat sparse, bristly yellowish-brown setae laterally, glabrous ventrally, except somewhat abundant, erect yellowish-brown setae on inner posterior third. Pedicel with sparse brownish pubescence, and abundant, long, erect dark brown setae ventrally. Antennomere III cylindrical, densely, finely punctate, except ventral surface with sparse punctures; with abundant brownish pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence sparser ventrally, and long, erect dark brown setae ventrally. Antennomeres IV–X gradually widened toward apex, outer apex projected from V to IX; with abundant brownish pubescence partially obscuring integument; IV–VI with long, erect dark brown setae ventrally, setae sparser toward VI; VII with a few long dark brown setae on inner apex. Antennomere XI distinctly narrowed on posterior quarter, with abundant brownish pubescence partially obscuring integument. Antennal formula based on length of antennomere III: scape = 0.79; pedicel = 0.33; IV = 0.58; V = 0.79; VI = 0.79; VII = 0.71; VIII = 0.62; IX = 0.54; X = 0.46; XI = 0.58.

Thorax. Prothorax longer than wide; sides slightly rounded. Pronotum abundantly, coarsely punctate; posterior quarter centrally depressed; with dense yellow pubescence, more golden depending on viewing angle, on anterior third and depressed posterior region; remaining surface with a few minute, decumbent yellowish setae; with long, erect yellowish-brown setae throughout. Sides of prothorax abundantly, coarsely punctate, except area close to anterior margin with sparser punctures, this area distinctly and gradually widened toward prosternum; with dense yellow pubescence, more golden depending on viewing angle, pubescence fused with dense pubescence on anterior third of pronotum, except anterior and posterior areas without pubescence; with long, erect yellowish-brown setae throughout, except close to posterior margin. Prosternum slightly depressed on subelliptical, transverse central area, from slightly before middle to near procoxal cavities; abundantly, coarsely punctate, punctures denser on depressed area, absent on sides of posterior third; with dense yellow pubescence on depressed area, pubescence more golden depending on viewing angle, and long, erect setae of same color throughout. Prosternal process narrow, parallel-sided on anterior third, strongly, triangularly expanded on posterior 2/3; narrowest area 0.21 times procoxal width; triangular area rugose-punctate; with somewhat abundant, long, erect yellowish-brown setae. Mesoventrite somewhat abundantly, finely punctate, except smooth laterocentral region; posterocentral area slightly triangularly depressed; depressed area with dense yellowish pubescence, more yellowish-brown depending on viewing angle, and long, erect setae of same color interspersed; remaining surface with sparse yellowish-brown pubescence, absent on smooth area, more abundant laterally toward apex of mesepimeron. Mesanepisternum abundantly, coarsely punctate; with somewhat abundant yellow pubescence close to superior and inferior margins, pubescence absent on remaining surface; with long, erect, sparse yellowish-brown setae throughout. Mesepimeron with dense yellow pubescence. Mesoventral process shallowly rugose-punctate; strongly, rectangularly expanded about posterior half; widest area 0.85 times mesocoxal width; with somewhat dense yellow pubescence on basal half, sparser on expanded area, and long, erect yellow setae of same color interspersed throughout. Metanepisternum with dense yellow pubescence anteriorly and close to elytra, pubescence absent on remaining surface; with long, erect yellow setae throughout. Metaventrite with dense yellow pubescence on each side center of anterior half, almost forming sub semicircular macula, and long, erect setae of same color interspersed; remaining surface with long, erect yellow setae throughout; somewhat abundantly, coarsely punctate laterally, punctures finer and sparser toward center, except dense and fine punctate area with dense yellow pubescence, and almost smooth central region. Scutellum with dense yellow pubescence, more golden depending on viewing angle. Elytra. Slightly surpassing middle of third abdominal segment; gradually narrowed from humerus on anterior third, parallel-sided toward posterior seventh, then slightly widened toward slightly rounded apex; densely, coarsely punctate on black lateral area, somewhat sparsely, coarsely, shallowly punctate on remaining anterior third, punctures sparser, finer on remaining surface; with somewhat sparse, erect long yellow setae on anterior third, setae shorter on remaining surface. Legs. Gradually longer from fore- to hind legs. Femora pedunculate-clavate; with sparse, long, erect yellow setae, more yellowish-brown depending on viewing angle, setae absent on sides of profemora. Pro- and mesotibiae with somewhat abundant yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument, except ventral surface of protibiae with dense, bristly yellowishbrown pubescence, and ventral surface of mesotibiae with abundant, suberect yellowish-brown setae; with long, erect yellow setae interspersed on inner lateral surface. Metatibiae with sparse, both short and long, erect yellow setae on light integumental area, and dense, long, erect blackish setae on remaining surface. Metatarsomere I about as long as II–III together.

Abdomen. Cylindrical; sparsely, somewhat coarsely punctate on ventrite 1; abundantly, somewhat asperately punctate on ventrites 2–5, except smooth apex of 2–4; posterior 2/3 of ventrite 5 depressed, with lateral margins moderately elevated; apex of ventrite 5 truncate; with short, suberect yellow setae, more yellowish-brown depending on viewing angle, gradually denser toward ventrite 5 and slightly denser laterally on ventrites 1–2, and long, erect setae of same color interspersed.

Dimensions (mm). Total length, 16.90; prothoracic length, 2.30; anterior prothoracic width, 1.70; posterior prothoracic width, 1.75; maximum prothoracic width, 2.15; humeral width, 2.35; elytral length, 8.70.

Type material. Holotype male from MEXICO, Veracruz: 8 km SW Montepío, Est. Biol. Tropical Los Tuxtlas , 18º35.104’N 95º04.504’W, 147 m, 21.IX.2007, A. Mudge leg. ( CASC, formerly LGBC).

Etymology. This species is named after the first author’s good friend Alan Mudge who collected the holotype. Alan and I have collected beetles (cerambycids for me, cetoniid scarabs for Alan) together in Oregon, twice on expeditions to Vietnam and along the Wild Coast of Eastern South Africa.

Remarks. Odontogracilis mudgei sp. nov. is similar to O. cracentis (Chemsak & Noguera, 1997), but differs as follows: tarsi black; and metatibiae with dense, erect dark on posterior half. In O. cracentis, the tarsi are pale, especially metatarsi, and the metatibiae “with a hint of a sparse brush near apices,” (Chemsak & Noguera, 1997).

By the dense erect setae on the posterior half of the metatibiae, the new species resembles some species of Ameriphoderes Clarke, 2015, but differs from the pronotum lacking tubercles.

Figures

FIGURES 21–25. Odontogracilis mudgei sp. nov., holotype male: 21) Dorsal habitus; 22) Ventral habitus; 23) Lateral habitus; 24); Head and pronotum; 25) Apex of abdomen.