Luctithonus aski Lingafelter, 2020

Lingafelter, Steven W., 2020, New genera, species, and records of Acanthocinini (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) from Hispaniola, Insecta Mundi 754, pp. 1-23 : 8-9

Luctithonus aski Lingafelter , new species

( Fig. 5a, b , 6 )

Diagnosis. This species is variable in size and maculation of the pronotum and elytra. All specimens have pubescence with a pale green tinge on the elytra. The antennal scape has a distinctly darker base and apex. The posterior margin of the apical black macula on each elytron is bordered by an angled patch of white pubescence.

Description. Length: 6.1–8.8 mm; width: 2.4–3.3 mm.

Head: Covered in vestiture of short, dense, ochre to pale green setae except for partially glabrous ring around base of antennal tubercle; impunctate. Narrow median-frontal line well-delineated. Antenna: Extending beyond apex of elytra by five antennomeres; covered with dense, appressed, semi-translucent brown pubescence. Antennomeres yellow-ochre with most segments having distinctly dark brown apices. Scape yellow-ochre with slightly darker brown apex and base; cylindrical beyond constricted base, extending beyond posterior margin of pronotum. Antennomeres 6–10 subequal in length to one another. Antennomere 11 curved, shorter than penultimate. Eye: lower eye lobe about 2.5 times longer than gena below it; nearly 2.5 times height of upper eye lobe; lobes connected by 3–4 rows of ommatidia. Upper eye lobes separated by about twice their thickness. Mouthparts: frontoclypeal margin with mostly appressed ochraceous setae, some of which extend to base of labrum; clypeus pale yellow, nearly glabrous. Labrum pale yellow with fringe of ochraceous setae at base, otherwise glabrous. Mandibles dark brown with appressed ochraceous pubescence on outer margins. Labial and maxillary palpi pale yellow, much lighter in color than head integument.

Thorax: Pronotum very broad (1.7–2.0 × wider than long) but narrower than elytral base; reddishbrown, mostly covered with appressed ochre, dark brown, and pale green pubescence creating a pattern of darker spots or fasciae mostly on middle of disk and lighter elsewhere; broad lateral tubercles with subacute apices posteromedially positioned. Pronotum mostly impunctate except for row of large, deep, non-seta bearing, ovoid punctures along posterior margin and extending behind lateral tubercles and, in some specimens, a few on center of disk. Scutellum piceous on lateral margins and, in most specimens, apex, reddish-brown elsewhere, impunctate, broadly rounded to sub-truncate posteriorly with white-ochre and dark brown, appressed setae. Prosternum impunctate and covered with short white and translucent, appressed setae; integument reddish-brown. Prosternal intercoxal process over 1/3 width of procoxa at narrowest point, very broadly expanded at apex, wider than procoxa, closing procoxal cavities posteriorly. Mesosternum short, distance between pro- and mesocoxae about the same as width of prosternal process between procoxae; covered in short white and translucent, appressed setae; integument reddish-brown and impunctate. Mesosternal intercoxal process over 1.5 times the width of prosternal process between coxae. Metasternum reddish-brown, covered with appressed, off-white and translucent pubescence; impunctate. Elytra: 4.3–6.5 mm long; each 1.2–1.6 mm wide; tapering toward apex; covered in vestiture of short, appressed, dense, ochre, dark brown, and pale green setae forming dark maculae on outer margins and apical fourth. Large, oval, deep, non-seta bearing punctures scattered throughout, becoming less dense and shallower toward apex. Erect setae absent. Each elytron with pronounced mediobasal pubescent tubercle ornamented with slightly longer dark brown setae. Pronounced depression behind basal tubercles. Elytral apices obliquely truncate or produced apicolaterally into a very weak blunt process. Epipleural margin vertical and rounded to disk. Legs: covered in short, appressed white and brown pubescence, yellow except for vague, dark brown maculae on dorsum and venter of femora (often more extensive on profemora), basal third and apical half of tibiae, and apex of first and all of second and third tarsomeres. Legs relatively short with metafemora not extending to apical fifth of elytra.

Abdomen: Uniformly reddish-brown or with base of first ventrite and all of fifth ventrite dark brown; covered with short, appressed ochre or translucent setae; impunctate. Fifth ventrite of female 1.5 times longer than fourth ventrite and with short, longitudinal carina at base; fifth ventrite of male subequal in length to fourth and lacking basal longitudinal carina.

Etymology. The specific epithet, aski , is a patronym formed from the initials of Alexander S. Konstantinov, my colleague and friend who has joined me on many expeditions and contributed immensely to the knowledge of phytophagous beetles.

Type material. Holotype: Dominican Republic: Pedernales Province, Parque Nacional Sierra de Baoruco, Las Abejas , 1150 m, 11 July 2004, 18°09.011′N, 71°37.342′W, beating, Steven W. Lingafelter (male, USNM) . Paratypes: all Dominican Republic: Pedernales Province, Las Abejas , 38 km NNW Cabo Rojo, 18°09′N, 71°38′W, 1250 m, 15 July 1987, Malaise trap, J. Rawlins, R. Davidson (1, CMNH) ; La Vega Province, Cordillera Central, Loma Casabito , 15.4 km NW Bonao, 19°02′00″N; 70°30′58″W, 1385 m, 28 May 2003, J. Rawlins, C. Young, R. Davidson, C. Nunez, P. Acevedo, disturbed evergreen cloud forest, UV light, sample 21312, Carnegie Museum Specimen Number CMNH-332,070 (1, CMNH) ; La Vega Province, Cordillera Central, Loma Casabito , 15.8 km NW Bonao, 19°02′12″N; 70°31′08″W, 1455 m, 28 May 2003, J. Rawlins, C. Young, R. Davidson, C. Nunez, P. Acevedo, disturbed evergreen cloud forest, east slope, hand collected, sample 21312, Carnegie Museum Specimen Number CMNH-289,004 (1, CMNH) ; San Juan Province, Sierra de Neiba, Sabana del Silencio, 10.0 km SSW El Cercado, 18°39′07″N; 71°33′21″W, 2009 m, 20 June 2003, J. Rawlins, C. Nunez, R. Davidson, C. Young, P. Acevedo, M. de la Cruz, cloud forest along Danthonia savannah, hand collected, sample 33242 (1, CMNH) ; Elias Pina Province, Sierra de Neiba , 9.3 km WSW Hondo Valle, 18°41′31″N; 71°47′03″W, 1901 m, 25 June, 2003, J. Rawlins, C. Young, R. Davidson, C. Nunez, P. Acevedo, M. de la Cruz, montane forest with Podocarpus , UV light, Carnegie Museum Specimen Number CMNH-330,918 (1, CMNH) .

Figures

Figure 5. Luctithonus species. a) L. aski Lingafelter, new species, holotype male. b) L. aski Lingafelter, new species, paratype female. c) L. pantherinus (Zayas), d) L. pantherinus (Zayas), holotype male. e) L. duartensis Lingafelter, new species, holotype male, dorsal. f) L. duartensis Lingafelter, new species, paratype female, ventral. g) L. duartensis Lingafelter, new species, paratype female, ventral view of sternites.

Figure 6. Distribution map of Luctithonus species known from Hispaniola.