Psyrassa woodleyi Lingafelter, 2008

Lingafelter, Steven W., 2008, Seven New Species of Elaphidiini (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) from the Dominican Republic with Taxonomic Notes, New Country Records, and a Key toElaphidionAudinet-Serville from Hispaniola, The Coleopterists Bulletin 62 (3), pp. 353-379 : 353-379

Psyrassa woodleyi Lingafelter , new species

( Fig. 9 )

Description. Small sized, 6–7 mm long; 1.6–1.9 mm broad; integument metallic cyaneus on elytra, with head, legs, and antennae darker cyaneus and less metallic; prothorax dark reddish-brown ventrally, dark cyaneus dorsally. Head with very sparse, translucent pubescence; dense, large, contiguous punctures throughout, except on smooth antennal tubercles; interantennal impression weak; antennal tubercles not strongly elevated; antennae of male extending beyond elytral apex by about two antennomeres, antennae of female just reaching apex; last antennomere of male about 1.25 X longer than penultimate antennomere and constricted at apical fourth; last antennomere of female subequal in length to penultimate antennomere and not constricted at apex; antennomere four of both sexes distinctly shorter than three and five; antennae moderately spined mesally on antennomeres 3–6 in males and 3–8 in females; most antennomeres expanded with some dentiform apicolaterally; antennal spines short, approximately equal in length on 3–5; antennae with moderate, inconspicuous, appressed, translucent pubescence with scattered longer setae mesally and apically on most antennomeres. Pronotum much longer than broad, nearly cylindrical; distinctly narrower at middle than elytral base; mostly glabrous except for sparse, fine, erect, translucent setae. Pronotum with distinct, but sparse, unevenly sized, dense punctures; without calli. Prosternum impunctate in both sexes; weakly rugose anterior to procoxae in males; unmodified in females. Prosternal intercoxal process evenly recessed between procoxae, weakly expanded at apex; procoxal cavities open posteriorly. Elytron metallic cyaneous, mostly glabrous except for 364 366 long, erect setae, each arising from a separate puncture. Elytral apices truncate, bidentate, or weakly bispinose. Elytron with uniformly distributed, dense, large punctures throughout. Scutellum moderately acute posteriorly, with moderately dense, white-translucent pubescence not completely concealing integument. Legs moderate in length; hind femora reaching last abdominal ventrite; very dark cyaneous; pubescence translucent, sparse throughout. Femoral apices without spines. Venter with moderately dense, white-translucent pubescence throughout, not concealing integument. Last ventrite of both sexes broadly rounded at apex.

Etymology. This striking species of Psyrassa is named after Norman Woodley who collected all the specimens. The epithet is a noun in apposition.

Discussion. Psyrassa is a large North and Central American genus that is absent from the Caribbean, except for this species and the Cuban and Bahaman P. jaumei Fisher (Monné 2005; Monné et al. 2007; Turnbow and Thomas 2008). This species ( Fig. 9 ) is easily recognized from all other Psyrassa by its completely uniform, metallic cyaneous coloration, very small size, and short mesal antennal spines.

Superficially, primarily due to the uniform metallic cyaneous coloration, P. woodleyi resembles the recently described Hormathus giesberti Lingafelter and Nearns and Tropimerus cyaneus Giesbert. From H. giesberti , it is easily recognized by the presence of mesal antennal spines, unmodified basal antennomeres (swollen in males of H. giesberti ), distinctly punctate pronotum (smooth and impunctate in H. giesberti ), and gradually enlarged femora (clavate in H. giesberti ). From T. cyaneus , it is distinguished by having the elytral apices truncate or bispinose (not abruptly attenuate) and conspicuously punctate pronotum (punctures sparse or absent in T. cyaneus ).

Type Material. Holotype, male: ‘‘ Dominican Republic: Independencia Province, Road 47 between Los Pinos and Angel Félix, 760 meters, 18 ° 36.986 9 N, 71 ° 46.556 9 W, 20 June 2005, N. E. Woodley’ ’ ( USNM) ; Paratypes (same data as holotype): (2 females, USNM) .

Figures

Fig. 9. Psyrassa woodleyi Lingafelter, new species, dorsal habitus photograph (holotype male).