Lembu, Galileo & Martins & Santos-Silva, 2014

Galileo, Maria Helena M., Martins, Ubirajara R. & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2014, Two new species and one new genus of South American Cerambycidae (Coleoptera), with redescriptions and distributional records for other taxa, Insecta Mundi 2014 (360), pp. 1-14 : 5-6

Lembu gen. nov.

Type species: Lembu dieguezi sp. nov.

Etymology. Guarani, Lembu = beetle. Masculine gender.

Description. Frons distinctly wider than long; sutures not well marked, but coronal suture vaguely distinct to posterior margin of eyes. Eyes very large, notably wider than posterior area of head; superior ocular lobes with six rows of ommatidia; inferior ocular lobes very large, occupying almost all side of head. Antennal tubercles gradually elevated. Outer side of mandibles rounded, without tooth. Labial palpi about 0.7 times as long as maxillary palpi; article IV of labial and maxillary palpi longer than the other joints. Antennae with 11 segments, distinctly surpassing elytral apex; scape slightly surpassing posterior ocular edge, dorsally not sulcate; antennomere III not dorsally sulcate; pedicel and antennomeres III-XI with sparse setae on inner side, gradually shorter and sparser toward distal antennomeres.

Prothorax distinctly longer than wide; laterally rounded, with largest width slightly before middle. Prosternal process distinctly narrowed centrally, enlarged at apex. Procoxal cavities slightly angulated. Mesosternal process distinctly, abruptly elevated; apex deeply notched. Elytra parallel at sides; apex narrowly sub-truncate. Anterior trochanteres without modifications. Femora fusiform; profemora without keel at anterior dorsal half. Protibia not curved.

Remarks. Lembu gen. nov. is similar to Ectenessa Bates, 1885 , but differs by the following character states: superior ocular lobes wider than one third of length of the scape; eyes laterally notably enlarged; elytra without rows of setae. In Ectenessa the superior ocular lobes are distinctly narrower than one third length of the scape, the eyes are not notably enlarged laterally, and the elytra have distinct rows of setae. From Ectenessidia Gounelle, 1909 , it differs by having the superior ocular lobes distinctly wider (in Ectenessidia they are as in Ectenessa ), and by the mesosternal process notched (emarginate in Ectenessidia ).

Lembu can be included in the alternative of couplet “8”, from Martins (1998) (translated, modified):

8(7) – Mesosternal process emarginate; elytral apex rounded together. .......................... Ectenessidia Mesosternal process notched; elytral apex with another appearance. ...................................... 9 9(8)

–

Superior ocular lobes narrower than one third length of the scape; elytra with rows of setae.. ....................................................................................................................................... Ectenessa

Superior ocular lobes wider than one third length of the scape; elytra without rows of setae.. .......................................................................................................................... Lembu gen. nov.