Rashelapso morrisoni, Bezark, Larry G. & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2016

Bezark, Larry G. & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2016, New Rhinotragini (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) from Central and South America, Zootaxa 4109 (2), pp. 239-244 : 242-243

Rashelapso morrisoni sp. nov.

( Figs 5–10 )

Description. Holotype male ( Figs 5–8 ). Integument mostly black; mouthparts reddish-brown, except for mostly brown palpomeres; prothorax orangish-brown, more reddish on some regions; antennae gradually brown toward distal antennomeres.

Head. Rostrum (between apex of inferior ocular lobe and genal apex) about as long as 0.25 times length of lower eye lobe in frontal view. Frons moderately finely, abundantly punctate, except for smooth area along longitudinal sulcus; with white, dense pubescence, partially obscuring integument, interspersed with long, sparse, erect setae. Area between antennal tubercles and base of head finely, abundantly punctate; pubescence and setae as on frons. Area behind lower eye lobes coarsely, abundantly punctate; with brush of pubescence interspersed with long setae close to eye, glabrous on remaining surface. Gula smooth, glabrous. Submentum coarsely, abundantly punctate (mainly laterally); with erect, abundant and short, white setae interspersed with long setae. Genae finely, abundantly punctate close to eye, smooth close to apex; with short, abundant, white setae on basal area, glabrous on narrow apical region. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.75 times length of scape. Distance between lower eye lobes in frontal view 0.60 times length of scape. Antennae as long as 1.5 times elytral length; reaching elytral apex at apex of antennomere X; antennomeres III–V filiform; antennomeres VI–X enlarged toward apex; antennomeres VI–XI forming slightly distinct club; scape, pedicel, and antennomeres III–VII with long, dark, thick setae ventrally (gradually sparser toward VII); antennal formula based on antennomere III: scape = 0.73; pedicel = 0.26; IV = 0.84; V = 1.00; VI = 1.00; VII = 0.76; VIII = 0.73; IX = 0.69; X = 0.59; XI = 0.70.

Thorax. Prothorax cylindrical, 1.1 times as long as wide, without lateral tubercles, rounded laterally. Sides of prothorax with sculpture, pubescence and setae as on pronotum except for area close to anterior margin which provides with sparse punctures and sparse setae and becomes gradually wider toward ventral side. Pronotum with five, slightly elevated tubercles: two subrounded on each side; one elongate, centrally on basal half; coarsely, abundantly punctate throughout except for smooth area on central tubercle; with dense yellowish pubescence, interspersed with long setae. Basal 2/3 of prosternum with punctures, pubescence and setae as sides of prothorax; distal third with punctures and setae distinctly sparser. Procoxal cavities open behind. Prosternal process distinctly narrow on basal half, notably triangularly enlarged on distal half; apex truncate; center of triangular area depressed; with short, white, abundant setae. Mesosternum, mesepimera, mesepisterna, and mesosternal process pubescent. Metasternum with white pubescence (somewhat denser laterally) interspersed with long, moderately abundant, erect setae; finely punctate laterally. Scutellum with white pubescence. Elytra. Almost reaching apex of abdomen; lateral carina slightly marked at basal 1/5, notably distinct on remaining surface; coarsely, abundantly punctate on basal half except for smooth area on humerus, gradually sparser toward apex; with white, dense pubescence dorsally except for glabrous narrow area extended from humerus along lateral carina (the area wider on basal third), with sparse short setae on remaining lateral surface (gradually denser toward apex); with long, erect, abundant setae on basal third, gradually sparser, shorter toward apex; apex rounded. Legs. Femora clavate; metafemora distinctly longer than pro- and mesofemora; apex of metafemora slightly surpassing abdominal apex. Metatarsomere I 1.25 times as long as II–III together.

Abdomen. Subcylindrical; ventrites with white pubescence interspersed with long, erect setae; ventrite V 0.85 times length of IV, with truncate apex.

Female ( Figs 9–10 ). Distance between upper eye lobes 0.75 times length of scape; distance between lower eye lobes in frontal view 0.75 times length of scape. Antennae as long as 1.25 times elytral length; apex almost reaching elytral apex. Apex of ventrite V slightly rounded.

Color variation. Head reddish-brown; prothorax dorsally reddish-brown, with some brown areas; prothorax ventrally entirely reddish-brown or with anterior third brown; elytra entirely reddish-brown dorsally or with distal area blackish; elytra entirely black laterally or with anterior third reddish-brown.

Dimensions in mm (holotype male/ paratype male/ paratypes female). Total length (from mandibular apex to abdominal apex), 6.70/6.70/6.80–7.20. Prothorax: length, 1.30/1.45/1.35–1.40; anterior width, 1.05/1.10/ 1.05–1.10; posterior width, 1.05/1.15/1.10–1.15; largest width, 1.20/1.35/1.25–1.30. Elytra: humeral width, 1.40/ 1.50/1.40–1.55; elytral length, 4.40/4.65/4.80–4.90.

Type material. Holotype male from ECUADOR, Manabí: vicinity of Montecristi (-1.01534 / -80.68195; 355 m), 17–26.II.2006, F. T. Hovore and I. Swift col. ( CAS). Paratypes: 2 females, same data as holotype ( MZSP, CAS); ECUADOR, Loja: Chaguarpamba, 6 males ( MZSP, LGBC), 3 females ( MZSP; LGBC), 28.XI.2012, L. G. Bezark collector.

Etymology. This species is named after Randy Morrison, a lifelong friend of the first author, who was with the first author on a birding trip to Ecuador when the paratype series was collected.

Remarks. Males of Rashelapso morrisoni sp. nov. differs notably from males of R. durantoni (Peñaherrera- Leiva & Tavakilian, 2004) and R. schmidi Clarke et al., 2012 by the distance between lower eye lobes in frontal view distinct wide. In both of the two latter, the lower eye lobes in frontal view are close to each other. From R. durantoni , this new species differs also by the antenna slightly surpassing the elytra in males and not reaching the elytral apex in females (notably surpassing elytral apex in both sexes of R. durantoni ). It also differs from males of R. schmidi by the antennomeres not yellowish at base (yellowish in R. durantoni ), and by the prothorax wider and not narrowed from base to apex (narrowed in R. durantoni ).

Rashelapso morrisoni sp. nov. is somewhat aberrant in the genus by the lower eye lobes in male distinctly apart, and by the procoxal cavities distinctly opened behind. However, the general appearance, mainly the elytral carina, agrees very well with the other species of the genus.

Figures

FIGURES 5 – 10. Rashelapso morrisoni sp. nov. 5 – 8, holotype male; 9 – 10, paratype female: 5, 10, dorsal habitus; 6, ventral habitus; 7, lateral habitus; 8, 9, head, frontal view.