Heterachthes caceresae, Santos-Silva & Roie & Jocqué, 2021

Santos-Silva, Antonio, Roie, Martijn Van & Jocqué, Merlijn, 2021, Longhorned woodboring beetles (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) from Cusuco National Park, Honduras: new species, new records, and revalidation, European Journal of Taxonomy 764, pp. 37-61 : 39-42

Heterachthes caceresae sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:BED20ABD-5CD7-4C08-A1B3-A729208E0830

Figs 1–6

Diagnosis

Heterachthes caceresae sp. nov. ( Figs 1–6 ) is similar to H. viticulus Martins, 1970 ( Figs 7–10 ), but differs as follows: antennae dark brown; distance between antennal tubercles less than half of basal width of scape; prothorax in male proportionally longer ( Fig. 1 ); pronotum not transversely rugose ( Fig. 5 ). In H. viticulus , antennae are reddish, distance between antennal tubercles distinctly greater than half of basal width of scape, prothorax in male proportionally shorter ( Fig. 10 ), and pronotum is distinctly transversely rugose in both sexes ( Figs 7–9 ).

Etymology

This species is named after Berta Isabel Cáceres Flores (Berta Cáceres for short) who supported indigenous communities and was an active opponent of illegal logging and mass plantations. She was murdered at her home in March 2016.

Type material

Holotype HONDURAS • ♂; Cortés, Cusuco National Park (Base Camp); 20 Jun. 2015; local collector leg.; light trap; RBINS 34.248 .

Paratype HONDURAS • ♂; Cortés, Cusuco National Park (Guanales); 13 Aug. 2015; local collector leg.; MZSP .

Measurements in mm (male holotype / male paratype)

Total length, 14.05/9.85; prothoracic length, 2.95/2.10; anterior prothoracic width, 1.80/1.25; posterior prothoracic width, 1.90/1.35; humeral width, 2.80/1.90; elytral length, 9.00/6.55.

Description

Male holotype ( Figs 1–5 )

COLORATION. Integument mostly dark brown, dark reddish-brown on some areas; apex of palpomeres yellowish-brown; elytra with two longitudinal light maculae dorsally, one yellowish-brown on anterior half, another pale yellow on posterior half.

HEAD. Central plate of frons well-delimited, large transversely rugose-punctate; remaining surface of frons finely, sparsely punctate laterally, slightly rugose toward antennal tubercles; with a few short yellowish-white setae, including on posterior area of central plate. Vertex finely, shallowly, sparsely punctate, except area close to prothorax densely micropunctate, with fine punctures interspersed; area between antennal tubercles and upper eye lobes flattened; with a few long, erect yellowish-brown setae near posterior margin of upper eye lobes. Area behind eyes coarsely, somewhat rugose-punctate close to eye, shallowly, partially confluently punctate close to prothorax on area behind upper eye lobe, transversely striate-punctate close to prothorax on area behind lower eye lobe; with long, erect yellowish-brown setae close to eye, more abundant behind lower eye lobe, glabrous close to prothorax. Genae finely, partially confluently punctate, except smooth apex; with short, sparse yellowish-brown setae, except glabrous apex. Antennal tubercles moderately elevated, with rounded apex; finely, sparsely punctate, with a few short yellowish-white setae. Median groove distinct from clypeus to area between upper eye lobes. Gulamentum smooth, glabrous on posterior half, transversely striate-punctate, with short, sparse yellowish-brown setae, and long, erect setae of same color interspersed on anterior half. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.43 times length of scape, 0.29 times distance between outer margins of eyes; in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.63 times length of scape, 0.43 times distance between outer margins of eyes. Antennae 2.4 times elytral length, reaching elytral apex at apex of antennomere VII. Left antenna distinctly 12-segmented; antennomere XI of right antenna with division into a twelfth segment slightly marked. Scape gradually widened toward apex, finely, somewhat abundantly punctate basally, punctures sparser toward apex; with short, sparse yellowish setae, and long, erect setae of same color interspersed (erect setae more abundant ventrally). Pedicel with a few short, yellowish setae dorsally, and a few long, erect setae of same color ventrally. Antennomeres with abundantly yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument; antennomeres III–VI with long, erect yellowish setae ventrally, setae gradually sparser toward VI; antennomeres III–X with long, erect yellowish setae apically. Antennal formula based on length of antennomere III: scape = 0.57; pedicel = 0.11; IV = 0.74; V = 0.90; VI = 0.90; VII = 0.78; VIII = 0.77; IX = 0.77; X = 0.74; XI = 1.01 (left antenna: XI = 0.65; XII = 0.36).

THORAX. Prothorax distinctly longer than wide; anterior constriction slightly marked; posterior constriction well-marked; nearly parallel-sided between constrictions. Pronotum with five slightly distinct gibbosities, one on each side of anterior third, one on each side of posterior third, another centrally, least distinct, on posterior half; somewhat finely, sparsely punctate; with long, erect, sparse yellowish-brown setae; with narrow grayish-white pubescent band close to posterior margin, more distinct laterally. Sides of prothorax with a few fine punctures on posterior ¾, transversely striate on anterior quarter; with a few long, erect yellowish-brown setae superiorly; area close to prosternum with dense golden pubescent band (yellower depending on light intensity) from apex of anterior quarter to near procoxal cavity (widened in this latter area), extended to posterior margin on right side. Prosternum smooth, with a few long, erect yellowish-brown setae on posterior half, transversely striate, with a few, both short and long yellowish-brown setae on anterior half. Prosternal process strongly narrowed centrally, glabrous. Mesoventrite with a few short yellowish-brown setae. Mesanepisternum with dense, golden pubescent band superiorly, glabrous on area close to mesoventrite; mesepimeron with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument. Mesoventral process distinctly flap-shaped on sides of apex, apex centrally emarginate. Metanepisternum with dense golden pubescence. Sides of metaventrite with dense golden pubescence close to metanepisternum (widened posteriorly); remaining surface with long, erect, sparse yellowish-brown setae, except glabrous central area. Scutellum with dense golden pubescence.

ELYTRA. Coarsely, sparsely punctate, with a long erect, yellowish-brown seta emerging from each puncture (punctures and setae absent on light areas); surface lacking pubescence; apex subtruncate, slightly emarginate centrally.

LEGS. Femora pedunculate-clavate, with long, erect, sparse yellowish-brown setae. Tibiae with both, short and long, abundant yellowish-brown setae, except posterior area of ventral surface with dense, bristly yellowish-brown pubescence. Metatarsomere I slightly longer than II–III together.

ABDOMEN. Ventrites with minute, sparse yellowish-white setae, sparser centrally, and long, erect, sparse yellowish-brown setae on about posterior half (about posterior ¾ on ventrite I); apical margin of ventrite V truncate, slightly concave centrally.

Remarks

We consider that the presence of 12 segments in the antennae is a variation or aberration in the holotype. This is because the 12 th antennomere on the right antenna is not distinctly separate from the 11 th, and the paratype has the antennae distinctly 11-segmented.

Figures

Figs 1–10. 1–6. Heterachthes caceresae sp. nov. 1–5. Holotype, ♂ (RBINS 34.248). 1. Habitus, dorsal view. 2. Habitus, ventral view.3. Habitus, lateral view.4. Head, frontal view.5. Pronotum. 6. Paratype, ♂ (MZSP). Partial lateral habitus. — 7–10. Heterachthes viticulus Martins, 1970. 7. Paratype, ♂ (MZSP), pronotum. 8. Paratype, ♀ (MZSP), pronotum. 9. Paratype, ♀ (MZSP), dorsal habitus. 10. Paratype, ♂ (MZSP), dorsal habitus. Scale bars: 1–4, 6, 9–10 = 1.0 mm; 5, 7–8 = 0.5 mm.