Phaea tavakiliani Wappes and Santos-Silva, 2021

Wappes, James E. & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2021, Three new species of Phaea Newman (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), with discussion of the need for and designation of a lectotype for Phaea rufiventris Bates, Insecta Mundi 2021 (845), pp. 1-13 : 7-10

Phaea tavakiliani Wappes and Santos-Silva , new species

( Fig. 12–21 )

Phaea rufiventris Bates 1872: 228 (part); Gemminger 1873: 3205 (cat.; part); Chemsak 1999: 77 (part).

Description. Holotype male ( Fig. 12–16 ). Head mostly black; mouthparts reddish-brown except palpomeres black; prothorax black except wide central area of pronotum dark reddish from about anterior third to about posterior sixth; ventral surface of meso- and metathorax, and legs black; abdominal ventrites reddish, except apex of I–IV yellowish brown; scutellum black; elytra basally black, on triangular circum-scutellar area, humeral area (this region projected on basal fifth), on narrow longitudinal band along suture, and on sides, with wide longitudinal brownish band close to black sutural band, and remaining surface dark yellowish-brown.

Head. Frons finely, abundantly punctate, with slightly coarser punctures interspersed; with grayish-white pubescence almost obscuring integument, with long, erect dark setae interspersed. Vertex with sculpturing as on frons, punctures gradually sparser toward prothorax; with bristly, abundant brownish pubescence not obscuring integument, which depending on angle of viewing can be indistinct, with long, erect dark setae interspersed. Area behind upper eye lobes superiorly with sculpturing, pubescence, and erect setae as on vertex, smooth, glabrous inferiorly. Area between eye lobes finely punctate anteriorly, smooth toward prothorax, with one long, erect dark seta emerging from each puncture. Area behind lower eye lobes tumid, finely, sparsely punctate superiorly, finely, transversely striate close to gena; finely, sparsely punctate close to prothorax; with long, erect, sparse dark setae on tumid area. Genae with dense grayish-white pubescence obscuring integument (whiter depending on light intensity), toward clypeus, sparser toward ventral surface, with long, erect dark setae interspersed. Postclypeus with a few fine punctures on wide central area; with grayish-white pubescence obscuring wide central area, glabrous laterally; with a few long, erect dark setae on pubescent area. Labrum coplanar with anteclypeus at posterior 2/3, oblique at anterior third; with transverse row of fine punctures with long, erect yellowish-white setae on middle of coplanar area, smooth and glabrous on remaining coplanar area and anterior third. Antennal tubercles coarsely, abundantly punctate frontally, nearly smooth toward upper eye lobe; with pubescence and setae on frontal area as on frons, less so near apex, with short, sparse, bristly brownish setae, and long, erect, both dark and yellowish-white setae toward upper eye lobe. Gulamentum smooth, glabrous, except long, erect, sparse yellowish-white setae on anterior margin. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.54 times length of scape (0.31 times distance between outer margins of eyes); in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.95 times length of scape (0.54 times distance between outer margins of eyes). Antennae 1.5 times elytral length, slightly surpassing elytral apex. Scape gradually widened in anterior third, nearly parallel-sided toward apex, not flattened dorsoventrally, finely, abundantly punctate, finely asperate on posterior third of outer side; with sparse yellowish-white pubescence, with long, erect, both yellowish-white and dark setae interspersed, longer ventrally. Pedicel and antennomeres with yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, with long, erect dark setae ventrally except on antennomere XI (erect setae gradually sparser and shorter toward X). Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III: scape = 0.73; pedicel = 0.21; IV = 0.90; V = 0.73; VI = 0.63; VII = 0.57; VIII = 0.50; IX = 0.47; X = 0.38; XI = 0.37.

Thorax. Prothorax slightly longer than wide; anterior and posterior constriction well marked, more so laterally on posterior one; sides centrally with distinct, moderately large gibbosity. Pronotum with central umbone large, with anterior margin nearly truncate, posterior area rounded, sides of anterior half vertical (concave, with coarse, shallow punctures indicated), and sides of posterior half oblique; dorsal surface of umbone coarsely and sparsely punctate, with long, sparse, erect yellowish-white setae, nearly absent centrally; remaining pronotal surface with sparse, fine punctures, except black posterior area with coarser and denser punctures dorsally, and striate laterally; with long, erect, grayish-white setae, more abundant laterally on posterior half. Sides of prothorax coarsely, sparsely punctate (punctures more abundant centrally); with long, erect grayish-white setae, more abundant on posterior 2/3 and close to prosternum. Prosternum finely, transversely striate centrally; with abundant, bristly grayish-white pubescence, except on center of anterior half, with long, erect setae of same color interspersed. Central area of prosternal process distinctly narrowed. Ventral surface of mesothorax, metanepisternum, and sides of metaventrite with grayish-white pubescence, partially obscuring integument on some areas; remaining surface of metaventrite with long, both subdecumbent and erect grayish-white setae, sparser centrally. Scutellum with long, abundant grayish-white setae, especially on posterior 2/3. Elytra. Coarsely, abundantly punctate, punctures finer, denser toward apex; sides slightly narrowed centrally, expanded posteriorly; apex truncate; with yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, denser posteriorly, nearly absent on some areas of anterior half, with long, erect setae of same color interspersed, distinctly denser on sutural area of basal third.

Legs. Femora with grayish-white pubescence, distinctly denser, bristly ventrally, with long, erect setae of same color interspersed. Tibiae with yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument (whiter depending on light intensity), bristly toward apex, with long, erect setae of same color interspersed.

Abdomen. Ventrites finely, sparsely punctate; ventrites I–IV with grayish-white pubescence, denser laterally, distinctly sparser centrally, except apex glabrous, with long, erect setae of same color interspersed; ventrite V slightly convex, with distal third depressed, and apex truncate; ventrite V with grayish-white pubescence, sparser on centrobasal area, with long, erect dark setae interspersed.

Female ( Fig. 17–18, 20 ). Differs from male by the shorter antennae (1.25 times elytral length, reaching about posterior fifth of elytra), abdomen distinctly surpassing elytral apex, and abdominal ventrite V distinctly convex, with shallow, narrow blackish sulcus centrally from base to apex.

Dimensions in mm (male holotype /female paratypes). Total length, 9.05/8.70–10.00; prothoracic length, 1.65/1.50–1.70; anterior prothoracic width, 1.50/1.40–1.65; posterior prothoracic width, 1.55/1.40–1.70; widest prothoracic width, 1.60/1.45–1.75; humeral width, 2.00/1.80–2.25; elytral length, 6.80/5.80–6.85. Paratypes deposited at MNHN were not measured, except total length (8.5 mm and 9.4 mm) of two P. rufiventris syntypes.

Type material. Holotype male from MEXICO, GUERRERO: 32 mi. W Iguala , 5200’, 10.VII.1970, E. Fisher and P. Sullivan col. ( FSCA, formerly ACMT) . Paratypes – MEXICO, OAXACA: Huajuapan, 1 female, 25.VIII.1969, L.A. Kelton col. ( MZSP). PUEBLA: 5 mi. SW Chapulco, 5800’, 14.VII.1970, E. Fisher and P. Sullivan col. ( ACMT).

Etymology. This species is dedicated to our friend Gérard L. Tavakilian (MNHN) in recognition of his many contributions to the knowledge of the Cerambycidae , and for his frequent, willing consultation and help to the authors.

Remarks. See following comments on P. rufiventris Bates, 1872 .

Figures

Figures 9–15. Phaea spp. 9–11) Phaea aurantia. 9) Dorsal view, paratype female. 10) Ventral view, paratype female. 11) Lateral view, holotype male. 12–15) Phaea tavakiliani, holotype male. 12) Head, frontal view. 13) Dorsal habitus. 14) Lateral habitus. 15) Head, oblique view.

Figures 16–21. Phaea spp. 16-18) Phaea tavakiliani, 16) Ventral habitus, holotype male. 17) Dorsal habitus, paratype female. 18) Ventral habitus, paratype female. 19–21) Syntypes of Phaea rufiventris, dorsal habitus. 19) Male. 20) Female. 21) Male.