Phaea quadrimaculata 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 : 2-4

Phaea quadrimaculata Wappes and Santos-Silva , new species

( Fig. 1–4 )

Description. Female. Head mostly orangish; postclypeus brown; third of labrum close to anteclypeus dark brown, and anterior 2/3 reddish brown; apex of genae brownish; mandibles dark reddish brown on center of basal half, except margins black, black on posterior half; palpi mostly black; antennae nearly black. Prothorax mostly orangish, lighter than head; pronotum with four circular black maculae, two on anterior third, two on posterior third; sides of prothorax with large black macula posteriorly, gradually widened from apex of anterior third to posterior margin; prosternum narrowly darkened on sides of area close to procoxal cavities. Ventral surface of meso- and metathorax, scutellum, elytra, abdominal ventrites, and legs black.

Head. Frons finely and sparsely punctate, with short, yellowish pubescence (almost indistinct depending on angle of light source), with abundant, short, erect brown setae interspersed throughout, and long, erect blackish setae interspersed laterally on inferior region. Vertex with fine, sparser punctures (punctures nearly absent close to prothorax); with abundant yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument (more grayish-white depending on light intensity and angle), with long, erect dark setae interspersed between antennal tubercles and upper eye lobes. Area behind upper eye lobes nearly smooth, with pubescence as on vertex, with long, erect black setae interspersed close to eye; area between eye lobes coarsely punctate anteriorly, nearly smooth close to prothorax, nearly lacking pubescence, with long, erect dark setae; area behind lower eye lobes tumid, with sparse, short yellowish setae, with long, erect dark setae close to eye, smooth, glabrous close to prothorax. Genae finely striatepunctate, especially centrally toward dorsal surface; with sparse yellowish pubescence, more abundant near apex, with long, erect dark setae interspersed on central region. Postclypeus with bristly yellowish-white pubescence on wide central area (pubescence denser and longer on sides of this area), with a few long, erect brownish setae interspersed, glabrous laterally. Labrum coplanar with anteclypeus at posterior third, oblique at anterior 2/3; mostly glabrous on posterior third, with yellowish pubescence on central third, with long, erect setae of same color interspersed, anterior third glabrous. Antennal tubercles frontally with sculpturing as on frons, punctures sparser, finer toward apex, sparsely punctate toward upper eye lobes; with yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument frontally, nearly absent toward upper eye lobes, denser, bristly near apex throughout; with long, erect, sparse dark setae, more abundant toward apex. Area between base of antenna and lower eye lobes with long, erect, abundant dark setae. Gulamentum smooth, glabrous, except for nearly vertical anterior area with yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument, with a few long, erect brownish setae interspersed. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.73 times length of scape (0.40 times distance between outer margins of eyes); in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 1.30 times length of scape (0.71 times distance between outer margins of eyes). Antennae 1.3 times elytral length, almost reaching posterior fifth of elytron. Scape flattened dorso-ventrally; finely, densely rugosepunctate, especially dorsally; with light yellowish-brown bristly pubescence not obscuring integument, with long, erect brownish setae interspersed, longer ventrally. Pedicel and antennomeres with light yellowish-brown pubescence; pedicel and antennomeres III–X with long, erect dark setae ventrally, setae sparser toward X; dorsal apex of antennomeres III–X with a few long, erect setae. Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III: scape = 1.17; pedicel = 0.27; IV = 1.02; V = 0.94; VI = 0.82; VII = 0.74; VIII = 0.63; IX = 0.59; X = 0.51; XI = 0.59.

Thorax. Prothorax slightly wider than long; sides sinuous, with central region not distinctly projected. Pronotum with central umbone large, from anterior third to near posterior margin, not strongly elevated, gradually inclined on margins; finely sparsely punctate, punctures sparser on umbone; circular black areas slightly depressed; with yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument, sparser on umbone; with long, erect dark setae, distinctly denser inside of black macula and on posterior area of umbone. Sides of prothorax finely, sparsely punctate, punctures sparser on central gibbosity; with yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument, sparser on central gibbosity, with long, erect dark setae interspersed, more abundant on base. Prosternum nearly microscopic striate-punctate; with yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument (more grayish-white depending on light intensity), with long, erect setae of same color interspersed. Prosternal process noticeably narrow centrally; with yellowish-white pubescence partially obscuring integument. Ventral surface of meso- and metathorax with yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument (more grayish-white depending on light intensity), more erect, sparser and seta-shaped on metaventrite. Scutellum with yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument, with abundant, erect dark setae interspersed. Elytra. Coarsely, abundantly punctate on basal third, punctures gradually finer, denser toward apex, except humerus nearly smooth; apex individually rounded; with abundant grayish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, with long, erect dark setae interspersed, longer on basal third. Legs. Femora with yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument, denser ventrally, with long, erect setae of same color interspersed. Tibiae with abundant yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument, with long, erect dark setae, denser dorsally and ventrally.

Abdomen. Ventrites with grayish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, more bristly centrally on I– IV, pubescence sparser on central area of I, denser throughout on V, with long, erect yellowish setae interspersed on I–IV, and dark setae on V; central area of ventrite V, finely, longitudinally sulcate from base to apex; apex of ventrite V nearly truncate.

Dimensions in mm. Total length, 11.25; prothoracic length, 2.00; anterior prothoracic width, 1.90; posterior prothoracic width, 2.05; widest prothoracic width, 2.30; humeral width, 2.50; elytral length, 7.35.

Type material. Holotype female from MEXICO, CHIAPAS: Aqua Ceros [= El Aquacero], 40 km west Tuxtla Gutierrez, 21.VI.1987, W.F. Chamberlain col. ( FSCA, formerly ACMT).

Etymology. Named for the four, distinctive, small, circular black maculae of the pronotum.

Remarks. Phaea quadrimaculata sp. nov. resembles P. laurieae Chemsak, 1999 but differs as follows: scape flattened dorso-ventrally, not widened toward apex, lacking large and noticeably projected asperities apically; pronotum with four black circular maculae; pronotal umbone finely, sparsely punctate; elytra entirely black; elytra nearly parallel-sided. In P. laurieae , the scape is conical, gradually widened toward apex with prominent asperities apically, pronotum is not flattened dorso-ventrally; pronotum with only two black circular maculae, pronotal umbone is coarsely, irregularly punctate, elytra with centrobasal area reddish, and elytra gradually widened toward apex.

In the key from Chemsak (1999), Phaea quadrimaculata can be included in the alternative of couplet “20”:

20′(19). Pronotal umbone not black nor contrasting with areas around it; Mexico (Chiapas).................

...................................... P. quadrimaculata Wappes and Santos-Silva , sp. nov. — Pronotal umbone black or partially black distinctly contrasting with areas around it............... 20

20(20′). Elytra with apical half black, anterior margin of dark area extending obliquely back from suture, head and pronotum usually reddish orange, elytra basally yellowish, humeri and small area behind scutellum dark. Length, 8–11.5 mm; Mexico (Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Nuevo León, Veracruz, Yucatán)................................................................... P. tricolor Bates, 1881

— Elytra reddish with apical third transversely black, (rarely all black), head and pronotum reddish, pronotum with one or two discal black spots. Thoracic umbone large, sides vaguely angulate. Length, 9–13.5 mm; Mexico (Jalisco, Morelos, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas), Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica (Guanacaste), Panama ( Panama).................................. P. hoegei Bates, 1881

Figures

Figures 1–8. Phaea spp. 1–4) Phaea quadrimaculata, holotype female. 1) Dorsal habitus. 2) Ventral habitus. 3) Lateral habitus. 4) Head, frontal view. 5–8) Phaea aurantia, holotype male. 5) Head, frontal view. 6) Dorsal habitus. 7) Umbone, lateral view. 8) Ventral habitus.