Rhytiphora piperitia Hope, 1842

Ashman, Lauren G., Keyzer, Roger De & S ́ Lipińsk, Adam, 2023, The Australian genus Rhytiphora (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) with a revision of the Rhytiphora collaris group, Zootaxa 5312 (1), pp. 1-62 : 21-22

Rhytiphora piperitia Hope, 1842 ( Figs. 7B , 8F , 9E , 10J–L )

Rhytiphora piperitia Hope, 1842: 429 . TL: Port Essington , Northern Territory

Symphyletes humeralis White, 1858: 269 . TL: Port Essington , Northern Territory

Moved to Rhytiphora (Setomopsis) piperitia: Breuning, 1961a: 272

Rhytiphora truncata Breuning, 1940: 424 . TL: Duringo, Queensland. Junior secondary homonym of Aegomomus truncatus (Pascoe, 1864) . New synonym

Rhytiphora truncatoides Tavakilian & Nearns 2014a: 106 . Replacement name for R. truncata ( Breuning, 1940)

Diagnosis. One specimen from the Kimberley has been sequenced (ANIC 25-066534; Ashman et al. 2022a): R. piperitia is closely related to R. garnetensis sp. nov. (see above), R. collaris and R. amicula , and is also morphologically similar to R. delicatula ( Figs. 6–8 ). Rhytiphora collaris and R. amicula have fully divided eyes; R. amicula and R. delicatula have plain grey antennae (with tubercules slightly further apart: 3.8–3.9 widths apart). Rhytiphora collaris has a short clypeus (in line with mandibular articulation), usually mottled antennae, white metanepisternum, elytra with no dorsal dark patches and the lateral white stripe usually extending beyond the basal third. Rhytiphora amicula has grey elytra with fine ochre mottling and no dorsal dark patches, but when R. piperitia specimens are faded (i.e. no distinct markings on elytra) it can be difficult to tell these species apart; in these cases, the male genitalia may be helpful ( R. amicula has apically blunt parameres and a rounded penis; Fig. 9B ). Rhytiphora delicatula has smaller eyes (lower lobes 4.3–4.4 widths apart), no distinct grooves on the pronotum, and pale grey, lightly mottled elytra with small circular brown patches in the apical third.

Description. Body small to medium-sized, elongate: body length 12.0–23.0 mm, width 3.9–7.4 mm. Winged. Dark brown with grey setae, heavily mottled ochre and brown, elytra with brown dorsal patches ( Figs. 7B , 8F ).

Head with frontoclypeus rectangular. Eyes moderately faceted, ringed with yellow-white setae, lobes connected by 1 row ommatidia. Lower lobes separated by 3.5–3.7 times eye width, approximately same length as gena. Upper lobes separated by 2.3 times width of antennal socket, 1.0 times as long as antennal socket.Antennal tubercules fairly prominent, separated by 3.2 times width of antennal socket. Clypeus flat or arcuate, extended beyond mandibular articulation, usually covering membranous anteclypeus; mandibles apically slightly pointed, maxillary and labial palps fusiform. Frontoclypeus yellow, occipital suture with yellow outline. Antennae extending slightly beyond elytral apices in male, with ventral fringe of long, dense setae on antennomeres 2–11. Scape smooth, expanding apically, 2.3 times as long as wide, 4 times longer than pedicel, shorter than antennomere 3, posteriorly extending to anterior margin of pronotum.Antennomere 3 longer than 4. Antennomeres 3–7 distinctly banded with grey-white setae (apical quarter of antennomeres glabrous).

Prothorax subquadrate, 0.8 times as long as wide, base distinctly narrower than humeri. Lateral margins with small anterior tubercule; pronotal disc finely punctate with transverse grooves, setae grey with ochre and brown mottling. Prosternal process narrow, arcuate. Procoxae without spiniform projection in males.

Elytra finely punctate, granulate in basal and central thirds, without distinct basal projections. Humeri each with large brown patch; thin, curved white line on lateral margin, not extending beyond basal third. Rest of elytra grey, heavily mottled ochre and brown, usually with diagonal white and brown patch at beginning of apical third. Elytral apices distinctly truncate.

Legs grey, mottled with ochre and brown; male protibial tubercule absent. Mesoventrite arcuate without anterior projection. Metaventrite twice as long as mesoventrite, setae grey with ochre mottling and central white strip.

Ventrite 2 with broad yellow sex patches in male, covering majority of ventrite length; fringe of ventrite 1 slightly thicker in male than other ventrite fringes. Ventrite 5 slightly longer than 4 in female, with slight apical divot and endocarina.

Male genitalia: parameres narrowly separated at base, thick, apically tapered and setose; penis tip with slight projection ( Fig. 9E ).

Types examined. Lectotype female, here designated ( Rhytiphora piperitia ): “Port Essington” // “ piperitia Hope ” // “TYPE Hope Proc. Evol. Soc. 1841 P. 49 Coll. Hope Oxon.” // “TYPE COL: 1863 Rhytiphora piperitia Hope HOPE DEPT. OXFORD ” (OUMNH; Figs. 10J , 2F ). Lectotype, here designated ( Symphyletes humeralis ): “Type” // “Port Essington” // “ Symphyletes humeralis (Type) White” (BMNH; Fig. 10K ).

Other material examined: 11.50S, 142.30E Bertie Creek , 12km SW of Heathlands, Qld, 13 Mar. 1992, D. C. F. Rentz, Stop 6 (1 specimen, ANIC 25-058414 ; Figs. 7B , 8F ); CSIRO Entomology NT. Tony Ahern’s 12°40’42.1”s 131°21’43.8”e 13 Nov. 1998 M. Hoskins // Adelaide River Floodplains ex. Mimosa pigra pupa 23 Nov. - em 14 Dec. 1998 (1 specimen, ANIC; male genitalia dissection, Fig. 9E ); Lee Point, Darwin, NT 8 Mar 1967, M. S. Upton (1 specimen, ANIC) ; 12°11’S; 131°0’E (GPS) NT: Gunn Point Rd , nr Howard Springs Nat. Res., 7 March 1999, D. C. F. Rentz, Stop 36 (1 specimen, ANIC) ; 128.0232°E 16.0135°S WA, El Questro , Zebedee Springs carpark, 150m a.s.l., 5 APR 2014, MV-lamp. Cocking, Su & Zwick leg (1 specimen, ANIC 25-066534 ) .

Distribution and host plants. North coast (Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland). Localities include: Kununurra, Cobourg Peninsula, Borroloola, Cape York, Cairns, Rockhampton. This species has been collected from Acacia , Bauhinia , Casuarina and Peltophorum trees, as well as the weed Mimosa pigra .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Rhytiphora species, holotypes (A–J) and reference photos (K–L). A: Rhytiphora detrita male Hope, 1842. B: Mesiphiastus (Pubiphiastus) laterialbus female Breuning, 1970. C: Rhytiphora macleayi female Lea, 1912. D: Corrhenes (Corrhenes) paulla fuscosignata male Breuning, 1970. E: Acanthocinus piliger female Macleay, 1826. F: Rhytiphora piperitia female Hope, 1842. G: Menyllus rotundipennis male Breuning, 1968. H: Rhytiphora (Rhytiphora) subargentata male Breuning, 1970. I: Rhytiphora (Saperdopsis) tenimberensis male Breuning, 1973 [R. sundaensis]. J: Rhytiphora tuberculata male Hope, 1842. K: Rhytiphora rugicollis female (Dalman, 1817). L: Rhytiphora frenchiana female Breuning, 1961.

FIGURE 6. Rhytiphora species, dorsal and ventral views. A–B: Rhytiphora garnetensis sp. nov. holotype male (ANIC 25- 074497). C: Rhytiphora garnetensis sp. nov. paratype male. D: Rhytiphora pulcherrima female. E: Rhytiphora delicatula male (ANIC 25-061931). F: Rhytiphora amicula male (ANIC 25-066535).

FIGURE 7. Rhytiphora species, dorsal and frontal (head only) views. A: Rhytiphora collaris female (ANIC 25-067050). B: Rhytiphora piperitia male (ANIC 25-058414). C–D: Rhytiphora argentata male (ANIC 25-061934). E: Rhytiphora garnetensis sp. nov. paratype male.

FIGURE 8. Rhytiphora species, lateral view. A: Rhytiphora garnetensis sp. nov. holotype male (ANIC 25-074497). B: Rhytiphora delicatula male (ANIC 25-061931). C: Rhytiphora amicula male (ANIC 25-066535). D: Rhytiphora argentata male (ANIC 25-061934). E: Rhytiphora collaris female (ANIC 25-067050). F: Rhytiphora piperitia male (ANIC 25-058414).

FIGURE 9. Rhytiphora species, male genitalia (penis and tegmen). A: Rhytiphora garnetensis sp. nov. paratype. B: Rhytiphora amicula. C: Rhytiphora collaris. D: Rhytiphora delicatula (ANIC 25-061931). E: Rhytiphora piperitia. F: Rhytiphora argentata.

FIGURE 10. Rhytiphora collaris group, type specimens. A: Platyomopsis delicatula McKeown, 1948 holotype male. B: Rhytiphora uniformis Blackburn, 1901 lectotype female. C: Rhytiphora maculosella Blackburn, 1902 lectotype female. D: Saperda collaris Donovan, 1805 neotype male. E: Rhytiphora (Setomopsis) vermiculosa Breuning, 1970 holotype female. F: Rhytiphora (Saperdopsis) parafarinosa Breuning, 1970 holotype female. G: Symphyletes compos Blackburn, 1902 lectotype male. H: Symphyletes vestigialis Pascoe, 1864 lectotype male. I: Rhytiphora amicula White, 1859 lectotype male. J: Rhytiphora piperitia Hope, 1842 lectotype female. K: Symphyletes humeralis White, 1858 lectotype. L: Rhytiphora truncata Breuning, 1940 holotype.