Methia flavomera, Nascimento & Bravo, 2018

Nascimento, Francisco E. De L. & Bravo, Freddy, 2018, Review of Acangassuini Galileo & Martins, 2001 (Insecta, Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), with description of a new genus and species, and description of two new species in the tribes Methiini Thomson, 1860 and Oemini Lacordaire, 1868, Zootaxa 4379 (4), pp. 576-584 : 580-581

Methia flavomera sp. nov.

( Figs 9–13 )

Description. Female. Integument yellowish; head dark brown, almost black; mouthparts and scape yellowishbrown; gulamentum with area between lower eye lobes yellowish-brown; antennae, elytra (except yellowish humeral area and anterior sixth of elytral suture), tibiae (except yellowish base), and abdominal ventrites brownish; coxae, femora and posterior area of abdominal ventrite V yellowish.

Head. Frons coarsely punctate with yellowish setae evenly distributed. Mandibles with abundant yellowish setae except on apical area. Antennal tubercles flattened, with brownish pubescence. Median groove distinct from clypeus to level of the upper eyes lobes. Vertex with yellowish setae. Upper eye lobes separated from lower lobes; with eight rows of ommatidia; distance between upper eye lobes about three rows of ommatidia. Lower eyes lobes occupying entire side of head and part of ventral area. Gulamentum coarsely punctate, with erect yellowish setae. Area behind lower eye lobes finely, transversely carinate. Antennae about 1.5 length of body, reaching apex of abdomen at base of antennomere VII; with abundant setae evenly distributed; with long setae on internal side, about as long as diameter of respective antennomere; with short setae on external side, about half diameter of respective antennomere. Scape slightly widened toward apex, coarsely rugose. Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III: scape = 0.41; pedicel = 0.04; IV = 1.11; V =1.11; VI = 1.08; VII = 1.02; VIII = 0.96; IX = 0.86; X = 0.88; XI=0.88.

Thorax. Prothorax 0.15 times wider than long; sides rounded, slightly constrict at anterior and posterior margins. Pronotum with shallow depression at posterior half; with yellowish setae evenly distributed. Prosternum coarsely punctate on anterior half; posterior half slightly transversely carinate; anterior constriction well-marked. Meso- and metaventrite with short setae sparsely distributed. Scutellum rounded posteriorly; surface glabrous; posterior margin slightly raised. Elytra. Long, 3.65 times length of prothorax, not covering abdominal tergite V; surface coarsely and evenly punctate; with short yellowish setae abundantly distributed; apex rounded.

Legs. Femora claviform; apex with slightly raised flaps; slightly transversely striate, with abundant yellowish setae. Tibiae with abundant brownish setae; metatibiae elongate, about twice length of mesotibiae. Tarsomere I as long as II + III.

Abdomen. Ventrite V with abundant setae on margin.

Variation. The integumentary color varies in elytra, and can be clearer. The antennae and tibiae may be darker. The upper and lower eyes lobes may be separated by distance equal to about the diameter of one ommatidium or may be contiguous.

Dimensions (in mm), holotype female/ paratypes. Total length, 6.7/ 5.2; prothorax length: 1.1/0.8–0.9; greatest width of prothorax, 1.2/ 0.9–1.0; anterior width of prothorax, 1.0/0.8–0.9; posterior width of prothorax, 1.0/0.7–0.8; humeral width, 1.5/ 1.1–1.3; elytral length, 3.9/3.2–3.4.

Type material. Holotype female from BRAZIL, Bahia, Maracás ( Fazenda Bom Futuro ; 13°28’16.5” S / 40°26’17,8” W; 951m), 25–26.VII.2012, Silva-Neto, A. M., Menezes, E., and Nascimento, F.E. leg. ( MZFS) . One paratype female and 1 paratype with unknown sex (specimen without abdomen), same data as holotype ( MZFS) .

Etymology. The name refers to the humeri with yellowish integument.

Remarks. Methia flavomera sp. nov. is similar to M. violaceipennis Chemsak & Linsley, 1964 and M. taina Zayas, 1975 by the yellowish prothorax and darkened elytra. The new species differs from both species especially by the prothorax without a sharp posterior constriction in the males. Methia flavomera sp. nov. differs from M. violaceipennis also by the elytral apex individually rounded (together rounded in M. violaceipennis ), and from M. taina by the darkened head (yellowish in M. taina ).

Figures

FIGURES9–13.Methia flavomera sp. nov., holotype male:9,dorsal view; 10, ventral view; 11,lateral view; 12, frontal view; 13, lateral view of the head.