Baryssiniella tavakiliani Berkov and Monné, 2010

Berkov, Amy & Monné, Miguel A., 2010, A new species of Neobaryssinus Monné & Martins, and two new species of Baryssiniella new genus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), reared from trees in the Brazil nut family (Lecythidaceae), Zootaxa 2538, pp. 47-59 : 54-57

Baryssiniella tavakiliani Berkov and Monné , new species

( Figs 6 , 11, 14 )

This species was referred to as Neobaryssinus sp. 851 in Tavakilian et al. 1997, and Neopalame sp. 851 in Berkov & Tavakilian 1999, Berkov et al. 2000.

Type material. Holotype male: FRENCH GUIANA, Les Eaux Claires (7 km north of Saül, 3° 37’ N, 53° 12’ W, elevation 200–400 m) 27.III.1996, A. Berkov leg. ( MNHN ex IRD); host plant: Corythophora amapaensis . [Note: This specimen, #705, was reared from a tree at 920 m along the trail Sentier Botanique; the bait branch was cut during the dry season (IX. 2008, CA-Q, voucher M24147 at NYBG) and suspended in the canopy ( MNHN)]. Paratypes: same locality, collector, and host plant species as holotype: 4 males and 3 females, 3° 37’ N, 53° 12’ W / 23.II–14.VII.1996, 2 males, 23.II.1996; 1 female, 01.V.1996; 1 female, 10.V.1996; 1 female, 22.V.1996; 1 male, 06.VII.1996; 1 male, 14.VII.1996. ( AMNH, MNHN, MNRJ). French Guiana, Piste de Kaw, pk 43.5, 1 male, 27.V.1985, G. Tavakilian ( MNHN); 1 male, 14.VIII.1992, J.-A. Cerda ( MNHN). Crique Longi, 1 female, 28.VIII.1993, G. Poyet ( MNHN). Crique Plomb, 1 male, 12.VIII.1993, G. Tavakilian ( MNHN). ( AMNH, MNHN, MNRJ).

Description. Male ( Fig. 11 ): integument dark brown; body pubescence short and appressed, predominantly copper with white and piceous markings. Head with frons tan, gena white, and vertex copper grading into white bordering side of eye and posterior to the superior lobe, copper macula on antennal socket, scape and all other antennomeres with sparse copper pubescence, slightly darker annulate apices. Pronotum piceous with broad white fascia obliquely extending from anterior margin to lateral tubercles, and thin medial white line bisecting copper diamond-shaped macula. Scutellum copper. Base of elytra copper grading into gray and brown, medially bisected by oblique white fascia, post-medial pubescence sparse, copper with subtle white spots midway to apex and subtle oblique white fascia near apex. Ventral integument light reddishbrown. Prosternum anteriorly and laterally with pale appressed pubescence, prosternal process, mesosternum, metasternum, and abdominal segments 1–5 with medial, erect pale pubescence, laterally with denser pale appressed pubescence. Legs with integument pale reddish-brown to piceous, coxae with erect pale pubescence, femora and tibiae with sparse appressed pale and brown pubescence.

Head slightly convex, antennae attaining elytral apex at approximately middle of antennomere 6. Pronotum transverse, sides with obtuse tubercles terminating in small postmedial spines, coarse punctures in basal impression. Scutellum triangular, truncate at apex, raised above base of elytra. Elytra approximately twice as long as humeral width, with conspicuous erect setae, central basal gibbosity with denser erect setae, coarse punctures mostly on basal half of elytra, apex obliquely truncate with sutural angle rounded. Prosternal process narrow, approximately one-fourth width of procoxa, apex expanded posteriorly, mesosternal process about width of mesocoxa, metasternum plane medially. Abdomen with apical sternite shallowly semicircular and apical tergite emarginate (to truncate). Profemora moderately clavate, pro- and mesotibiae with margins of ventral face carinate and clothed with bristles, first tarsomere of hind leg longer than next two tarsomeres together. Genitalia are not described because a single male specimen was available to the authors.

Female ( Figs 6 , 14 ): Similar to male except venter lacks erect pale pubescence, sparsely covered by appressed pale pubescence. Apical sternite and tergite slightly elongated and narrowed towards apex, ovipositor not extending beyond elytra, and profemora not strongly expanded. Genitalia are not described because a single female specimen was available to the authors.

Dimensions, in mm.

♂ Ψ

Total length 6.2 6.1

Prothorax length 1.3 1.2

Prothorax width 1.8 1.7

Elytra length 4.4 4.3

Humeral width 2.1 2.2

Comments. This species is distinguished from Baryssiniella hieroglyphica by the following characters: the dorsal integument predominantly dark brown, the prevalent copper appressed pubescence, the elytra medially bisected by oblique white fascia, the males with erect ventral pubescence on all abdominal segments, and the mesofemora not conspicuously enlarged and lacking a coarse tooth.

Etymology. The specific epithet honors Gérard Tavakilian, who described host plant associations for 334 Neotropical cerambycid species, discovered the guild of cerambycids associated with the Brazil nut family, and reared the first specimens of this species ( Tavakilian et al. 1997).

Host plants. Corythophora amapaensis , reared from both ground and canopy stratum bait branches cut during the dry season; also reared from Eschweilera parviflora in a portion of the Sinnamary River Basin that was subsequently inundated after the completion of the Petit Saut Dam ( Tavakilian et al. 1997).

Figures

FIGURES 5 – 6. Species of Baryssiniella, habitus: 5, B. hieroglyphica Berkov & Monné sp. nov., holotype, male; 6, B. tavakiliani Berkov & Monné sp. nov., female.

FIGURES 9 – 14. Ventral views showing sexual dimorphism in ventral pubescence, profemora, and protarsi: 9, N. altissimus, male; 10, B. hieroglyphica, holotype, male; 11, B. tavakiliani, holotype, male; 12, N. altissimus female; 13, B. hieroglyphica female; 12, B. tavakiliani female.