Pseudastylopsis skillmani, Santos-Silva & Botero & Pérez-Flores, 2024

Santos-Silva, Antonio, Botero, Juan Pablo & Pérez-Flores, Oscar, 2024, New species, new geographical records and taxonomical notes on North and Central American Cerambycidae and Disteniidae (Coleoptera, Chrysomeloidea), Contributions to Entomology 74 (2), pp. 199-216 : 199-216

Pseudastylopsis skillmani sp. nov.

Figs 20–24

Type material.

Holotype female from GUATEMALA • Baja Verapaz: 1 km SE of Purulhá , at lights, 17–19. VI. 2001, W. B. Warner leg. ( FSCA, formerly FWSC).

Etymology.

The new species is dedicated to Frederick W. Skillman, who provided us most of the specimens for this study.

Differential diagnosis.

Pseudastylopsis skillmani sp. nov. is similar to P. alba Pérez-Flores & Santos-Silva, 2021 (see photographs on Bezark 2023 and original description), but differs as follows: pronotal and elytral pubescence sparser and forming different pattern; elytral apex obliquely truncate with outer angle distinctly projected. In P. alba , the pronotal and elytral pubescence is distinctly denser, and elytral apex truncate without projection on outer angle. The new species also differs from all other species of the genus by the design formed by the elytral pubescence and the shape of the elytral apex (truncated or rounded and external angle not projected in other species).

Description.

Holotype male. Integument mostly black; ventral surface of head dark brown, gradually, slightly lighter toward prothorax; ventral mouthparts brown, except palpomeres black with apices of maxillary palpomere IV and labial palpomere III dark yellowish-brown; anterior half of anteclypeus light brown; anterior third of labrum dark brown; antennomeres VI – X dark brown with dark orangish-brown central ring; antennomere XI dark brown. Base of trochanters dark yellowish-brown.

Head. Frons abundantly, very finely punctate; frons with abundant whitish pubescence partially obscuring integument on some areas, pubescence apparently lost on large central area, except small area with dark pubescence close to eyes; with on long, erect dark-brown seta close to eyes. Area between antennal tubercles with dense yellowish pubescence, except glabrous central area close to upper eye lobes; anterior area between upper eye lobes with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument, and on long, erect brown seta close to eyes; remaining surface of vertex with moderately sparse dark pubescence. Area behind eyes with moderately sparse dark pubescence close to eyes, with whitish pubescence interspersed behind lower eye lobes, glabrous close to prothorax; with one long, erect dark-brown seta close to upper eye lobe. Genae slightly longer than lower eye lobe; with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument, except very sparse darkish pubescence frontolaterally on superior half close to eye, glabrous apex, and glabrous area close to frons and clypeus; with a few long, erect brown setae interspersed. Wide central area of postclypeus with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument close to frons, except glabrous central region, and sparse, bristly whitish pubescence close to anteclypeus; with long, erect brown setae interspersed. Sides of postclypeus glabrous. Labrum with abundant dark pubescence not obscuring integument on posterior quarter and entire sides, with whitish pubescence interspersed, glabrous on remaining surface, except anterior margin with dense fringe of yellowish-brown setae; with long, erect brown setae interspersed on pubescent region. Gulamentum smooth, glabrous; intermaxillary process with moderately sparse whitish pubescence and long, erect dark-brown setae interspersed. Antennal tubercles with dark pubescence not obscuring integument, except sides of frontal region with abundant whitish pubescence. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.21 times distance between outer margins of eyes; in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.60 times distance between outer margins of eyes. Antennae 1.6 times elytral length, reaching elytral apex at apical sixth of antennomere VIII. Scape with inner apex projected, forming acute angle when viewed in dorsal view; ventral surface with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument; dorsal and lateral surfaces with abundant blackish pubescence not obscuring integument and irregular whitish pubescent maculae interspersed. Pedicel with abundant dark-brown pubescence not obscuring integument, except whitish pubescence basally on outer and ventral surfaces. Antennomere III with abundant blackish pubescence not obscuring integument; dorsal and lateral surfaces with irregular whitish pubescent maculae; ventral surface with whitish pubescence interspersed. Antennomeres IV with dense whitish pubescent ring close to base and another whitish pubescent ring about middle; remaining surface with abundant blackish pubescence not obscuring integument. Antennomeres V – X with dense whitish pubescent ring about middle; remaining surface with abundant dark-brown pubescence partially obscuring integument. Antennomere XI with dense dark-brown pubescence partially obscuring integument. Antennal formula based on length of antennomere III: scape = 0.92; pedicel = 0.13; IV = 0.78; V = 0.54; VI = 0.46; VII = 0.40; VIII = 0.37; IX = 0.33; X = 0.31; XI = 0.33.

Thorax. Prothorax wider than long; anterior constriction narrow, well-marked; sides with rounded projection close to anterior constriction and another rounded projection, slightly more protruding than anterior one, from about middle to posterior quarter. Pronotum with five slightly elevated tubercles, one subconical on each side of anterior third, one distinctly rounded dorsally on each side after middle, less elevated and more distant between then than anterolateral ones, another elongated located centrally from middle to posterior quarter; moderately abundantly, coarsely punctate between lateral tubercles, except smooth central tubercle, sparsely, coarsely punctate on anterior quarter, punctures slightly coarser than on central region, very sparsely, coarsely punctate on sides of central region, with sinuous row of coarse punctures on posterior quarter, punctures distinctly coarser and deeper than the other punctures, and row following toward lateral surface of prothorax, and area close to posterior margin without punctures, with narrow transverse sulcus; area close to sides of anterolateral tubercles with large, irregular yellow pubescent macula; area between lateral tubercles with abundant, thick yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument; sides and area on each side of center close to anterior margin with large, irregular white pubescent maculae, and remaining surface mostly with brownish and dark-brown pubescence not obscuring integument; sides of posterior half with a few long, erect dark-brown setae. Sides of prothorax with abundant dark-brown pubescence not obscuring integument and irregular white pubescent maculae interspersed. Prosternum with abundant, both dark and white pubescence not obscuring integument laterally, and abundant, thick white pubescence centrally not obscuring integument. Prosternal process with white pubescence centrally not obscuring integument and abundant brownish pubescence laterally not obscuring integument, brownish pubescence shorter than white pubescence; narrowest area 0.28 times procoxal width. Mesoventrite with abundant dark pubescence not obscuring integument and a few short, decumbent white setae interspersed, especially laterally. Mesanepisterna with abundant dark pubescence not obscuring integument and white pubescence interspersed close to mesoventrite and superiorly close to elytra; mesepimera with abundant dark pubescence not obscuring integument and white pubescence interspersed close to elytra. Mesoventral process (Fig. 24 ) with white pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence thicker and more abundant centrally; sides convergent from base to rounded apical projection; narrowest area 0.61 times mesocoxal width. Metanepisterna and sides of metaventrite with abundant dark pubescence not obscuring integument, and a few short, decumbent white setae interspersed; remaining surface of metaventrite with abundant, both dark and white pubescence not obscuring integument, except glabrous center of posterior half. Scutellum with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument centrally, and abundant dark pubescence not obscuring integument laterally, dark pubescence shorter than white pubescence.

Elytra. Subparallel-sided from humeri to middle, slightly widened centrally, then distinctly narrowed toward apex; apex oblique, with outer angle forming distinct projection with rounded apex; with moderately sparse, small tubercles dorsally and a few small tubercles on sides of posterior half; humeral carina well-marked, reaching posterior fifth of elytra; anterior quarter with three distinct carinae dorsally and remaining surface with two somewhat irregular carina not reaching apex; basal half of dorsal surface moderately abundantly, coarsely punctate, except sides of area between anterior quarter and middle densely, very coarsely punctate; remaining dorsal surface sparsely, finely punctate, punctures finer and sparser toward apex; area between epipleural margin and humeral carina on anterior half densely, very coarsely punctate and remaining surface sparsely, finely punctate; nearly all small tubercles on anterior 3 / 4 with dense tuft of white pubescence anteriorly and tuft of blackish pubescence apically; dorsal surface of anterior 3 / 4 with complex pubescence design not covering area with very coarse punctures, large, irregular area on anterior third, and small, somewhat irregular area near suture after middle of elytra, pubescence on this area mostly yellowish on its anterior 2 / 3, more pale yellow on some areas, and mostly white on its posterior third; posterior sixth with oblique pubescent macula not reaching apex, from epipleural margin to suture, widened toward suture, pubescence white with large, transverse, irregular yellow pubescent band interspersed anteriorly on dorsal surface; remaining surface with abundant greenish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence more dark yellowish-brown on some areas depending on light intensity and source, except yellow pubescent tuft on anterior third of dorsal surface.

Legs. Femora pedunculate-clavate; with abundant dark pubescence on peduncle and abundant white pubescence interspersed on clubs, white pubescence denser dorsally. Tibiae with two dense white pubescent rings, on basally, another about middle; remaining surface with abundant dark partially obscuring integument, dark pubescence denser and bristly on posterior half of ventral surface of protibiae and posterior third of ventral surface of meso- and metatibiae, and on dorsal sulcus of mesotibiae. Tarsomeres with abundant dark pubescence dorsally partially obscuring integument; metatarsomere I shorter than II – III together.

Abdomen. Ventrites 1–4 with abundant, both white and dark pubescence laterally, not obscuring integument, and sparse, both dark and white pubescence centrally, except center of anterior half of ventrite 1 with abundant dark pubescence and glabrous central apex. Ventrite 5 with moderately sparse dark pubescence and white pubescence interspersed on basal half; apex notched centrally.

Dimensions (mm).

Total length, 8.05; prothoracic length, 1.50; anterior prothoracic width, 1.70; posterior prothoracic width, 2.00; maximum prothoracic width, 2.20; humeral width, 3.15; elytral length, 5.75.

Figures

Figures 20–24. Pseudastylopsis skillmani sp. nov., holotype male: 20. Dorsal habitus; 21. Ventral habitus; 22. Lateral habitus; 23. Head, frontal view; 24. Prosternal and mesoventral processes.