Cymatodera cellulosa Rifkind

Rifkind, Jacques, 2015, New species of Cymatodera Gray (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Tillinae) from México and Central America, with notes on others, Zootaxa 3946 (4), pp. 519-552 : 548-549

Cymatodera cellulosa Rifkind , n. sp.

( Figs. 63–64 )

Type specimens. Holotype male: México, Oaxaca, 32 mi. S. Valle Nacional, 7000’, V-21–24-1971, H. Howden. Holotype deposited in CNCI. Paratypes: 4, same data as holotype; MEXICO, OAXACA: 1, 32 mi. S. Valle Nacional, 7000’, V-21 -[19]71, Bright; 1, Hwy. 131, 115 m. S. Oaxaca, 6000’, V-27–30 -[19]71, D. E. Bright, coll.; VERACRUZ: 1, Jalapa, 9/28– x/3 /[19]61, R. & K. Dreisbach; 1, Escola, 1372 m, 1 August, 1975, T. W. Taylor, P. H. Sullivan; 1, 4 km SE Las Vigas, 2200 m, VIII-16 -[19]87, J. Brown, J. Powell; 1, La Joya, 15 mi. W Jalapa, VIII- 7 -[19]60, H. F. Howden; 1, 22 rd. km W. Cd. Mendoza, 2150 m, VIII-13 -[19]87, Brown & Powell, BL; 1, 7 mi. SE of Las Vigas, XII-18-1948, E. S. Ross, coll. Paratypes are deposited in ARC, CASC, CNCI, CNIN, EMEC and JNRC.

Diagnosis. Most similar to C. discoidalis Chevrolat , with which it is probably sympatric, the new species can be distinguished as follows: it lacks a diamond–shaped postmedian elyral marking; male abdominal ventrite 5 less deeply emarginate by comparison; male abdominal tergite 6 with posterior margin feebly rounded rather than slightly inflexed; elytral apices nearly conjointly rounded (rather broadly dehiscent in C. discoidalis ).

Description. (Holotype). Length: 10.80 mm. Form: elongate, subcylindrical. Color: testaceous; head, antennae, pronotum, legs and venter (except abdomen), reddish brown to piceous; abdomen mostly chocolate brown medially, lateral sensory depressions and pygidium pale testaceous; elytra ( Fig. 63 ) with a pattern of irregular, rather disrupted, brownish markings, the most distinct of which is a broad, postmedian transverse band. Head: measured across eyes, wider than pronotum; surface deeply, finely punctate and rugulose, densely but inconspicuously clothed with short, fine, adpressed yellowish setae, arranged in whorls, interspersed with a few longer, suberect and erect setae. Pronotum: elongate (ratio of length to width 11:7); anterior transverse impression distinct, V–shaped at middle; antescutellar impression distinct; subbasal tumescences prominent; surface shining, sculpted as on head. Elytra: elongate (ratio of length to width 13:5); humeri distinct; sides nearly parallel; apices very slightly dehiscent, almost conjointly rounded; disk subflattened above; surface shining, substriate, very densely covered with small, shallow punctures, and set rather sparsely and irregularly with larger, deeper, infuscate punctures, the latter loosely arranged in longitudinal series. Metaventrite: surface shining, sparsely punctulate, inconspicuously clothed with very fine, pale, subrecumbent setae of moderate length; posterior margin armed with a pair of small, short, sharp, infuscate tubercles at middle. Abdomen: shining; ventrites 1–5 with broad, shallow, rounded depressions laterally; ventrites 1–3 punctured as on metasternum; ventrites 4–6 very densely, finely, granulate–-punctate; ventrite 5 ( Fig. 64 ) short, hind angles subacute, tumid posterior margin rather broadly, arcuately emarginate; ventrite 6 ( Fig. 64 ) with sides slightly curved, hind angles moderately produced, posterior margin deeply incised in an ogee shape; tergite 6 subrectangulate, arcuately inflexed laterally, posterior margin rather broadly, arcuately rounded, surpassing hind angles of ventrite 6 posteriorly.

Variation. The female lacks tubercles on the metaventrite; it has ventrite 6 and tergite 6 with the sides rounded and the posterior margin subtruncate, tergite 6 slightly surpassing ventrite 6 posteriorly. The extent of elytral infuscation is moderately variable among the specimens on hand.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the prevalence of cell–like shapes within the infuscate elytral bands of the new species.

Distribution. Known from northeastern Oaxaca and the vicinity of Xalapa, Veracruz state, in México.

Biology. Cymatodera cellulosa appears to be a species of cool, humid forests at moderately high elevations. One specimen was taken at blacklight.

Figures

FIGURES 63 – 64. 63. Habitus of Cymatodera cellulosa Rifkind, n. sp. (holotype male). 64. Pygidium (ventral view) of male Cymatodera cellulosa.