Xenocona audureaui, Vlasak & Santos-Silva, 2022

Vlasak, Josef & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2022, Description of two new species of Xenocona Gilmour (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae) from Ecuador, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 62, pp. 1-8 : 1-4

Xenocona audureaui sp. nov.

( Fig. 1 )

Diagnosis: This species is most easily recognized by the presence of large dark macula on dorsal surface of the basal ⅔ of the elytra combined with the absence of narrow white pubescent lines on other areas of the elytra.

Description: Holotype female: Head capsule brown, except dark brown area behind eyes; wide central area of anteclypeus and labrum dark yellowish brown, and dark brown sides;posterior half of mandibles yellowish brown on outer surface, except blackish margins, dark reddish brown on remaining basal ⅔, blackish on apical third; scape yellowish brown, except brownish base and brownish transverse band on posterior sixth, not reaching ventral surface; pedicel yellowish brown, except large brown macula on dorsal posterior area; antennomeres III-V yellowish brown, except brown macula near base on dorsal surface, and dark brown area close to apex, but not covering apex, especially on IV-V, more reddish brown ventrally, slightly lighter dorsally on IV-V; antennomere VI yellowish basally and apically, with wide brown macula on basal third, not reaching ventral surface, wide brown ring after middle, slightly lighter ventrally, yellowish brown with minute brownish spots interspersed on wide central area; antennomere VII brown on wide central area, slightly lighter ventrally, yellowish basally and apically; antennomeres VIII-XI with large brown maculae dorsally and on part of lateral surfaces, gradually lighter toward XI. Pronotum and sides of prothorax brown, except dark brown anterior and posterior areas of pronotum; prosternum dark brown laterally, dark reddish brown centrally; prosternal process dark orangish brown; ventral surface of meso- and metathorax mostly dark brown, with irregular reddish-brown areas centrally, except mesoventral process mostly reddish brown. Elytra with large dark brown macula dorsally, from base to posterior third, slightly lighter basally, gradually narrowed toward middle, then diamond-shaped toward its apex, except green basal area between centrobasal crest and humerus; with large dark brown band laterally, starting basally close to epipleural margin, distinctly inclined upward on apex of basal quarter, reaching sides of dorsal surface on basal third, then following slightly obliquely toward posterior quarter (distinctly fragmented after middle of elytra); remaining surface greenish, with abundant brownish spots interspersed after middle, except dark yellowish-brown humeral area. Femora yellowish brown, except narrow brownish band on posterior third of femoral club, not reaching ventral surface. Tibiae with brown macula on basal fifth, not reaching ventral surface, and wide dark-brown ring on posterior third, almost absent ventrally on meso- and metatibiae; remaining surface light yellowish brown. Basal ⅔ of tarsomeres I yellowish-brown, and apical third dark brown; tarsomeres II dark yellowish-brown on basal half, dark brown on posterior half; tarsomeres III-IV dark brown; tarsomeres V dark orangish brown on basal ⅔, gradually dark brown on posterior third; claws dark orangish brown, except black apex. Abdominal ventrites orangish brown, with large, irregular brownish areas interspersed, except on posterior ⅓ of V.

Head: Frons minutely, abundantly punctate; with abundant yellowish-white pubescence partially obscuring integument, slightly yellower centrally toward vertex; with one long, erect brownish seta close to each eye. Area between antennal tubercles and upper eye lobes with slightly depressed, glabrous, smooth diamond-shaped area centrally;remaining surface of vertex with abundant yellowish pubescence almost obscuring integument, sparser on each side of area close to prothorax except glabrous median groove; with a few short, erect yellowish setae close to eyes. Area behind upper eye lobes with dense yellow pubescence, slightly lighter close to vertex and lower eye lobe. Area behind lower eye lobes with yellowish pubescence close to eye superiorly, sparser toward prothorax, with narrow yellowish pubescent band close to eye on wide central area, yellow pubescence close to eye inferiorly, glabrous on remaining surface. Genae finely striate ventrally, minutely punctate toward clypeus; with yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, except glabrous apex. Wide central area of postclypeus with abundant yellowish-white pubescence partially obscuring integument, bristly close to anteclypeus, with a few long, erect yellowish-white setae interspersed laterally, and very long, erect brownish seta on each side; sides of postclypeus glabrous. Labrum with yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument on posterior half, absent close to clypeus, almost absent on anterior half, except sparse, short yellowish-brown setae on anterior margin. Gulamentum mostly glabrous, coarsely, transversely rugose, except depressed, finely, sparsely punctate, with short, sparse yellowish-brown setae anterior area. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.21 times distance between outer margins of eyes; in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.57 times distance between outer margins of eyes. Antennae 2.0 times elytral length, reaching elytral apex at middle of antennomere VI. Scape almost reaching level of posterior margin of scutellum; with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, slightly more distinct apically. Pedicel with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument, except yellowish-brown pubescence on dark dorsal area. Antennomeres III-V with dense white pubescence basally and apically, abundant yellowish-white pubescence on wide central area, except sparser, yellowish-brown pubescence on dark areas. Antennomere VI with dense white pubescence basally and apically, yellowish-brown on dark areas, yellowish white on remaining surface. Antennomeres VII-XI with dense white pubescence, except sparser, more yellowish-white pubescence on dark area. Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III: scape = 1.00; pedicel = 0.13; IV = 0.79; V = 0.54; VI = 0.47; VII = 0.39; VIII = 0.39; IX = 0.38; X = 0.33; XI = 0.36.

Thorax: Prothorax distinctly wider than long; sides with large, conical tubercle centrally, with apex slightly directed upward. Pronotum with large, elevated, tubercle on each side of anterior half, with subtruncate apex, and large, less elevated central tubercle with rounded apex on center of posterior half; coarsely, somewhat abundantly punctate anteriorly and posteriorly, punctures finer, shallower, distinctly sparser on wide central area; with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument close to anterior and posterior margins and between anterolateral tubercles, pale yellow, abundant, not obscuring integument on remaining surface, except glabrous apex of tubercles, and two brownish pubescent maculae on each side of central tubercle, innermost distinctly wider; with a few long, erect dark brown setae on sides of posterior region. Sides of prothorax with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument. Prosternum with dense whitish pubescence laterally, slightly sparser centrally. Prosternal process with yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument on anterior half, whiter, slightly longer and more abundant on posterior half; narrowest area 0.3 times procoxal width. Ventral surface of meso- and metathorax with dense white pubescence, except yellowish pubescence on sides of mesoventrite, glabrous area close to base of mesoventral process,and slightly sparser on wide central area of metaventrite; metaventrite with a few long, erect yellowish setae centrally; mesoventral process widely concave on apical margin, and apex 0.64 times mesocoxal width. Scutellum with wide yellowish-brown pubescent band centrally, from base to apex, almost glabrous laterally. Elytra: Centrobasal crest distinctly elevated, subtruncate, with dense, thick black setae dorsally; with slightly distinct longitudinal carina from apex of centrobasal crest to near posterior third, with minute, sparse tubercles on it; slightly oblique longitudinal carina with sparse, moderately abundant and elevated tubercles from near humerus to near posterior third, more elevated,ending abruptly apically;sides of anterior half forming slightly distinct humeral carina, irregularly tuberculate; coarsely, abundantly punctate on basal half, punctures gradually finer, sparser toward apex; basal sixth with small, sparse tubercles throughout; with abundant yellow pubescence not obscuring integument on sides of basal sixth; with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument on large dorsal dark brown macula; with mostly dark brown pubescence on lateral dark brown macula; with abundant pale-yellow pubescence not obscuring integument on remaining surface, except dense white pubescent maculae laterally, largest on dorsal side of middle, small white pubescent maculae close to narrowest area of large dark brown dorsal macula, and small white pubescent maculae close to suture on posterior third; apex obliquely subtruncate. Legs: Femora with abundant white pubescence not obscuring integument, except brownish pubescence on dark area. Tibiae with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, except white pubescence apically, bristly, yellowish pubescence on ventral surface of meso- and metatibiae, mostly brownish pubescence on dark areas, and thick, erect, abundant dark brown setae on area of dorsal sulcus of mesotibiae. Tarsi with white pubescence not obscuring integument on light areas, dark brown on dark areas; metatarsomere I 1.3 times II-III together.

Abdomen: Ventrites with abundant white pubescence not obscuring integument, slightly sparser centrally on 1-4, distinctly sparser on posterior half of 5, absent on central apex of 1, wide apical center of 2-4, and longitudinal anterocentral area of 5; ventrite 5 subconical, about the same length as previous two together; apex of ventrite 5 subtruncate, emarginated centrally. Last tergite triangular-shaped, surpassing elytral apex.

Dimensions in mm: Total length, 10.90; prothoracic length, 1.80; anterior prothoracic width close to head, 2.00; anterior prothoracic width close to lateral tubercle, 2.65; posterior prothoracic width, 2.60; maximum prothoracic width, 3.10; humeral width, 4.25; elytral length, 8.10.

Type material: Holotype female from ECUADOR, Napo: Cosanga , 1,900 m, 13.VI.2021, J. Vlasak leg. ( MZSP, formerly JVCO).

Etymology: We are pleased to name this species in honor of our colleague and friend Alain Audureau in recognition of his contribution to the study of Cerambycidae .

Remarks: Xenocona audureaui sp. nov. is similar to X. asperipennis (Fairmaire & Germain, 1859) ( Fig. 3 ), but differs as follows: by the distinctly different elytral pubescence and integument color pattern, especially by the presence of large, dark brown macula on dorsal surface of the basal ⅔ (absent in X. asperipennis ), and centrobasal crest of the elytra distinctly longer and more elevated ( Fig. 1E ) (shorter and less elevated in X. asperipennis ( Fig. 3B )). It differs from X. senticosa (Monné & Martins, 1976) (see photographs on Bezark, 2022),known only by males, especially by the elytra with different pubescent pattern, and with wide yellowish-brown areas (absent in X.senticosa ).

Figures

Figure 1. Xenocona audureaui sp.nov.,holotype female:(A) Dorsal habitus;(B) Ventral habitus; (C) Lateral habitus;(D) Head, frontal view; (E) Centrobasal crest of the elytra.

Figure 3. Xenoconaasperipennis (Fairmaire & Germain,1859), female from Chile (Tarapacá):(A) Dorsal habitus;(B) Centrobasal crest;(C)Ventral habitus.