Hormathus giesberti Lingafelter & Nearns, 2007

Ivie, Michael A. & Spiessberger, Erich L., 2007, Clarification of the Correct Original Spelling of Caecomenimopsis jamaicensis Dajoz (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Diaperinae: Gnathidiini: Anopidiina), The Coleopterists Bulletin 61 (2), pp. 177-191 : 177-191

Hormathus giesberti Lingafelter & Nearns , new species

( Figs. 1a, d )

Description. Small size, 4.5–8.5 mm long; 1.0– 1.5 mm wide at humeri; integument dark metallic blue with legs and antennae less metallic, and darker. Head with shallow interantennal tubercle region, evenly concave between; tubercles only weakly elevated. Head (including antennal tubercles) coarsely punctate dorsally (contiguous and forming transverse rows on occiput of females), mostly impunctate ventrally. Head glabrous except for few scattered long hairs (one on frons above base of mandible on each side; one behind antennal tubercle on each side; and two on each side of gula). Eye without distinct upper lobe; with a small postero-dorsal notch near insertion of scape. Eye coarsely faceted (about 14 facets at greatest height). Antenna without spines, with inconspicuous vestiture of short, opaque hairs with longer hairs at apex of most antennomeres. Antennae of males extending about 1–2 antennomeres beyond elytra; antennae of females extending to posterior fourth of elytra at most. Antennomeres 3–5 of males greatly swollen, fourth antennomere shortest, remaining antennomeres unmodified. Antennomeres of females not swollen, fourth shortest. Pronotum cylindrical, mostly glabrous and impunctate (just a few scattered punctures on disk), without distinct calli or tubercles, arched at anterior end, length about 1.5 times width. Prosternal process very narrow between procoxae, strongly expanded at apex, closing procoxal cavities posteriorly. Elytra mostly glabrous, with scattered long, erect hairs and moderately dense, broad, shallow punctures throughout. Elytral apices rounded to subtruncate, vaguely dentiform at suture in some specimens. Scutellum rounded posteriorly, mostly glabrous, without conspicuous punctures. Legs of moderate length, femora clavate, variably pedunculate. Venter mostly glabrous, but with short, white vestiture on episternites. Mesosternum with broad mesocoxal process with lateral extensions into mesocoxae. Fifth sternite of both sexes broadly rounded, without modification.

Etymology. This attractive species of Hormathus is named after Edmund Giesbert (1931–1999) to acknowledge his recognition of this new species and with our appreciation for his prolific contributions to the study of Cerambycidae . Edmund passionately collected and studied Cerambycidae for many decades. His publications, graced with his beautiful artwork, were always eagerly awaited by our community. The epithet is a noun in apposition.

Discussion. The uniform metallic blue coloration of this small longhorned beetle makes it readily identifiable. The only other species with which it could be confused is an undescribed species of metallic blue Psyrassa Pascoe 1866 from the Dominican Republic, but the latter is readily distinguished by having mesal spines on some basal antennomeres. The eye shape and facets are very similar among Hormathus giesberti , H. bicolor , and H. cinctellus and would be more appropriately classified as coarsely faceted, not finely faceted. Cerambycids with finely faceted eyes have over 30 facets in a row along the greatest dorsal-ventral thickness of an average-sized eye. All Hormathus specimens examined for each species have 16 or less, a general indicator of large (coarse) ommatidia for average-sized eyes.

At the time this paper was going to press, five additional specimens from the Giesbert collection were found in the Frank Hovore collection by Ian Swift. Ian also located a draft of a Giesbert manuscript describing this species on Frank’s computer. Since we had already completed the description independently and without knowledge of Giesbert’s draft manuscript (or other specimens), we elected to proceed with our description.

Type Material. Holotype, male: ‘‘ Dominican Republic, La Altagracia, Punta Cana near Eco. Reserve , 0–5 m, at light, SpecID: 7310, Nearns & Lingafelter 25- VI-2005 ’’ ( USNM) . Paratypes, 19 (all Dominican Republic): same data as holotype except sweeping, June 25, 2005, A. Konstantinov (1 male, USNM) ; San Pedro Province, near Juan Dolio , 13–18 May 1985, J. E. Wappes (1 female, JEWC) ; same data except 4 May 1985, J. E. Wappes (1 male, 1 female, JEWC) ; same data except 5–19 May , 1985, E. Giesbert, coll. (3 males, 2 females, EFGC) ; 12 km W San Pedro de Macoris, 5–19 May 1985, E. Giesbert (1 male, 1 female, EMEC) ; La Altagracia Province, Parque Nacional del Este, Guaraguao , 0–5 m, 18 ° 19.568 9 N, 68 ° 48.500 9 W, 8 July 2006, N. E. Woodley, sweeping mangrove flowers (1 female, ENPC) ; same data except 3 July 2006 (1 female, USNM) ; La Altagracia Province, Parque del Este, 2.9 km southwest of Boca de Yuma , 11 m, 28 May 2004, C. Young, J. Rawlins, J. Fetzner, C. Nunez, semihumid forest near sea, limestone, hand collected, 52144, CMNH 325,152 (1 female, CMNH) ; La Altagracia Province, Parque del Este, Caseta Guaraguao, 4.4 km southeast Bayahibe , 18 ° 19.59 9 N, 68 ° 48.42 9 W, 3 m, 26–27 May 2004, C. Young, J. Rawlins, 182 J. Fetzner, C. Nunez, semihumid forest near sea, limestone, canopy trap, sample 51194, CMNH 326,408 (1 female, CMNH) ; same data, CMNH 330,421 (1 female, CMNH) ; same data except malaise (not canopy), sample 51184, CMNH 328,619 (1 male, CMNH) ; La Altagracia Province, Parque Nacional del Este, Guaraguao , 30 May 1992, K. A. Guerrero, F. DelMonte, sweeping (1 female, WIBF) ; San Cristobal Province, San Cristobal, 4 June 1980, D. Guez., coll. (1 female, WIBF) .

Figures

Fig. 1. a–f. New species of Cerambycidae from Dominican Republic, along with similar taxa: a) Hormathus giesberti Lingafelter & Nearns, male; b) Hormathus bicolor (Zayas), male; c) Hormathus cinctellus Gahan, male; d) H. giesberti Lingafelter & Nearns, female;