Euderces ecuadorensis, Botero & Bezark & Santos-Silva, 2020

Botero, Juan Pablo, Bezark, Larry G. & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2020, A new genus, new species and taxonomic notes on American Cerambycinae (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), Zootaxa 4758 (1), pp. 157-175 : 169-171

Euderces ecuadorensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 28–32 )

Description. Female. Head black posteriorly, reddish-brown on genae and anterior area of gulamentum, dark reddish-brown on postclypeus (less so toward frons); labrum mostly yellowish-brown; antennae reddish-brown, gradually lighter toward distal segments. Prothorax black, except reddish-brown macula on each side of prosternum close to procoxal cavities, and prosternal process reddish-brown anteriorly, gradually yellowish-brown toward apex (margins brownish). Ventral surface of mesothorax reddish-brown, with margins of its segments brownish. Basal 2/3 of metanepisternum dark brown, reddish-brown on posterior third. Sides of metaventrite dark brown, gradually reddish-brown toward metacoxal cavities, dark reddish-brown toward centro-basal area, reddish-brown on remaining central area (slightly orangish-brown on centro-apical area); black on margin close to mesocoxal cavities and apex of metaventral process. Elytra black, except narrow, oblique eburneous callosity about middle, from epipleural margin to near sutural margin, subtriangular reddish-brown macula close to anterior margin of eburneous callosity, starting on epipleural margin and ending before apex of eburneous callosity, reddish-brown epipleural margin (except on basal quarter), and narrow reddish-brown apical area. Coxae, trochanters, and femora reddish-brown (part of sides of femoral club darkened); femora dark reddish-brown on anterior 2/3, gradually lighter on posterior third; tarsi dark reddish-brown. Ventrites black, except somewhat reddish-brown apex of ventrites I–IV.

Head. Frons finely, densely punctate, except triangular frontal plate smooth with a few coarse punctures laterally; limits between frontal plate and postclypeus nearly indistinct; with yellowish pubescence centrally, not obscuring integument, gradually denser, longer, white toward sides (forming longitudinal white band from base of antennal tubercles to postclypeus), glabrous on frontal plate; with long, erect, sparse yellowish setae. Area between antennal tubercles with a few short white setae, and long, erect, sparse yellowish setae. Remaining surface of vertex depressed, finely, moderately abundantly punctate (punctures distinctly coarser than on frons); with a few short yellowish-white setae, and both short and long, erect yellowish setae. Area behind upper eye lobes and area between lobes finely, abundantly punctate; with yellowish pubescence close to eye, not obscuring integument, nearly glabrous on remaining surface. Area behind lower eye lobes striate-punctate; glabrous superiorly, with dense white pubescent band close to eye toward inferior side, nearly glabrous on remaining surface; with a few long, erect white setae on pubescent area. Antennal tubercles minutely, densely punctate on basal area (less so toward upper eye lobes), smooth on apex; with white pubescence not obscuring integument (distinctly sparser toward upper eye lobes), glabrous on smooth area. Genae distinctly longer than lower eye lobe; finely, somewhat rugose-punctate, except smooth apex; with sparse white pubescence, and a few long, erect yellowish setae, except glabrous smooth area. Postclypeus finely, moderately abundantly punctate on wide central area, smooth laterally; with short, sparse yellowish-white setae (whiter depending on light intensity), and a few long, erect yellowish setae on sides of wide central area, glabrous laterally. Labrum with narrow posterior area coplanar with anteclypeus, distinctly inclined on remaining surface; with a few long, erect white setae centrally, and long, erect yellowish setae laterally on narrow posterior area, and erect, moderately long and abundant yellowish setae anteriorly. Gulamentum nearly smooth, glabrous on posterior half, slightly depressed, rugose-punctate, with sparse, both short and long, erect yellowish setae on anterior half. Area between eye lobes lacking isolated ommatidia; distance between upper eye lobes 0.74 times length of scape (0.38 times distance between outer margins of eyes); in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 1.10 times length of scape (0.57 times distance between outer margins of eyes). Antennae (only holotype measured) 1.4 times elytral length, reaching posterior sixth of elytra. Scape with white pubescence not obscuring integument, with long, erect yellowish setae interspersed. Pedicel and antennomeres with white pubescence not obscuring integument, denser from antennomere V; pedicel and antennomeres III–VI with long, erect yellowish setae ventrally; antennomere III with long spine at inner apex, curved near apex, 0.4 times length of antennomere; antennomere IV with short spine at inner apex, 0.19 times length of antennomere; antennomere V with spicule at inner apex. Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III (without spines): scape = 0.68; pedicel = 0.21; IV = 0.68; V = 0.78; VI = 0.71; VII = 0.61; VIII = 0.46; IX = 0.46; X = 0.43; XI = 0.57.

Thorax. Prothorax distinctly longer than wide; sides uniformly rounded centrally. Pronotum smooth on narrow area close to anterior margin, finely striate-punctate on remaining anterior seventh, moderately finely, densely punctate on remaining surface, except slightly punctate area close to posterior margin, and large, transverse, and coarsely, longitudinally striate, nearly bat-shaped central area; with dense yellowish-brown pubescence, denser close to bat-shaped area, gradually sparser toward anterior margin, gradually sparser and whiter towards posterior margin, with long, erect yellowish-brown setae interspersed, except glabrous bat-shaped area. Sides of prothorax with sculpturing, pubescence and erect setae as on pronotum, with wide, oblique, longitudinally striate, glabrous central area, following bat-shaped area on pronotum, striae gradually less conspicuous toward prosternum. Prosternum coarsely, abundantly punctate on posterior half, striate on anterior half (striae nearly absent closest to anterior margin); with white pubescence not obscuring integument on posterior half, distinctly shorter and denser centrally; with a few short yellowish-white setae on anterior half. Narrowest area of prosternal process 0.22 times width of procoxal cavity. Mesoventrite smooth on wide central area, with white pubescence not obscuring integument laterally and close to mesocoxal cavities; mesanepisternum, mesepimeron, metanepisternum and sides of metaventrite with yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument (whiter on some areas); remaining surface of metaventrite with yellowish-white pubescence gradually sparser toward glabrous central area; metaventrite with long, erect, sparse yellowish-white setae interspersed. Scutellum with yellowish pubescence basally, gradually white toward apex. Elytra. With elevated crest on basal quarter, slightly closer to suture than lateral edge, with their apices converging posteriorly toward suture (not reaching suture); surface of basal crest with abundant small granules; remaining surface between base and eburneous callosity finely, densely punctate, except humeral area almost smooth, and inclined area with punctures distinctly sparse; wide area beyond eburneous callosity finely, densely punctate (punctures finer and denser than on anterior area), followed by moderately wide, transverse, smooth area, gradually widened toward epipleural margin, another wide area with punctures close to eburneous callosity, and posterior fifth finely, moderately sparsely punctate; mostly with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument, except very sparse pubescence on humeral area, inclined basal quarter, and oblique area laterally on basal third, following that on inclined area, gradually narrowed toward about middle of centro-basal crest, sparse pubescence close to posterior margin of eburneous callosity, nearly glabrous smooth area after middle, sides of posterior fifth with a few short setae, white pubescent band along suture on basal quarter, white pubescent macula along suture close to posterior margin of smooth area (gradually narrowed toward its apex), and narrow white pubescent band along suture near apex; with long, erect, moderately abundant yellowish-brown setae; apex slightly oblique, with outer angle triangularly projected, and sutural angle slightly rounded projected. Legs. Pro- and mesocoxae with white pubescent macula close to trochanter. Femora with yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, distinctly sparser on peduncle, with long, erect yellowish-white setae interspersed. Tibiae with long, erect, yellowish and white setae, distinctly shorter, denser, yellowish-brown near apex (this area wider on protibiae).

Abdomen. Ventrites with yellowish-white pubescence laterally, not obscuring integument, very sparse centrally except posterior area of ventrite V; with long, erect, sparse yellowish-white setae interspersed. Apex of ventrite V truncate.

Variation. Scape dark brown; subtriangular macula on elytra orangish-brown; frontal plate more trapezoidal, finely, longitudinally striate posteriorly, smooth centrally, with moderately coarse punctures anteriorly; area between upper eye lobes striate-punctate, and area close to prothorax with transverse, dense punctures; pubescence behind lower eye lobes shorter and more yellowish; spine of antennomere III not curved near apex.

Dimensions (mm) (holotype / paratype). Total length, 9.25/8.30; prothoracic length, 2.65/2.35; anterior prothoracic width, 1.60/1.45; basal prothoracic width, 1.35/1.25; widest prothoracic width, 1.95/1.80; humeral width, 2.10/1.85; elytral length, 5.65/5.10.

Type material. Holotype female, from ECUADOR, Manabi: Monticristi , 11.III.2006, no collector indicated col. ( CASC, formerly WHTC) . Paratype female, same data as holotype except 13.VI.2016, local collector ( WHTC) .

Etymology. The specific epithet ecuadorensis refers to the country where this species was collected.

Remarks. Following the key from Giesbert & Chemsak (1997), Euderces ecuadorensis sp. nov. could be included in both alternatives of couplet “26” because the spine of the antennomere III is slightly shorter than 2/3 the length of the antennomere IV in the holotype, and practically 2/ 3 in the paratype. However, as only females are known and males usually have longer antennae, it is not possible to be sure about the proportions. If the first alternative was followed (“spine less than 2/3 as long as entire fourth segment”), E. ecuadorensis is included in the alternative of couplet “35” with E. wappesi Giesbert & Chemsak, 1997 , and E. sculpticollis (Bates, 1885) . The new species differs from E. wappesi by antennomere III distinctly shorter than twice the length of antennomere IV (III more than 2.5 times as long as IV in E. wappesi ), eburneous elytral callosity oblique (straight in E. wappesi ), smooth area of elytra distinctly narrower than the length of antennomere IV close to suture (longer than length of antennomere IV close to suture in E. wappesi ), and elytral apex truncate and projected on outer and sutural angles (uniformly rounded in E. wappesi ). It differs from E. sculpticollis by the eburneous elytral callosity oblique (straight in E. sculpticollis ), and antennomere III shorter than twice length of IV (more than twice the length in E. sculpticollis ).

If the second alternative of couplet “26” was followed (“spine of third segment long, 2/3 or more as long as entire fourth segment”), E. ecuadorensis is included in the alternative of couplet “46” with E. dimidiatipennis (Melzer, 1932) , and E. cribellatus (Bates, 1885) . The new species differs from E. dimidiatipennis and E. cribellatus by the spine of antennomere III with acute apex (blunt in E. dimidiatipennis and E. cribellatus ), and elytral apex truncate with angles projected (uniformly rounded in E. dimidiatipennis and E. cribellatus ).

Euderces ecuadorensis sp. nov. is also similar to E. boucardi (Chevrolat, 1862) , but differs by the antennomere V slightly longer than IV (distinctly longer in E. boucardi ), basal third of the elytra lacking shining band reaching suture (present in E. boucardi ), and eburneous elytral callosity oblique (straight in E. boucardi ). From E. paraposticus Giesbert & Chemsak, 1997 , it differs by the shining transverse band on posterior half of elytra distinctly narrower than the length of antennomere IV close to suture (distinctly wider in E. paraposticus ), eburneous elytral callosity oblique (straight in E. paraposticus ), and elytral area close to posterior margin of eburneous callosity finely punctate (punctures coarser and more distinct in E. paraposticus ). The elytral apex in E. paraposticus was described as being narrowly truncate. However, the drawing in the original description shows the elytral apex as wide and sinuate-truncate (distinctly wider than in E. ecuadorensis ). The new species is also somewhat similar to E. linsleyi Giesbert & Chemsak, 1997 , but differs by having a single eburneous elytral callosity (two in E. linsleyi ), and the spine of the antennomere III acute at the apex (blunt in E. linsleyi ).

Two South American species were not included in the key from Giesbert & Chemsak (1997): Euderces guerinii (Chevrolat, 1862) , described from “ Nouvelle-Grenade,” and having the type locality incorrectly reported as being Colombia (at that time, New Granada was constituted by other countries besides Colombia); and Euderces waltli (Chevrolat, 1862) , described from Brazil (no further details). These two species were mentioned only in catalogues after the original descriptions. The new species cannot be E. guerinii because the elytra were described by Chevrolat (1862) as widened on posterior half (very slightly widened in the new species), antennae and legs black (reddishbrown in the new species), and outer angle of the elytra rounded (projected in the new species). As pointed out by Giesbert & Chemsak (1997), it is likely E. waltli does not belong to Euderces , since it lacks the elytral eburneous callosity.

Figures

FIGURES 28–32. Euderces ecuadorensis: 28) Dorsal habitus, holotype female; 29) Ventral habitus, holotype female; 30) Lateral habitus, holotype female; 31) Head, frontal view, holotype female; 32) Dorsal habitus, paratype female.