Namba Rifkind, 2017

Rifkind, Jacques, 2017, New genera and species of mimetic Cleridae from Mexico and Central America (Coleoptera: Cleroidea), Insecta Mundi 2017 (591), pp. 1-18 : 2-3

Namba Rifkind , new genus

( Fig. 1–3 )

Type species. Namba testacea Rifkind (by monotypy)

Diagnosis. Within New World members of the clerid subfamily Clerinae , the new genus uniquely combines the following characters: pronotum and elytra broad ( Fig. 1 ), color orange-testaceous; elytral surface not lucent, with integument densely, deeply, and regularly set with moderately small punctations that extend from base to apices without diminution; elytral setation rather dense, concolorous with integument; antenna ( Fig. 2 ) without a distinct capitulum, rather robust in aspect, with antennomeres increasingly serrate distally, antennomere 11 broad, acuminate at apex. Namba is somewhat similar to the genera Blaxima Gorham and Phonius Chevrolat , but Blaxima has the antenna terminating in a distinct club, while Phonius has a black pronotum, elytra with shallow punctation, and infuscate vestiture that contrasts against its reddish integument.

Description. Clerinae . Form: robust, subflattened dorsoventrally. Length 10 mm. Vestiture: orangetestaceous, moderately short, moderately densely arranged, composed of both erect and suberect setae, some erect setae longer; vestiture on venter finer, paler, longer. Head: surface shining, rather finely, densely, and shallowly punctate; frons rather wide, shallowly bi-impressed; maxillary palpus with terminal palpomere digitiform, apex subtruncate; labial palpus with terminal palpomere securiform; eyes moderately large, protuberant, finely facetted, ocular notch large, triangular, broad at base; an- tennae ( Fig. 2 ) robust, without distinct club; antennomeres gradually enlarged beyond pedicel; pedicel subspheroid, short; antennomere 3 subcylindrical, nearly 2× as long as pedicel; antennomeres 4–10 transverse, serrate, gradually increasing in size distally; antennomere 11 elongate (more than 2× as long as antennomere 10), subfalciform, robust basally, aciculate at terminus. Pronotum: broader than long (ratio of maximum width to length 35:31); anterior margin very feebly, broadly arcuate / emarginate at middle; sides at anterior 1/5 subparallel, inflected where they intersect transverse impression; sides at posterior 4/5 rounded; disk subflattened posterior to rather deeply incised, broadly U-shaped, transverse impression; surface shining, punctations dense, moderate in diameter, rather shallow; foveae distinct; basal collar rather narrow longitudinally. Scutellum: small, triangulate. Elytra: moderately elongate (ratio of length to maximum width approximately 2:1), subflattened dorsally; subbasal tumescences absent; humeri subquadrate; sides subsinuate at anterior 1/2, then arcuately expanded to widest point just posterior to middle, thence very gradually, arcuately convergent to separately rounded, slightly dehiscent apices; surface rather dull, densely, uniformly, subconfluently set with moderately deep but moderately small punctures, these not arranged in striae, and not diminished posteriorly. Legs: tibial spur formula 1-2-2; tarsal pulvillae well developed. Mesosternum: posterior process rather deeply notched at apex, not elevated posteriorly. Metasternum: convex; anterior process not elevated at apex; integument shallowly granulate-subpunctate. Abdomen: consisting of 6 visible ventrites; ventrite 5 with posterior angles subacute, hind margin shallowly subsinuate laterally, shallowly, arcuately emarginate at middle; ventrite 6 rather small, sides slightly arcuate, posterior margin slightly, triangularly emarginate; tergite 6 with sides obliquely convergent, hind margin rather broadly subtruncate or feebly, arcuately rounded, surpassing hind margin of ventrite 6. Aedeagus: tegmen as in Fig. 3 , not sagittate posteriorly. Female: abdomen with hind margin of ventrite 5 subtruncate; hind margins of ventrite 6 and tergite 6 feebly, broadly rounded, and coterminous.

Distribution. Known only from the Mexican state of Nuevo León.

Etymology. The generic name honors Ken Namba , one of North America’s most accomplished sushi chefs. It is treated here as feminine for the sake of euphony.

Figures

Figures 1–4. Namba testacea and Aulacoscelis hoegei anatomy. 1) Namba testacea new species, habitus; 2) N. testacea antenna, detail; 3) N. testacea tegmen, ventral view; 4) Aulacoscelis hoegei, habitus.