Nealcidion cephaliferum, Vlasak & Santos-Silva, 2022

Vlasak, Josef & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2022, Five new species of Nealcidion Monné, 1997 from Ecuador (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae), Zootaxa 5209 (5), pp. 535-554 : 542-546

Nealcidion cephaliferum sp. nov.

( Figs 12–16 )

Description. Holotype male. Head capsule black, except brownish apex of antennal tubercles; ventral mouthparts reddish brown, except palpomeres dark brown with apex reddish brown; scape brown on anterior 2/3, dark brown on posterior third; pedicel mostly dark brown; antennomeres III–IV dark reddish brown basally, brown dorsally, this area darker on III, dark reddish brown laterally and ventrally, except posterior blackish posterior eight of III and posterior seventh of IV; antennomeres V–VII orangish basally, reddish brown on remaining surface, except dark-brown posterior quarter, anterior 3/4 of VII slightly lighter; antennomeres VIII–XI orangish about basal third, gradually reddish brown toward dark-brown posterior quarter. Pronotum brown, except dark-brown anterior fifth and posterior margin, small dark-brown spots surrounding some punctures laterally and large, black H-shaped macula centrally. Sides of prothorax brown, except small dark brown maculae anteriorly. Prosternum dark brown laterally and on anterior margin, gradually dark reddish brown toward center; prosternal process reddish brown, somewhat orangish brown on lateral margins. Mesanepisternum, mesepimeron, and metanepisternum dark brown. Mesoventrite reddish-brown. Mesoventral process dark reddish brown, except orangish-brown margins.Metaventrite mostly blackish, with anterocentral region dark reddish brown, except orangish-brown margins of intercoxal process. Scutellum brown on anterocentral triangular region, blackish on remaining surface. Elytra dark brown on anterior sixth and laterally from base to posterior seventh, except irregular black maculae, black maculae denser between centrobasal crests, almost forming a rectangular black macula, and black spots surrounding punctures, brown on remaining anterior 2/3 of dorsal surface, and brownish on remaining posterior third. Femoral peduncles pale yellow; femoral clubs dark brown. Tibiae dark brown, except orangish central ring. Protarsomere I orangish brown on basal half, dark brown on apical half; meso- and metatarsomere I orangish brown on basal 2/3, dark brown on apical third; tarsomeres II–III dark brown; tarsomeres IV and basal half of V orangish brown, and remaining surface of V dark brown. Ventrites 1–4 orangish brown laterally, reddish brown centrally, except orangish brown posterocentral area; ventrite 5 dark brown on anterolateral third, reddish brown on remaining surface.

Head. Frons abundantly, minutely punctate; with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence denser laterally and close to clypeus, except glabrous median groove; with a few long, erect brownish setae close to eyes. Antennal tubercles abundantly minutely punctate; with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument. Area between antennal tubercles and upper eye lobes with large, smooth and glabrous diamond-shaped area centrally; remaining surface of vertex with dense yellowish-brown pubescence, except glabrous median groove, and dark-brown pubescent macula on each side of median groove close to prothorax; with a few long, erect brownish setae close to eyes. Area behind eyes with dense yellowish-brown pubescence, except glabrous inferior area close to prothorax; with a few long, erect brownish setae interspersed close to upper eye lobe. Genae with sparse yellowish-brown pubescence, except glabrous apex; with one long, erect brownish seta close to eye. Wide central area of postclypeus with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence, slightly sparser close to anteclypeus, and long, erect dark-brown setae interspersed. Sides of postclypeus glabrous. Labrum with somewhat sparse yellowish-white pubescence on posterior half, glabrous on anterior half, except fringe of yellowishbrown setae on anterior margin; with long, erect brownish setae interspersed on anterior region of pubescent area. Gulamentum smooth, glabrous, except depressed anterocentral region with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.15 times distance between outer margins of eyes; in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.52 times distance between outer margins of eyes. Antennae 2.90 times elytral length, reaching elytral apex slightly after middle of antennomere V. Scape with abundant yellowish pubescence partially obscuring integument, pubescence more yellowish-brown depending on light intensity and source, except brownish pubescence on dorsal surface of posterior third, and yellower pubescence on apex of dorsal and lateral surfaces; with sparse long, erect both dark-brown and yellowish-brown setae on anterior 3/4 of ventral surface, and dense, long, erect dark-brown setae on posterior quarter of ventral surface. Pedicel mostly with brownish pubescence dorsally and laterally, yellowish ventrally; with a few long, erect dark yellowish-brown setae ventrally. Antennomere III–IV with pale-yellow pubescence basally and yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument on remaining surface, except brownish pubescence on apical dark integumental area, pubescence appearing to be darker dorsally due to the integument color, and denser ventrally on III; with sparse, short yellowish setae interspersed throughout; with long, erect dark yellowish-brown setae interspersed ventrally, sparser on IV, and denser apically on both antennomeres. Antennomeres V–VI with dense yellowish-white pubescence basally, sparse, yellowish white on remaining surface, except sparse dark pubescence on apical dark integumental area; with short, erect yellowish setae interspersed throughout and a few long, erect dark setae on ventral apex. Antennomeres VII–XI with sparse yellowish-white setae and short, erect setae of same color interspersed. Antennal formula based on length of antennomere III: scape = 0.85; pedicel = 0.09; IV = 0.89; V = 0.78; VI = 0.64; VII = 0.55; VIII = 0.59; IX = 0.61; X = 0.61; XI = 0.64.

Thorax. Prothorax wider than long; sides rounded between anterior and posterior fifths. Pronotum with elongated gibbosity on each side of middle, from anterior to posterior quarter, elevated anteriorly, gradually lower toward posterior quarter; somewhat abundantly, coarsely punctate anteriorly and posteriorly, sparsely, coarsely punctate laterally, and sparsely, finely punctate centrally close to coarse posterior punctures; with abundant pale-yellow pubescence anteriorly and laterally, except somewhat L-shaped brownish pubescent macula on each side of middle; with abundant blackish pubescence on H-shaped black macula, and pale-yellow pubescence on remaining central area, pubescence more yellowish-brown toward center of H-shaped black macula; with a few long, erect brownish setae interspersed on posterior third. Sides of prothorax with dense pale-yellow pubescence, except brown pubescence on dark integumental areas. Prosternum with dense pale-yellow pubescence laterally, slightly sparser, yellowish white on remaining surface. Prosternal process with pubescence as on central area of prosternum, except glabrous lateral margins; narrowest area 0.42 times procoxal width. Mesoventrite with sparse yellowish-white pubescence centrally, denser yellowish-brown laterally. Mesanepisternum and mesepimeron with dense yellowish-brown pubescence. Mesoventral process mostly glabrous centrally, laterally, and on posterior quarter; with somewhat abundant whitish pubescence on remaining surface, not obscuring integument; apex truncate, 0.68 times mesocoxal width. Metanepisternum with dense yellowish-brown pubescence, and decumbent yellowish-white setae interspersed. Sides of metaventrite with dense pale-yellow pubescence, except posterior 2/3 close to metanepisternum with pubescence more yellowish-brown; remaining surface with abundant pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence gradually yellowish white toward center. Scutellum with dense pale-yellow pubescence on light integumental area, and minute, dense dark-brown pubescence on remaining surface. Elytra. Sides gradually convergent toward slightly obliquely truncate apex; centrobasal crest ( Fig. 16 ) elongated, elevated, with dense, long, erect black setae dorsally; with two slightly distinct longitudinal carinae dorsally, fused on posterior sixth, innermost starting on centrobasal crest, outermost starting basally close to humerus; humeral carina slightly marked; abundantly, coarsely punctate on anterior third, punctures gradually finer, sparser toward apex. With two large, light yellowish-brown pubescent maculae dorsally: anterior one from apex of centrobasal crest to after middle, from suture to slightly after center of dorsal surface, slightly widened on its central region, with irregular yellowish-brown pubescent maculae about its middle, with brownish pubescent spots interspersed close to suture, and two dark-brown pubescent spots on innermost carina; posterior one on posterior third, parallel-sided on its anterior 2/3, widened, covering entire apex on its posterior third. Remaining elytral surface with dense yellowish-brown pubescence, except dark integumental maculae and spots with dark-brown pubescence or somewhat glabrous, short, longitudinal white pubescent band close to center of anterior light yellowish-brown macula, and sparse white pubescent spots on posterior 2/3 of humeral carina. Epipleural margin with a few short, erect, both yellowish and dark setae, dorsal area close to apex with a few long, erect dark setae, and apical margin with sparse yellowish setae. Legs. Femoral peduncles with abundant whitish pubescence; femoral clubs with abundant yellowish pubescence, slightly darker depending on light intensity, except large yellowish-brown pubescent band on posterior half of dorsal and lateral surfaces, not reaching apex, and large yellowish-brown pubescent macula with yellowish pubescence interspersed on dorsal base. Protibiae with small triangular projection on center of outer margin of ventral surface; with yellowish-brown pubescent ring basally, yellowish-white pubescent ring centrally; anterior area between pubescent rings mostly with brownish pubescence; remaining surface with yellowish-brown pubescence dorsally, mostly dark brown laterally, and dense, bristly yellowish-brown pubescence ventrally. Meso- and metatibiae with yellowish-white pubescent ring basally and centrally, mostly with brownish pubescence on remaining surface, except ventral surface of posterior third with dense, bristly yellowish-brown pubescence; dorsal surface of posterior half of mesotibiae with dense, erect, thick black setae; dorsal surface of metatibiae with abundant, short, erect dark setae on posterior half close to central light ring. Metatarsomere I as long as II–III together.

Abdomen. Ventrites 1–4 with dense pale-yellow pubescence laterally, slightly sparser, yellowish white centrally, except glabrous central apex of 2–4; ventrite 5 with abundant yellowish-white pubescence; apex of ventrite 5 concave, with outer apices not spiniform.

Female. Similar to male, differing primarily by the apex of ventrite 5 rounded and the last tergite acutely projected, covered with short thick setae, surpassing the apex of ventrite 5 by about the length of ventrite 3; in addition, the female body is stouter, femoral clubs slightly narrower, and antennae slightly shorter, 2.6 times elytral length.

Dimensions (mm) (Holotype male/ paratype female). Total length, 9.70/10.45; prothoracic length, 1.60/1.70; anterior prothoracic width, 2.00/2.05; posterior prothoracic width, 2.45/2.65; maximum prothoracic width, 2.60/2.80; humeral width, 3.90/4.40; elytral length, 7.15/7.90.

Type material. Holotype male from ECUADOR, Pichincha: 1300 m, Nanegal, 27.IX.2021, J. Vlasak leg. ( MZSP) . Paratype female, same data as holotype ( JVCO) .

Etymology. The specific epithet “cephaliferum” (from Greek “cephalos,” meaning head, with Latin suffix “ferum”, meaning bearing) refers to the large, head-shaped light-colored macula in the center of elytra.

Remarks. Nealcidion cephaliferum sp. nov. belongs to the group of species without a distinct longitudinal carina on the dorsal surface of the elytra. It is similar to N. lineatum (Bates, 1863) ( Figs 17–21 ; see also photographs on Bezark 2022), but differs as follows: body ( Fig. 12 ) stouter; centrobasal crest of the elytra ( Fig. 16 ) longer, about as long as metatarsomere I; innermost longitudinal carina of the elytra slightly distinct; elytral apex truncate; and protibiae with triangular projection on middle of outer margin of ventral surface. In N. lineatum , the body is slender ( Figs 20–21 ), dark central areas of the pronotum are slender, centrobasal crest of the elytra is much shorter than metatarsomere I, innermost longitudinal carina of the elytra is well-marked, elytral apex is slightly concave, with outer angles projected, and protibiae in male are without triangular projection ventrally.

Figures

FIGURES 12–16. Nealcidion cephaliferum sp. nov., holotype male:12) Dorsal habitus; 13)Ventral habitus; 14) Lateral habitus; 15) Head and pronotum; 16) Centrobasal crests.

FIGURES 17–22. 17–21) Nealcidion lineatum (Bates, 1863): 17) Female from Colombia (Saladito, Valle del Cauca), dorsal habitus; 18) Holotype, dorsal habitus, by Jesus Santiago Moue; 19) Protarsus, male from Venezuela (Tachira); 20) Male from Colombia (Saladito, Valle del Cauca), dorsal habitus; 21) Male from Venezuela, dorsal habitus. 22) Nealcidion sublineatum sp. nov., holotype male, dorsal habitus.