Klugiatragus, Clarke & Spooner & Willers, 2015

Clarke, Robin O. S., Spooner, Amoret & Willers, Joachim, 2015, A new genus of Rhinotragini for Molorchus laticornis Klug, 1825 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), Insecta Mundi 2015 (452), pp. 1-6 : 2-3

Klugiatragus gen. nov.

( Fig. 1-4 )

Type species Molorchus laticornis Klug, 1825 , designated by monotypy.

Description. Medium-sized species, moderately elongate. Forebody distinctly shorter than abdomen. Head with rostrum moderately long in female, shorter in male. Labrum transverse, subrectangular, about three times wider than long. Clypeus almost planar with frons, apex as wide as labrum. Apical palpomeres of maxilla and labium fusiform, truncate at apex, those of labium larger. Galea long and narrow. Inferior lobes of eyes large and convex; in male almost contiguous (interocular distance about five times narrower than width of one lobe); in female well separated (but interocular distance less than width of one lobe). Superior lobes of eyes almost parallel-sided, weakly narrowed laterally, and well separated. Antennal tubercles well-separated, weakly raised, but somewhat acute at apex. Antennae slightly longer than forebody; scape subpyriform (viewed laterally); antennomeres III and IV filiform; III longer than scape, and distinctly longer than any other segment; IV and V subfiliform (slightly widened at apex); VI-XI forming substantial, flattened, serrate, apical club; VI narrow at base, strongly widening to apex; VII triangular, wider than VI, at apex as wide as VIII-X; VIII-X transverse (about twice as wide as long) and trapezoidal; XI rounded, narrower than VII-X and short. Prothorax slightly elongate in both sexes; cylindrical, with regularly and moderately rounded sides (these widest at middle); base hardly juxtaposed between elytral humeri. Pronotum moderately convex, surface of disc almost regular (laterally with nearly obsolete arc of paired calli); apical constriction absent, basal constriction weakly abrupt, relatively narrow, and not fossate. Prosternum flat and planar with its process. Prosternal process flat; base rather wide (more so in female); apex moderately large, trapezoidal in male, subtriangular in female. Procoxal cavity plugged laterally and closed behind. Scutellum small and rounded at apex. Elytra cuneate; rather flat and short (but distinctly longer than width of humeri); apex just passing metacoxae; apical half moderately gaping. Humeri not hiding mesepimerum. Each elytron narrowed to rounded, almost unarmed apex; middle half with narrow, translucent panel, these depressed (more so apically). Mesosternum abruptly and deeply inclined to mesosternal process; base of process wide and tumid at midline; apex of process somewhat unusual, rounded and divergent laterally, apically truncate, and preapex without tooth. Mesoxal cavity moderately widely open to mesepimerum. Lengths of mesosternum/ metasternum about 0.63 in male, 0.66 in female. Metathorax with almost straight, parallel sides, hind margin obliquely rounded to middle of metasternal apex; metasternum moderately tumid and convex (less so in female), more prominent than mesocoxae in male, planar with mesocoxae in female. Metepisternum moderately wide and parallel-sided for basal two-thirds, subacuminate towards apex. Abdomen fusiform in female, cylindrical in male; in both sexes rather strongly convex, narrow, moderately annulated, and urosternite V well differentiated for apical half. Abdominal process inclined to abdomen in male, planar with abdomen in female. Legs (in female); ratio lengths front/middle/hind leg 1.0:1.2:2.1; front and middle legs moderately long, hind leg relatively short (body length/length of legs about 2.8, 2.3, 1.3 respectively). In both sexes femora pedunculate-clavate; claves not robust; mesofemur distinctly longer than mesotibia; metafemur subcylindrical, clave fusiform; apex nearly reaching apex of urosternite III; metatibia lacking brushes; on metatarsis, tarsomere I slightly shorter than length of II and III together.

Diagnosis. The large, flat, compact antennal club, comprising segments VI-XI, may be unique among the Rhinotragini . The antennae of Tomopterus exilis Chemsak & Linsley, 1979 are somewhat similar (but not flattened), and the genus, itself, characterized by rounded, exceptionally short elytra (usually shorter than width across humeri); those of Klugiatragus not rounded (but cuneate), and about 1.5 times longer than width across humeri. Two other Rhinotragini genera are characterized by large, compact antennal clubs (but segments rounded and not flattened); Antennommata Clarke, 2010 with 4-segmented club, and Caprichasia Clarke, 2012 with 2-segmented club; and neither of these genera have short cuneate elytra.

Etymology. The genus name, Klugiatragus , seems appropriate as Klug described the type species of this rhinotragid. The genus is male.

Figures

Figures 1-4. Fig. 1-2. Molorchus laticornis Klug, 1825, female holotype. 1) dorsal aspect. 2) ventral aspect. Fig. 3- 4. Charis melete Newman, 1841, male holotype: 3) dorsal aspect. 4) ventral aspect.