Cymatodera limatula Burke

Burke, Alan F., 2013, Six new species of Cymatodera from Mexico and Central America and the retention of Cymatodera obliquefasciata as a valid name (Cleridae, Tillinae), ZooKeys 299, pp. 49-75 : 69-72

Cymatodera limatula Burke sp. n. Figs 6, 15, 29, 36, 57, 60, 61, 62

Type material.

Holotype: male, México, Chiapas, El Aguacero, 680 m, at light, 17-VI-1990, R. A. Cunningham, red handwritten label, holotype deposited in CNIN. Paratypes: 2 males, 1 female. 1 male: same data as holotype (JNRC, 1); 1 female: México, Chiapas, El Chorreadero, 10 km W Chiapa de Corzo, 24-VI-1987, E. Giesbert (USNM, 1); 1 male: México, Chiapas, C[arretera] 190, 17 km W Tuxtla Gutierrez, Alt. 1000 m, 21 to 25-VI-1987, E. Giesbert (KSUC, 1).

Description.

TL= 9.8 mm, length of males 10.2-11 mm, length of female 9.4 mm, n = 4 (Fig. 6).

Color: head predominantly black (Fig. 60), except gula and submentum ferrugineous; pronotum and mesosternum light ferrugineous; elytra, metasternum, legs, mouthparts and antennae testaceous; abdomen testaceous, except sixth visible ventrite pale testaceous (Fig. 29), and median region of ventrites 2-3 irregularly fuscous (Fig. 62); vestiture uniformly pale; a transversally directed, black fascia on anterior margin of pronotum covering about one fifth of pronotal disc, and two irregular, small, black maculae located on lateral area of pronotum adjacent to posterior margin. Each elytron with two broad, somewhat irregular, transversally directed, black fasciae extending from suture to epipleuron; first located on humeral region, covering about one sixth of elytral ground; second behind middle, somewhat longer than preceding band, covering approximately one fifth of elytral ground.

Head: HL= 1.3 mm, HW= 1.5 mm; length to width ratio: males average 0.92, female 0.86; measured across eyes wider than pronotum; surface rugose; frons feebly bi-impressed; moderately, rather coarsely punctate; clothed with short, recumbent setae intermixed with some long, semierect and erect setae. Eyes medium-sized, rather rounded, inconspicuously longer than wide, feebly emarginate in front, somewhat bulging laterally, separated by approximately 3 eye-widths. Antennae reaching humeral angles; antennomeres 2-3 subcylindrical, slender; antennomeres 4-10 strongly serrate, longer than broad; third antennomere somewhat longer than second antennomere; fifth antennomere slightly shorter than fourth antennomere; antennomeres 5-10 subequal in length; last antennomere 2.5 × longer than tenth antennomere (Fig. 15).

Thorax: PL= 2.1 mm, PW= 1.15 mm; length to width ratio: males average 1.85, female 1.75; pronotum rugose; widest at middle; middle slightly wider than front margin; sides constricted subapically, more strongly constricted behind middle; disc flat, feebly impressed in front of middle; subbasal tumescence pronounced; vested with short and long semirecumbent setae interspaced with some erect setae; surface moderately, finely punctate. Mesosternum rugose; moderately, coarsely punctate; somewhat clothed with long, semirecumbent setae.

Metasternum shiny; surface convex, puncticulate; covered with long, semirecumbent setae. Scutellum subquadrate; wider than long; notched medially.

Legs: clothed with long, erect setae and some short, recumbent setae that become more abundant on posterior half of tibiae; femora shiny, finely, indistinctly punctate, transversely rugose; tibiae coarsely, densely punctate, longitudinally rugose.

Elytra: EL= 6.1 mm, EW= 2.8 mm; length to width ratio: males average 2.15, female 2.18; anterior margin bisinuate, wider than pronotum; disc smooth, flattened above; humeri indicated; sides subparallel, widest on third fourth; apices weakly dehiscent, rounded, covering sixth tergite; elytral declivity somewhat procurved, clothed with short, semirecumbent setae intermingled with long, erect, less densely arranged setae; sculpturing consisting of coarse punctations arranged in striae that gradually reduce in size behind middle; interstices smooth, about 1.5 × the width of punctation.

Abdomen: ventrites 1-5 rugose; moderately, coarsely punctate; somewhat clothed with short, recumbent setae interspaced with some long, erect setae. First visible ventrite strongly convex; posterior margin elevated, with a transverse carina that initiates next to hind angles and produces a broad, deep, arcuate emargination (Fig. 62). Second visible ventrite rather convex; posterior margin elevated, moderately, arcuately emarginate (Fig. 62). Ventrites 3-4 feebly convex; hind margins truncate. Fifth visible ventrite somewhat convex; lateral margins oblique; posterior margin broadly, rather deeply, arcuately emarginate; hind angles narrowly rounded (Fig. 29). Sixth visible ventrite subquadrate; rugulose; surface feebly convex; broader than long; puncticulate; second half with a median tumescence; lateral margins oblique; posterior margin broadly, shallowly, triangularly emarginate; hind angles rounded (Fig. 29). Fifth tergite rugulose; surface weakly convex; finely punctate; posterior margin narrowly, shallowly, arcuately emarginate. Sixth tergite subtriangular; rugulose; surface somewhat convex; moderately punctate; lateral margins strongly oblique, narrowing apically, producing a constricted, rather acuminate posterior margin. Sixth tergite extending slightly beyond the apical margin of sixth visible ventrite. Aedeagus 1.85 mm long, rather slender; ratio of length of paramere to whole tegmen 0.28: 1; parameres feebly developed, pointed at apex, phallobase wide; phallus with copulatory piece acuminated distally, phallic plate without an internal row of denticles at dorsal margin, with fine granular structures on posterior area; phallobasic apodeme and endophallic struts elongate, slender (Fig. 57).

Variation.

The only female in the type series differs from the male by having the first visible ventrite moderately longer and the posterior margin of ventrites 1-2 truncate (Fig. 61). Moreover, abdominal differences are as follows: fifth visible ventrite rugose, lateral margins oblique, posterior margin truncate (Fig. 36); sixth visible ventrite rugulose, semicircular, surface feebly convex, broader than long, lateral and posterior margins broadly rounded (Fig. 36); fifth tergite rugulose, lateral margins oblique, posterior margin truncate; sixth tergite rugulose, broader than long, surface inconspicuously convex, lateral and posterior margins strongly oblique, slightly acuminate posteriorly, almost semicircular. Posterior margin of sixth tergite extending slightly beyond sixth visible ventrite. One male paratype does not possess the irregular, small, black maculae located on the posterolateral area of pronotum.

Differential diagnosis.

The distinctive coloration and elytral markings of this species will serve to separate it from congeners. No other species in the Cymatodera group has the distinctive piceus fasciae on the pronotum and elytral ground, and the predominantly black color on the head (Figs 6, 60). In addition, shape of terminal abdominal segments (Figs 29, 36), strongly serrate condition of antennomeres 4-10, shape of last antennomere (Fig. 17), and male genitalia (Fig. 57) are characters that serve to separate Cymatodera limatula from remaining Cymatodera species.

Distribution.

This species is known from three localities in the state of Chiapas, Mexico: El Aguacero, in the periphery of Tuxtla Gutierrez; El Chorreadero, 8 km northeast of Chiapa de Corzo; and on highway 190, 17 km west of Tuxtla Gutierrez.

Etymology.

The specific epithet comes from the Latin noun limatula (=distinctive), and makes allusion to the characteristic color pattern of this new species.