Apeba Martins & Galileo, 1991

Galileo, Maria Helena M., Santos-Silva, Antonio & Wappes, James E., 2017, Two new species of Lamiinae, synonymies in Hemilophini, and corrections on the concept of four genera with transfers of three species (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), Zootaxa 4247 (4), pp. 445-460 : 446

On Apeba Martins & Galileo, 1991 and Lycidola Thomson, 1864

Thomson (1864) created Lycidola for Lycidola palliata ( Klug, 1825) . According to Thomson (1864), Lycidola were defined as follows (translated): “Antennae shorter than body; antennomere III very long, antennomeres 3–4 widened; elytra enlarged; legs moderate.” Thomson (1868) added L. togata ( Klug, 1825) to the genus. Later, the following species were described and also added to the genus: L. simulatrix Bates, 1866 , L. beltii Bates, 1872 , L. felix Waterhouse, 1880 , L. flavofasciata Waterhouse, 1880 , L. retifera Waterhouse, 1880 , L. expansa Bates, 1881 , L. unicolor Bates, 1885 , L. isabellina Bates, 1885 , L. eximia Bates, 1885 , L. laevipennis Gahan, 1892 , L. batesi Aurivillius, 1923 , and L. palliata ab. nigrohumeralis Tippmann, 1960 . According to Bates (1881a), “Nine species of this very remarkable genus are known, all, with the exception of the one recorded below [ L. beltii ], South- American.” Bates (1881b) subsequently listed the following 10 species to Lycidola : L. palliata ; L. togata , L. simulatrix , L. beltii , L. flavofasciata , L. felix , L. retifera , L. expansa , L. mimica (Bates, 1866) , and L. capillacea (Bates, 1881) .

Martins & Galileo (1991a) divided Lycidola into six genera, with five of them ( Acabanga , Tetamauara , Icupima , Iarucanga and Apeba ), newly described. Lycidola and Apeba were separated in the alternative of couplets “5” (translated): “Each elytron with 4 carinae… Lycidola / Each elytron with 2 carinae….. Apeba .” They included L. palliata (type species), L. batesi , L. beltii , L. expansa , L. felix , L. flavofasciata , and L. simulatrix in Lycidola , and also moving L. togata (type species), L. antiqua Waterhouse, 1880 (transferred from Lycaneptia Thomson, 1868 ), L. isabellina , and L. barauna to Apeba . Latter, Galileo & Martins (2006) described Lycidola popeba , and Martins & Galileo (2012) described L. affinis .

According to Martins & Galileo (1991a), the prosternal process in Lycidola is as wide as a procoxa, and in Apeba 1/3 the width of a procoxa. Evidently, they were talking about the central area of the prosternal process. However, the prosternal process in Lycidola , although usually wider than in Apeba , is never as wide as a procoxa ( Figs 2, 4, 6, 8 ), and sometimes is slightly wider ( Fig. 4 ) than in Apeba ( Figs 10, 12, 14 ). Thus, this feature cannot be used as a differential character.

We propose to redefine Lycidola as having four carinae on each elytron ( Figs 1, 3, 5 7 ), with the second and third (from suture to outer side) fused at apical third (Y-shaped). Apeba is then comprised of species with just two or three elytral carinae ( Figs 9, 11, 13 ) and none fused.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 14. 1 – 12, Elytral apex (odd numbers) and ventral side of the prothorax (even numbers): 1 – 2, Lycidola batesi, female; 3 – 4, L. expansa, male; 5 – 6, L. flavofasciata, female; 7 – 8, L. simulatrix, female; 9 – 10, Apeba barauna, paratype female; 11 – 12, A. togata, female. 13 – 14, Lycidola popeba, holotype male: 13, dorsal habitus; 14, ventral habitus.