Synixais fantii, Barševskis, 2021

Barševskis, Arvīds, 2021, Two new species of the tribe Pteropliini Thomson, 1860 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) from the Philippines, Baltic Journal of Coleopterology 21 (2), pp. 151-156 : 152-153

Synixais fantii sp. nov.

( Fig. 1 )

Type material. HOLOTYPUS, female: Philippines: / Luzon isl., / Nueva Viscaya, / Belance / 05.2015. loc. coll. [handwritten]; // HOLOTYPUS: / Synixais / fantii sp. nov. / A.Barševskis det. 2021 [red label, handwritten] ( DUBC).

General distribution: Philippines: Luzon island.

Description. Body length: 11.8 mm, body width: 4.1 mm. Dorsal surface of body grey, with black spots of different shapes.

Head quadrangular, transverse, flattened, with fine dorsal punctation, microsculpture and grey tomentum. Surface of head shiny, with a lot of abradet pubescence. Eyes relatively small, not extended, markedly bilobate, upper and lower lobes connected with very thin line, poorly visible from above and therefore each lobe seems like separate eye. Cheeks narrow, not extended, without grey tomentum, with dark elongated hairs. Clypeus covered with yellow-grey pubescence. Labrum dark, with yellow-grey pubescence and long setae. Mandibles shiny, with acute apices, laterobasal parts without yellow-grey tomentum. Antennae relatively short, with dark-brown antennomeres; antennomeres 4-5 with grey pubescence in basal portions; inner side of all antennomeres with numerous long setae.

Pronotum narrower than elytra, with transverse basal impressions, covered with grey pubescence. Basal angles of pronotum rounded, not visible. Legs dark, covered with grey fine pubescence, with numerous long hairs. Tarsomeres dark, without sparse and grey pubescence on dorsal side.

Scutellum widely rounded apically, covered with dense grey pubescence, rubbed in many places. Pars stridens not visible under basal margin of pronotum.

Elytra covered with grey pubescence and black spots of different shapes. Pubescence of dorsal part of elytra in some places damaged. Lateral sides of each elytron with one black spot behind extended shoulders and with three preapical smooth spots: lateral spot U-shaped, concave and connected with dorsal spot near suture, but in front of apex with third smaller and elongate spot. Elytra covered with sparse, coarse, setiferous punctures, with one long dark setae in each puncture. Lateral sides of elytra slightly curved.

Ventral side of body covered with dense grey pubescence.

Male unknown. Differential diagnosis. The new species is similar to S. willietorresi from Mindanao, but differs from it by other shape of spots on dorsal part of elytra. Elytra of a new species with one spot behind shoulders and with three preapical smooth spots: one U-shaped and concave lateral spot, connected with dorsal spot near suture, and one smaller spot in front of apex. The elytra of S. willietorresi have six well-defined spots on each elytron: one black spot behind shoulders, one small spot in front of middle, one large and transverse spot behind middle, one elongate oval spot in preapical portion and two elongate apical spots.

Etymology. Patronymic. This species is named after my colleague, Italian entomologist Fabrizio Fanti (Piazze, Italy) in appreciation of cooperation, and in gratitude for his great contributions to the knowledge of Cantharoidea of the world fauna.

Figures

Fig. 1. Holotype of Synixais fantii sp. nov.