Estoloides chamelae Chemsak & Noguera, 1993

Santos-Silva, Antonio, Wappes, James E. & Galileo, Maria Helena M., 2018, Descriptions and synonymies in American Desmiphorini (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae), Zootaxa 4375 (4), pp. 451-501 : 456

On Estoloides chamelae Chemsak & Noguera, 1993 , and E. modica Chemsak & Noguera, 1993

Examination of photographs of the holotypes of E. chamelae ( Fig. 23 ) and E. modica ( Figs 27–28 ), a paratype female of E. chamelae ( Fig. 24 ), paratype males of both species ( Figs 25–26 ), as well as additional males and females of E. chamelae ( Figs 21–22 ) do not allow separating these two species.

Felipe A. Noguera (personal communication through Nayeli Gutiérrez) kindly reexamined the types of both species deposited at CNIN and provided the following information: integument of E. modica is reddish brown, while in E. chamelae it is dark brown; ventral pubescence in E. modica is scarcer than in E. chamelae ; the shape and pubescence of the scutellum is different (center of the scutellum glabrous in E. chamelae , entirely pubescent in E. modica ). However, the holotype photographs of the two species show that the integument color is dark brown in both. Furthermore, the pubescence on the scutellum is variable in the specimens of E. chamelae examined by us (from nearly absent on central base ( Fig. 21 ) to entirely pubescent ( Fig. 22 )). Variation in the pubescence of the scutellum also occurs in other Estoloides species, for example, in E. perforata .

According to Chemsak and Noguera (1993), on males: “Form moderate sized, subparallel” in E. chamelae , and “Form small, cylindrical” in E. modica ; “antennae extending about five segments beyond elytra” in E. chamelae , and “antennae extending about four segments beyond body” in E. modica ; “fourth [antennomere] slightly longer than third” in E. chamelae , and “fourth [antennomere] longer than third” in E. modica ; “pronotum broader than long” in E. chamelae , and “pronotum about as long as broad” in E. modica ; “Elytra slightly more than twice as long as broad” in E. chamelae , and “Elytra about 1 1/2 times as long as broad” in E. modica . However, comparison of the type photographs of both species clearly indicates that the antennal length is variable, and could be the same in both species (see antennal length in the paratype male of E. modica ( Fig. 26 )); the length of the antennomeres III and IV in both holotypes appears to be the same; measurement of the pronotum using the photographs of the holotypes does not reveal differences; and the measurement of the elytra using the photographs of the holotypes show that they have much the same ratio between length and width. The only small difference that we could define is the distance between upper eye lobes, with it being slightly wider in the holotype of E. modica . However, again this feature is variable in the specimens of E. chamelae examined by us. Thus, the characters used to define differences in the description of these two species are commonly found to vary in many Estoloides species and do not support them as being separate species. For this reason we place Estoloides modica Chemsak and Noguera in synonymy with Estoloides chamelae Chemsak and Noguera (Note: both species were described in the same publication with E. chamelae description beginning pg. 94 and followed by E. modica description beginning pg. 95).

Estoloides chamelae is also extremely similar to E. aquilonius Linsley & Chemsak, 1984 ( Fig. 140 ). The only difference between these two species we found is the slightly more yellowish dorsal pubescence in specimens of E. aquilonius examined.

Estoloides chamelae is currently known from Jalisco and Morelos in Mexico. We are adding Chiapas, Colima, Oaxaca, Nayarit, Sinaloa and Guerrero as new state records.

Material examined of E. chamelae . MEXICO, Chiapas: Chicoasén Dam , 1 female, 4.X.1986, Wappes col. ( ACMT) ; Chorreadero Canyon , 2 males, 1 female, 29.IX–2.X.1986, Wappes col. ( ACMT) . Colima: 25 km S Colima , 1 male, 19.VII.1990, Wappes col. ( ACMT) ; Hwy MX 98 (40 km W Colima), 1 female, 12.VII.2006, F. Skillman & D. C. Hildebrant col. ( FWSC) . Guerrero: 6 km W Veintidos , 1 female, 16–22.IX.1989, Giesbert col. ( FSCA) . Oaxaca: MX 190/200 (41 km W Zanatepec ), 1 male, 1 female, 18.X.2005, F. Skillman & B. Eya col. ( FWSC) ; 30 km S Matías Romero , 1 female, 13.VIII.1980, Giesbert col. ( FSCA) . Jalisco: MX 80 (km 206, road to El Coyame, 10 km N La Huerta ), 2 males, 18.VII.2006, F. Skillman & D. C. Hildebrant col. ( FWSC) ; (7 km N Autlán, Rd. to Microondas de San Francisco ), 1 female, 18.VII.2006 F. Skillman & D. C. Hildebrant col. ( FWSC) ; 1 male, 19.VII.2006 F. Skillman & D. C. Hildebrant col. (FWSC); Autlán de Navarro (920 m, 19º46.4’N / 104º21.4’W), 4 females, 30.VI.2010, Brzoska col. ( FWSC) ; El Tuito , 1 male, 14.VII.1993, Morris, Huether & Wappes col. ( RFMC) ; Estación de Biología Chamela , 1 male, 15–21.X.1987, Giesbert col. ( FSCA) . Sinaloa: 5 mi. N Mazatlan , 4 males, 2 females, 3.VIII.1973, Giesbert col. ( FSCA) ; 3 km E El Mármol , 1 male, 8.VIII.1983, Giesbert col. ( FSCA) . Nayarit: 44 km SW Las Varas , 3 males, 4 females, 8.X.1976, Giesbert col. ( FSCA) ; 4 km NE San Blas , 3 males, 5–7.X.1976, Giesbert col. ( FSCA) .

Figures

FIGURES 22–28. 22–24, Estoloides chamelae, dorsal habitus: 22, female; 23, holotype male; 24, paratype female; 25, paratype male. 26–28, E. modica: 26, paratype male, dorsal habitus; 27, holotype male, dorsal habitus; 28, holotype male, lateral habitus.

FIGURES 13–21. 13, Estoloides alboscutellaris, holotype female, dorsal habitus.14, E. annulicornis, holotype female, dorsal habitus. 15, E. reflexa, holotype, dorsal habitus. 16–18, E. prolongata, syntype: 16, lateral habitus; 17, labels, 18, dorsal habitus.19–20, E.scabracaulis, dorsal habitus:19, male; 20, female.21, E.chamelae, male, dorsal habitus.

FIGURES 135–140. 135–139, Estoloides giesberti: 135, dorsal habitus, paratype male; 136, dorsal habitus, holotype female; 137, head, frontal view, holotype female; 138, ventral habitus, holotype female; 139, lateral habitus, holotype female. 140, Estoloides aquilonius, dorsal habitus, male.