Niophis aper ( Germar, 1823 )

Santos-Silva, Antonio, Bezark, Larry G. & Botero, Juan Pablo, 2025, The Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) from the James Cope collection: New species, synonymy, and taxonomical and geographical notes, Zootaxa 5723 (3), pp. 384-400 : 393

Niophis aper ( Germar, 1823)

( Fig. 19 )

Cerambyx ( Stenocorus) aper Germar, 1823: 510 .

Remarks. This species was described from Brazil (no further details). Currently, it is known from Brazil ( Roraima, Maranhão, Piauí, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Bahia, Espírito Santo, and Rio de Janeiro) ( Monné 2024a; Tavakilian & Chevillotte 2025). Martins (1961) described Malobidion neotropicum (currently, Niophis neotropica ) from Peru ( Huánuco), which was recorded from Panama by Monné & Hovore (2006) and from Costa Rica by Swift et al. (2010). We suspect that these records from Central America were based on misidentifications. It is also possible that N. neotropica is just a variation of N. aper or equal to N. coptorhina Bates, 1867 . Martins & Monné (1973) separated this latter species from N. neotropica just by the length of the apical spine of the elytra: strongly spiny in N. coptorhina and slightly spiny in N. neotropica .

Material examined. COSTA RICA ( new country record), Puntarenas: 4 km NW St. Elena , 1 male, 12– 14. V .1999, Jim Cope leg. ( CSCA). PANAMA ( new country record), Panama: Cerro Jefe , 2 males, 28.VII.1990, F. T . Hovore leg. ( CSCA); 1 male, 29.VII.1990, F. T . Hovore leg. ( CSCA).

Figures

FIGURES 18–26. Cerambycidae spp., dorsal habitus. 18) Diphyrama singularis Bates, 1872, male. 19) Niophis aper (Germar, 1823), male. 20) Ecliptoides vandenberghei Wappes & Santos-Silva, 2017, male. 21) Euderces boucardi (Chevrolat, 1862), male. 22) Neocompsa agnosta Martins, 1970, female. 23) Anisopodus hiekei Martins 1974, male, dorsal habitus. 24) Granastyochus nigropunctatus (Bates, 1881), female. 25) Lepturges (Lepturges) fischeri Melzer, 1928, male. 26) Lepturges (Lepturges) vigneaulti Audureau, 2018, female.