Methia nigra, Bezark & Santos-Silva, 2022

Bezark, Larry G. & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2022, A new genus and new species of Neotropical Cerambycinae (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), Zootaxa 5194 (4), pp. 585-594 : 589-590

Methia nigra sp. nov.

( Figs 10–15 )

Description. Holotype female. Integument mostly black; elytra with short dark yellowish-brown suture close to scutellum; apex of tarsomeres V dark yellowish brown; tarsal claws reddish brown; apex of ventrites 1–5 dark reddish brown; ventrite 5 blackish basally, pale yellow on remaining surface.

Head. Frons coarsely, densely, partially confluent punctate; with sparse, bristly, both short and long yellowish-brown setae. Area between antennal tubercles longitudinally striate-punctate; with sparse, both short and long yellowish-brown setae. Area between antennal tubercles and middle of upper eye lobes coarsely, somewhat sparsely punctate; with short, bristly, sparse yellowish-brown setae, and a few long, erect setae of same color laterally. Remaining surface of vertex and area behind upper eye lobes coarsely, densely, confluently punctate; with somewhat abundant, bristly brownish setae not obscuring integument.Area behind lower eye lobes somewhat coarsely, sparsely punctate close to eyes, transversely striate-punctate close to prothorax; with abundant, long, erect yellowish-brown setae close to eye, glabrous close to prothorax. Antennal tubercles coarsely punctate, punctures confluent frontally, somewhat sparse on remaining surface, except smooth apex; setae as on frons, except glabrous smooth area. Genae finely punctate, except smooth apex; with sparse yellowish-brown setae toward ventral surface, glabrous toward clypeus. Wide central area of postclypeus coarsely rugose-punctate close to frons, densely, finely rugose-punctate close to anteclypeus; with long, erect, sparse dark yellowish-brown setae. Sides of postclypeus smooth, glabrous. Labrum finely rugose-punctate, glabrous close to anteclypeus, smooth, with a few long, erect dark yellowish-brown setae on sides of central area. Gulamentum smooth, glabrous on posterior half, coarsely, shallowly rugose-punctate, with long, erect, sparse dark yellowish-brown setae on remaining surface. Area between upper and lower eye lobes with fragmented row of ommatidia; distance between upper eye lobes 0.27 times distance between outer margins of eyes; in ventral view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.57 times distance between outer margins of eyes. Antennae 1.7 times elytral length, reaching elytral apex at middle of antennomere VIII. Scape densely, transversely striate, except smooth apex of dorsal surface; with short, decumbent brown setae not obscuring integument, and long, erect setae of same color interspersed. Pedicel finely, somewhat sparsely punctate; with short brown setae dorsally, glabrous ventrally. Antennomeres III–XI transversely striate-punctate, sculpturing gradually finer toward XI; with somewhat abundant, both short and long, bristly dark brown setae dorsally, and long, erect dark brown setae ventrally. Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III: scape = 0.51; pedicel = 0.08; IV = 1.07; V = 1.06; VI = 0.97; VII = 0.92; VIII = 0.81; IX = 0.77; X = 0.72; XI = 0.61.

Thorax. Prothorax wider than long; sides rounded, projected centrally. Pronotum slightly depressed centrally from about middle to posterior fifth; with slightly gibbosity on each side of anterior third; minutely, densely, transversely striate-punctate on wide central area, more finely rugose-punctate laterally; with somewhat abundant, bristly, both short and long dark yellowish-brown setae not obscuring integument. Sides of prothorax rugose-punctate; setae as on pronotum. Prosternum transversely striate-punctate, except finely rugose-punctate narrow area close to anterior margin; with long, erect, sparse yellowish-brown setae. Prosternal process laminiform, located distinctly below the level of the prosternum, slightly expanded, with bristly yellowish-brown setae apically. Ventral surface of mesothorax shallowly, somewhat rugose-punctate; with sparse, both short and long, decumbent yellowish-brown setae. Mesoventral process laminiform, located distinctly below the level of the mesoventrite. Metanepisternum somewhat coarsely, sparsely punctate; with sparse yellowish-brown setae. Metaventrite finely, transversely striatepunctate, striae more distinct laterally; with long, somewhat sparse, decumbent yellowish-brown setae. Scutellum with a few short, decumbent brownish setae. Elytra. About 7.5 times longer than prothorax; finely, densely rugose; apices individually rounded; covering abdomen; with moderately long and abundant, bristly brown setae not obscuring integument. Legs. Femora finely, abundantly, transversely striate; with sparse, both short and long bristly decumbent brownish setae dorsally and laterally, and both short and long, somewhat abundant, erect brownish setae ventrally. Tibiae with somewhat abundant, mostly erect, both short and long dark brown setae, setae more abundant ventrally, especially on posterior third. Metatarsomere I about as long as II–III together.

Abdomen. Ventrites finely, moderately sparsely punctate; finely transversely striate on irregular areas; with short, decumbent, somewhat sparse yellowish-brown setae, except pale-yellow setae on posterior 2/3 of ventrite 5, and long, erect setae of same color interspersed on ventrites 1–4. Apex of ventrite 5 V-shaped, with fringe of short pale-yellow setae.

Dimensions in mm. Total length, 11.20; prothoracic length, 1.15; anterior prothoracic width, 1.15; posterior prothoracic width, 1.25; widest prothoracic width, 1.40; humeral width, 2.15; elytral length, 8.70.

Type material. Holotype male from GUATEMALA, Quetzaltenango: 8 km E. Zunil, Fuentes Georginas , 2700 m, 14º45.023′N 91º28.824′W, beating pine cypress forest, 17.V.2017, E. Fuller leg. ( CASC, formerly WHTC).

Etymology. The species epithet “ nigra ” (Latin, “ niger ”) refers to the distinctive black integument of this species.

Remarks. Methia nigra sp. nov. is similar to M. tlaxcalaensis Pérez-Flores, 2022 , but differs as follows: integument mostly black; distance between upper eye lobes almost twice width of one upper lobe; maximum diameter of the scape about 1.5 times width of one upper lobe; elytra without light maculae. In M. tlaxcalaensis , the integument is mostly reddish brown, distance between upper eye lobes about half width of one upper lobe, maximum diameter of the scape about 1.0 times width of one upper lobe, and elytra with pale maculae. It differs from M. maculosa Chemsak & Linsley, 1964 , by the distance between upper eye lobes almost twice width of one upper lobe (distinctly shorter than width of one upper lobe in M. maculosa ), and the elytra almost entirely black (with large yellowishbrown areas in M. maculosa ); and from M. dolichoptera Lingafelter, 2010 , by the distance between upper eye lobes almost twice width of one upper lobe (almost contiguous in M. maculosa ), distance between upper eye lobes ventrally about 2.5 times maximum diameter of the scape (narrower than maximum diameter of the scape in M. maculosa ), eye lobes connected by fragmented row of ommatidia (connected by 5-6 rows of ommatidia in M. maculosa ), and elytra almost entirely black (with large testaceous areas in M. maculosa ).

Figures

FIGURES 10–15. Methia nigra sp. nov., holotype female: 10) Dorsal habitus; 11) Ventral habitus; 12) Lateral habitus; 13) Head, frontal view; 14) Prosternal and mesoventral processes; 15) Area of connection between upper and lower eye lobes.