Phaeoxantha (Phaeoxantha) cruciata pilosula W. Horn, 1923

Moravec, Jiří & Dheurle, Charles, 2023, Taxonomic and nomenclatorial revision of the Neotropical genus Phaeoxantha Chaudoir (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), Zootaxa 5386 (1), pp. 1-83 : 41-42

Phaeoxantha (Phaeoxantha) cruciata pilosula W. Horn, 1923

( Figs 158–160 )

Phaeoxantha cruciata pilosula W. Horn, 1923: 213 .

Megacephala (Phaeoxantha) cruciata pilosula : Wiesner 1992: 45.

Phaeoxantha cruciata pilosula : Wiesner 2020: 30.

Type locality. Brazil: Rio San Francisco near Villa Nova in the state of Bahia .

Type material. 4 ♀♀ in SDEI (only one of the four syntypes, Figs 158–160 examined), labelled: “ Rio S. Francisco / Bahia ” [ochre-tarnished, handwritten] // “Garbe Coll. / Melzer ” [yellowish, handwritten] // “Villa Nova / B. Donziero [leg.]” [ochre-tarnished, handwritten] // “Type / W. Horn ” [printed] // “ Syntypus ” [dark red, printed] // “ Coll W. Horn / DEI, Eberswalde” [printed] // f. / pilosula / v. mihi ” [large, greenish collection label with black frame] // “ SDEI Coleoptera / # 302352” [printed] .

Differential diagnosis. Distinguished from the nominotypical subspecies by its densely setose elytra ( Figs 158, 160 ) which are widest in middle due to only indistinctly convex, almost subparallel outer margins, as well as densely setose legs ( Fig. 158 ). The other characters described by Horn (1933) as distinguishing, such as the more distinct teeth of the female labrum, as well as the pronotal shape, are in fact within usual variability. The length of the female syntypes was measured as 14–15.5 mm.

Distribution. Known only from the four female syntypes (SDEI), all from the type locality in the Brazilian state of Bahia.

Remarks. Due to unknown male and particularly rather uniform characters of the four syntypes, we abandoned lectotype designation, which is not necessary in the spirit of the recommendation in ICZN (1999) when no special reason for designation appeared and when existing syntypes represent the given taxon sufficiently.

Figures

FIGURES 158–160. Phaeoxantha (P.) cruciata pilosula W. Horn, Bahia, Rio San Francisco, Brazil. 158—habitus, 14.8 mm, ST (SDEI); 159—labels; 160—detail of elytral margin. Bars = 1 mm. Image credit Kevin Weissing.