Leptostylopsis grandis Vlasak and Androw, 2016

Vlasak, Josef & Androw, Robert A., 2016, A New Species ofLeptostylopsisDillon (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) from Puerto Rico, The Coleopterists Bulletin 70 (1), pp. 125-128 : 125-128

Leptostylopsis grandis Vlasak and Androw , new species

( Fig. 1A–F )

Type Material. Six female specimens including holotype. Holotype: PUERTO RICO: Sábana Grande / Bosque Estatal De Maricao / 0.7 km NE of Campamento / Santana , Ruta Panorámica off / Route 120, 18.1438, − 66.9642 // 26 December 2012 / larvae in fallen branches / of Mangifera indica, Josef Vlasak , coll., and with our red holotype label. Holotype deposited in the Carnegie Museum of Natural History , Pittsburgh, PA. Paratypes: Five females with same data and label structure as holotype, and with our yellow paratype labels. Two paratypes deposited in the Carnegie Museum of Natural History ( Fig. 1F , specimen numbers 2 and 3). Three paratypes deposited in the private collection of the first author ( Fig. 1F , specimen numbers 4 and 5); one specimen not imaged .

Diagnosis. Leptostylopsis grandis is distinguished from all other Leptostylopsis species by the combination of its larger size, the dark brown pronotal vittae extending from the apical margin to the basal margin but interrupted in the middle ( Fig. 1A ), and the strong, dark elytral markings in the form of an inverted ‘V’ ( Fig. 1A ).

Description. Female: Form moderate-sized, robust. Length 12–14 mm. Width at elytral base 5–6 mm. Integument reddish brown to dark brown.

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Pubescence dense, appressed, with patterns consisting of grey, silver, white, ochraceous, tawny, light brown and sometimes green colors. Elytral costae with pubescent tufts each with an erect black seta arising from the center. Head: Frons slightly convex, feebly elongate, covered with dense, appressed white to off-white pubescence, mottled with spots of grey pubescence ( Fig. 1C ). Very narrow median glabrous line arising from center of frons, or less frequently, from the frontoclypeal margin, extending dorsally to occiput. Distinct glabrous, dark vittae extending from inner margin of lower eye lobe to base of mandible. Eyes emarginate, lower eye lobe subquadrate. Gena elongate, feebly taller than lower eye lobe. Antennae extending 4–5 antennomeres beyond elytra; antennomere III subequal in length to scape; antennoneres IV–XI each slightly shorter than preceding antennomere; covered with pale brown pubescence, strongly mottled with dark brown on antennomeres I–IV, antennomeres V–XI not mottled but dark annulate at apices and bases, antennomere XI entirely dark. Scape elongate, about 1/2 wider at apex than at base, extending to posterior margin of pronotum. Pronotum: Pronotum broader than long, obtusely tuberculate on sides behind middle ( Fig. 1A ). Disk with 7 prominent tubercles in 2 transverse rows, 4 apically and 3 basally, median posterior tubercle the most highly developed. Surface covered with dense fulvous pubescence at sides, each side of disk with a narrow, dark brown, longitudinal pubescent vitta extending from apical margin to basal margin at lateral fourth, interrupted for about 1/4 its length at middle. Discal pubescence between vittae darker brown than at sides. Disk with fine median, longitudinal, glabrous line (widening at summit of median posterior tubercle) extending from anterior margin to basal impression. Transverse rows of conspicuous punctures along apical and basal margins, those at base slightly larger, small punctures very sparsely scattered around tubercles on disk. Elytra: Length 1.75 times basal width, 4.25 times as long as pronotum ( Fig. 1A ). Humeri slightly projecting, sides parallel, more strongly arcuate from apical third. Apices obliquely truncate, outer angle more produced than sutural angle. Punctures clearly visible through pubescence, scattered uniformly throughout basal 2/3 of elytra, becoming almost obsolete in apical third, less than half as large as those in basal marginal row of pronotum. Disk convex, postbasal depression moderate; 3 feebly developed costae apparent in basal fifth, becoming obsolete on disk, then slightly developed again behind dark postmedian vittae; costae with rows of tufted tubercles, smaller along suture, most tufts with slight yellowish tint. Concave, dark brown vittae in the shape of an inverted ‘V’ arising at suture at middle of disk and extending apico-laterally to margins, somewhat sinuous at apical third of elytra. Sides of elytra with rounded dark marking extending from lateral margin nearly to middle of disk ( Fig. 1E ); pubescence at middle of disk ahead of dark vittae mostly pale greyish, pubescence behind vittae and between 1 st longitudinal costae light reddish brown, becoming whitish laterad of first costae to margins and apex. Elytra near apex with tufts of whitish pubescence extending beyond elytral margin, creating crenulated appearance ( Fig. 1D ). Venter: Ratio of prosternal process between coxae to coxal cavity about 7:10 ( Fig. 1B ). Mesosternum between mesocoxae roughly as wide as or slightly wider than mesocoxa. Ventral sternites covered with dense, appressed, whitish pubescence, with greyish mottling created by thinning of white pubescence, allowing darker integumental color to show through. Legs: Femora stout, moderately clavate, covered with whitish pubescence strongly mottled with dark grey spots. Tibia pale with dark annulae at middle and apex. All tarsi with 2 basal segments densely covered with whitish pubescence, apical 3 segments entirely dark, contrasting strongly with basal segments. Males: Unknown.

Variation. The coloration of the basal twothirds of the elytra (from the elytral base to the dark postmedian vittae in apical third) is somewhat variable. In most (five of six) specimens examined, the overall coloration was generally dark, with dark, rounded maculae on the elytral sides (extending to the epipleuron) and the coloration in the basal third of the elytral disk having relatively well-developed dark markings. One specimen ( Fig. 1F , #5) had the basal two-thirds of the elytra uniformly whitish, with the dark maculae on elytral sides only feebly developed.

Etymology. The name grandis refers to the relatively large size compared to other species of Leptostylopsis .

Discussion. Leptostylopsis grandis is most similar to L. argentatus and will key to that species in Micheli and Micheli (2004) and Lingafelter and Micheli (2009). From L. argentatus , it can be readily differentiated by its larger size, the incomplete, dark brown pronotal vittae extending from the apical margin to the basal margin but interrupted in the middle, and the strong elytral markings in the form of an inverted ‘V’. Additionally, it differs by the following characters: the overall coloration of L. grandis is generally darker and more mottled, composed of a variety of shades of white, grey and brown, while L. argentatus is more evenly whitish; the yellowish pubescence on the costal tubercles of the elytra in L. grandis is less contrasting with the ground color than is that in L. argentatus ; the dark elytral vittae are strongly angulate and well-developed in L. grandis , while in L. argentatus they are more transverse and much less developed; in L. grandis , the dark longitudinal vittae of the pronotum are present apically and basally but are restricted to the apical third in L. argentatus ; and L. grandis possesses broken whitish patches of pubescence overhanging the outer margin in the apical two-thirds of the elytra, giving them a crenulated appearance, while these are absent in L. argentatus .

Leptostylopsis grandis will key to L. argentatus in the key to the Puerto Rican species given in Micheli and Micheli (2004). The insertion of an additional couplet 2a into the key will accommodate the inclusion of the new species. The following modification is offered to differentiate these two similar species:

2(1′). Pronotal disk with a median, narrow, dark line extending from base to apex........... 2a

2′. Pronotal disk different............................... 3

(remainder of key unchanged)

2a(2). Pronotum with dark, longitudinal vitta on each side of disk at apical and basal thirds, interrupted at middle; elytra with a distinct dark marking at middle in the form of an inverted ‘V’, extending from suture to near lateral margin, patches of white pubescence along apical elytral margin overhanging epipleuron; coloration generally darker, mottled; size moderately large, 12–14 mm in length................ L. grandis , new species

2a′. Pronotum with dark, longitudinal vitta on each side in apical third only; elytra with small, dark, transverse marking at middle, extending from suture to about middle of disk, without patches of white pubescence along apical elytral margin; coloration evenly whitish; size smaller, 7–13 mm in length ......................................................... .............. L. argentatus (Jacquelin du Val)

Biology. The beetles were reared from branches of fallen Mangifera indica L. ( Anacardiaceae ). Although larval habits were not studied in detail, they are likely similar to other Leptostylopsis species , being borers in dead branches of various species of hardwoods.

Figures

Fig. 1. Leptostylopsis grandis. A) Dorsal view of holotype, B) Ventral view of holotype, C) Frontal view of holotype, D) Apical third of elytra of holotype, E) Lateral view of holotype, F) Type series showing the variation in elytral coloration (1= holotype, 2–5 = paratypes), G) Comparison of L. grandis holotype with L. argentatus.