Methia similis, Bezark & Santos-Silva, 2019

Bezark, Larry G. & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2019, Notes, synonymy and description in American Methiini (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Cerambycinae), Zootaxa 4565 (1), pp. 71-79 : 77-78

Methia similis sp. nov.

( Figs 9–13 )

Description. Male. Integument mostly dark brown, nearly black on some areas; mouthparts reddish-brown except yellowish-brown parts of palpi; posterocentral area of gulamentum reddish-brown; antennae dark brown on basal segments, gradually brown toward distal segments; posterolateral areas of pronotum yellowish-brown; elytra yellowish-brown on anterior 2/3 (slightly more reddish-brown centrally), dark brown on posterior third; parts of coxae reddish-brown, more so on pro- and mesocoxae; femora yellowish-brown on about basal half, gradually reddish-brown toward apex (more brownish on metafemora); tibiae reddish-brown on base, yellowish-brown on wide central area (this area larger on metatibiae), brownish on distal third; tarsi mostly reddish-brown.

Head. Frons moderately coarsely, densely, partially confluently punctate; with bristly, moderately short yellowish-brown setae not obscuring integument, gradually slightly longer toward vertex, interspersed with long, erect, sparse setae of same color. Area between antennal tubercles and upper eye lobes moderately coarsely, shallower, confluently punctate; with bristly, moderately short yellowish-brow not obscuring integument, gradually sparser toward upper eye lobes; with long, erect, moderately abundant dark setae and some yellowish-brown setae. Remaining surface of vertex coarsely punctate, punctures transversely elongate, confluent close to eyes, circular, not confluent close to prothorax; with short, sparse yellowish-brown setae close to eyes, glabrous on remaining surface. Antennal tubercles with sculpturing as on frons except nearly smooth distal area; with abundant, bristly yellowish-brown setae not obscuring integument, interspersed with long, erect, moderately abundant dark setae. Median groove distinct from clypeus to about middle of area between upper eye lobes and prothorax. Area behind upper eye lobes finely punctate, punctures slightly sparser toward prothoracic margin; with bristly yellowish setae about middle of area between eye and prothorax, glabrous on remaining surface. Area between eye lobes moderately coarsely, confluently punctate; with short, sparse yellowish setae. Area behind region between eye lobes and behind lower eye lobes finely, sparsely punctate; with a few long, erect yellowish setae behind region between lobes; with long, erect, moderately abundant yellowish setae close to inferior 2/3 of lower eye lobe, glabrous on remaining surface. Genae 0.4 times length of lower eye lobe; very finely, sparsely punctate; with short, sparse yellowish setae. Postclypeus with sculpturing as on frons on wide central area, smooth laterally; with sparse, bristly yellowish-brown setae on wide central area, glabrous laterally. Labrum mostly smooth, with a few yellowish bristly setae laterally. Gulamentum finely, sparsely punctate, glabrous between prothorax and eyes, transversely striate-punctate, with long, erect, sparse yellowish setae between eyes. Eyes completely divided, without carina or ommatidia between them; upper eye lobes distinctly more elevated than area around it; distance between upper eye lobes 0.50 times length of scape; in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.92 times length of scape. Antennae 5.9 times elytral length, reaching elytral apex at basal third of antennomere V. Scape rugose-punctate; with decumbent, sparse yellowish setae, interspersed with long, erect, dark and yellowish setae, longer ventrally. Antennomeres with long, erect, moderately abundant dark setae throughout, somewhat longer and denser on outer lateral surface. Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III: scape = 0.59; pedicel = 0.09; IV = 1.29; V = 1.36; VI = 1.34; VII = 1.33; VIII = 1.20; IX = 1.04; X = 0.88; XI = 0.84.

Thorax. Prothorax 1.13 times longer than wide; anterior and posterior constrictions marked; sides slightly rounded between constrictions. Pronotum transversely striate on anterior and posterior quarters, moderately coarsely, abundantly punctate on central area; with long, erect, sparse yellowish setae, longer, slightly denser laterally, absent on center of posterior 2/3. Sides of prothorax with sculpturing and setae as on pronotum on superior area, moderately coarsely, sparsely punctate, with long, erect, yellowish-brown setae toward prosternum. Prosternum transversely striate-punctate on posterior third, nearly smooth on remaining surface; with long, erect yellowish setae on central area, and on nearly entire striate-punctate area. Prosternal process laminiform, slightly surpassing procoxae, not on the same level of prosternum. Ventral surface of meso- and metathorax with long, erect, sparse yellowish setae, denser laterally, especially on metanepisternum. Mesoventral process short, triangular. Scutellum glabrous. Elytra. Reaching about middle of metatrochanters; apex individually rounded; coarsely, densely punctate throughout; with short, erect, moderately abundant setae throughout, yellowish-brown on light area, brown on dark area. Legs. Pro- and mesofemora fusiform; metafemora elongate, slightly and gradually widened toward apex; meso- and metafemora with long, erect, sparse pale yellow setae dorsally and laterally, denser ventrally; metafemora with long, erect pale yellow setae throughout, denser on basal third of ventral surface. Protibiae arched; with long, erect, sparse dark setae throughout, and yellowish-brown, bristly pubescence ventrally. Meso- and metatibiae slightly arched posteriorly; with both, pale yellow and dark setae throughout (nearly all setae pale yellow on dorsal surface of metatibiae). Metatarsomere I shorter than II–III together.

Abdomen. Ventrites finely, sparsely punctate; with short, decumbent, sparse yellowish setae; apex of ventrite V deeply emarginate, with fringe of long yellowish-brown setae; apex of ventrite VI emarginate centrally.

Dimensions (1 male). Total length, 6.10; prothoracic length, 0.90; anterior prothoracic width, 0.75; posterior prothoracic width, 0.75; maximum prothoracic width, 0.80; humeral width, 1.05; elytral length, 1.90.

Etymology The specific epithet similis refers to the similarity in appearance between this species and the other known South American species.

Type material. Holotype male from ECUADOR, Loja: 18.5 km N Gonzanama (04°08’08.5”S / 79°23’36.4”W), 22.II.2006, F.T. Hovore & I. Swift col. ( CASC).

Remarks. Methia similis sp. nov. ( Figs 9–13 ) is similar to M. boliviana ( Fig. 14 ). According to the original description, the holotype of M. boliviana is a male. However, the elytra in the male of Methia similis are distinctly shorter than in males of M. boliviana (1.65 times prothoracic length), reaching about the middle of the metatrochanters, while in the latter the elytra distinctly surpass the metatrochanters (2.25 times prothoracic length). The different prothoracic color is not considered as a specific feature because it is variable in other species of the genus (e.g. M. carioca ).

Figures

FIGURES 9–14. 9–13, Methia similis, holotype male: 9, Dorsal habitus; 10, Ventral habitus; 11, Lateral habitus; 12, Head, frontal view; 13, Head, lateral view. 14, Holotype male of Tessaropa boliviana, dorsal habitus.