Melzerella monnei Wappes and Lingafelter

Wappes, James E. & Lingafelter, Steven W., 2011, A new species of Melzerella Lima from Bolivia (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae: Aerenicini) with a key to known species, Zootaxa 2805, pp. 31-35 : 34

Melzerella monnei Wappes and Lingafelter , new species

( Figs 4, 8 , 12 )

Diagnosis. Melzerella monnei is distinguished from its congeners by the bold orange to red pubescence on the elytron which forms two broadly separated regions and the unique distribution of orange to red pubescence on the lateral margins of ventrites 1–4 and the thorax.

Description. Elongate, 17.4–17.8 mm long; 3.8–4.3 mm wide at humeri. Integument and appendages black but adorned with dense, bold patches of orange to red pubescence. Head with dense coating of appressed setae, thickened at base, almost scalelike, surrounding eyes, base of antennal tubercles, and vertex, completely concealing integument. Otherwise, pubescence sparse, gray, suberect, not concealing integument on frons and occiput; moderately but distinctly punctate on frons between lower eye lobes, less so on occiput. Frons bulging, convex; gena vestigial below lower eye lobe and mandibular base; frontal-genal ridge absent; ante-clypeal sulcus transverse; Eye large, bulging, finely faceted; upper lobe connected to lower lobe by 8–9 facets, extending inside plane of antennal tubercle; lower lobe larger than upper lobe, occupying most of head from lateral view. Interantennal impression deep with antennal tubercles moderately elevated in U-shape. Antennae of male extending beyond elytral apex by 2–3 antennomeres. Antennae with sparse, gray setae, longer mesally. Scape long, slender; antennomeres 3–11 gradually decreasing in length. Prothorax cylindrical, about as long as wide (2.5–2.7 mm long; 2.5–2.7 mm wide); distinctly narrower than elytral base; dorsally and laterally, densely orange to red pubescent throughout except for black region in pattern of broad inverted U (or separate angled slash marks) at anterior half of pronotum; orange setae dense, scale-like with thickened bases, concealing integument surface; setae in black regions sparse, black, short, suberect, not concealing integument which is sparsely, indistinctly punctate; pronotum without calli or tubercles. Pronotum about 0.14–0.15 length of body. Prosternum sparsely pubescent with suberect, gray setae, most concentrated on prosternal intercoxal process; sparsely punctate; prosternal process broadly expanded at apex, closing procoxal cavities posteriorly. Elytron uniformly punctate on basal half, becoming shallow and inconspicuous apically; bold orange to reddish pubescence in two regions: the first, an oblique chevron strip angling at 45 degrees from humerus to suture, the second, a triangular region immediately posterior to middle, with apex approaching, but not attaining suture; setae very dense, scalelike with enlarged bases, obscuring integument. Elsewhere, integument black, not obscured by sparse, short, suberect, black setae. Elytral apices truncate with pronounced spine at suture and apicolaterad. Elytron 12.7–12.9 mm long; 1.9–2.1 mm wide; elytral length/width: 4.8–5.1. Scutellum broadly rounded posteriorly or truncate with moderate, black pubescence. Legs with femora and tibiae linear, unexpanded; metafemora short, extending to about apical fourth of elytron; sparsely pubescent, not obscuring black integument. Venter sparsely pubescent with mixture of short, gray setae not obscuring black integument except on posterior half of mesepisternum and metepisternum, posterolateral corner of metasternum, and sides of ventrites 1–4 which have patches of dense orange to red scalelike setae obscuring integument. Apex of fifth ventrite broadly rounded, without slight middle notch.

Etymology. The species epithet is a genitive patronym in honor of Miguel A. Monné for his extensive and important work in Western Hemisphere Cerambycidae , and in recognition of his previous work on Melzerella .

Type material. Holotype, male: “ Bolivia [Dept. Santa Cruz], Cochabamba Carr[etera]., El Sacta, 220 m., 26 Oct 2002, Wappes, Morris & Aramayo” ( MNKM). Paratype, male: “ Bolivia: Dept. Santa Cruz, Prov. Florida, Refugio los Volcanes, 4 km N. Bermejo, 1806’S, 6336’W, 1045-1200 m., 28 October – 5 November 2007, S. W. Lingafelter, mv/uv lights” ( USNM).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Melzerella species. 1, M. costalimai; 2, M. huedepohli; 3, M. lutzi; 4, M. monnei, new species; 5, M. costalimai; 6, M. huedepohli; 7, M. lutzi; 8, M. monnei, new species.

FIGURES 9 – 12. Melzerella species. 9, M. costalimai; 10, M. huedepohli; 11, M. lutzi; 12, M. monnei, new species.