Cereopsius erasmus, Medina & Mantilla & Cabras & Vitali, 2021

Medina, Milton Norman, Mantilla, Leslae Kay, Cabras, Analyn & Vitali, Francesco, 2021, Catalogue of the genus Cereopsius Pascoe 1857 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae Lamiinae) in the Philippines with description of a new species from Mindanao, Zootaxa 5061 (2), pp. 383-391 : 386-390

Cereopsius erasmus sp. nov.

Fig. 1–2 .

Type material. Holotype, male ( Fig. 1 ): PHILIPPINES — Mindanao / Davao del Sur / Davao City / Catigan / VI.2019 / local collector ( UMCRC), printed on red card.

Paratypes. 1 male: PHILIPPINES — Mindanao / Davao del Sur / Davao City / IX.2019 / local collector (UMCRC), printed in red card . 1 male: PHILIPPINES — Mindanao / South Cotabato / T’Boli / Lake Holon / X.2019 / local collector ( UMCRC) , printed in red card. 1 female: PHILIPPINES — Mindanao / Davao del Sur / Davao City / Marilog District / VII.2019 / coll. local collector ( UMCRC) , printed in red card. 1 male: PHILIPPINES — Mindanao / Davao del Sur / Mt. Apo / I.2014 / local collector ( BSC) . 1 male: PHILIPPINES — Mindanao / South Cotabato / Magpet / I.2014 / local collector ( BSC) . 1 male: PHILIPPINES — Mindanao / Davao del Sur / Kapatagan / local collector ( GCC) 1 female: PHILIPPINES — Mindanao / Davao del Sur / Kapatagan / X.2018 / local collector ( FVC) .

Description. Measurements: Male (n=2), LB: 19.6–20.0 mm. WH: 3.1 mm. LG: 3.0 mm. LL: 1.5 mm. WL: 0.9 mm. LP: 3.4 mm. WP: 6.3 mm. LE: 14.0 mm. WEH: 7.8mm. Female (n=2), LB: 22.0–25.0 mm. WH: 3.2–3.7 mm. LG: 3.0 mm. LL: 1.5–2.0 mm. WL: 1.0 mm. LP: 3.4–4.0mm. WP: 6.9 mm. LE: 14.4–16.5 mm. WEH: 8.0– 8.1 mm.

Adult male. Teguments lustrous black, covered with minute recumbent whitish grey pubescence; elytra with two marginal large elliptical spots of white pubescence (one pre-median and another post-median), which do not reach the elytral disc, and a wide sutural band of white pubescence on the apical third; antennomeres 3–5 widely ringed with white pubescence at base.

Head with some erect setae on the vertex. Antennae almost twice as long as body (antennomere 5 overpasses the elytral apex); scape thin, conical, abruptly enlarged at apex, covered with dense coarse punctures and semi-erect black setae; antennomeres 2–11 covered with minute greyish pubescence.

Prothorax transverse; basal and apical margin lined with whitish pubescence; disc depressed, crossed by two deep furrows, the apical one bowed posteriorly; sides with a prominent lateral spine. Scutellum triangular, widely rounded at apex and covered with minute greyish pubescence. Elytra tapered, finely punctate, with a coarse granulation near the base and a basal ridge relaxing towards the centre; apex transversely truncate and sparsely covered with sub-erect black hairs.

Coxae, trochanters and femora densely covered with minute greyish pubescence; tibiae covered with minute greyish pubescence, white and dense medially, and some semi-erect black setae; tarsi covered with dense whitish pubescence and some semi-erect black setae. Propleuron and prosternum covered with minute greyish pubescence; procoxal cavities close posteriorly; mesocoxal cavities close; mesosternum, mesepisternum and metepisternum covered with greyish pubescence at the sides; metasternum glabrous in the middle, with white pubescence weakly denser on the basal part; abdominal sternites with white pubescence denser at the sides; pygidium widely truncate at apex.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 3A–H ): Tegmen about 3.8 mm long; lateral lobes slender, about 1.0 mm long and 0.5 mm wide; base with a slightly recurved ridge bearing fine setae; apex bearing numerous setae, about 0.2–0.5 mm long ( Fig. 3G–H ). Aedeagus about 3.3 mm long and 0.6 mm wide, strongly recurved (forming an approximately right angle in lateral view) and widely rounded at apex. Tergite VIII ( Fig. 3D–F ) testaceous, black at apex, about as broad as long (about 1.8 mm); apex truncate and covered with dense black setae, a little longer at the sides; sternite VIII entirely testaceous, widely rounded and setaceous at the lateral margin; spiculum gastrale longer than tergite VIII (about 2.8 mm long).

Adult female. Morphologically similar to the male, except for the much larger and taller body size, the antennae one-half longer than body (antennomere 5 reaches the elytral apex) ( Fig. 2 ).

Differential diagnosis. Cereopsius erasmus sp. nov. belongs to the group of species with the elytral suture covered with dense pubescence. C. arbiter Pascoe 1885 differs from it in the stouter habitus, the whitish pronotal base and the white spots of pubescence located on the elytral apex and at the apical angles of the pronotum. C. sexmaculatus Aurivillius 1907 differs in the reddish brown teguments, the yellowish pattern and a yellowish spot of pubescence at the apical angles of the pronotum. C. niassensis Lansberge 1883 differs in the dull teguments, the shorter scape, the antennae without whitish pubescence and the thick band of pubescence traversing the elytral third. C. kulzeri Breuning 1936 differs in the dull teguments, the antennae without whitish pubescence and the elytral markings thinly connected along the suture.

Etymology. Cereopsisus erasmus sp. nov. is named after “Erasmus”, acronym of the EuRopean community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students. This programme, which supports education, training and international linkages, is instrumental in establishing the Coleoptera Research Center (CRC) of the Philippines.

Distribution. Philippines: Mindanao (Davao del Sur; Davao City; Magpet South Cotabato; Lake Holon T’boli South Cotabato).

Figures

FIGURE 1a–d. Habitus of holotype (male) of Cereopsius erasmus sp. nov. a. dorsal view, b. ventral view, c. lateral view, d. frons

FIGURE 2a–d. Female habitus of Cereopsius erasmus sp. nov. A. dorsal view, B. ventral view, C. lateral view, D. frons

FIGURE 3A–I. Genitalia of Cereopsius erasmus sp. nov. A. ventral view of aedeagus and tegmen, B. dorsal view of aedeagus and tegmen, C. lateral view of aedeagus and tegmen, D. ventral view of aedeagus, E. dorsal view of aedeagus, F. lateral view of aedeagus, G. ventral view of tegmen, H. lateral view of tegmen, I. genital segment, En—Endophallus.