Xenocona nubicola, Vlasak & Santos-Silva, 2024

Vlasak, Josef & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2024, Ecuadorian Acanthocinini: description of two new species and transference and notes on Sympagus cooperi Monné & Monné, Zootaxa 5397 (1), pp. 80-90 : 86-89

Xenocona nubicola sp. nov.

( Figs 18–26 )

Description. Holotype female ( Figs 18–22 ). Integument mostly dark brown; ventral mouthparts brown; anteclypeus brownish; labrum brown posteriorly, yellowish brown anteriorly; pedicel reddish brown basally, dark brown on remaining surface; antennomere III reddish brown basally, blackish apically, brown on remaining surface; antennomeres IV–IX orangish basally, reddish brown close to orangish area, gradually dark brown toward apex on remaining surface; antennomeres X–XI orangish brown on basal third, brownish on apical 2/3. Anterolateral tubercles on pronotum blackish; posterior half of pronotum with four blackish maculae, one large, subcircular on each side of middle, another irregular on base of lateral tubercles of prothorax. Sides of prothorax with large, elongated, blackish band from posterior margin to ventral surface of lateral tubercle. Prosternal process, wide central area of mesoventrite, and most mesoventral process dark reddish brown. Elytra with moderately abundant, rounded black spots and irregular black maculae. Femoral peduncles pale yellow (more orangish depending on light intensity); femoral clubs blackish. Tibiae dark brown basally, followed by wide orangish ring before middle, blackish on remaining surface (more dark brown depending on light intensity). Base of tarsomeres I orangish, blackish on remaining surface; tarsomeres II–V blackish. Abdominal ventrites partially reddish brown centrally.

Head. Frons densely, minutely punctate; with abundant pale yellowish-brown pubescence partially obscuring integument, except glabrous median groove; with one long, erect seta close to eyes, setae blackish basally, gradually pale toward their apices. Area between antennal tubercles and posterior margin of upper eye lobes with dense yellow pubescence, except glabrous median groove, glabrous area distinctly widened between antennal tubercles and upper eye lobes; remaining surface of vertex with dense dark-brown pubescence laterally and very sparse brown pubescence centrally. Area behind eyes with dense yellow pubescence close to eye, pubescence pale yellowish brown toward inferior region of lower eye lobes, with posterior margin of pubescent area strongly sinuous; area close to prothorax glabrous. Genae with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence partially obscuring integument, except glabrous apex and area close to clypeus; with a few long, erect setae interspersed, setae blackish basally, gradually paler toward their apices. Antennal tubercles with abundant pale yellowish-brown pubescence frontally, abundant yellowish-brown pubescence basally and abundant yellowish-white pubescence on remaining surface.Area between antennal tubercles and eyes with dense yellow pubescence. Gulamentum smooth, glabrous, except intermaxillary process with sparse brownish pubescence. Wide central area of postclypeus with abundant, bristly pale yellowish-brown pubescence close to frons, almost glabrous close to anteclypeus, except anterior margin with sparse fringe of pale yellowish-brown pubescence; with one long, erect seta on each side, setae blackish basally, gradually paler toward their apices; with a few long, erect pale yellowish-brown setae laterally close to anteclypeus. Sides of postclypeus glabrous. Labrum with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument posteriorly, glabrous anteriorly, except anterior margin with short fringe of yellowish-brown setae; central region with long, erect yellowish-brown setae. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.19 times distance between outer margins of eyes; in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.55 times distance between outer margins of eyes. Antennae 2.0 times elytral length, reaching elytral apex at apical quarter of antennomere VI. Scape subcylindrical on basal quarter, gradually widened toward apical eighth, slightly narrowed on apical ninth; with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, except dense pale-yellow pubescence on apical ninth; with one long, erect seta near apex of ventral surface, seta brownish basally, gradually yellowish white toward its apex. Pedicel with abundant pale-yellow pubescence partially obscuring integument basally and abundant dark-brown pubescence partially obscuring integument on remaining surface; with one long, erect seta near apex of ventral surface, seta brownish basally, gradually yellowish white toward its apex. Antennomeres III–XI with dense pale-yellow pubescence on basal light area, pubescence more yellowish-white toward distal segments; apex of antennomeres III–V with abundant dark-brown pubescence not obscuring integument; remaining surface of III–V with brownish pubescence not obscuring integument; antennomeres VI–XI with brownish pubescence not obscuring integument, and short, decumbent yellowish-white setae interspersed, yellowish-white setae gradually more abundant toward XI; apex of antennomere III widened internally; antennomere III with a few long, erect setae ventrally, setae dark brown basally, gradually paler toward their apices; apex of ventral surface of III–IX with a few short, erect blackish setae. Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III: scape = 1.06; pedicel = 0.12; IV = 0.86; V = 0.68; VI = 0.59; VII = 0.54; VIII = 0.51; IX = 0.50; X = 0.47; XI = 0.41.

Thorax. Prothorax wider than long; anterior constriction well marked; with large, conical tubercles centrally; sides divergent, with rounded protuberance between anterior constriction and lateral tubercles, parallel-sided from lateral tubercles to posterolateral angles. Pronotum with large, elevated, conical tubercle on each side of anterior third, conical, less elevated tubercle on center of posterior half, and oblique gibbosity on each side of posterior half; sparsely, coarsely, transversely punctate near anterior margin, sparsely, coarsely punctate around central tubercle, with a few coarse punctures on sides of anterior half, and sparsely, coarsely, transversely punctate near posterior margin, punctures coarser than on remaining surface; with abundant pale-yellow pubescence partially obscuring integument, yellower on some areas, except blackish areas with dark-brown pubescence not obscuring integument, brown pubescence not obscuring integument on each side of center of anterior region, sparse brownish pubescence on each side of center of posterior region, and dense, longitudinal yellowish pubescent band on center of posterior region. Sides of prothorax with abundant yellow pubescence, except sparse dark-brown pubescence on blackish area; with a few long, erect dark-brown setae on posterior half close to pronotum. Prosternum with abundant pale-yellow pubescence partially obscuring integument, except glabrous narrow area close to anterior margin. Prosternal process with abundant pale-yellow pubescence partially obscuring integument,pubescence slightly sparser apically; narrowest area 0.21 times procoxal cavity. Wide central area of mesoventrite with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument; sides with dense yellow pubescence. Mesanepisterna and mesepimera with dense yellow pubescence, except central region of mesanepisterna with large brownish pubescent macula. Mesoventral process with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument; parallel-sided except apical region widened; apex concave; central region 0.34 times mesocoxal width; apex 0.51 times mesocoxal width. Metanepisterna with dense yellow pubescence basally and apically, dense pale-yellow pubescence on remaining surface, except two large dark-brown pubescent maculae not reaching area close to metaventrite. Metaventrite with abundant pale yellowish-brown pubescence partially obscuring integument, except posterolateral areas with dense pale-yellow pubescence, and posterocentral area with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument. Scutellum with abundant yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument except dark-brown pubescence close to margins. Elytra. Subparallel-sided on anterior 2/3, distinctly convergent toward apex on posterior third; apex obliquely truncate, with rounded outer angle; centrobasal crest ( Fig. 22 ) elevated, abruptly inclined apically, slightly oblique dorsally, with dense tuft of blackish setae on basal 2/3 of dorsal surface; with two oblique protuberances obliquely aligned after middle of dorsal surface; abundantly, coarsely punctate on anterior half, punctures gradually finer and sparser toward apex on posterior half; with abundant, mostly yellowish-brown pubescence partially obscuring integument, except dark-brown or blackish pubescence on blackish spots and maculae, abundant pale yellowish-brown pubescence close to suture between centrobasal crest and middle, pubescence more pale yellow with white pubescence interspersed close to suture, dense, irregular white pubescent macula dorsally close to innermost protuberance, dense zig-zag white pubescent band laterally, from outermost dorsal protuberance, reaching superior region of inclined lateral area, small white pubescent spots on center of beginning of posterior third, one dorsally, two laterally, and irregular white pubescence dorsally on posterior quarter, white pubescence denser on some areas. Legs. Femoral peduncles with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument; femoral clubs with abundant pale-yellow pubescence partially obscuring integument, pubescence yellower depending on light intensity, except transverse dark-brown pubescent band about middle of profemoral club, not reaching ventral surface, and two transverse dark-brown pubescent bands on meso- and metafemoral clubs, not reaching ventral surface, the most basal distinctly wider laterally, the other located about middle. Basal half of protibiae with abundant yellowish-white pubescence, pubescence slightly sparser on center of this area, dark-brown pubescence not obscuring integument on dorsal and lateral surfaces of apical half, and abundant, bristly yellowish-brown pubescence on ventral surface of apical half. Meso- and metatibiae with dense pale-yellow pubescence on base of dorsal and lateral surfaces, dense yellowish-white pubescent ring on light area about middle, sparse dark-brown pubescence on remaining surface, except abundant, bristly yellowish-brown pubescence on apical region of ventral surface, and dense pale-yellow pubescence on inner region of dorsal sulcus of mesotibiae; apical third of dorsal surface of mesotibiae with short, erect, thick dark-brown setae; apical half of meso- and metatibiae with short, erect yellowish-brown setae interspersed. Dorsal surface of light area of tarsomeres I with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument; remaining surface of tarsomeres I and tarsomeres II–V with abundant blackish pubescence not obscuring integument; metatarsomere I longer than II–III together.

Abdomen. Last tergite apically rounded. Ventrites with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence partially obscuring integument, except glabrous central apex of 1–4; ventrite 5 about as long as 3–4 together, distinctly narrowed toward apex; apical margin of ventrite 5 concave.

Variations. Base of antennomeres III–XI more yellowish ( Figs 23–24 ); sides of pronotum with dense, irregular white pubescent macula ( Fig. 24 ); erect setae on dorsal apex of centrobasal crest partially yellowish brown ( Fig. 26 ); considering both elytra, pubescence forming large, inverted Y-shaped yellowish-brown macula, with its inferior apices white or yellowish white ( Figs 23–24 ).

Dimensions in mm (Holotype female/ paratypes females). Total length, 12.25/10.70–12.80; prothoracic length, 1.80/1.85–2.05; anterior prothoracic width, 2.15/1.95–2.25; posterior prothoracic width, 2.55/2.25–2.65; maximum prothoracic width, 3.15/2.80–3.25; humeral width, 4.50/3.85–4.65; elytral length, 9.40/7.70–9.15.

Type material. Holotype female from ECUADOR, Napo: Cosanga , 2100 m, on cut wood at night, 26.XI.2022, J. Vlasak leg. ( MZSP) . Paratypes — ECUADOR, Pichincha: Bellavista Cloud Forest Lodge (Tandayapa), 2100 m, 2 females, 3.VII.2023, J. Vlasak leg. ( JVCO) .

Etymology. The name “nubicola ” (from Latin “nubo” (cloud) and “colo” (dweller); sky-dwelling) refers to the habitat where this species was collected. It is a noun in apposition.

Remarks. Xenocona nubicola sp. nov. is similar to X. senticosa ( Monné & Martins, 1976) , but differs as follows, besides the pronotal and elytral pubescent pattern: centrobasal crest of the elytra wide and distinctly elevated; elytral punctures asperous. In X. senticosa (see photograph on Bezark 2023 a and Monné & Martins 1976), the centrobasal crest of the elytra is short and slightly elevated and the elytral punctures are asperous only on the anterior quarter. By the shape of the centrobasal crest of the elytra, Xenocona nubicola sp. nov. is similar to X. audureaui Vlasak & Santos-Silva, 2022 (see photographs on Bezark 2023 a and Vlasak & Santos-Silva 2022), but differs by the general pubescent pattern and apex of last abdominal tergite rounded (acute in X. audureaui ).

Figures

FIGURES 18–26. Xenocona nubicola sp. nov. 18–22) Holotype female: 18) Dorsal habitus; 19) Ventral habitus; 20) Lateral habitus; 21) Head, frontal view; 22) Centrobasal crests of the elytra. 23–26) Paratypes female: 23) Specimen 1, dorsal habitus; 24) Specimen 2, dorsal habitus; 25) Specimen 1, centrobasal crest; 26) Specimen 2, centrobasal crest.