Axina oligocheia Opitz, 2020

Opitz, Weston, 2020, Taxonomic revision of the Western Hemisphere checkered beetle genus Axina Kirby (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Clerinae), Insecta Mundi 2020 (793), pp. 1-70 : 18-19

Axina oligocheia Opitz , new species

Figures 70 , 86 .

Type material. Holotype. Male. Type locality: BOLIVIA: Santa Cruz, Buena Vista , F & F Hotel, 21-25/XI/03, Morris, Nearns, Wappes ( FSCA) . Paratypes. 18 specimens. Bolivia: Departamento de Santa Cruz, Potrerillos del Guenda , 6-8-XII- 2011, 400 m, Morris & Wappes ( RFMC, 4; CUIC, 1) ; idem, 16-22-X-2006, Wappes, Nearns & Eya ( ACMT, 1; WOPC, 1) ; idem, 6-8-XII-2011, Wappes, Lingafelter, Morris & Woodley ( ACMT, 1) ; Buena Vista , Flora & Fauna Hotel, 27-31-X-2002, Morris & Wappes ( WOPC, 1) ; idem, 5-15-XI- 2001, 405 m, M. C. Thomas ( FSCA, 1) ; 3.7 km SSE Buena Vista, Hotel Flora & Fauna , 14-28-X- 2000, 430 m, B. K. Dozier ( FSCA, 1) ; idem, 21-24-XI-2003, J. Wappes, Morris & Nearns ( ACMT, 1) ; idem, 5-15-XI-2001, M. C. Thomas & B. K. Dozier ( FSCA, 1) ; El Refugio, Los Volcanes, 18-24-X-2014, 3,363 feet, Morris & Wappes ( RFMC, 1). Peru : Provincia San Martin , Tarapoto ,?- V-1886, M. de Mathan ( MNHN, 1). Brazil : Estado do Mato Grosso , Sinop ,?- X-1974, M. Alvarenga ( MCNZ, 1) ; Mato Grosso ,?-?-1886, P. Germain ( MNHN, 1) ; Estado do Minas Gerais ,?-?-1886, P. Germain ( AMNH, 1) .

Diagnosis. From superficially similar specimens of Axina nigrifrons , A. oligocheia beetles differ by showing a completely black epicranium.

Description. Size. Length 9.0 mm; width 2.3 mm. Form. As in Fig. 86 . Color. Cranium bicolorous, frons and epicranium black, remainder flavotestaceous; antenna testaceous; thorax and abdomen flavotestaceous; elytra bicolorous, basal ¼ and apical ¼ black, remainder flavotestaceous; legs bicolorous, prothoracic legs flavotestaceous, mesothoracic and metathoracic femora and tibiae mostly black; tarsi testaceous. Head. Cranium finely punctate, frons slightly narrower than length of antennal pedicel; EW/FW 50/5. Thorax. Pronotum finely punctate, with 2 tumescences, concave at middle; PW/PL 100/123; elytra, few asetiferous punctures, not striate, punctures mostly present in elytral basal ½, width of interstitial spaces variable; EL/EW 410/85. Abdomen. Aedeagus, phallobasic lobes spatulate, widely separated; edge of phallic plates serrate; phallobasic apodeme abbreviated.

Variation. Size. Length 8.5–12.0 mm; width 2.0–3.0 mm. Other than body size, the available specimens are quite homogeneous.

Natural history. Specimens were collected in Bolivia during October through December, some at altitudes that range from 400–1,025 m. In Peru, they were collected during May, and in Brazil during October.

Distribution (for map see Fig. 70 ). This species is known from Bolivia, Peru, and Brazil.

Etymology. The specific epithet, oligocheia , is a Greek compound name that stems from oligo (= few) and cheia (= hole in ground), with reference to the comparatively few asetiferous punctures on the elytral disc.

Figures

Figure 70. Distribution map for Axina species: A. macilenta, A. oligocheia, A. parcepunctata, A. schenklingi, A. basalis, A. latilinea, A. phallospina, A. apicalis, A. centrimaculata, A. fasciata, A. heveli, A. klisis, A. lateralis.

Figures 86–89. Habitus of Axina species. 86) Axina oligocheia. 87) A. parcepunctata. 88) A. schenklingi. 89) A. basalis.