Crossomeles copei Nearns & Swift, 2022

Nearns, Eugenio H. & Swift, Ian P., 2022, Descriptions and new records in longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) from Central America, Zootaxa 5141 (1), pp. 39-48 : 40-42

Crossomeles copei Nearns & Swift , sp. nov.

( Figures 1a–d , 5c, 5g, 5k )

Description. Male ( Figs. 1a–d , 5c, g, k ). Length 16.5–17.5 mm (measured from frons to abdominal apex), width 2.2–2.3 mm (measured across humeri). Habitus as in Fig. 1a . Form moderate sized, elongate; integument testaceous with portions black, dark brown, and reddish orange.

Head. Frons black with fine, dense yellow pubescence; eyes large, globose, narrowly separated in front by about 6 ommatidia; frons with narrow, shallow median suture; genae about 1/4 as long as lower eye lobe ( Figs. 1c , 5c ); vertex irregularly punctate; antennae extending to near apex of abdominal segment II; antennomeres orangish to brownish; antennomeres I–VI with several long and erect setae beneath, VI–XI slightly expanded apically; with small, indistinct sensory pores on dorsal and ventral surface of each antennomere. Antennal formula based on length of antennomere III: scape=0.70; II=0.25; III=1.00; IV=0.55; V=0.90; VI=0.80; VII=0.85; VIII=0.80; IX=0.75; X=0.70; XI=0.80.

Thorax. Pronotum black, elongate, subcylindrical, about 1.20 times as long as wide ( Figs. 1a, b , 5g ); disk coarsely, deeply, subconfluently alveolate, pubescence dense across apex, base, and down sides dense; prosternum clothed with long, suberect setae; mesoventrite densely clothed at sides with fine, golden, appressed pubescence; metaventrite moderately densely punctate, moderately densely clothed with short, golden, appressed pubescence along top margin and on posterior end. Mesanepisternum densely clothed with appressed pale yellow pubescence. Mesepimeron with sparse pale yellow setae. Metanespisternum with sparse pale yellow setae on anterior half, densely clothed with appressed pale yellow pubescence on posterior half. Scutellum densely clothed with appressed pale yellow pubescence. Elytra extending to near base of abdominal segment I; disk shining, testaceous, base yellowish inside of humeri, humeri orangish, margins narrowly black; punctures moderately dense, becoming finer toward apex; pubescence sparse, long, erect and suberect, each seta rising out of a puncture; each elytron strongly dehiscent and narrowing from behind basal fourth; apices rounded.

Legs. Pro- and mesolegs reddish orange; pro- and mesofemora strongly clavate, short; metafemora elongate, widening slightly at apical third; basal half brownish, apical half reddish orange ( Fig. 1d ); metatibiae with basal half brownish black, apical half reddish orange; with a sparse brush of orangish setae on apical two-thirds ( Fig. 5k ). Metatarsomere I distinctly longer than II–IV combined.

Abdomen. Elongate, slender, broadening slightly toward apex, predominantly yellow with portions reddishorange ( Figs. 1a, d ); ventrites progressively more densely punctate from first; pubescence sparse; last ventrite shallowly impressed medially.

Female. Unknown.

Diagnosis and remarks. This species can be separated from congeners by the elytra shorter, extending to about base of abdominal segment I, broadly rounded apically; metatibiae without dense brush of suberect setae; and genae about a 1/4 as long as lower eye lobe.

Type material. Holotype, male ( Figs. 1a–d ): “ Mexico, Q. Roo, 1 km N Xel-Ha, on Croton flowers, 16, VI- 2016, Cope Collection” ( NMNH) . Paratypes, 2 males, same data as holotype ( NMNH, JCPC) .

Etymology. This species is named for James (Jim) Cope (JSCC), who collected all three known specimens. The epithet is a noun in the genitive case.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Crossomeles copei sp. nov., holotype male. a) Dorsal habitus. b) Close-up of pronotum. c) Close-up of head. d) Lateral habitus.

FIGURE 5. Four species of Crossomeles. a) C. acutipennis, paratype male, close-up of head. b) C. aureopilis, paratype male, close-up of head. c) C. copei, holotype male, close-up of head. d) C. oscarcastilloi sp. nov., holotype male, close-up of head. e) C. acutipennis, paratype male, close-up of pronotum. f) C. aureopilis, paratype male, close-up of pronotum. g) C. copei, holotype male, close-up of pronotum. h) C. oscarcastilloi sp. nov., holotype male, close-up of pronotum. i) C. acutipennis, paratype male, close-up of metatibia. j) C. aureopilis, paratype male, close-up of metatibia. k) C. copei, holotype male, close-up of metatibia. l) C. oscarcastilloi sp. nov., holotype male, close-up of metatibia.