Axina phallospina 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 : 21-22

Axina phallospina Opitz , new species

Figures 53 , 65, 70, 91.

Type material. Holotype. Male. Type locality: BOLIVIA, Santa Cruz Dpt., 4 km N Bermejo , October 17-24, 2014, Wappes & Morris ( FSCA). A second label reads: Refugio los Volcanes, El 1045-1350m, 18°06 ′ S 63°36 ′ W. A Third label reads: ACMT . Paratypes. 9 specimens. Bolivia: Departamento de Santa Cruz, 20 km N Camiri, road to Eyti, 6 km E Hwy 9, 5- 6-10-XII-2012, 1,250 m, Wappes, Bonaso, Skillman ( WOPC,1) ; El Refugio Los Volcanes , 1-10-X-2008, 3,363 feet, Morris & Wappes ( RFMC, 1; WOPC, 1) ; idem, 18-24-X-2014, 3,363 feet, Morris & Wappes ( WOPC, 1) ; 4 km N Bermejo, Refugio Los Volcanes , 4-9-XII-2013, 1,045 -1,350 m, Wappes & Skillman ( ACMT, 1) ; idem, 4-9-XII-2013, 1,045 -1,350 m, Wappes & Skillman ( ACMT, 1) ; idem, 8-11-XII-2011, 1,350 m, Wappes, Lingafelter, Morris & Woodley ( ACMT, 1) ; idem, 10-12-XII-2015, 1,045 -1,350 m, Wappes, Kuckartz & Skillman ( ACMT, 1) .

Diagnosis. The round premedial and postmedial flavotestaceous elytral maculae are characteristics that will distinguish the members of this species from superficially similar beetles of A. fortipes . Males of these two species have a vastly different aedeagal construction (compare Fig. 48 , 53)

Description. Size. Length 11.0 mm; width 2.8 mm. Form. As in Fig. 91 . Color. Cranium castaneous: antenna testaceous; prothorax bicolorous, venter and lower pronotum sides black, remainder of pronotum castaneous; pterothorax, legs, and abdomen black, except tarsi testaceous; elytra bicolorous, mostly black, each elytron with three flavotestaceous maculae, round one in front of middle, round one behind middle, and one at apex, only apical macula reaches sutural margin. Head. Cranium finely punctate, frons about as wide as length of antennal pedicel; EW/FW 60/10. Thorax. Pronotum finely punctate, with 2 tumescences, concave at middle; PW/PL 120/170; elytra, few asetiferous punctures near middle adjacent to sutural margin, width of interstitial spaces variable; EL/EW 480/100. Abdomen. Female pygidium narrows slightly to a blunt point; female visible abdominal sternite VI abruptly narrows in posterior ½ ( Fig. 65 ); aedeagus ( Fig. 53 ), phallobasic lobes long, widely separated, with large spine on ventral margin; phallic plates widen, with large spine on dorsal margin; phallobasic apodeme abbreviated.

Variation. Size. Length 11.0– 12.2 mm; width 2.8–3.4 mm. Except for body size, the available specimens are quite homogeneous.

Natural history. Specimens were collected in Bolivia during October, at altitudes that range from 1,013 –1,350 m. 430 m.

Distribution (for map see Fig. 70 ). This species is known from Bolivia.

Etymology. The specific epithet, phallospina , is a compound name that stems from the Greek phallus (= penis) and the Latin spina (= spine). I refer to the highly spinous condition of the apical region of the phallus.

fasciata species group

This is a convenience group that does not show a unifying characteristic. There are 20 species in this group with a geographical distribution that involves Panama, French Guiana, Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, and Argentina

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 50–55. Aedeagi. 5) Axina basalis. 51) A. lateralis. 52) A. munda. 53) A. phallospina. 54) A. proxima. 55) A. trinalis.

Figures 44–49. Aedeagi. 44) Axina chiasta. 45) A. conspicua. 46) A. fasciata. 47) A. centrimaculata. 48) A. fortipes. 49) A. furcula.

Figures 90–93. Habitus of Axina species. 90) Axina latilinea. 91) A. phallospina. 92) A. apicalis. 93) A. centrimaculata.

Figures 64–65. Female genitalia. 64) Axina pollex. 65) A. phallospina.