Lophobothea nearnsi, Monné & Monné & Botero, 2017

Monné, Miguel A., Monné, Marcela L. & Botero, Juan P., 2017, New genus and species of Neotropical Colobotheini (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae), Zootaxa 4276 (3), pp. 446-450 : 447-448

Lophobothea nearnsi sp. nov.

( Figs. 4–6 )

Female. Integument black, pubescence predominantly grayish white, densely covering head and prothorax, on elytra arranged as a net of irregular patches, each patch surrounded by brownish-black pubescence. Pronotum with five longitudinal stripes of brownish-black pubescence, extending from anterior to posterior border, central stripe wider than others.

Lower eye lobes, height equal to that of genae; upper eye lobes well separated, distance between them 1.3 times width of upper lobe. Antennae surpassing elytral apices by about two antennomeres, scape slightly dilated at distal third. Prothorax with minute protuberance at beginning of basal third, slightly constricted behind; punctuation of pronotum restricted to basal row of punctures. Prosternal process slightly narrowed in middle, width equal to ¾ of procoxal cavity. Mesosternal process 1.5 times wider than mesocoxal cavity. Scutellum broadly rounded behind, each side with black mark. Elytra with sides parallel from base to apex, apices emarginate, sutural angle acute, outer angle projected in acute spine. Humeri projected in rhomboid protuberance, anteriorly oblique. Lateral carina well marked from base to distal third. Elytral surface with sparse punctures, mostly restricted to basal half. Legs stout, femora moderately clavate. Metatarsomere I as long as II–III together.

Apical margin of urotergite V truncate; urosternite V narrowing to extremity, apical margin rounded.

Male. Antennae exceeding elytral apices by five segments; apical urotergite and urosternite rounded at apex. Protarsi with setae on lateral margins.

Measurements (mm), male/female. Total length, 14.6/13.8–16.0; prothorax length, 2.4/2.0–2.5; prothorax width, 4.0/3.0–4.0; elytral length, 11.1/10.0–12.0; humeral width, 5.0/4.5–5.6.

Etymology. The species is dedicated to our friend Eugenio Nearns (Purdue Entomological Research Collection, West Lafayette, IN, USA).

Type material. Holotype female, Colombia, Cundinamarca: Fusagasuga , IX.1920, P. Apolinar leg. ( MNRJ) . Paratypes: Colombia, Bogotá, female, Apolinar María col. ( USNM) . Peru, Paucartambo: Paucartambo, male, J. Clermont col. ( USNM) .

Remarks. Lophobothea nearnsi sp. nov. is similar to L. reticulata ( Bates, 1881) in having the grayish pubescence of the elytra arranged as a net of irregular patches, each patch surrounded by brownish-black pubescence. It differs mainly in the pronotum with five longitudinal stripes of brownish-black pubescence, the central stripe wider than the others, the lateral tubercles of prothorax reduced to a minute protuberance, and the posterior row of punctures of the pronotum situated in a depressed area. In L. reticulata the median longitudinal line is divided, the lateral tubercle of the prothorax is more projected, and the posterior row of punctures of the pronotum is situated in a flat area.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. 1 – 3, Lophobothea reticulata: 1, dorsal view; 2, ventral view; 3, lateral view. 4 – 6, Lophobothea nearnsi sp. nov., female, holotype: 4, dorsal view; 5, ventral view; 6, lateral view. 7 – 8, Lophobothea barclayi sp. nov., female, holotype: 7, dorsal view; 8, lateral view.