Semanotus australis Giesbert, 1993

James Hammond, H. E. & Williams, Daryl J., 2013, Casey’s conundrum, a review of the genus Semanotus Mulsant (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae: Callidiini) in North America, Zootaxa 3670 (2), pp. 101-136 : 130-134

Semanotus australis Giesbert, 1993

( Figs 5A ,B, 15B)

Semanotus australis Giesbert, 1993: 146 Material examined. 10 males, 10 females.

Allotype. Female, bicolored form (EMEC), examined; labelled “ Guatemala, El Progresso/Los Albores, 5200’/ May 7–8, 1991 /E. Giesbert, coll.//ALLOTYPE/ SEMANOTUS / AUSTRALIS /GIESBERT [Red label]//U.C. Berkeley/EMEC 69,727”.

Paratypes. Series of 9 males (1 black, 7 bicolored, 1 maculate), 9 females (7 bicolored, 2 maculate) (FSCA), examined; labelled “ Guatemala, El Progresso/Los Albores, 5200’/ May 7–8, 1991 /E. Giesbert, coll.// PARATYPE / Semanotus / australis Giesbert [Yellow label]”.

Diagnosis. This species can be separated from other species of Semanotus by the following combination of characters: head and prothorax black, abdomen ranging from orange to black; elytra with three distinct color forms: entirely black, basal 1/3 pale yellow to orange and apical 2/3 black, entirely yellow with a single median circular to oval black spot; elytra with a distinct row of erect, medium length setae along suture that extends from base to apical ¼; mandibles plate-like, wide at base; antennae long, extending past elytral apex, antennomere 4 longer than antennomere 3, especially in males; head with punctures sparse, separated by ~0.5– 1 X puncture diameter, shallow; antennal insertion very sparsely, shallowly, punctate to impunctate; gena behind eye sparsely punctate and slightly rugose posteriorly; pronotal disk with five large, impunctate callosities; pronotal disk with punctures sparse, separated by 0.5–1.5X diameter, shallow and non-carinate; pronotum with median area of apical margin very sparsely punctate to impunctate; lateral pronotal pubescence of two types: long, sparse, erect, fine hairs, and short, sparse, decumbent fine hairs; scutellum smooth to very sparsely, minutely punctate; elytral punctation non-foveate, surface of elytra appearing smooth and shiny.

Hosts. “…taken from log of Cupressus lusitanica Miller which had been felled the previous year. Based on number of exit holes observed on the log, a large emergence had taken place…” ( Giesbert 1993).

Flower and Associated Vegetation Records. Datura sp. (Angel’s trumpets) ( Giesbert 1993), Phaseolus vulgaris L. (common bean), label data.

Distribution. South-central Mexico, southeast to Guatemala and Honduras.

Remarks. The allotype of this species is housed at the Essig Museum (EMEC) and not at the California Academy of Sciences (CAS) as was published in Giesbert (1993), and the Florida State Collection of Arthropods (FSAC) has a series of paratypes. The holotype (a male) is listed as being at the CAS, however, this species is not listed in the primary type catalogue database. A male specimen of the melanic form of this species has been intercepted by APHIS in Pharr County, Texas on fruit of Phaseolus vulgaris from Honduras (label data, USNM).

Coloration in this species is highly variable, ranging from all black, to bicolored, to maculate with no noticeable differences in morphology.

Figures

FIGURE 5. A. Pronotum of male S. australis, B. Mandibles of male S. australis, C. Pronotum of male S. a. sequoiae, D. Profemur of male S. japonicus, E. Profemur of S. a. sequoiae, F. Elytral pubescence of female S. ligneus, G. Elytral pubescence of female S. a. amplus.