Tethlimmena Bates, 1872

Nascimento, Francisco Eriberto De L. & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2021, The interesting and complex tribe Oxycoleini (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae): a new genus, new species, and taxonomic notes, Zootaxa 5060 (3), pp. 353-370 : 354

Tethlimmena Bates, 1872

Tethlimmena Bates, 1872: 185 ; Gemminger, 1872: 2895 (cat.); Bates, 1880: 45; Aurivillius, 1912: 287 (cat.); Monné, 1993: 57 (cat.); 2005: 261 (cat.); 2012: 26; 2021: 623 (cat.).

Remarks. Bates (1872) included Tethlimmena in Eroschemini , and it has been kept in this tribe by many authors (e.g. Aurivillius 1912, Maes 1998, Hovore 2006, Swift et al. 2010, Maes et al. 2010, Bezark 2021b). Tethlimmena Bates, 1872 appears in Monné (2021) and Tavakilian & Chevillotte (2021) in Oxycoleini . According to Martins & Galileo (2003) (translated): “In 1911, Gounelle described Tethlimmena gahani . Tethlimmena was allocated in the tribe Eroschemini , constituted by species unique to Australia and similar to Lycidae ; he based his description in a female with abdominal ventrites modified [ Figs 16, 19, 24 , 31 , 33, 37 ], therefore, different from females of Eroschemini (or of Molorchini ), which have the abdominal ventrites normal [ Figs. 6–7 ]. Thus, the original allocation of Tethlimmena was wrong.” However, it was Bates (1872) who included Tethlimmena in Eroschemini , although the abdominal ventrites of the female of the type-species, T. aliena Bates, 1872 , are modified. Unfortunately, Martins & Galileo (2003) were not very clear about the inclusion of Tethlimmena in Oxycoleini . Júlio (1997) considered Tethlimmena as belonging to Eroschemini (translated): “In this work we described two new species from Brazil, propose the synonymy between O. latipennis ( Zajciw, 1964) and Tethlimmena gahani var. tristis Melzer, 1933 and two new combinations, O. tristis ( Melzer, 1933) (from Tethlimmena ) and O. gahani ( Gounelle, 1911) (from Tethlimmena ) thus, the Eroschemini being restricted to Asia, Australia and Central America.” We think that Tethlimmena must be allocated to Oxycoleini , and that the transference, poorly established in Martins & Galileo (2003) is correct.

Tethlimmena differs from Oxycoleus by the elytra without humeral carina, not dehiscent, at least slightly widened toward the apex, which is rounded. The antennomeres in males ( Figs 4–5 ) and females of the type species are distinctly widened toward the apex and distinctly flattened. However, in males of T. basalis Gahan, 1895 the antennomeres are distinctly less expanded toward the apex. This may suggest they belong to different genera. Unfortunately, we have no specimens of T. basalis and have only a single male of T. aliena Bates, 1872 . Therefore, further studies are needed to confirm or not that they belong to the same genus.

Figures

FIGURES 15–24. 15–20) Oxycoleus similis, holotype female: 15) Dorsal habitus; 16) Ventral habitus; 17) Lateral habitus; 18) Head, frontal view; 19) Metafemora; 20) Pronotum. 21–23) Oxycoleus similis, paratype male: 21) Dorsal habitus; 22) Ventral habitus; 23) Metafemora. 24) Oxycoleus brachypterus (Clarke, 2008), paratype female, metafemora.

FIGURES 25–31. Oxycoleus flavipes Martins & Galileo, 2006. 25–12) Male from Bolivia (Santa Cruz): 25) Dorsal habitus; 26) Ventral habitus; 27) Head, frontal view; 28) Abdominal apex; 29) Lateral habitus. 30–31) Female from Bolivia (Santa Cruz): 30) Dorsal habitus; 31) Ventral habitus.

FIGURES 32–37. 32–35) Oxymerus brachypterus (Clarke, 2008): 32) Paratype female, dorsal habitus; 33) Paratype female, ventral habitus; 34) Paratype male, dorsal habitus; 35) Paratype male, ventral habitus. 36–37) Oxymerus laetus Júlio, 1997, female from Brazil (Mato Grosso): 36) Dorsal habitus; 37) Ventral habitus.

FIGURES 5–7. 5) Tethlimmena aliena Bates, 1872, male from Costa Rica (Limón), ventral habitus. 6) Corennys sericata Bates, 1884, female from Japan (Yumoto, Nikko), ventral habitus. 7) Eroschema poweri Pascoe, 1859, female from Australia (Tarwin Lower), ventral habitus.

FIGURES 1–4. 1) Tethlimmena obscurus (Júlio, 1997), dorsal habitus, by Steven W. Lingafelter. 2–3) Wappesia tristis (Melzer, 1933): 2) Holotype female from Brazil (Santa Catarina), dorsal habitus; 3) Male from Brazil (Minas Gerais), dorsal habitus. 4) Tethlimmena aliena Bates, 1872, male from Costa Rica (Limón), dorsal habitus.