Mephritus apicatus ( Linsley, 1935 )

García, Kimberly & Nascimento, Francisco Eriberto de Lima, 2020, Elaphidiini (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) from the Caribbean region of Colombia: New species, taxonomic notes and new geographical records, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia (Pap. Avulsos Zool., S. Paulo) 60 (23), pp. 1-8 : 7

Mephritus apicatus ( Linsley, 1935)

( Figs. 14-15 )

Geographical distribution: Mexico (Chiapas, Oaxaca); Nicaragua; Costa Rica; Panama; Brazil (Rondônia); Colombia (Atlántico, Bolívar), new country record.

Material examined: Colombia, Atlántico: Usiacurí ( Reserva Campesina La Montaña , 260 m, 10°46.0′02.6″N, 75°00.2′34.0″W, tropical dry forest), 14.V.2018, García, K. col., UV light trap (1♀ UARC) ; Bolívar: San Jacinto ( Reserva La Flecha , 324 m, 09°51′12.4″N, 75°10′41.4″W, tropical dry forest), 15-16.IV.2018, García, K. col., UV light trap (3♀ UARC), white light trap (1♂, 1♀ MZSP) .

Remarks: This species was described by Linsley (1935) provisionally in the genus Nephalius Blanchard, 1843 , and later transferred to Mephritus by Napp & Martins, 1982. Originally, Linsley (1935) described the species habitus as yellowish-testaceous, with the head (in front of the eyes), antennae, legs, and apices of elytra black or rufo-piceous; he also mentioned that the elytral apex is spinose but did not specify any variation regarding the length of the spine. Specimens of M. apicatus from Colombia were examined and compared with specimens from the MZSP, and a chromatic variation was noticed. The head was completely dark in some specimens (not only in front of the eyes) ( Fig. 14 ), while others were reddish, only dark in front of the eyes ( Fig. 15 ); the color of the legs is also variable, with a tendency to be dark toward the femoral apex. Moreover, the length of the elytral spines is also variable among specimens.

Figures

Figures 9-15. (9, 13) Sphaerion sladeni Gahan, 1903: (9) Dorsal habitus; (13) Detail of pronotum and head. (10-12) Sphaerion costae sp. nov., paratype females: (10) Female with lateral margins of prothorax rounded, dorsal habitus; (11) Female with lateral margins of prothorax tuberculate, dorsal habitus; (12) Detail of pronotum and head.(14-15) Mephritus apicatus (Linsley,1935),dorsal habitus:(14) Male;(15) Female.Scale bars = 5 mm.