Merionoedopsis zamalloae, Clarke, 2015

Clarke, Robin O. S., 2015, Bolivian Cerambycinae: new anthophilous species (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), Insecta Mundi 2015 (453), pp. 1-22 : 2-3

Merionoedopsis zamalloae sp. nov.

Fig. 1, 2

Description of holotype. Female, large (24.30 mm); forebody distinctly longer than abdomen (lengths forebody/abdomen 1.28). Color. Almost entirely black with metallic blue reflection, the reflection violet on metasternum, green on abdomen. The following rufescent or yellowish, palpomeres, labrum, clypeus, sides of elytra, coxae, peduncles of meso- and metafemora.

Surface ornamentation. Dorsad of antennal scape smooth, almost impunctate. Surface of pronotum almost uniformly carinate, including surface of calli.

Structure. Width of head with eyes distinctly narrower than maximum width of prothorax (widths head/prothorax 0.73); rostrum moderately long (width/length 2.81); inferior lobes of eyes small, interocular 3.7 width of one lobe (0.75 mm). Antennae short, passing apex of elytra at middle of antennomere X, nearly reaching apex of abdomen; antennomeres rather robust (including VIII–XI); VIII strongly bent at base. Prothorax subcylindrical; 1.4 longer than wide; somewhat attenuate towards apex; widest and constricted across basal fifth, strongly constricted before apex. Prosternum strongly constricted across apical third; towards base weakly convex, surface less prominent than prosternal process; the latter arced, with rather broad base (width of procoxal cavity 1.38 wider than base); apex of prosternal process a strongly transverse, isosceles triangle. Procoxal cavities angulate at sides, closed behind. Elytra subulate, narrowing from base to acuminate apex; 2.83 longer than width across humeri; dehiscent for apical two-thirds; apex reaching base of urosternite V. Mesosternum somewhat abruptly declivous anterior to its process, but not deeply so; mesosternal process flat and wide (1.21 wider than width of mesocoxal cavity), at apex bilobate, lobes separated by deep V-shaped excavation at apex, but hardly divergent. Mesosternum 0.75 length of metasternum. Metasternum rather broad throughout, with subparallel sides, apical margin almost truncate; weakly tumid, broadly flattened across disc. Metepisternum subrectangular, rather narrow at base, moderately tapering to apex. Mesocoxae moderately widely open to epimerum. Abdomen convex, moderately wide, weakly annulated; widest at base, tapering to apex; urosternite I (3.30 mm) twice as long as II–IV (1.70- 1.50 mm respectively; V (1.8 mm) slightly longer than II–IV, trapezoidal, rather flat and weakly down turned towards apex, apical margin nearly truncate. Abdominal process broad, blunt, planar with abdominal surface. Legs pedunculate clavate; moderately long, ratio front/ middle/hind legs 1.0:1.3:2.1; body length/length of front, middle, and hind leg 2.5, 2.0, 1.2 respectively; apex of metafemora reaching middle of urosternite V; metafemoral peduncle about twice length of clave; metatarsomere I 1.85 longer than II+III.

Measurements (mm). Female, total length 24.30; length of pronotum 4.70; width of pronotum 3.35; length of elytra 12.75; width at humeri 4.50.

Diagnosis. The female of this species may be separated from those of M. brevipennis Melzer, 1934 and M. aeneiventris Gounelle, 1911 ( Fig. 3 ) by the following characters:

In M. zamalloae surface of pronotum almost uniformly and densely carinate, including surface of calli (in M. aeneiventris not entirely carinate, and calli smooth); in M. zamalloae forebody 1.3 longer than abdomen (in M. aeneiventris forebody about 1.1 longer; in M. zamalloae antennae pass apex of elytra at middle of antennomere X, and do not pass apex of abdomen (in M. aeneiventris antennae pass apex of elytra at base of antennomeres VII–VIII, and pass apex of abdomen at middle of X); in M. zamalloae procoxal cavity 1.4 wider than base of prosternal process (in M. aeneiventris coxal cavity about twice as wide as base of process); in M. zamalloae elytra dehiscent for apical two-thirds (in M. aeneiventris dehiscent for apical half); in M. zamalloae apex of elytra reach middle of urosternite V (in M. aeneiventris elytra do not pass urosternite III); in M. zamalloae metatarsomere I almost twice as long as II+III (in M. aeneiventris tarsomere I about 1.5 longer than II+III).

Furthermore, M. zamalloae and M. brevipennis are readily separated from M. aeneaventris by examining the upper surface of antennal scape, almost impunctate in the former two, rather densely punctured (and in parts with large contiguous ones) in M. aeneaventris .

Type material. Holotype female: BOLIVIA, Santa Cru z, Hotel Flora & Fauna, 5 km SSE of Buena Vista , 17°29’96"S/ 63°39’13"W, 440 m, on/flying to flowers of “Bejuco colorado enano”, 13.IX.2007 ( MNKM).

Etymology. This species is dedicated to Sonia Zamalloa Herrera who collected the specimen.

TRIBE HETEROPSINI

Figures

Figures 1–3. Merionoedopsis species. Figures 1–2. Merionoedopsis zamalloae sp. nov., female holotype. 1) dorsal habitus. 2) head and prothorax. 3) Merionoedopsis aeneiventris Gounelle, 1911, head and prothorax.