Dihammaphora pilcomayoensis, Clarke, 2015

Clarke, Robin O. S., 2015, Bolivian Cerambycinae: new anthophilous species (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), Insecta Mundi 2015 (453), pp. 1-22 : 10-11

Dihammaphora pilcomayoensis sp. nov.

Fig. 14, 15

Description of holotype. Male, length 5.70 mm. Elegant, narrow and elongate. Color of upper body, and scutellum dusky rufescent; underside of head, prosternum and mesosternum rufescent; antennae, metasterna and abdomen black. Pronotum with ill-defined, transverse, rufous patch adjacent to broad, black fascia occupying middle third of disc. Elytra ochreous-brown, clouded dusky towards apex. Front leg rufous-orange (onychium black); middle and hind leg femora with rufescent peduncle and black clave, black tibiae and tarsi.

Surface ornamentation on upper side of head pronotum and elytra ornamented with scale-shaped, golden pubescence; on head, clypeus, frons and vertex with small punctures embedded in smooth matrix of micropunctures. Pronotum almost lacking setae, but clothed with minute, short, golden hairs concentrated to either side of midline; pubescence hiding details, but appears to be uniformly, densely and somewhat rugosely punctured (punctures small and alveolate). On underside only head glabrous, the rest rather densely clothed with fine, recumbent, grey pubescence (on meso- and metasterna very dense on prosternum, and less so on abdomen). Elytral surface reticulate, pubescence similar to that of pronotum (but lacking denser patches); densely covered by deep, contiguous, alveolate punctures, in 5–6 rows of non-seriate, moderately large punctures (one puncture between humero-apical and lateral costae). Margins weakly and sparsely asperate from apex to middle (densest towards apex with 6–7 asperities/mm). Antennae sparsely pubescent basally, denser towards apex.

Structure. Head with clypeus separated from frons by deep V-shaped suture; frons depressed, not bordered at sides. Antennal tubercles rounded, moderately prominent; separated by nearly three times width of scape. Antennae eleven-segmented, subfiliform, moderately robust, passing middle of elytra at apex of antennomere IX. Scape the longest segment (0.45 mm), cylindrical, hardly robust, with rugose, confluent, small punctures. Antennomeres III–V subcylindrical, weakly widened at apex, dorsally with narrow keel from base to apex; III, V and VI slightly longer (0.40 mm) than IV; VI widened from middle to weakly tumid apex, keeled for basal half; VII–X incrementally shorter (0.35– 0.25 mm); VII subcylindrical, keeled for basal quarter; VIII widened from base to slightly tumid apex; XI fusiform, slightly longer (0.30 mm) and narrower than X. Prothorax 1.44 longer than wide, widest well behind middle; almost cylindrical, weakly rounded for middle half, hardly attenuate, somewhat sinuate to front margin, rounded and constricted to base; width of base about 1.3 narrower than humeri. Pronotal surface uneven; center of disc rather convex, depressed at apical and basal constrictions, latero-basal gibbosities, rather small, moderately prominent and rounded at apex. Elytra long, nearly 3.4 longer than width across humeri; rather weakly sinuous at sides (almost parallel to middle, gradually widened to apex), narrowest before middle; moderately depressed at base and on disc. Dorsal costa moderately strong and almost reaching apex. Elytral apices hardly projecting, truncate, somewhat oblique; apical margin without asperities. Legs long (but hind leg less than twice length of front leg); femoral peduncles narrow, flattened, bicarinate, sulcate; claves fusiform, rather short, moderately abrupt. Metafemora just failing to reach apex of elytra. Tibiae narrow, without projection at inner apex; apex of protibia with weak rounded projection laterally; metatibiae moderately bisinuate (viewed laterally). First segment of metatarsus one-third longer (0.40 mm) than the following two combined.

Female ( Fig. 15 ). Color and pubescence generally as in male; slightly duskier, especially on elytra, underside (prosternum black for basal half), and legs (middle leg entirely black). Pubescence generally less conspicuous and darker in color. Antennae rather short, not reaching middle of elytra; with similar formula to male, but lacking conspicuous distinctions (antennomere VI weakly widened from base to apex, VII–X similar in structure, VIII–X slightly longer (0.25 mm) than XI, XI not narrow (about twice as long as wide). Prothorax much as male, but shorter (1.3 longer than wide). Elytra 3.25 longer than wide; narrowest well before middle; margins with sparser and weaker asperities. Metafemoral clave passing elytra at apical constriction. Side of protibial apex as in male. First segment of metatarsus 1.4 longer (0.35 mm) than the following two combined.

Measurements (mm). 1 male / 1 female, total length 5.70/5.50; length of pronotum 1.30/1.20; width of pronotum 0.90/0.80; length of elytra 3.70/3.25; width at humeri 1.10/1.00.

Diagnosis. This species, with eleven-segmented antennae, is readily separated from all other species in this species-group by its black and rufescent pronotum. In Dihammaphora scutata Gounelle, 1911 pronotum is reddish with well-delimited, scalloped black band across base. In Dihammaphora falsa Napp and Mermudes, 2010 (with habitus most similar to D. pilcomayoensis ) pronotum is black; in Dihammaphora uncinata Napp and Mermudes, 2010 pronotum is reddish with broad, blackish band medially (and in both the latter species inner side of procoxa with uncinate projection, absent in D. pilcomayoensis ). In all other species pronotum is entirely orange or reddish.

Type material. Holotype male: BOLIVIA, Tarija, 21°28’S / 63°08’W, ca. 300 m, dry Chaco Forest, edge of Rio Pilcomayo , 300 meters S Palo Mercado, beaten from flowering Acacia tree, 12.XII.2007 ( MNKM) . Paratype: Data as for holotype, female ( RCSZ).

Etymology. The specific epithet, pilcomayoensis , refers to the type locality of this species, the edge of the Pilcomayo River, and its name ends with the Latin “ensis” meaning its provenance.

Figures

Figures 10–15. Dihammaphora species. Figures 10-11. Dihammaphora dilmanappae sp. nov., dorsal habitus.10) male holotype. 11) female paratype. Figures 12-13. Dihammaphora paraperforata sp. nov., dorsal habitus. 12) male holotype. 13) female paratype. Figures 14-15. Dihammaphora pilcomayoensis sp. nov., dorsal habitus. 14) male holotype. 15) female paratype.