Stereomerus swifti, Bezark & Galileo & Santos-Silva, 2016

Bezark, Larry G., Galileo, Maria Helena M. & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2016, Two new species of Lamiinae (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) from the Neotropical Region, Zootaxa 4085 (1), pp. 135-140 : 138-140

Stereomerus swifti sp. nov.

( Figs 6–9 )

Description. Holotype female. Integument dark-brown, except for: parts of head black; basal half of lateral sides of elytra, and part of tibiae dark reddish-brown; about basal half of antennomeres V–X reddish-brown (gradually lighter toward distal antennomeres); antennomere XI yellowish; month parts yellowish-brown.

Head. Frons moderately finely, abundantly punctate; pubescence yellowish-white (more whitish depending on angle of light source), partially obscuring integument; with long, sparse setae close to eyes. Area between antennal tubercles and anterior margin of prothorax, including area behind upper eye lobes, moderately finely, abundantly punctate; pubescence slightly more yellowish than on frons, except for narrow band around upper eye lobes, and wide band behind upper eye lobes; pubescence slightly denser along longitudinal sulcus, forming slightly distinct, narrow band, that does not reach prothoracic margin. Area behind lower eye lobes moderately finely, abundantly punctate; pubescence yellowish-white (more whitish close to eye), obscuring integument. Genae finely, densely punctate, with yellowish-white pubescence, except for smooth, glabrous narrow band close to apex. Antennal tubercles with sculpture and pubescence as on frons. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.10 times length of scape; distance between lower eye lobes in frontal view 0.55 times length of scape. Antennae 1.95 times elytral length; reaching elytral apex at basal third of antennomere VII; scape, pedicel and antennomeres with erect, dark, moderately long and sparse setae dorsally, distinct longer, denser ventrally (setae gradually shorter, sparser toward distal antennomeres); antennal formula based on antennomere III: scape = 0.84; pedicel = 0.13; IV = 0.91; V = 0.73; VI = 0.64; VII = 0.55; VIII = 0.46; IX = 0.42; X = 0.35; XI = 0.31.

Thorax. Prothorax transverse, 1.1 times wider than long; with moderately small tubercle slightly before middle of sides. Pronotum moderately coarsely, abundantly punctate; disc with yellowish-white, moderately dense pubescence, except for narrow, longitudinal band with white pubescence from base to apex; sides with wide band of dense, more yellowish pubescence. Sides of prothorax with wide band of whitish, slightly dense pubescence close to yellowish band of pronotum, followed by wide band of dense, yellowish-white pubescence. Prosternum moderately finely, abundantly punctate, with transverse, moderately deep sulcus near anterior margin; with yellowish-white pubescence, partially obscuring integument. Prosternal process narrow centrally (about 1/3 of width of peduncle of profemora at base); pubescence as on prosternum. Mesosternum, mesosternal process, metepisterna and metasternum with pubescence as on prosternum. Metasternum moderately coarsely, abundantly punctate laterally, gradually finer, sparser toward center. Scutellum pubescent (part of pubescence was lost in the holotype). Elytra moderately coarsely, abundantly punctate on basal half, gradually sparser toward apex; pubescence as follows: wide central band on basal four-fifths with yellowish-brown pubescence, variegated with whitish pubescence; short band with brownish pubescence near base, between humerus and scutellum; narrow, slightly oblique band with yellowish pubescence, from near apex of the former to slightly before middle; elongate band of yellowish pubescence on center of distal third; sides of dorsal surface with whitish pubescence, variegated with yellowish-brown pubescence; distal fifth with macula of yellowish pubescence near suture, followed by whitish pubescence; sides with wide band of brownish pubescence, wider, more distinct on basal half; apex obliquely truncate.

Abdomen. Ventrites I–III moderately coarsely, abundantly punctate; ventrite IV moderately coarsely, sparsely punctate; ventrite V finely, densely punctate; ventrites with yellowish-white pubescence (more whitish depending on angle of light source), partially obscuring integument (slightly denser centrally on ventrites I–IV), except for lateral band on each side, with yellowish pubescence, from base of ventrite I to apex of ventrite V (less distinct from base of ventrite IV). Legs. Femora with yellowish-white pubescence. Tibiae with yellowish-white pubescence, except for dark-brown pubescence on dorsal surface of distal half of mesotibiae.

Male. Very similar to female, but can be differentiated by the longer antennae (2.5 times elytral length, reaching elytral apex near apex of antennomere V).

Color variation. Elytra entirely dark-brown; antennomeres III–X dark-brown with apex blackish; antennomere XI entirely dark-brown; band of pubescence along longitudinal sulcus of dorsal surface of head absent; color and position of pubescence on elytra slightly variable.

Dimensions (mm). Holotype /male/female. Total length, 9.00/9.25–6.24/8.75–5.87; prothoracic length, 1.30/ 1.40–1.03 /1.30–0.95; anterior prothoracic width, 1.35/1.40–0.95/1.30–0.89; basal prothoracic width, 1.35/1.35– 0.95/1.30–0.89; largest prothoracic width, 1.45/1.50–1.06/1.42–0.95; humeral width, 1.90/1.90–1.42/1.95–1.33; elytral length, 6.25/6.55–4.53/6.50–4.21.

Type material. Holotype female from ECUADOR, Manabi: vicinity of La Pila (200 m, -1.11198 / -80.58068), 18-27.II.2006, F. T. Hovore & I. Swift col. ( CAS) . Paratypes (all from Ecuador, Manabi)— 1 male, 1 female, same data as holotype ( MZSP) ; 1 male, 2 females, same data as holotype, ( CAS) ; 2 males, 5 females, same data as holotype ( LGBC) ; 1 female, 5 km S. Montecristi , 10.III.2006, F. T. Hovore & I. Swift col. ( LGBC) .

Etymology. This species is named after Ian Swift, one of the collectors of the type series.

Remarks. Stereomerus swifti sp. nov. differs from all other species of the genus by the elytral color pattern (see photos at Bezark 2015). Except for S. brachypterous Martins & Galileo, 1994 , S. maculatus Galileo & Martins, 2003 , and S. hovorei Martins & Galileo, 2006 (elytral pubescence not forming longitudinal bands), the other species of the genus have distinct longitudinal bands of pubescence on elytra (from base to apex). According to Martins & Galileo (1994) the elytral pubescence in the holotype of S. brachypterous is not well conserved. However the latter differs from the new species by the general color being distinctly lighter. Stereomerus hovorei differs from S. swifti by the slender body (distinctly wider in S. hovorei ), by the yellowish elytral pubescence not forming a wide, semicircular band on basal third of elytra, and by the yellowish elytral band at the beginning of the distal third not oblique, as in S. hovorei . Stereomerus maculatus differs from the new species mainly by the body being notably slender, the prothorax slender and longer, and with longer antennae (see photograph of the holotype at Bezark 2016).

Figures

FIGURES 6 – 9. Stereomerus swifti sp. nov., holotype female: 6, dorsal habitus; 7, ventral habitus; 8, lateral habitus; 9, head, frontal view.