Neoxenus corrugatus Mermudes

Mermudes, José Ricardo M., 2015, A new genus and two new species of Araecerini from high elevation in the Andes with a synopsis of the tribe in South America (Coleoptera, Anthribidae, Choraginae), Zootaxa 3918 (4), pp. 587-593 : 590

Neoxenus corrugatus Mermudes sp. nov.

( Figs 4–6 )

Etymology. The name corrugatus from latin means wrinkled, alluding to the surface sculpture of the pronotum.

Description. Male. Integument blackwish-brown; antennae and legs light-brown. Labrum yellowish, with rare elongate and yellowish setae. Dorsal vestiture: rostrum and pronotum with dense, decumbent and yellowish setae, directed forwards ( Figs 4–6 ); elytra with slightly darker, semi-erect and shorter setae than pronotum, directed backwards. Antennae with sparse and short yellowish setae; club with dense brownish setae. Ventrally with dense, decumbent and whitish setae, more sparse on ventrites. Legs with dense and very short yellowish setae.

Rostrum feebly wider than long, subplanate; apical margin conpiscuously raised and sinuous; interscrobal distance slightly shorter than distance between inner margins of eyes; frons weakly convex.

Antennae short ( Fig. 6 ), not reaching the middle of prothorax; scape as long as pedicel in length, strongly narrowed at apical fifth; pedicel elongate and swollen; III feebly longer than IV, this very slightly longer than V; VI–VIII subequal; club with distinct stout antennomeres, the longest, IX-X assymetrical, feebly expanded at the inner margin, and XI rounded at apex.

Pronotum ( Figs. 4–5 ) slightly wider than long, feebly convex; sides of prothorax regularly convergent to apex; antebasal carina sinuous, more deeply at middle, sharply curved laterally; lateral carina vestigial. Scutellum short, quadrangular and impressed.

Elytra evenly convex, with rows of moderately coarse punctures, and interstriae narrowed laterally.

Ventrites subequal in length, V twice as long as IV. Pygidium subplanate, truncate at apex

Dissection of the terminalia was omitted due the rarity of the material.

Measurements in mm, male: TL = 1.80; RL = 0.18; RAW = 0.28; RBW = 0.28; PL = 0.55; PW = 0.76; EL = 1.14; EW = 0.83.

Type material. Holotype male. Ecuador, Napo, Baeza, 13.II.1983, L. Huggert leg. ( MZLU).

Remarks. Neoxenus corrugatus Mermudes sp. nov. can be distinguished from all known species of Neoxeus by the distinctly longitudinally corrugated pronotum, with punctures strongly confluent and shallow, surface of punctures microcorrugate, and by dorsal vestiture on rostrum and pronotum with dense, decumbent and yellowish setae feebly shorter than setae on elytra, which has setae modertely sparse and semi-erect ( Figs 4–5 ).

Figures

FIGURES 4 – 6. Neoxenus corrugatus Mermudes sp. nov., holotype male: 4, dorsal habitus; 5, lateral habitus; 6, rostrum frontal and antennae. Scale bars: 4 – 5 = 1 mm; 6 = 100 µm.