Alcathousiella giesberti, Nascimento & Monné & Wappes, 2021

Nascimento, Francisco E. de L., Monné, Miguel A. & Wappes, James E., 2021, A review of the genus Alcathousiella Monné, 2005 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 757 (1), pp. 37-49 : 40-44

Alcathousiella giesberti sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 88FB5CC0-92B6-498D-A7A9-5C2A99C25F29

Figs 1–4 , 12, 16–19

Alcathousiella polyrhaphoides – Maes et al. 2010: 394. — Swift et al. 2010: 35.

Differential diagnosis

This species is characterized by the triangularly projected ( Fig. 16 ) outer angle of elytra, protarsomeres in males with less dense, elongate blackish setae ( Fig. 12 ), and by the less thickened femoral claves.

Etymology

The epithet is a noun in the genitive case to honour and recognize Edmund F. Giesbert (1931 – 1999), a remarkably talented, self-taught cerambycid taxonomist and artist.

Material examined

Holotype

COSTA RICA • ♂; Puntarenas, Monteverde ; 1 Feb. 1978; E. Giesbert leg.; FSCA.

Paratypes

COSTA RICA • 2 ♀♀; same collection data as for holotype; FSCA • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; ACMT • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; 22–23 May 1974; FSCA • 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; 3–5 Jun. 1974; FSCA • 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; 1–3 Jun. 1978; FSCA • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; 12–16 Jun. 1978; ACMT • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; 4–6 Jun. 1980; FSCA • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; 23–26 Dec. 1982; FSCA • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; 24 Dec. 1985; FSCA • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; 8 Jun. 1986; FSCA • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; 24 Feb. 1985; FSCA • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; 23–27 May 1987; FSCA • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; 19 Feb. 1988; F.D. Parker leg.; LGBC • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; 19–26 May 1988; FSCA • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; 4–9 Jan. 1989; F.T. Hovore leg.; LGBC • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; 12–15 Jun. 2002; Chemsak and Hovore leg.; LGBC • 1 ♀; Pension Quetzal ; 28 May 1992; Lingafelter, Jameson and Ratcliffe leg.; lighting; SWLC • 2 ♂♂; San Luis, Monteverde ; 3900 ft; 12–13 May 1996; J. Wappes leg.; ACMT • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 12–15 Jun. 1996; F.T. Hovore leg.; CSCA • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 7 Jan. 1986; W. Haber leg.; EMEC • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 1 Feb. 1986; EMEC • 1 ♂; Alajuela Province, 8 km N of Vara Blanca, Volcan Poas ; 1500 m a.s.l., 11 May 1985; FSCA • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; EMEC • 1 ♀; Catargo, Turrialba , CATIE; Dec. 1990; F.T. Hovore leg.; LGBC • 2 ♂♂; 2 km E of Monteverde, 1500 ft; 31 Mar. 1992; J.D. McCarty leg.; LGBC • 1 ♂; Alajuela Province, Bosque Nubosa, Monteverde ; 8–11 Jan. 2005; C. Neuman leg.; LGBC .

PANAMA • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Chiriqui, Volcan ; 5500 ft; 11 Jan. 1964; S.L.W. leg.; BYUC • 1 ♂; Finca Hartman, Ojo de agua ; 8°51′41″ N, 82°44′36″ W; 1500+ m a.s.l., 11–14 Apr. 2018; B.T. Raber leg.; DJHC • 1 ♂; near Volcan town Totumas Mountain, Cloud forest ; 8º53′6.01″ N, 82º41′1.32″ W; 1920 m a.s.l.; May–Jun. 2018; A. Kozlov and Kovaleva leg.; MZSP • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 1920–2200 m a.s.l.; May–Jun. 2019; A. Kozlov and Kovaleva leg; MZSP .

Additional material

NICARAGUA • 1 ♂; Jinotega, San Rafael del Norte , Res. Sil. Priv. El Jaguar; 20–29 May 2017; P. Rouche leg.; AACP .

Description

Holotype male MEASUREMENTS (in mm). Total length, 8.3; prothorax length, 1.5; prothorax width, 2.4; elytral length, 6.0; humeral width, 3.1.

COLORATION. Integument mostly brownish; posterior half of prothorax sides and femoral claves dark brown; margin of abdominal ventrites, mouthparts (except mandibles, dark brown, blackish toward extremities) and femoral peduncles yellowish brown; posterior third of elytra yellowish brown.

HEAD. Frons finely densely, punctate; with moderately dense whitish-yellow pubescence, nearly obscuring integument; vertex with pubescence and punctures as on frons. Lower eye lobes about 1.3 the genal length; lobes connected by 3–4 rows of ommatidia. Upper eye lobes separated by twice upper eye lobe width. Labrum with moderately dense yellowish pubescence, not obscuring integument. Gulamentum sparsely punctate and minutely, sparsely pubescent. Antennae reaching elytral apex at the middle of antennomere V; scape long, slightly exceeding posterior margin of prothorax; with dense yellowish pubescence partially obscuring integument. Pedicel slightly widened posteriorly. Antennomeres slightly widened apically, evenly covered by yellowish pubescence. Antennal formula based on antennomere III: scape = 1.00; pedicel = 0.18; IV = 0.70; V = 0.50; VI = 0.50; VII = 0.40; VIII = 0.40; IX = 0.40; X = 0.37; XI = 0.30.

THORAX. Prothorax, across lateral tubercles, about 1.5 times as wide as long; pronotum coarsely punctate between tubercles; surface mostly covered by yellowish pubescence, especially between tubercles of the disk; posterior half with four circular spots of brown pubescence: two small laterally, near the middle and two larger behind posterior lateral tubercles. Sides with longitudinal fascia of brownish pubescence. Prosternal process ¼ width of procoxal cavity. Mesoventral process about 0.5 the diameter of mesocoxal cavity; greyish pubescent. Metaventrite minutely punctate; broad triangular area centrally with dense erect yellowish setae, obscuring integument; laterally with dense yellowish pubescence. Mesanepisternum, mesepimeron, metanepisternum and metepimeron with yellowish pubescence interspersed by brownish pubescence. Scutellum truncate posteriorly, covered with dark pubescence laterally and medially with a central yellowish pubescent area.

ELYTRA. Sides gradually, slightly convergent at anterior two thirds, posterior third more strongly convergent toward apex; humeri slightly projected. Elytral suture longitudinally sulcate, apex strongly projected laterally much less so at sutural angle. Centro-basal crest elevated, with thick erect brownish tuft of setae apically. Surface, coarsely punctate, punctures sparser at posterior half. Pubescence (from anterior to posterior) as follows: greyish white band from humeri converging posteriorly towards the suture at elytral middle (not reaching it), then with a narrowed band converging anteriorly (reaching the suture); narrower band from humeri converging posteriorly at anterior third, forming an uneven triangular shaped area with brownish pubescence; large greyish band diverging from middle to epipleura at posterior third; posterior third mostly covered by yellowish pubescence; with irregular areas of greyish pubescence, especially toward apex; posterior elytral fifth with M-shaped area of brownish band.

LEGS. Tibiae with greyish pubescence proximally, with brownish pubescence at apical third. Protarsi densely fringed laterally with brownish setae; metatarsomere I slightly longer than the remaining tarsomeres together.

ABDOMEN. Ventrites with sparse greyish pubescence.

MALE GENITALIA. Tegmen 3.8 times as long as wide ( Fig. 18C–D ). Tegminal ring about half the total tegmen length; in lateral view, strongly twisted downward at posterior third ( Fig. 18D ); strongly triangularly notched towards tegminal struts; tegminal struts about a third of the total tegmen length; parameres about 0.1 the total tegmen length, contiguous and parallel to each other; apex and ventral region with erect setae. Median lobe 5.7 times longer than wide; 1.15 times as long than tegmen; strongly arched in lateral view ( Fig.18A–B ), basal apophyses 0.57 times the total median lobe length. Sternite VIII with apophysis 1.6 times as long as length of arm ( Fig. 18E ).

Range of measures (in mm, male/female)

Total length, 8.3–10.5 /8.5–11.7; prothorax length, 1.5–2.0 /1.5–2.2; prothorax width, 2.4–3.1/ 2.2–3.4; elytral length, 6.0–7.5 / 6.4–8.6; humeral width, 3.1–4.0 / 3.1–4.5.

Distribution

Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama ( Fig. 19 ).

Remarks

Alcathousiella giesberti sp. nov. and A. polyrhaphoides have rather similar pubescent elytral patterns. However, the new species can be differentiated from the latter by its strongly triangularly projected outer angle of the elytra (thorn shaped), by the male protarsomeres less densely edged with bristly setae, which is shorter and brownish; and by the less thickened femoral claves. In A. polyrhaphoides the outer angle of elytral apices is triangularly projected ( Fig. 15 ), the protarsomeres in males have denser, longer blackish setae ( Fig. 11 ), and the femoral claves are thicker. Besides morphological their geographical distribution also differs. Alcathousiella giesberti sp. nov. is restricted to Central America, while A. polyrhaphoides occurs in South America ( Fig. 19 ). By the elytral apex of the species identified and figured as A. polyrhaphoides by Maes et al. (2010), it is possible to note that this species is actually A. giesberti sp. nov. Likewise, the species identified as A. polyrhaphoides by Swift et al. (2010) for Costa Rica, is A. giesberti sp. nov. (These specimens are figured at Bezark 2020). In a specimen from Panama, the elytral apex projection is less acute (similar to A. polyrhaphoides ), however, the length and density of the protarsomeres setae and the thickness femoral claves, clearly indicate that it is the new species. The genitalia morphology of males of the two species is extremely similar and characters have not been found to separate them.

Figures

Figs 1–8. 1–4. Alcathousiella giesberti sp. nov. Holotype, ♂ (FSCA). 1. Dorsal habitus. 2. Ventral habitus. 3. Lateral habitus.4. Head, frontal view.5–8. Alcathousiella polyrhaphoides White, 1855. Males from Bolivia (FSCA). 5. Head, frontal view. 6. Dorsal habitus. 7. Ventral habitus. 8. Lateral habitus.

Figs 9–18. 9–11, 3–15. Alcathousiella polyrhaphoides (White, 1855) (FSCA). 9–10. Elytral pubescence pattern. 9. Male 1. 10. Male 2. 11. Detail of protarsomeres. 13. Slide of one of the syntype specimens (BMNH), deposited at Coleção de Imagens de material-tipo J.S. Moure (DZUP). 14. Male antennomere III with internal spine. 15. Detail of distal ⅓ of elytra. 12, 16–18. A. giesberti sp. nov. (FSCA). 12. Detail of protarsomeres. 16. Detail of distal third of elytra. 17. Male genitalia in lateral view. 18. Schemes of male genitalia: A= median lobe in dorsal view; B = median lobe in lateral view; C = tegmen in dorsal view; D = tegmen in lateral view; E = sternite VIII. Abbreviations: ap = apophysis; ar = arms; ba = basal apophyses; pa = parameres; ri = ring part; ro = roof; ts = tegmen struts.

Fig. 19. Map showing the known distribution of species of Alcathousiella Monné, 2005.