Hesycha tavakiliani Nearns and Swift, 2011

Nearns, Eugenio H. & Swift, Ian P., 2011, New taxa and combinations in Onciderini Thomson, 1860 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae), Insecta Mundi 2011 (192), pp. 1-27 : 3-5

Hesycha tavakiliani Nearns and Swift , sp. nov.

( Figures 1 a-d)

Description. Female. Length 10.2-11.8 mm (measured from vertex to elytral apices), width 4.3-5.3 mm (measured across humeri). Habitus as in Fig. 1a . General form elongate-oblong, moderate-sized. Integument ferrugineous, with portions of scutellum, apical 1/3 of elytra, and tibial apices with dark brown or black pubescence; portions of pronotum and elytra with ochraceous, dark brown, black, and white pubescence.

Head with frons roughly subquadrate, about 5 times width of lower eye lobe (as in Fig. 1c ). Eyes with lower lobes small, ovate-oblong; narrowest area connecting upper and lower eye lobes about 1-2 ommatidia wide. Genae elongate, a little taller than lower eye lobes.

Antennae slightly longer than body; antennal tubercles prominent, moderately separated; tubercles armed at apex with short blunt tooth; scape robust, clavate, a little shorter than antennomere III, about as long as IV; antennomere III strongly sinuate; antennomeres IV-XI becoming progressively shorter; basal 1/2 of III-X with distinctly lighter pubescence.

Pronotum slightly conical, slightly wider at base, transverse, about 1.3 times as wide as long, sides irregular, with a small, acute protuberance each side behind middle ( Fig. 1d ); disk with three moderately elevated tubercles, median tubercle oval, lateral tubercles reniform and more prominent; disk with 4 coarse punctures at basal transverse sulcus.

Scutellum transverse, apex rounded.

Elytra about 1.75 times as long as width at humeri ( Fig. 1a ), about 4 times as long as pronotal length, about 1.5 times broader basally than pronotum at widest (at base); lateral margins nearly straight, distinctly attenuate to apices, elytral apices obliquely truncate; base of each elytron with a feeble, broad gibbosity; basal 1/3 of elytra with moderate punctation, surface coarsely punctate; humeri prominent, anterior margin arcuate, angle with an obtuse tubercle.

Venter with procoxae large, globose, not uncate; narrowest area of prosternal process between procoxae about 1/4 as wide as procoxal cavity; apex of prosternal process subtriangular. Mesosternal process about as wide as mesocoxal cavity; mesosternal process subtruncate-rounded. Fifth sternite about 1.5 times as long as IV, with a median triangular impression.

Legs moderate in length; profemora robust; meso- and metafemora clavate apically; tibiae expanded apically; metafemora about 1/3 as long as elytra.

Male. Unknown.

Type Material. Holotype, female ( Fig. 1 a-b, d), “Pedra Azul, 700 m, M. Gerais, Brasil, XI.972, Seabra & Oliveira; Coleção Fragoso” ( MNRJ). One paratype, female, same data as holotype ( MNRJ).

Etymology. We are pleased to name this species in honor of Gérard L. Tavakilian, for his collaboration and many contributions to the study of Neotropical Cerambycidae . The epithet is a noun in the genitive case.

Diagnosis and Remarks. This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following characters: pronotum with a small, acute protuberance each side behind middle; scutellum with dark brown pubescence and longitudinal, ochraceous line at center; and apical 1/3 of elytra with distinct dark brown and white pubescence. This species is described from two female specimens, males are unknown. Nothing is known about the habitat and behavior of this species; however, both known specimens were collected at 700 m elevation.

Figures

Figure 1. Hesycha tavakiliani, sp. nov. a) Dorsal habitus, holotype female. b) Lateral habitus, holotype female. c) Close-up of head, paratype female. d) Close-up of pronotum, holotype female.