Anomalotragus, Clarke Abstract, 2010

Clarke Abstract, Robin O. S., 2010, Bolivian Rhinotragini Iii: New Genera And Species (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 50 (16), pp. 239-267 : 240-241

Anomalotragus gen. nov.

Type species: Anomalotragus recurvielytra sp. nov. (here designated).

Diagnosis: eyes widely separated in both sexes; antennae entirely filiform; prosternal process planar with prosternum; procoxal cavities just closed behind; mesosternal declivity shallow; elytra entirely punctured and pubescent, short, dehiscent in males, apical third lobed (and upturned in males); metasternum weakly convex; metepisternum narrow and rectangular; urosternite V undifferentiated and similar in both sexes; abdominal process inclined from abdomen; middle legs long (1.6 longer than front legs, 0.7-0.8 length of hind leg); metarsomere I slightly longer than II + III; general puncturation non-alveolate; body and appendages notably setose.

Description: small, cylindrical, delicate species; forebody and abdomen about equal in length; body, antennae, elytra and legs almost entirely setose; antennae entirely filiform. Head: with eyes slightly narrower to slightly wider than pronotum. Rostrum short. Mandibles undifferentiated, acute at apex, cutting edges without teeth or notches. Apical palpomeres fusiform, truncate at tip. Mentum-submentum divided by prominent transverse carina. Labrum small and strongly transverse. Eyes similar in both sexes, finely faceted, relatively small, laterally placed, and inferior lobes wide apart, their distal margin reaching side of gena, or almost, their proximal margin slightly oblique; superior lobes small and widely separated. Antenna moderately long, apex in male reaching base of urosternite IV, in female base of urosternite III; scape subpyriform in males, subcylindrical in female, shorter than antennomere III; III the longest, IV shorter than V and VI, which are equal. Prothorax: cylindrical, longer than wide, sides weakly to moderately rounded, broadest at middle; anterior constriction almost absent; basal constriction shallow. Pronotum convex without protuberances or with ill defined calli; apical and basal margins subequal; sides in male almost entirely and densely punctate (representing sexual puncturation), in female smooth with scattered large punctures. Prosternal process planar with prosternum, with narrow base (ca. 1/5 of coxal cavity) and strongly elevated sides, apex triangular, apical angles rounded. Procoxal cavities closed laterally, and just closed behind. Mesothorax: mesosternal declivity shallow; width of process about one-third width of coxal cavity (half width in female), apex bifurcate; side of coxal cavity open to mesepimeron. Scutellum scutiform. Elytra pubescent, short, reaching base to middle of urosternite II; narrowing from behind humeri, in male dehiscent from base of lobe (in female not dehiscent, but with short gape); basal two-thirds depressed along midline; apical third lobed, and upturned in most males. Metathorax: metasternum weakly convex in both sexes; metepisternum rectangular, narrow, base not widened, apex only modestly acuminate. Abdomen: cylindrical in males, fusiform in females, otherwise similar in both sexes, convex throughout; sides of urosternites rounded at sides (more strongly in female), widest at middle of urosternite III in males, II in females; urosternite I distinctly longer than II-V, the latter progressively shorter; urosternite V undifferentiated; abdominal process slightly inclined from abdomen in both sexes, apex moderately long and acuminate. Legs: long and slender (ratio front/middle/hind leg 1.0:1.6:2.1); front leg short with moderately long peduncle and abrupt clave; middle legs notably long; strongly pedunculate-clavate; meso- and metafemoral peduncles long, claves abrupt and fusiform. Apex of metafemoral club reaching middle of urosternite IV. Metatibia cylindrical with slight double curve, gradually thickening to apex, setose, otherwise glabrous. Tarsi subequal; metatarsomere I slightly longer than II + III.

Discussion: as a representative genus of the Rhinotragini , Anomalotragus demonstrates a number of characters atypical of the tribe as a whole and which, in combination, justify the establishment of a new genus.

Bates (1873) states: “ An almost universal character of the [ Rhinotragini ] is the large volume of the eyes ..... which in the males nearly meet in front: this forms the nearest approach to an exclusive character ..... the antennae are almost always more or less serrated from the sixth joint ..... the prosternum forms a distinct, though narrow, level plate between the anterior coxae; and the episterna of the metasternum are always triangular and very broad in front”. To a varying extent Anomalotragus departs from most of these tribal characters and, maybe, we should add: elytra longitudinally depressed (more distinct in this genus than most others), pubescent and densely punctured (characters more common to larger species of the tribe); metasternum weakly convex (not typical); abdomen similar in both sexes, including urosternite V (which usually shows sexual dimorphism); and long middle legs, a character found in few genera ( Ischasioides Tavakilian & Peñaherrera-Leiva, 2003 , Pandrosus Bates, 1867 ) and subgenera of Ommata White, 1855 ( Ommata s. str., Ecliptophanes Melzer, 1934 and Rhopalessa Bates, 1873 ).

However, Anomalotragus corresponds to the diagnosis of the Rhinotragini in the following: rostrate (even though short); structure of mandible; short, dehiscent elytra (but also lobed as in some genera, and upturned, as in few); cylindrical, unarmed prothorax, laterally with characteristic sexual puncturation. Lastly, the two species’ anthophilous habits are typical of nearly all Rhinotragini .

Etymology: from the Greek anomalos, inconsistent or strange; tragus to denote relationship with the Rhinotragini (from the Greek rhino and tragus or “goat-nosed”).