Caprichasia serjaniaphila, Clarke, 2013

Clarke, Robin O. S., 2013, Bolivian Rhinotragini VI: Caprichasia Gen. Nov. (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 53 (17), pp. 245-251 : 247-250

Caprichasia serjaniaphila sp. nov.

Figs. 1, 2

Holotype male: 5.5 mm. Deposited at MNKM.

Diagnosis: Caprichasia serjaniaphila sp. nov. is most readily separated from Caprichasia tommyi ( Hovore, 1989) by the shape of the elytra; in the former the narrow part of the elytron is much shorter (elytra measured from base to hind margin of metacoxae ca. 1.5 mm, and from hind margin of metacoxae to apex of elytra ca. 0.75 mm; i.e. basal portion twice the length of apical portion). In the latter the narrow part of the elytron is much longer (elytra measured from base to hind margin of metacoxae ca. 1.25 mm, and from hind margin of metacoxae to apex of elytra ca. 1.10 mm; i.e. basal portion 1.14 longer than apical portion).

Description of holotype: general colour opaque. Dorsad: head (including mouthparts), pronotum and scutellum dark chestnut, elytra translucent ochraceous, basal margin slightly chestnut. Underside (including head and abdomen) black, except the following chestnut: front margin of pro- and mesosternum, apex of prosternal process, proepimera, midline of urosternite I and most of II and III. Antennal scape orange-yellow, dusky below; antennomeres III-VIII yellowish at base, darkening at apices; IX entirely yellow; X and XI entirely chestnut. Legs orange-yellow, with paler peduncles and uniformly darker claves (especially metafemoral claves); apices of tibiae and tarsomeres dusky, onychiae blackish.

General pubescence: the following with rather short, sparse setae: underside of antennomeres III-V, and all of them with 3-4 longer setae at apex; mesofemora, apex of mesofemoral clave, tibiae; basal half of elytra and metatibial setae denser and longer.

The following clothed with short, white, recumbent pubescence, becoming dense laterally, the exceptions more or less glabrous: upper surface of head and narrow area of dense hairs below inferior lobes; prothorax except front half of prosternum and prosternal process; mesothorax and metathorax except centres; and abdomen except narrow midline towards which all the hairs are obliquely directed.

Surface ornamentation: area of mentum-submentum multicarinate (these arced and disorderly), with scattered large punctures, becoming denser laterally. Front half of prosternum sparsely punctured. The following appear to be densely punctate, the punctures contiguous (but dense pubescence hides most of surface detail): upper surface of head; prosternum adjacent to process, and all of pronotum confusedly punctured with very small dense punctures and large, scattered, sequin -shaped punctures; sides of pronotum with large patch of small, very dense punctures (representing sexual puncturation). Base of elytra densely punctured, some of these punctures confluent; disc with widely spaced larger and smaller punctures, becoming denser at sides; lobes minutely granulate. Elytra anterior to lobe transversely multicarinate.

Structure: forebody (3.00 mm) 1.3 longer than abdomen. Rostrum (0.15 mm) about 1/3 length of inferior lobes. Mentum-submentum divided by strong declivity, the area of submentum multicarinate, these arced and disorderly, with scattered large punctures, becoming denser laterally. Labrum small and short. Clypeus and frons almost planar. Interocular distance 7.0 narrower than width of one inferior lobe. Interocular shallow V-shaped (the details obscured by pubescence). Superior lobes moderately large (with nine to ten rows of ommatidia); widened mesally, narrow laterally; interocular distance (0.50 mm) 2.5 width of lobe. Antennae: scape (0.45 mm), antennomere III (0.75 mm), IV (0.55 mm), V (0.65 mm). VI (0.70 mm), VII (0.60 mm), VIII (0.55 mm), IX (0.60 mm), X (0.70 mm), XI (0.75 mm) with acute apical cone. Prothorax 1.4 longer (1.15 mm) than wide (0.80 mm); sides without tubercle; pronotum convex, slightly more across centre, without further protuberances, apical and basal margins subequal (1.30 mm), the former with narrow smooth border. Mesosternal process wide (0.15 mm). Elytra flat (2.20 mm long) 2.4 longer than width of humeri (0.90 mm); outer angle of humeri slightly rounded; epipleur almost vertical for basal half of elytra; disc, to inside of sutural margin, slightly depressed, this depression running from base of elytra (where it is narrow), to pre-lobal constriction (where it is broad), but always separated from sutural margin, and always shallow; sutural margins bordered, slightly raised, dehiscence weak, lobes short (0.90 mm), widest at middle, moderately thickened and convex, apices evenly rounded. Legs: ratio of length front/middle/hind leg 1.0:1.7:2.8: hind leg (5.8 mm) slightly longer than body (metafemora 3.0 mm, passing apex of abdomen at middle of clave; metatibia 2.8 mm). Metatibia subcylindrical (gradually thickening to apex); slightly curved; with long setae throughout (but almost without pubescence). Length of tarsi increasing proportionally from front to hind leg (0.50, 0.60, 0.80 mm). Metatarsomere I (0.30 mm), II+III (0.28 mm), onychium (0.25 mm).

Variation: Antennomeres X and XI may be blacker (sometimes blacker on one antenna, chestnut on the other). In some males lobes of elytra almost flat; abdomen widest at apex of urosternite IV.

Description of female: forebody (3.35 mm) and abdomen equal in length; rostrum (0.25 mm) slightly more than half length of inferior lobes; distance between lobes (0.35 mm) slightly more than width of lobe; interocular slightly depressed; superior lobes: interocular distance (0.75 mm) more than three times width of lobe. Prothorax: male equivalent of sexual puncturation represented by similar sized, densely reticulate, patch. Elytra 2.4 mm long, twice width of humeri; more pubescent than male, especially adjacent to suture, and particularly dense on lobes. Ratio of length front/middle/hind leg 1.0:1.8:3.1; hind leg longer than in male, but only as long as body; metatibia as long as metafemora, and more strongly thickened than in male.

Measurements (mm), 21 males / 11 females respectively: total length 5.2-7.2/6.5-8.2, length of pronotum 1.0-1.3/1.2-1.6, width of pronotum 0.7-1.0/0.8-1.1, length of elytra 1.9-2.4/2.2-2.7, width at humeri 0.8-1.1/1.0-1.3.

Type material: holotype male, BOLIVIA, Santa Cruz: Hotel Flora & Fauna, 5 km SSE of Buena Vista , 17°29’96”S/ 63°39’13”W, 430 m, 17.IX.2005, on/flying to flowers of “Barbasquillo” vine, R. Clarke & S. Zamalloa col. ( MNKM) .

Paratypes with same data as holotype : 6 males, 2 females, 02.VIII.2005 ( RCSZ) ; 1 male, 3 females, 03.VIII.2005 ( MNRJ) ; 1 male, 1 female, 03-04. VIII.2005 ( ACMT) ; 1 female, 14.VIII.2005 ( MNKM) ; 2 males, 2 females, 15.VIII.2005 ( MZUSP) ; 1 male, 1 female, 16.VIII.2005 ( FSCA) .

Paratypes with same data as holotype different hostplants: on/flying to flowers of “Laguno”, 1 male, 02.VIII.2005 ( RCSZ); 2 males, 21.IX.2005 ( RCSZ); 1 male 22.IX.2005 ( RCSZ), 1 female, 03.X.2005 ( RCSZ); on/flying to flowers of Mangifera indica 2 males, 16.VII.2007 ( RCSZ); on/flying to flowers of “Ramoneo”, 1 male, 12.VIII.2008 , and 1 male, 13.VIII.2008 ( RCSZ); on/flying to flowers of “Palta”, 1 male 15.IX.2009 ( RCSZ) .

Paratypes with different data from holotype: Road to El Cairo-Cafetal, 6 km W of Buena Vista, on/flying to flowers of Gomphrena vaga Mart. , 2 males, 10.VIII.2007 and 1 male, 20.VII.2008, R. Clarke & S. Zamalloa col. ( RCSZ) .

Etymology: combination of Serjania the species’ preferred host flower genus, and phila from the Latin to like, or be attracted to.

Figures

FIGURES 1‑2: Caprichasia serjaniaphila sp. nov.: 1, male holotype (5.5 mm); 2, female paratype (7.3 mm).