Lecontella Wolcott & Chapin, 1918

Burke, Alan & Zolnerowich, Gregory, 2017, A taxonomic revision of the subfamily Tillinae Leach sensu lato (Coleoptera, Cleridae) in the New World, ZooKeys 179, pp. 75-157 : 111-113

Lecontella Wolcott & Chapin, 1918

Type species.

Cymatodera (Lecontella) cancellata LeConte, 1854, original designation.

Distribution.

Shown in Fig. 21I.

Differential diagnosis.

Lecontella resembles various members of Cymatodera , but it can be differentiated from species of this genus if the elytral punctations are coarse, deep, and extending to the elytral declivity (Figs 3 E–F, 4A, 7G, 12 C, E–F), and the antennae are moderately serrate with antennomeres 2-10 feebly to conspicuously compacted (Figs 9F, 10 A–B). Species of Cymatodera , on the other hand, have the elytral disc moderately punctate, the striae almost never reach the elytral apex (Figs 4F, 5E, 13 C–D), the antennal shape ranges from filiform to variously serrate, and antennomeres 2-10 are not compacted (Figs 10 G–H).

Redescription.

Size: 8-28 mm. Color: Body uniformly fuscous to testaceous except abdomen, slightly lighter than rest of the body, integument can range from brown-testaceous to almost ferrugineous in some individuals. Elytral disc with fasciae or maculae absent. Body: Winged species, body elongate, somewhat robust.

Head: Including eye slightly wider than pronotum; integument coarsely punctate, punctations vary from narrow to wide; eyes large, coarsely faceted, feebly emarginate anteriorly conspicuously bulging laterally; antennae moderately to strongly serrate, consisting of 11 antennomeres; antennomeres 2-10 variously compacted (Figs 9F, 10 A–B); frons bi-impressed or not; terminal labial palpi securiform; terminal maxillary palpi cylindrical, compressed laterally.

Thorax: Pronotum deeply punctate, punctation may range from narrow to conspicuously wide (Fig. 12 E–F); pronotum widest at middle, sides more constricted behind middle. Mesepisternum fully covered by elytron in lateral view (Fig. 12C). Prosternum rugose to smooth; slightly punctate, punctation coarse. Mesoventrite wider than long; smooth; feebly punctate, punctations coarse. Metaventrite wider than long; surface conspicuously punctate; punctation moderately wide. Metaventral process compressed anteriorly. Metepisternum hidden by elytra throughout its length in lateral view.

Elytra: Elongate, subparallel, slightly broader on posterior third; surface coarsely punctate (Fig. 7G), punctations arranged in regular striae, punctations extending to apex; scutellum ovoid, compressed; vested; epipleural fold complete, narrowing toward apex.

Legs: Femora moderately to coarsely rugose; rather swollen. Tibiae slender rugulose to rugose; pulvillar formula 4-4-4; two tarsal denticles, tarsal denticles trigonal in shape; feebly to strongly vested.

Abdomen: Six visible ventrites. Ventrites 1-4 not impressed laterally; pygidium of males feebly differentiated form that of females.

Aedeagus: Sclerotized; length of aedeagus shorter than the length of abdomen; tegmen triangular; phallic plate devoid of denticles; phallobasic apodeme short, as long as or longer than phallus; endophallic struts enlarged, swollen distally.

Remarks.

Wolcott and Chapin (1918) established the genus Lecontella , designating Lecontella (Cymatodera) cancellata (LeConte) as the type species; subsequently, L. cancellata was synonymized by Ekis (1975) with L. brunnea (Spinola). The genus is currently composed of two species: Lecontella brunnea (Spinola), a species originally described as Cymatodera longicornis var. brunnea by Melsheimer (1846), later on transferred to Lecontella by Wolcott and Chapin (1918) and the current type species for the genus, and L. gnara Wolcott, 1927. Based on an extensive examination of material identified as Cymatodera striatopunctata Chevrolat, a third species is designated to Lecontella in this revision. This change is based on the close similarities on elytral punctations (Fig. 4A), antennae (Fig. 10B), and aedeagus (Fig. 20A) of C. cancellata with L. brunnea (Figs 3E, 9F, 19E) and L. gnara (Figs 3F, 10A, 19F).

Mawdsley (2002) has indicated that the larvae of L. brunnea can be parasites in nests of solitary bees and wasps. Additionally, immature stages of L. brunnea were observed preying on larvae of wood-boring species of the Cerambycidae and Buprestidae families. Adults of Lecontella species are commonly attracted to lights.

Key to species of Lecontella Wolcott and Chapin