Parahephaestion mimicus, Ferreira & Corrêa & Monné & Monné, 2024

Ferreira, Gabriel S., Corrêa, Caio C. D., Monné, Miguel A. & Monné, Marcela L., 2024, New species of the wasp-mimic Parahephaestion Melzer, 1930 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), from Minas Gerais, Brazil, with new records, Zootaxa 5418 (3), pp. 291-300 : 292-295

Parahephaestion mimicus sp. nov.

( Figs. 1A–F )

Description. Holotype female ( Figs. 1A–C ). Coloration. Integument mostly black; apex of antennomere VI and antennomeres VII and XI brown, except yellowish base of antennomere XI, antennomeres VIII–X yellow; elytra tricolorous, black with dark blue reflections on anterior fifth, mostly dark brown on second anterior fifth, yellowishbrown on remaining surface, except narrow, longitudinal yellow bands dorsally, more distinct between anterior fifth and posterior third, and blackish apex and most of sutural and epipleural margins. Wings brown with blackish areas. Head. Distance between upper eye lobes about 0.9 times length of scape. Head with median groove deep, well-marked from clypeus to vertex. Frons with thin and dense punctation; with short black setae. Vertex with dense and shallow punctation; with dense, short, erect black setae. Clypeus and gena with sparse, long black setae. Labrum with sparse, long, both black and yellow setae. Mandible with sparse, thin, shallow punctation and long black setae. Antennal tubercles well developed, with dense, shallow punctation. Antennae with 11 antennomeres, reaching elytral middle; scape cylindrical, with dense, shallow punctation; antennomere III about as long as scape; antennomere IV shorter than III; antennomere V longer than IV; VI–X with subequal length; antennomeres III– V filiform; antennomeres VI–X thickened and slightly serrate; antennomere XI elongated; scape, pedicel, and antennomeres III–V covered with black setae; antennomeres VI covered by thin white pubescence; antennomeres VIII–X covered with thin golden pubescence; antennomeres VII and XI covered with brown pubescence. Thorax. Prothorax wider than long, constricted anteriorly; sides with large, conical tubercle with blunt apex. Pronotum with four tubercles: two elevated, rounded apically, located slightly before middle and two smalls on posterior half; covered with dense, short, erect black setae. Prosternum microsculptured, with transverse wrinkles on anterior half; with sparse, long black setae. Prosternal process narrow, rounded apically; apex with erect black setae. Mesoventrite microsculptured, with transverse wrinkles; with sparse, long black setae. Mesoventral process wide, with notched apex. Mesanepisternum, mesepimeron, metaventrite, metanepisternum, and metepimeron microsculptured, with shallow punctation; with sparse, long black setae. Scutellum triangular, rounded apically; without longitudinal sulcus; with sparse, short black setae. Elytra. Dehiscent, reaching apex of ventrite 3, abruptly tapering from medial third to apex; anterior half wider than posterior area of prothorax; with three longitudinal dorsal costae, starting on anterior third and disappearing before apex; with deep sulcus on anterior third of dorsal surface; with sparse, short, both black and brown setae. Legs. With black setae. Profemora subfusiform; meso- and metafemora subclavate; mesofemora distinctly shorter than metafemora; metafemora reaching apex of ventrite 4. Mesotibiae slightly elongated, about as long as mesofemora; metatibiae elongated, longer than metafemora, with dense tuft of short and erect black setae. Metatarsi elongated; metatarsomere I about two times longer than II+III. Abdomen. Subcylindrical and microsculptured; ventrite 1 subglabrous; ventrites 2–5 covered with dense, long, decumbent whitish pubescence; ventrite 5 triangular; apical margin rounded.

Paratype male ( Figs. 1D–F ). Integument totally black; distance between upper eye lobes about 0.8 times length of scape; antennae surpass the apex of ventrite 5 on middle at antennomere X; antennomeres V–XI with subequal length; antennomeres VI–X slender and serrate; scape, pedicel, and antennomeres III–V with black setae; VI–XI glabrous. Prothorax slightly wider than long. Prosternum with sparse yellow setae. Apex of prosternal process with yellow setae. Mesoventrite, mesanepisternum, mesepimeron, metaventrite, and posterior half of metepimeron covered with short yellow setae. Elytra reaching the anterior margin of ventrite 4; surface without dorsal costae. Metatarsomere I longer than twice length of II+III. Central region of ventrites subglabrous; lateral margins with white setae. Ventrite 5 subquadrate.

Measurements, in mm (holotype female/ paratype male). Total length, 29.6/21.0; prothoracic length, 4.5/2.8; anterior prothoracic width, 4.1/2.5; posterior prothoracic width, 4.5/2.6; widest prothoracic width, 6.1/3.4; humeral width, 6.3/3.4; elytral length, 19.5/12.5.

Type material. Holotype: Female, Brazil, Minas Gerais: Catas Altas, RPPN Sanctuary of Caraça , Trilha Banho do Belchior , 20°6’51.96”S 43°29’34.44”W, 1271m, 19.xi.2022, coleta manual, Ferreira, G.S., Monné, M.L. leg. ( MNRJ-ENT7-47239 ) . Paratype: Male, same data as holotype ( MNRJ-ENT7-47240 ) .

Etymology. The specific name “ mimicus ” (mimic) comes from Latin, in reference to the fact that the new species mimics spider wasps ( Hymenoptera : Pompilidae ).

Remarks. The species of Parahephaestion are possibly known only by the type specimens. We checked four Brazilian collections (CEIOC, DZUP, MCNZ and MZSP) and we only found type material at the MZSP.

The genus now presents four species: 1) P. brasiliensis ( Figs. 2A–B ), known only for the male holotype, from Passa Quatro, Minas Gerais, Brazil; 2) P. zikani ( Figs. 2E–F ), known only for two females (lectotype, paralectotype), from Passa Quatro, Minas Gerais, Brazil; 3) P. malleri ( Figs. 2C–D ), known only for the female holotype, from Itaiópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil; and 4) P. mimicus sp. nov., described in this study.

Parahephaestion mimicus sp. nov. can be differentiated from the congeneric species by the coloration ( Figs. 1A–F , Figs. 2A–F ); antennae in males, reaching the apex of ventrite 5; pronotum with four tubercles; and scutellum without longitudinal sulcus. In P. brasiliensis ( Figs. 2A–B ), P. malleri ( Figs. 2C–D ), and P. zikani ( Figs. 2E–F ) the pronotum presents five tubercles and the scutellum has longitudinal sulcus. In P. brasiliensis , the antennae surpass the abdominal apex by two antennomeres.

Parahephaestion mimicus sp. nov. is the first species of the genus represented in the literature by male and female ( Figs. 1A–F ). There is sexual dimorphism mainly in the color of the antennae and elytra and the body shape: females are slender than males. Similar dimorphism can be observed in P. brasiliensis [male] ( Figs. 2A–B ) and P. zikani [female] ( Figs. 2E–F ), both collected in Passa Quatro, MG (at different years), which may indicate that it could be the same species. More specimens are needed to confirm the possible synonym.

Biological note. Some groups of Cerambycidae that are wasp-mimicking (e.g., some Clytini and some Rhinotragini ( Cerambycinae ), Atelopteryx Lacordaire, 1869 , Hephaestion Newman, 1840 , Necydalis Linnaeus, 1758 , and Ulochaetes LeConte, 1854 ), are similar in behavior, coloration, and morphology ( Linsley 1959). For example, Barriga & Peña (1994) described Callisphyris pepsioides and discussed the similarity with wasps of the genus Pepsis Fabricius, 1804 [ Hymenoptera : Pompilidae ]. The species of Parahephaestion has morphological similarities with wasp, with elongated body, short antennae and dehiscent or short elytra (resemble the spider wasp’s wings). The male and female of P. mimicus sp. nov. were found in copulation under a leaf during daytime. At first glance, we thought they were Pompilidae [ Hymenoptera ] in copulation but later we realized they belonged to Cerambycidae . On the same day, we collected one specimen of the tribe Pepsini [ Hymenoptera : Pompilidae ] ( Fig. 2G ) on the same trail (Trilha Banho do Belchior), which has the same color pattern of the body, including antennae as in the female of the new species.

Figures

FIGURE 1A–F. Parahephaestion mimicus sp. nov. Habitus. Holotype female, A–C: A—Dorsal; B—Lateral; C—Ventral. Paratype male, D–F: D—Dorsal; E—Lateral; F—Ventral. Scale bars: (A–C) 5 mm, (D–F) 4 mm.

FIGURE 2A–G. Species of Parahephaestion and wasp of the tribe Pepsini (Hymenoptera, Pompilidae).A–B, Parahephaestion brasiliensis (Melzer, 1923), male holotype (MZSP):A—Dorsal view, B—Ventral view. C–D, Parahephaestion malleri (Melzer, 1930), female holotype (MZSP): C—Dorsal view, D—Ventral view. E–F, Parahephaestion zikani (Melzer, 1923), female lectotype (MZSP): E—Dorsal view, F—Ventral view. G, Hymenoptera, Pompilidae, Pepsini—Dorsal view.