Tethlimmena obscura ( Júlio, 1997 ) Nascimento & Santos-Silva, 2021

Nascimento, Francisco Eriberto De L. & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2021, The interesting and complex tribe Oxycoleini (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae): a new genus, new species, and taxonomic notes, Zootaxa 5060 (3), pp. 353-370 : 354-355

Tethlimmena obscura ( Júlio, 1997) , comb. nov.

( Fig. 1 )

Oxycoleus obscurus Júlio, 1997: 4 ; Júlio et al., 2000: 23 (holotype); Martins & Galileo, 2003: 60; Monné, 2005: 427 (cat.); Monné & Hovore, 2006: 109 (checklist); Monné & Monné, 2016: 27 (holotype); Monné, 2021: 623 (cat.).

Remarks. Oxycoleus obscurus was included among the species without elytral carina and with the antennomeres compressed in the key from Júlio (1997). Unfortunately, the type series, holotype male and three paratypes (2 males, 1 female) were destroyed during the fire in 2018 at the MNRJ. Even so, the original description, photograph of a male paratype in the original description, and photograph of the holotype male, taken by Steven W. Lingafelter ( Fig. 1 ), strongly suggest that the species belongs to Tethlimmena .

As the original description is not easily accessible for consultation, and is written in Portuguese, we transcribe it here in English: “Male. Integument predominantly dark brown. Are black: dorsal surface of the head, except the clypeus, 2 longitudinal bands on sides of the pronotum, and apex of the mandibles. Are yellow: clypeus, mouthparts, ventral surface of the head, prothorax, except the two black bands, and apex of the antennomere XI. Dorsal surface of the head finely punctate, with fine, decumbent brown pubescence, and sparse erect setae interspersed. Antennae just reach the elytral apex. Scape short, as long as antennomere IV. Antennomere V the longest; III–IX flattened, widened toward outer apex; XI fusiform.Antennomeres with fine grayish pubescence. II–VI with sparse dark brown setae ventrally. Pronotum finely punctate, with fine, decumbent brown pubescence, and erect setae interspersed. Scutellum subtriangular. Elytra not carinate, reaching the apex of the abdomen, slightly narrowed centrally and widening toward the apex, which are rounded externally. Punctation coarse and dense. Surface and margins with fine, decumbent brown pubescence and erect, sparse setae of same color interspersed. Just slightly dehiscent at extreme apex. Abdomen cylindrical slightly narrowed backward from ventrite III, shiny and setose. Legs densely pilose. Metafemora with elongate-fusiform club. Meso- and metatibiae slightly arched, these last at distal half. Female. Antennae do not reach the elytral apex. Abdomen flattened; ventrite I strongly widened posteriorly. Dimensions (mm) – respectively male and female: total length, 5.6–5.9 and 6.2; prothoracic length, 0.9–1.1 and 1.0; maximum width of the prothorax, 1.1–1.2 and 1.4; elytral length, 4.3–4.4 and 4.8; humeral width, 1.3–1.5 and 1.6. Type material – Holotype male: BRAZIL – GOIÁS, Jataí, I/1976, O. Roppa col. (MNRJ). Paratypes: 1 male, same data as holotype; 1 male, MATO GROSSO, Juína, X/1987, B. Silva col.; 1 female, same data as holotype, except XII/1972, F.M. Oliveira col. (MNRJ). Remarks – Oxycoleus obscurus sp.n. is similar to O. tristis ( Melzer, 1933) : antennomeres flattened; elytra not carinate, reaching the abdominal apex, and metatibiae slightly arched on posterior half. It differs from O. tristis , besides the features pointed out in the key [“Pronotum bicolorous; clypeus yellow,” leading to O. obscurus ; “Pronotum unicolorous; clypeus dark brown,” leading to O. tristis and O. gahani ]: elytral apex externally rounded; femoral club elongate-fusiform and spine on apex of the metatibiae slightly developed, not reaching the apex of the tarsomere I. In O tristis : elytra with notch in the middle of the apical edge; femoral club subglobose and spine on apex of the metatibiae developed, surpassing the apex of the tarsomere I. Etymology – allusive to the general appearance of the body.”

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. 1) Tethlimmena obscurus (Júlio, 1997), dorsal habitus, by Steven W. Lingafelter. 2–3) Wappesia tristis (Melzer, 1933): 2) Holotype female from Brazil (Santa Catarina), dorsal habitus; 3) Male from Brazil (Minas Gerais), dorsal habitus. 4) Tethlimmena aliena Bates, 1872, male from Costa Rica (Limón), dorsal habitus.