Wappesia tristis ( Melzer, 1933 ) 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 : 356-357

Wappesia tristis ( Melzer, 1933) , comb. nov.

( Figs 2–3 )

Tethlimmena gahani var. tristis Melzer, 1933: 373 ; Blackwelder, 1946: 578 (checklist); Zikán & Wygodzinsky, 1948: 43 (type); Monné, 1993: 57 (cat.).

Oxycoleus tristis ; Júlio, 1997: 5 (syn.); Martins & Galileo, 2003: 61; Monné, 2005: 427 (cat.); Monné et al., 2017: 30 (holotype); Monné, 2021: 623 (cat.).

Merionoeda (Merionoeda) latipennis Zajciw, 1964: 253 ; Monné & Monné, 2016: 26 (holotype).

Merionoeda ; Júlio et al., 2000: 18 (holotype);

Oxycoleus latipennis ; Monné & Giesbert, 1992: 250; Monné, 1993: 6 (cat.); Monné & Giesbert, 1994: 88 (checklist).

Remarks. According to Melzer (1933) (translated): “I have a specimen, collected by Sr. A. Maller in Mafra (Santa Catarina), and abstracting from the coloration, agrees well with the original description of this species [ T. gahani ]. Uniform black in color, only the neck and gula are yellowish-red and the anterior edge of the prosternum is rustyred. Although the difference in color is notable, I still think it is just a new variety...”

Later, Zajciw (1964) described Merionoeda (Merionoeda) latipennis based on two specimens also from Mafra and also collected by A. Maller. The holotype male and the allotype female were destroyed during the fire in 2018 at the MNRJ. Júlio (1997) provided a new rank for T. tristis , transferred it to Oxycoleus , and considered M. (M.) latipennis as its junior synonym. In the key to species of Oxycoleus, Júlio (1997) separated O. tristis from O. gahani as follows (translated): “Pronotum black; elytra dark brown, opaque,” leading to O. tristis ; “Pronotum reddish-brown; elytra bluish, shiny,” leading to O. gahani . However, Gounelle (1911) described the color of the female holotype as follows (translated): “Black, thorax, anterior and middle coxae rufous, labrum testaceous.” He also described the elytra as opaque and with also opaque subtle pubescence. These two affirmations by Gounelle (1911), apparently, contradict the information about T. gahani in the key by Júlio (1997). Unfortunately, all specimens examined by Júlio (1997) belonged to the MNRJ and were destroyed during the fire in 2018. Thus, it is not possible to confirm whether or not they belonged to T. gahani .

Material examined. BRAZIL, Minas Gerais: Pouso Alegre , 1 male [reported as being female in Martins & Galileo (2003)], I.1960, Pereira & Medeiros leg. ( MZSP) . Santa Catarina: Mafra , holotype female of T. gahani tristis, XII.1932 , A. Maller leg. ( MZSP) .

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.