Ceresium grandipenne Fairmaire, 1881

Waqa-Sakiti, Hilda, Winder, Linton & Lingafelter, Steven W., 2015, Review of the genus Ceresium Newman, 1842 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) in Fiji, ZooKeys 532, pp. 15-53 : 21

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Cerambycidae

Ceresium grandipenne Fairmaire, 1881 Fig. 5 a–d

Ceresium grandipenne : Fairmaire 1881: 472, Fiji: Viti Levu, holotype (MNHN).

Description.

Based on a specimen housed in USP matching original description (the holotype at MNHN is lost). Size 21.5-34.0 mm long, 6.0-8.5 mm wide at humeri; integument light brown to brown (Fig. 5a). Head with shallow interantennal tubercle region, tubercles only slightly raised; punctate with very sparse ochraceous pubescence on tubercles and throughout frons except center being glabrous; vertex and occiput with moderately dense ochraceous pubescence. Ochraceous pubescence denser around eye margins. Frons and frontoclypeal margin moderately dense, coarsely punctate with sparse, long, ochraceous hairs (Fig. 5b). Antennae long, just almost reaching elytral apex. Antennae with vestiture of short, dense, ochraceous setae (longer at apices of antennomeres). Antennomeres unspined and expanded at apices; last antennomere about 1.6 times length of penultimate. Antennomere 3-10 each shorter than scape, 3 being the shortest; 11 longest. Scape long, clavate, extending to apical eighth of pronotum.

Pronotum quadrate, slightly widest at apical third, and wider than long; not tuberculate; calli absent. Pronotum with moderately dense ochraceous pubescence throughout and moderately dense punctures (Fig. 5c). Elytron with sparse, evenly spaced ochraceous pubescence throughout. Punctation shallow, moderately dense gradually becoming shallower and indistinct towards apex. Elytral apex rounded to suture. Scutellum triangular, covered with dense, ochraceous pubescence. Legs moderate in length, femora distinctly but gradually clavate, hind femora extending to base of third ventrite.

Venter of abdomen and thorax with moderately dense, ochraceous pubescence at sides, sparse ochraceous pubescence along middle; prosternum sparsely pubescent throughout and on sides. Prosternal process narrow, vertical and acutely declivous, about 1/6 width of procoxa, strongly notched and expanded at apex. Procoxal cavities open posteriorly. Mesocoxae closed laterally to mesepimeron. Mesosternum rather acutely declivous, with small anterior tubercle, and sulcate anteriorly. Mesosternal apex expanded circularly and inserted into mesocoxa (Fig. 5d). Metasternum with a distinct median line running longitudinally along middle. Apex of terminal ventrite truncate to unevenly rounded, without notch.

Remarks.

There is some inconsistency between the original description ( Fairmaire 1881) and redescription ( Dillon and Dillon 1952) of this rarely collected species. The latter states that the pronotum is much narrower anteriorly than at base and possesses a tubercle on each side, however our examination of a specimen matching the original description reveals the pronotum to be quadrate, without lateral tubercles. The large size of this species, along with the quadrate pronotum and opaque integument are distinctive. This species is endemic to Fiji and known only from Viti Levu. Specimens have been collected from August through October, mostly at lights ( Dillon and Dillon 1952).