Phygopoda Thomson, 1864

Carelli, Allan & Monné, Marcela L., 2015, Taxonomic revision of Phygopoda Thomson, 1864 and Pseudophygopoda Tavakilian & Peñaherrera-Leiva, 2007 (Insecta: Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae), Zootaxa 4021 (2), pp. 201-242 : 203

Phygopoda Thomson, 1864

Phygopoda Thomson, 1864: 164 ; 1865: 417; Lacordaire, 1869: 509; Bates, 1870: 327 (mim.; distr.); Gemminger & Harold, 1872: 2892 (cat.); Bates, 1873: 125; Gounelle, 1911: 61 (distr.; reval.); Aurivillius, 1912: 284 (cat.); Monné, 1993: 50 (cat.); Giesbert, 1996: 332; Monné, 2005: 498 (cat.); Monné & Hovore, 2006: 123 (check); Monné, 2012: 48; Bezark & Monné, 2013: 150 (check); Clarke, 2014: 341; Monné, 2015: 784 (cat.).

Type species: Phygopoda fugax Thomson, 1864 (original designation).

Head with short rostrum, densely covered with coarse punctures provided with long, semierect setae, except for smooth and glabrous area at gular region; with large eyes, subcontiguous, slightly emarginated, frontally separated from about 1/10 to 1/5 of width of lower ocular lobe; genae with less than 1/3 length of lower ocular lobes; clypeus with two long semierect setae. Antennae exceeding elytral apex at antennomere 8 to 10, reaching first or second ventrite; antennomere 3 1/3 longer than scape and antennomere 4; 5−9 gradually decreasing in length; 10−11 equal in length; 7−11 gradually expanded on external margin, subserrate; scape and pedicel with long semierect setae; 3−5 with row of long semierect setae at internal margin (sometimes extending to 8).

Prothorax cylindrical, from as wide as long to 1.3 times longer than wide; anterior and posterior margin with row of decumbent, golden-yellow setae. Pronotum densely covered with deep punctures, provided with long semierect setae (sometimes with longitudinal, central elevation, extending from anterior to posterior margin, and four additional median elevations, two on each side of central elevation, semicircular, which can be joined). Prosternum with anterior third smooth and glabrous; posterior 2/3 with punctures provided with long semierect setae. Prosternal process from about 1/3 to 1/5 diameter of procoxa; anterior coxal cavities rounded, not angular at sides, closed posteriorly (except for P. nigritarsis ). Mesosternum covered with long semierect setae; mesosternal process from about 1/4 to 2/3 diameter of mesocoxa; mesepisternum, mesepimeron, metepisternum and metasternum pubescent. Scutellum densely covered with whitish pubescence; apex rounded or truncate. Elytra short, not subulate, narrowing at apical 2/3, reaching first ventrite; with coarse, sparse punctures, provided with semierect setae; truncate or rounded apex; humeri slightly projected.

Femora clavate, with short, sparse, semierect setae; pro- and mesofemora with row of semierect setae on inner margin; mesofemora pedunculate to 1/3 of their length, metafemora without row of setae on inner margin, pedunculate to 2/3 of their length; pro- and mesotibiae with apical 3/4 densely covered with short, fine pubescence; metatibiae with dense brush of long setae on apical half; pro- and mesotibiae with two short apical spurs of equal length; metatibiae with two long apical spurs, inner longer than outer; pro-, meso- and metatarsi pubescent.

Ventrites 1−5 covered with long sparse setae; each side with spot of bright, whitish pubescence. Last visible urosternite with apical margin centrally excavate.

Comments. Phygopoda differs from other genera of Rhinotragini by the combination of the features as follow: its small, elongate and slender form, punctate pronotum, abbreviated elytra, elongated hind legs, and metatibiae with brush of setae ( Thomson, 1864; Lacordaire, 1869; Bates, 1870; Giesbert, 1996).

Among the 89 genera of Rhinotragini , Phygopoda is more similar to Pseudophygopoda Tavakilian & Peñaherrera-Leiva, 2007 , Neophygopoda Melzer, 1933 and Phygopoides Peñaherrera-Leiva & Tavakilian, 2003 .

Phygopoda differs from Pseudophygopoda by the shorter and not subulate elytra, prosternal process from about 1/3 to 1/4 of the diameter of a procoxa, and unarmed pro- and mesocoxae. In Pseudophygopoda the elytra are subulate, the prosternal process is laminiform, and males have an acute tubercle on the pro- and mesocoxae.

Phygopoda differs from Phygopoides in having the metafemora with a long peduncle, metatibiae with a brush of setae, and antennomeres 5−9 slightly decreasing and 10−11 equal in length. Phygopoides has the metafemora with a shorter peduncle; metatibiae with sparse setae, not in a brush; and antennomeres 5−10 decreasing in length.

As pointed out by Melzer (1933), Phygopoda differs from Neophygopoda by the slender metatibiae with a brush of setae. Neophygopoda has metatibiae with the apical half stouter and with sparse setae, not in a brush.