Axina lateralis Pic, 1936

Opitz, Weston, 2020, Taxonomic revision of the Western Hemisphere checkered beetle genus Axina Kirby (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Clerinae), Insecta Mundi 2020 (793), pp. 1-70 : 25

Axina lateralis Pic, 1936

Figures 51 , 70, 98.

Axina lateralis Pic, 1936: 15 . Holotype. Gender not known. Type locality: Brésil (MNHN). Corporaal 1950: 98.

Diagnosis. In A. lateralis specimens the distal limits of the metatibia are testaceous, these limits are dark in superficially similar specimens of A. villa .

Redescription. Size. Length 9.5 mm; width 2.2 mm. Form. As in Fig. 98 . Color. Cranium dark castaneous; antenna testaceous; prothorax bicolorous, venter, lower sides of pronotum, pterothorax, and legs black, pronotal disc castaneous; elytra bicolorous, mostly testaceous, epipleural margin and region in front of apex brown. Head. Cranium finely punctate, frons about as wide as length of antennal pedicel; EW/FW 45/8. Thorax. Pronotum finely punctate, with 2 tumescences, concave at middle; PW/PL 95/125; elytra, asetiferous punctures scattered, punctures extend posteriorly to elytral 3/4, interstitial spaces very wide; EL/EW 410/60. Abdomen. Aedeagus ( Fig. 51 ), phallobasic lobes short, flattened laterally; phallic plates serrate near phallic apex; phallobasic apodeme abbreviated.

Variation. Size. Length 9.5–13.0 mm; width 2.2–3.0 mm. Except for body size, the available specimens are quite homogeneous.

Natural history. Specimens were collected in Bolivia during October, in a transitional forest at 350– 400 m. Others were collected from Brazil from November and December, at altitudes that range from 300– 500 m.

Distribution (for map see Fig. 70 ). In addition to the holotype, I examined 33 specimens from: Bolivia: Departamento de Santa Cruz, Potrerillos del Guenda, Snake Farm, 21-24-X-2011, 350– 400 m, Wappes & Skillman; 3.7 km SSE Buena Vista, Hotel Flora & Fauna, 5-15-X-2001, tropical transitional forest. M. C. Thomas, & B. K. Dozier; 4-6 km SSE Buena Vista, Hotel Flora & Fauna, 19-22-X-2004, Wappes & Morris; idem, 9-19-X-2004, J. Eger. Brazil: Estado do Mato Grosso;?-?- 1886, P. Germain; Estado do Bahia, Itapetinga,?- XI-1969, F. M. Oliveira; Estado do Minas Gerais, Passa Quatrom,?- II-1960, B. Silva; Estado do Santa Catarina, Nova Teutonia,?- XII-1965, 300- 500 m, Fritz Plaumann; idem,?- XI-1965, 300- 500 m, Fritz Plaumann. Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Guanabara,?- III-1964, M. Alvarenga; idem,?- XII-1972, M. Alvarenga; idem, Represa Rio Grande,?- I-1972, F. M. Oliveira. Specimens are deposited in: ACMT, AMNH, BMNH, CMNC, CMNH, CNCI, CSCA, CSUC, CUIC, FMNH, FSCA, KSUC, MCNZ, MNHN, OXUM, RFMC, SMTD, WFBM, USNM, WOPC, and ZMHB.

Notes. I examined the holotype, but the description is based on a homotype specimen.

Figures

Figure 70. Distribution map for Axina species: A. macilenta, A. oligocheia, A. parcepunctata, A. schenklingi, A. basalis, A. latilinea, A. phallospina, A. apicalis, A. centrimaculata, A. fasciata, A. heveli, A. klisis, A. lateralis.

Figures 50–55. Aedeagi. 5) Axina basalis. 51) A. lateralis. 52) A. munda. 53) A. phallospina. 54) A. proxima. 55) A. trinalis.

Figures 98–101. Habitus of Axina species. 98) Axina lateralis. 99) A. luzia. 100) A. munda. 101) A. minas.