Epimelitta Bates, 1870

Clarke, Robin O. S., Flora, Hotel, Fauna, Casilla, de, Santa Cruz, Sierra & Bolivia, 2016, Provisional revision of the genus Epimelitta Bates, 1870 and associated genera, with a brief synopsis of the genus Acorethra Bates, 1873 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), Insecta Mundi 2016 (504), pp. 1-43 : 7-10

Epimelitta Bates, 1870

( Fig. 1-6 )

Type species: Epimelitta meliponica Bates, 1870 (designation by Chemsak and Linsley, 1979) (= Molorchus scoparius Klug, 1825 ; = Epimelitta scoparia ( Klug, 1825)) .

Redescription of the genus. Male moderately large, total length 10.75-13.00 mm, female larger, 13.70- 16.35 mm; and broad (total length/width metathorax 3.59-4.00). Forebody (f) slightly shorter than abdomen (a), f/a 0.86-0.90 (in E. scoparia ), or of equal length (in E. rufiventris ). Head: comparatively narrow (widths prothorax/head with eyes 1.31 in male, 1.46 in female); rostrum shorter in male (width/length 2.70), longer in female (width/length 2.46). Labrum transverse, about two times wider than long, rather rounded laterally. Width of clypeal apex equal to width of labrum. Clypeus and frons separated by moderate declivity (more so in male than female). Apical palpomeres of maxilla and labium: short and subovate, truncate at apex. Galea: long, moderately narrow. Inferior lobes of eyes moderately far apart in male, width of one lobe/interocular distance 2.50 in male, far apart in female, width of one lobe/interocular distance 0.89; only moderately convex (in both sexes). In male superior lobes of eyes almost parallelsided, with 10-11 rows of moderately large ommatidia, laterally narrowed by one quarter of their mesal width, and separated by 2.75 the width of one lobe. Antennal tubercles weakly raised, rounded at apex, and separated by 3.00 width of scape in male, 3.60 in female. Antennae: robust (more so in female); short; apex in male reaching to middle of metacoxa, in female to base of metacoxa; scape subpyriform (viewed laterally), narrower (when viewed dorsally); antennomeres: III filiform, IV subfiliform, V elongate and subserrate, VI-X serrate and incrementally more quadrate. Antennomere III moderately long, 1.15 longer than scape in male (slightly shorter in female); nearly twice as long (0.80-0.85 mm) as IV (0.45 mm); V-X subequal (0.45- 0.35 mm) in male, in female 0.50- 0.35 mm. XI subovate, with small apical cone; in male as long as IV, longer than V-X; in female slightly longer than IV, as long as V, and longer than VI-X. Prothorax: strongly transverse, in male length/width 0.83, in female 0.79 (in E. rufiventris less transverse); in male somewhat trapezoidal, the sides less rounded; in female obovate, the sides wellrounded; widest well in front of middle, prothoracic quotient in male 2.29, in female 2.64 (in E. rufiventris about 2.5); width of apical and basal margins about equal; basal margin rounded and juxtaposed between elytral humeri. Surface of pronotum: irregular, moderately convex; disrupted by moderately deep, transverse depression dominating pronotal disc; and to each side of disc with broad pair of wide, arced calli (these not well delimited), the anterior one almost evanescent, the posterior one rounded behind (and sufficiently tumid to overhang sides of pronotum and basal constriction); pronotal disc further disrupted by irregular shaped swelling between tumid, posterior calli; apical constriction almost absent; basal constriction narrow, strongly abrupt towards sides, and not fossate. Prosternum flat to apical border, at midline planar with its process process; the latter not at all arced, laminate in male (17 times narrower than width of procoxal cavity), sublaminate in female (9 times narrower than width of procoxal cavity). Apex of prosternal process small and golf-tee shaped. Procoxal cavity broadly plugged laterally; widely open behind, the gap between apex of post coxal process and apex of prosternal process 0.30 mm in male, 0.25 in female. Scutellum: small, scutate (but dense pubescence hiding details). Elytra: short and cuneate; 1.40 longer than width across humeri in male, 1.32 longer in female; sides weakly arced; apices hardly divergent (but elytra well separated by moderately strongly gape for slightly more than apical third), reaching apex of metacoxae; humeri not hiding mesepimera, broad and prominent, but only weakly projecting (more strongly in female). Each elytron gradually and strongly narrowed to rounded, unarmed apex (the latter somewhat lobate in appearance); on middle half with cleaver-shaped translucent panel (in E. scoparia ), or fusiform-shaped panel (in E. rufiventris ); surface surrounding translucent panel irregular, slightly raised adjacent to, and posterior to scutellum. Translucent panel depressed towards apex, and abruptly separated from side of elytron by short, well-defined carina (which may represent remnants of the humero-apical costa); and at apex reaching sutural border. Mesosternum: flat at center; deeply, but well inclined (with about 60º slope) to mesosternal process. Base of mesosternal process nearly flat, and moderately wide (coxal cavity 1.44 wider than base of process in male, 1.29 wider in female); apex of process lanceolate, deeply excavate and abruptly depressed, the sides pointed and weakly diverging. Mesocoxal cavity: moderately open to mesepimerum. Lengths of mesosternum/metasternum 0.87-0.92. Metathorax: wide, in male body length/width metathorax 3.59, in female 3.77-4.00; sides rounded from base to middle of hind margin; metasternum moderately tumid, and weakly flattened for apical half in male (more so in most females), its surface level with mesocoxae; metepisternum widest at base, distinctly tapering to subacuminate apex. Abdomen in male: convex, narrow, weakly annulated, and almost cylindrical (widest at base, weakly tapering to apex); urosternites moderately transverse; II- IV subequal in length. Urosternite I: widest, almost quadrate (with rather rounded sides); II: weakly trapezoidal (with straight converging sides); III and IV: cylindrical (with weakly rounded sides). Urosternite V: trapezoidal (with rounded sides and broadly emarginate apex), surface weakly differentiated (soleate depression limited to a slightly depressed U-shaped area occupying apical half); sides of apex moderately winged, but rounded at apex (when viewed laterally). Abdominal process a narrow isosceles triangle, well inclined to abdomen (slope about 60 o). Abdomen in female wider; flatter, widest at base, tapering to apex (in E. scoparia ), more convex, fusiform, widest towards middle (in E. rufiventris ); weakly annulated; urosternites transverse; I-IV sequentially shorter towards apex of abdomen; urosternite I: broadly conical and convex (with rounded sides); II and III cylindrical (with sub-parallel, almost straight sides), IV trapezoidal (with rounded sides). Urosternite V subconical, slightly longer than IV, weakly constricted and down-turned for apical third; apical margin truncate. Abdominal process a broad equilateral triangle, almost planar with abdomen. Legs (in E. scoparia , unless otherwise noted): in both sexes ratio lengths front/middle/hind leg 1.0:1.1-1.2:2.3. Front and middle legs rather short, body length/length of legs 2.8-3.0 and 2.5-2.6 respectively. Front leg: femur slightly shorter than tibia, length femur/tibia 0.94- 0.97; tibia robust; rather wide (including base), gradually widening to apex; when viewed dorsally apical margin oblique (not lanceolate); apico-lateral angle dentate. Middle leg: femur moderately long, 1.28-1.33 longer than length of tibia; femoral clave robust (but not at all tumid when viewed from above), in both sexes length of femur/lateral width of femoral clave 2.50-2.59 (the clave wider in female); tibia rather robust and almost parallel-sided to apex. Hind leg: robust, body length/length of leg in both sexes 1.3; femur strongly pedunculate-clavate; relatively short, apex reaching apical third of urosternite III in male, in female reaching base of IV (in E. scoparia ), or apex of IV (in E. rufiventris ); femoral clave subcylindrical, not much longer than peduncle, the latter not flattened (in E. rufiventris ), or clave characteristic, strongly fusiform with well rounded sides (especially viewed from the side); 2.83-2.90 longer than peduncle, the latter moderately narrow and flattened (in E. scoparia ). Metatibiae robust; with moderately large brushes (in E. scoparia ), large brushes (in E. rufiventris ); brushes not centered on slight swellings of tibial surface. When viewed dorsally tibia somewhat bisinuate; apex bifurcate, with long spur mesally, shorter one laterally. When viewed laterally tibia slightly curved and bisinuate, uniformly wide to pre-apex; at apex abruptly widened, with both mesal and lateral surfaces produced into short, spatula-like extension. Metatarsus robust, but distinctly narrower than apex of metatibia; tarsomere I subclylindrical (in male more strongly widened at apex); II hardly pediculate, almost quadrate and trapezoidal; III slightly longer than II, the lobes divergent, moderately wide, rounded at sides (less so in female); in male first tarsomere 0.93 length of II+III, in female 1.06 longer than II+III.

Genitalia ( Fig. 49 ). In E. scoparia markedly different from other epimelittids. Median lobe of aedeagus: moderately long (about 2.4 mm), slender, modestly arced,with acuminate apex; and small dark bodies present. Tegmen: apical part slightly longer than basal part. Apical part divided into two finger-shaped lobes, these moderately divergent, and long (length/width 4.0); each lobe almost straight, at apex hardly wider, asymmetrical and subacuminate. Y-piece long and broad, the stem shorter than the fork.

General pubescence. Less amplified. Notable pubescence (dense tufts of long, suberect, rufous-orange or black setae) present on upperside of body and elytra, the setae predominantly rufous (in E. scoparia ), or black or grey hair (in E. rufiventris ) as follows: sides and transverse depression of pronotum; oblique patch on basal half of elytra (especially well developed in female E. scoparia ). Notable pubescence on underside of body as follows: below inferior lobes of eyes; towards sides on apical margin of prosternum; covering all of metasternum and most of metepisternum; but abdomen lacking dense tufts. Less notable pubescence consisting of whitish, recumbent hairs across base of metasternum (especially dense in male); on urosternite I (and usually II) of abdomen entire side and hind margins clothed with grey (in female) or creamy yellow (in male) pubescence. Notable pubescence on legs as follows (especially notable in female): ventral surface of profemoral clave (dense, long tufts); mesofemoral clave (single tuft on ventral and mesal surfaces); metafemoral clave near middle of dorsal surface (in E. scoparia ), and towards apex of ventral surface (in both species). Metatibia with large, untidy brushes, the setae rather short, and somewhat spirally arranged between dorsal and ventral surfaces (in E. scoparia ), or the setae longer and rather uniformly distributed on dorsal and ventral surfaces (in E. rufiventris ); color of brushes black and rufous in male, almost entirely rufous in female (in E. scoparia ), or grey (in E. rufiventris ). Lateral surface of metafemoral claves with small, white patch of recumbent hairs in male; in female the patch more extensive, but greyer and sparser.

General puncturation. Upperside: generally very dense, rather small, and alveolate or subalveolate. On pronotum punctures of transverse depression not smaller than those on rest of surface, and smooth areas of surface absent (in E. scoparia ), or smooth areas present (in E. rufiventris ). On elytra smooth, impunctate areas restricted to translucent panels (these not invaded by denser punctures), the panels almost impunctate (in E. scoparia ), or with rather sparse, large punctures (in E. rufiventris ). Underside puncturation: mirrors the state of its pubescence; the punctures generally dense and small; simple and deeper (on prosternum); microscopic (on mesosternum), shallow and beveled (on metasternum). On abdomen punctures small shallow and somewhat beveled; rather sparse, especially towards sides and apex (in E. scoparia ), or more uniform and denser (in E. rufiventris ).

Species included in this genus. Epimelitta scoparia ( Klug, 1825) and, provisionally, E. rufiventris Bates, 1870 .

Figures

Figures 1-6. Genus Epimelitta. Fig. 1-5. Epimelitta scoparia (Klug, 1825): 1) male dorsal aspect; 2) male ventral aspect; 3) female ventral aspect; 4) Epimelitta acutipennis Fisher, 1947 syn. nov., female; 5) Molorchus scoparius Klug, 1825, male cotype. Fig. 6. Epimelitta rufiventris Bates, 1879, female holotype.

Figures 49-57. Tegmen and median lobe of aedeagus in the genus Epimelitta and related genera. Fig. 49- 54. Magnification x1 (represented by2 mmscale bar):49) Epimelitta scoparia (Klug, 1825);50) Exepimelitta nigerrima (Bates, 1892); 51) Exepimelitta windsori sp. nov.; 52) Charisia melanaria Gounelle, 1911; 53) Charisia mneme (Newman, 1841); 54) Acorethra chrysaspis Bates, 1873. Fig. 55-57. Magnification x2 (represented by 1 mm scale bar): 55) Adepimelitta debilis (Gounelle, 1911); 56) Adepimelitta eupheme (Lameere, 1884); 57) Erratamelitta erato (Newman, 1840).