Spiritusellus, Monné & Santos-Silva, 2022

Monné, Miguel A. & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2022, New species, synonymy, and new record in Neotropical Acanthocinini (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae), Zootaxa 5196 (2), pp. 235-251 : 245

Spiritusellus gen. nov.

Type species: Spiritusellus personatus sp. nov., here designated.

Etymology. Latin, “spiritus” (spirit; ghost) + “-ellus” (suffix added to a noun to form a diminutive of that noun); alluding to the somewhat gloomy appearance of the type species. Masculine gender.

Description. Medium-sized; body slightly convex, wide. Head not elongated behind eyes, retractile. Frons transverse. Distance between upper eye lobes about equal to width of one upper lobe; lower eye lobes, in frontal view, slightly longer than genae. Antennae 11-segmented, distinctly longer than body in both sexes, slightly shorter in female than in male; scape not reaching posterior margin of prothorax, with narrow apical cicatrix; antennomere III longer than scape and remaining segments; antennomeres III–XI cylindrical. Prothorax transverse; sides distinctly divergent from anterolateral angles to lateral tubercles, narrowed after them; lateral tubercles large, conical, triangular-shaped in dorsal view, located on posterior quarter, with apex not directed backward. Pronotum not tuberculate, slightly gibbous on each side of anterior half; with row of coarse punctures anteriorly and posteriorly; row of coarse punctures close to posterior margin not surpassing lateral tubercles of prothorax. Narrowest area of prosternal process slightly narrower than half of procoxal width; apex strongly widened. Mesoventral process without tubercles; narrowest area about 0.6 times mesocoxal cavity; apex concave with sides slightly projected under mesocoxae. Elytra without erect setae; subparallel-sided on anterior half, then gradually narrowed toward obliquely truncate apex; centrobasal crest elongate, longer than metatarsomere I, not strongly elevated and apex not projected backward; with two longitudinal carinae dorsally, one starting on apex of centro basal crest, another starting near humerus, fused on posterior quarter of elytra, with areas distinctly elevated forming both elongated and short tubercles; humeral carina distinct on anterior 3/4, almost indistinct on posterior quarter. Femora pedunculate-clavate; metafemoral clubs wider in males than in females; apex of metafemora not reaching elytral apex in both sexes. Metatarsomere I about as long as II–III together. Ventrite 5 in male shorter than ventrites 3–4 together, with apex widely concave. Tergite VII and ventrite 5 in female strongly surpassing elytral apex; tergite VII slightly longer than ventrites 2–4 together; ventrite 5 about as long as ventrites 2–4 together; apex of tergite 5 truncate and apex of ventrite 5 slightly concave.

Remarks. In the provisional key from Monné et al. (2020b), Spiritusellus gen. nov. can be included in the alternative of couplet “6:”

6(5) Centrobasal crest of the elytra with dense erect setae.................................... Xylergatoides Gilmour, 1962 - Centrobasal crest of the elytra (when distinct) not densely setose or without erect setae............................. 6’ 6’(6). Lateral tubercles of prothorax located centrally..................................... Lagocheirus Dejean, 1835 (part) - Lateral tubercles of prothorax located on posterior quarter.................................... Spiritusellus gen. nov.

In the provisional key from Monné et al. (2020a), Spiritusellus gen. nov. can be included in the alternative of couplet “23” (modified):

23(22). Lateral tubercles of prothorax rounded or with distinct blunt apex..................... Leptostylus LeConte, 1852 (part) - Lateral tubercles of prothorax with acute apex............................................................ 23’ 23’(23). Centrobasal crest of elytra with abundant erect setae....................................... Eleothinus Bates, 1881 - Centrobasal crest of elytra without erect setae............................................. Spiritusellus gen. nov.