Acutiphoderes, Clarke, 2015

Clarke, Robin O. S., 2015, Revision of the genus Acyphoderes Audinet-Serville, 1833, with a brief synopsis of the genus Bromiades Thomson, 1864 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), Insecta Mundi 2015 (401), pp. 1-92 : 24-27

Acutiphoderes gen. nov.

( Fig. 26, 27 )

Type species. Acyphoderes odyneroides White, 1855 , here designated by monotypy.

Etymology. Acutiphoderes (from the Latin “acus”, meaning a needle, with reference to its unique elytral apex); and “deres” (to recall its relationship to Acyphoderes ). Gender female.

Diagnosis. Prothorax subtype 4A in Acutiphoderes (shared with Ameriphoderes Group 1 species), but in Acutiphoderes basal constriction mostly evanescent, detectable at sides, towards middle almost smoothly inclined with longitudinal convexity of pronotum, otherwise nearest to female Ameriphoderes acutipennis in appearance (in Ameriphoderes Group 1 species basal constriction is narrow, but deep and well demarcated throughout). Elytra subtype 3C unique to Acutiphoderes , with its sharply acuminate apex. Abdomen subtype 1C only found in Acutiphoderes . Hind leg subtype 1B in Acutiphoderes (only shared with Ameriphoderes amoena and A. suavis ), but in Acutiphoderes only 1.8 longer than front leg (in the two species of Ameriphoderes 2.4-2.5 longer than front leg). Aedeagus with subtype 3e tegmen (only shared with Ameriphoderes bayanicus ) strongly setose, with broad, divergent lateral lobes; in Acutiphoderes the latter gradually tapering to weakly rounded apex (in A. bayanicus the apices subacuminate), and apex of median lobe rather rounded (in A. bayanicus apex spatulate, unique among the genera considered in this revision).

And in the field easily separated from other acyphoderines by the vespid-like yellow stripe on head, running from base of clypeus to antennal tubercles.

Description of genus. Medium to large sized (17.0- 18.9 mm); moderately narrow, compact, species (generally similar to Acyphoderes group 2 species); forebody 0.97-1.03 length of abdomen.

Head with eyes narrower than width of prothorax (width prothorax/head 1.06-1.12). Rostrum moderately long and wide (width/length 2.35-2.47). Maxillary palps short; apical palpomeres cylindrical, and truncate at apex; galea rather short. Labrum rather small and transverse, about 2.5 times wider than long; front margin emarginate and declivous; sides rounded; disc with two groups of small punctures. Clypeus flat and slightly inclined to labrum, at apex narrower than labrum, and hardly wider at base; nearly glabrous and almost impunctate; and separated from frons by strong transverse depression. Frontal suture well demarcated, bisecting yellow, impunctate area on frons into two narrow bands, and falling just short of apex of frons.

Inferior lobes of eyes in male unusually large, very slightly longer than wide, their front margins strongly divergent, rendering each lobe more ovate than round; and in male subcontiguous, in female wide apart, width of one lobe/interocular distance 8.0 in male, in female 1.36. Distal margins of inferior lobes lying adjacent to gena; proximal margins weakly oblique.

Superior lobes moderately small, and weakly narrowed laterally (by one-sixth their mesal width); in male rather narrowly separated (slightly closer than any other South American species included in this revision, including females), the distance between them/width of one lobe 1.8, in female 2.5; with relatively large ommatidia, arranged in approximately 17 rows.

Mentum-submentum represented by well demarcated, transverse area, about 2.0 wider than long in male, 1.5 in female; the surface multicarinate (the carinas confused, with small elliptical areas), and punctured (the punctures small and subalveolate, and usually situated in these ellipsoids).

Antennal tubercles moderately small, rounded, and moderately prominent, the distance between them/width of scape 2.0-2.2.

Antennae short, reaching apex of metepisternum in male, basal third of metepisternum in female (shorter than any other species included in this revision); subserrate, antennomeres IV-X similar in appearance and width (viewed dorsally none of them much wider than apex of II). Scape pyriform in male, subpyriform in female, rather short and thick, slightly longer than III (only shared by Group 1 species of Acyphoderes and Bromiades ); III filiform, but rather robust and short (nevertheless distinctly longer than any other antennomere); IV subcylindrical, two-thirds length of III, equal to V in male, slightly longer in female; V slightly elongate and trapezoidal; VI-X incrementally slightly shorter, more quadrate, and less serrate (the serrations not strong and clipped at apex); XI longer than VI-X (unique among the species included in this revision), in male with abruptly narrower apical cone (giving it a subserrate appearance).

Prothorax Type 4A, weakly elongate (length/width 1.09-1.11); sides straight and moderately converging from middle to apex, sinuate to basal constriction (lateral callus slightly overhanging sides to disrupt lateral profile); widest well before middle, prothoracic quotient in male 2.52 in male, in female 3.0. Front margin (f) about as wide as hind margin (h), f/h 1.00-1.05. Surface of pronotum convex, irregular; median callus rather wide and more projecting than lateral calli; all the calli slightly glistening and sculpted by larger punctures than those on rest of pronotum; apical constriction weak, basal constriction mostly evanescent (detectable at sides, towards middle smoothly inclined with longitudinal convexity of pronotum).

Prosternum strongly declivous across apical third in male (less so in female), and well inclined to prosternal process. Prosternal process arced; base of process short in male, and laminate, about 14 times narrower than width of procoxal cavity in male, 19 times in female; apex long and trapezoidal (declivous across middle, to leave apex planar with mesosternal surface). Procoxal cavities plugged at sides, closed behind.

Mesosternum subabrupt and very deep; base of mesosternal process strongly depressed at midline, the sides raised, rather wide, and half the width of mesocoxal cavity; apex of process bilobed (the lobes weakly divergent and separated by deep, wide, U-shaped excavation), each lobe narrow and rounded at apex. Mesocoxal cavity widely open to epimeron.

Length of mesosternum/metasternum 0.86-0.97.

Elytra unique subtype 3C, apex acuminate and terminating with distinct spine; rather long and broad at humeri, length/width 2.81 in female, 3.28 in male (the quotient the highest of any South American species included in this revision), but just behind humeri abruptly and strongly contracted to middle, then steadily narrowing to apex; apex reaching middle of urostrnite IV in male, middle of III in female. Humeri rounded, but projecting, and almost flat. Each elytron completely flat for apical two-thirds; with long translucent panel extending almost to apex, well demarcated laterally, but basally almost lost in pale color of elytral base.

Metathorax broad; hemispherical (slightly more so as widest point behind basal margin), the sides strongly rounded from base to middle of apex. Metasternum strongly tumid, not at all flattened on disc, but still remain less projecting than mesocoxae; longitudinal suture moderately shallow, wide for apical half, narrow towards, and not reaching, base. Metepisternum relatively strongly convex, very broadly cuneate, lateral margin rounded.

Abdomen unique, and almost the same in both sexes, subtype 1C (Fig. 67), relatively short and broad (widest at apex III/base IV), base broadly petiolate (subsessile); urosternite II not conical. In male urosternite V transverse, trapezoidal; base as wide as apex of IV; apical margin truncate; and sides projecting and acute when viewed laterally; soleate depression weak, represented by small, U-shaped flattening (towards apex between slightly raised sides), suggestive of a feint horse shoe print. In female urosternite V much narrower than other segments. Male and female abdominal process strongly inclined, ca. 90° (but in male surface of urosternite I raised towards base and coalescing with base of process); its apex with relatively broad, recurved extension intimately inserted between metacoxae.

Apical tergite moderately elongate (but apex not overlapping apex of urosternite V), trapezoidal, convex, and slightly rounded at apex in male, emarginate in female.

Legs. Ratio lengths front/middle/hind leg 1.0:1.2-1.3:1.8.

Front and middle legs rather long (in male body length/length of legs 2.6 and 2.2, respectively, in female 2.7 and 2.1); and strongly pedunculate-clavate.

Front leg. Profemoral clave moderately broad and abrupt (when viewed from the side), slightly tumid mesally (when viewed from above); protibia slightly longer than profemur in male, shorter than profemur in female; rather abruptly widening towards apex; apico-lateral margin oblique.

Middle leg. Length of mesofemur/width mesofemoral clave 2.6 in male, 3.5 in female; clave not flattened mesally (when viewed from above), broad and abrupt (when viewed from the side). Mesofemur 1.08 longer than metatíbia in male, of equal length in female. Mesotibia moderately slender, gradually, and more strongly widened to apex in male, in female widened and parallel-sided for apical two-thirds.

Hind leg subtype 1B (Fig. 102). Relatively short, body length 1.5 longer than leg; metafemoral clave strongly narrowed at apex; the latter reaching middle of urosternite III in male, reaching apical third of III in female; peduncle short (length clave/peduncle 1.7 in female, 2.1 in male). Metatibia bisinuate (when viewed from above), slightly longer than metafemora, moderately robust, and hardly thickened towards apex; and rather sparsely pubescent, not much denser towards apex. Metatarsus moderately long, more than half length of metatibia. Metatarsomere I almost cylindrical, moderately robust and rather short, in male, I/II+III 1.14, in female 1.10; II elongate, trapezoidal and moderately broad; III with long and moderately large lobes, weakly rounded at sides, and somewhat divergent.

Male genitalia. Aedeagus Type 3 (Fig. 139). Tegmen subtype 3, lateral lobes short (length/width 3.8); apex weakly acuminate. Median lobe Type 2, broad and short (length 2.0 mm).

Surface ornamentation/pubescence. On upper side notably dense, recumbent, pubescence almost absent (head glabrous); but on pronotum, elongate fascia furnishing all the lower areas between calli, and across the basal quarter, with rather feathery-looking, brassy pubescence. Elytra almost glabrous; but some nearly undetectable yellow hairs between humeri; and translucent panels with irregular rows of short, erect, black hairs.

Antennal scape and antennomeres III and IV with fringe of black setae on meso-ventral surface; pedicel, IV and V with 2-4 longer, thicker setae at apex; VI-VIII with single, incrementally shorter, seta at apex.

On underside notable pubescence limited to all mesosterna, basal half of metasternum, and all of metepisternum (dense, recumbent, fine, silver hairs). Less notable, and less dense, short, hoary pubescence in transverse rectangle covering basal two-thirds of prosternum (the apical third contrastingly glabrous and sulcate). Abdomen almost uniformly clothed with, rather dense, semi-recumbent, long, blackish hairs (only urosternite I and midline partially glabrous); and apical margin of I-IV fimbriate, the hairs dense, short, and white as snow. In female underside pubescence is much the same as in male, but somewhat reduced in density and extent of fascia.

Legs clothed with fine, rather stiff-looking, short, white hairs; hardly denser on both of the following, but longer on metatibiae, shorter on metatarsomeres.

Surface ornamentation/puncturation. Vertex of head, antennal scape, and pronotum entirely and densely, rugosely punctured, the punctures rather small (largest on scape and pronotal calli, smallest on inter-calli), alveolate, deep and confluent. Elytra generally somewhat sparsely punctate, less so on humeri and between them; a single row of very small punctures adjacent to sutural border; epipleur with 2- 4 rows of small, but deep and confluent, punctures; translucent panels with irregular rows of very small, setose punctures.

Puncturation on underside partially hidden by pubescence. Prosternum with basal two-thirds with dense mix of larger subalveolate punctures, and simple small ones, embedded in a matrix of micropunctures, to leave the surface rugose. Mesosternum with indefinite, but generally micro-reticulate. Metasternum, below with dense pubescence large and smaller punctures embedded in matrix of micropunctures; on glabrous areas the surface ornately sculpted, with tracery of slender, arced carinas, and rows of large, deep, semi-alveolate punctures arcing towards midline; the latter occupied by large oval patch of further, less dense, carinas and punctures. Metepisternum with pubescent areas as on metasternum. Abdomen almost uniformly and densely punctate (sparser on urosternite I, denser on III-V), with moderately large, shallow, beveled punctures lying in a matrix of reticulate interstices.

Figures

Figure 25–30. Species habitus in the genera Anomaloderes. gen. nov., Acyphoderes. gen. nov. and Brachyphoderes. gen. nov. 25) Anomaloderes itaiuba (Martins and Galileo, 2004), male paratype. Figures 26–27. Acutiphoderes odyneroides (White, 1855). 26) male. 27) male ventral. 28) Brachyphoderes longicollis (Chemsak and Noguera, 1993). male paratype. Figures 29–30. Brachyphoderes dehiscens (Chemsak, 1997). 29) male paratype. 30) female paratype.