Escalonia, Jin & Ślipiński & Keyzer & Pang, 2017

Jin, Mengjie, Ślipiński, Adam, Keyzer, Roger De & Pang, Hong, 2017, Review of Australian genera Tessaromma Newman and Phlyctaenodes Newman with description of a new genus and species (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae: Phlyctaenodini), Zootaxa 4277 (1), pp. 67-85 : 80

Escalonia gen. nov

( Figures 5A –L)

Type species. Tessaromma loxleyae McKeown, 1942 .

Etymology. This genus is dedicated to our Venezuelan friend and colleague Dr. Hermes E. Escalona García in recognition of his research contributions to the study of Cerambycidae and other beetles. Gender feminine.

Description. Length 7–9 mm. Body slender, lightly sclerotized, yellowish brown with variable darker and lighter markings on elytra ( Figs 5A , D, F, G); dorsal vestiture comprising single sparse setae or long bristles. Head moderately inclined ( Fig. 5C ), as long as wide, teardrop-shaped in dorsal view. Mandibles broad-based, short and sharply pointed apically. Maxilla with well-developed and densely setose galea and lacinia; terminal palpomere of labial and maxillary palps ovoid in female, in male expanded apically. Frontoclypeal suture weakly arcuate; clypeus flat, entirely sclerotized. Frons flat with complete median groove, laterally separated from eyes by longitudinal groove extending from antennal insertion forward to mandibular articulation. Eyes large, convex, moderately coarsely facetted, deeply emarginate with very large lower lobe and short and narrow upper lobe. Antennal insertions on raised tubercles, laterally oriented, antennal foramen with thin rim; articulation point clearly visible when antenna is inserted. Antenna 11-segmented, filiform, extending shortly beyond apices of elytra in both sexes; scape gradually expanded apically, slightly stronger than other antennomeres; pedicel small and subquadrate; antennomere 4 shorter than antennomeres 3 or 5. Prothorax transverse with sharp, broad based, posteriorly bent median lateral projections. Disc finely punctured with 3 weak elevations. Prosternal process narrow, blade like, but complete between coxae; procoxal cavities oval, externally open, with lateral extensions; protrochantin exposed. Procoxae transversely oval, without plates. Pterothorax. Mesocoxae circular, without secondary articulation; width of mesoventral process about 0.5 coxal diameter ( Fig. 5B ); mesocoxal cavity broadly open to mesepimeron; mesotrochantin externally visible. Elytra covering entire abdomen, truncate apically; base of elytra coarsely punctate; elytra with complete or incomplete costae and rows of long bristles. Legs with all femora clavate, each with 1–3 sharp projections on the anterior or posterior edge that are more pronounced in males; setose brushes absent; metafemur not extending beyond apices of elytra. Protibia simple externally with 2 somewhat uneven apical spurs; tarsomere 1 slightly longer than other tarsomeres; pretarsal claws narrowly separated. Abdominal ventrites without patches of dense setae. Ventrite 1 slightly longer than 2 with well-delimited coxal cavities. Intercoxal process triangular and pointed apically; ventrite 5 deeply emarginate in male, truncate in female. Terminalia. Male tergite VIII transverse, emarginate posteriorly with short median strut; sternite IX with long spiculum gastrale forked at base. Aedeagus about 0.3–0.4 times as long as abdomen. Parameres ( Fig. 5 K) narrow, free to base, sparsely setose apically. Penis ( Fig. 5 J) pointed apically with anterior struts about 0.3 times as long as apicale, endophallus with pair of sclerites at base and several thorn-like sclerites in middle section. Ovipositor moderately long with terminal styli.

Remarks. Escalonia can easily be separated from Tessaromma in having emarginate, not divided eyes; antennal scape gradually expanding apically; procoxae strongly projecting and without coxal plates; and femora with tooth like projections.

Distribution. So far known only from Australia and New Guinea.

Figures

FIGURE 5. A – C, I – L: Escalonia loxleyae (McKeown); J: median lobe, K: tegmen, I: sternite VIII, L: tergite VIII. D – E: Escalonia surprise sp. nov. (Holotype, ANIC); F: Escalonia carolinae sp. nov. (Holotype, ANIC); G – H: Zoedia intricata Gressitt (Holotype, BPBM).