Tenthras centralis, Bezark, 2025

Bezark, Larry G., 2025, A new species of Tenthras from Central America and new records of Cerambycinae (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) from Belize, Zootaxa 5723 (4), pp. 489-513 : 490-493

Tenthras centralis sp. nov.

( Figs 1–8 )

Description. Integument mostly orange, lateral sides and apex of elytra dark brown, except for apical quarter along the suture and extreme apex orange. Mandibles with extreme apex and ventral edge dark brown. Apical 1/3 of scape with vaguely or distinctly darkened area.

Head. Frons with narrow, glabrous, longitudinal groove, densely, finely punctate; with moderately dense, appressed golden pubescence not obscuring integument; postclypeus apex gently emarginate. Vertex and area behind upper eye lobes with moderately dense, appressed golden pubescence not obscuring integument. Genae with appressed golden pubescence becoming longer apically. In dorsal view, distance between lower eye lobes 2.8 times width of lobes. Antennae about equal in length to elytra, not reaching elytral apex. Scape longer than prothorax, gradually widened toward apex, with moderately dense, appressed golden pubescence. Antennomeres 3– 11 gradually decreasing in length with moderately dense, appressed golden pubescence not obscuring integument.

Thorax. Prothorax distinctly wider than long; pronotum slightly convex; anterior basal constriction absent; sides rounded and subparallel on apical half, then strongly widened into large lateral tubercles with broadly rounded apex which terminate just above posterior constriction. Very finely punctate throughout, including lateral tubercles; sides and pronotal surface covered with moderately dense, appressed golden pubescence. Prosternum with moderately dense golden pubescence not obscuring surface.Prosternal process with sides gently rounded conforming to procoxae, expanded apically to width equal to width of procoxae, apex slightly rounded, with moderately dense golden pubescence not obscuring surface; narrowest area 0.34 times procoxal width. Mesanepisternum, mesepimeron, and sides of mesoventrite with moderately dense golden pubescence. Mesoventral process subparallel-sided, posterior margin very slightly emarginate centrally, apex with row of short golden setae; narrowest area about 0.25 times mesocoxal width. Scutellum broadly rounded apically, with moderately dense golden setae, including apical fringe, somewhat obscuring surface.

Elytra. Shiny, gently, smoothly convex on disc; humeri very slightly protruding toward prothorax; abundantly, very finely punctate; with dense, short, appressed golden pubescence not obscuring surface; entire lateral margins with a single row of moderately sparse, long, dark brown setae directed toward apex; apex with a fringe of sparse, short golden setae. Apex gently emarginate with sutural angles slightly produced, rounded.

Legs. All surfaces covered with moderately dense, appressed golden setae not obscuring surface. Profemora evenly, strongly clavate, meso- and metafemora gradually becoming clavate just beyond middle. Protibiae flattened both internally and externally on apical 2/3, with gently emarginate area ventrally on apical quarter, apex thickened with two stout setae of equal size ventrally. Mesotibiae slender with a few erect setae internally; notched dorsally at apical fifth with longer thicker, golden setae and two stout setae of equal size ventrally, apex with fringe of stout golden setae. Metatibiae slender, with sparse, long erect setae directed toward apex; apex with fringe of stout golden setae of two sizes and two stout spines, inner spine longer than outer. Protarsomeres I–III short, subequal. Mesotarsomere I elongate, as long as II–III combined, with a few short stout setae at apex, ventrally. Metatarsomere I quite elongate, much longer than II–III combined, with sparse erect setae ventrally and with fringe of stout golden setae on apex.

Abdomen. Ventrites with moderately dense golden pubescence not obscuring integument; ventrite 1 with almost glabrous area centrally, ventrite 5 with lateral thirds almost glabrous; apex of ventrite 5 emarginate with fringe of golden setae. Ventrites 1 and 5 subequal in length, both longer than ventrites II–IV which are subequal.

Variation. The two known specimens are quite similar to each other. The central elytral macula is wider and a more triangular (narrowing apically) in the holotype and in the paratype it is more elongate and parallel-sided.

Dimensions (in mm): Male holotype, CASC, length 6.10; prothoracic length 1.20; anterior prothoracic width 1.10; posterior prothoracic width 1.30; maximum prothoracic width (at tubercles) 1.65; humeral width 1.95; elytral length 4.10.

Male paratype ( UCDC): length 5.30; prothoracic length 1.00; anterior prothoracic width 1.00; posterior prothoracic width 1.10; maximum prothoracic width (at tubercles) 1.35; humeral width 1.60; elytral length 3.55 .

Type Material. Male holotype, Guatemala, Izabal Department: Finca Bello Horizonte , ca. 8 km SE Rio Dulce, 15°59252’N, 88°94366’W, 11 March, 2017, light trap, 43 m, R. Zack Collector ( CASC). Paratype male, Belize, Stann Creek District: 37 km W Dangriga, TREES ( Toucan Ridge Ecology & Education Society), 17°03.1’N, 88°33.9’W, 4– 9 August, 2023, 186 m, Michael F. Geiser collector ( UCDC) .

Etymology. The specific epithet “centralis ” refers to the large orange macula which occupies the anterior 2/3 of the elytra centrally.

Remarks. Tenthras centralis sp. nov. is very different from the two other known species in the genus. The large orange central elytral macula easily separates it from both Tenthras obliteratus Thomson, 1864 , which has elytra that vary in color from entirely orangish to entirely dark, and Tenthras setosus Monné & Tavakilian, 1990 , which has completely black elytra. Additionally, both of the other species have erect setae on the elytral disc to varying degrees, either on the entire elytral surface ( T. setosus ), or the basal quarter ( T. obliteratus ), which are totally absent in the new species. All three species have erect setae along the lateral elytral margins. Finally, the new species differs from T. obliteratus by the meso- and metafemora being non-pedunculate-clavate, but rather gently thickened after the basal one-third (these femora are distinctly pedunculate-clavate in T. obliteratus ).

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Tenthras centralis sp. nov., holotype male: 1) Dorsal habitus; 2) Head, frontal view; 3) Lateral habitus; 4) Ventral habitus.

FIGURES 5–8. Tenthras centralis sp. nov., paratype male: 1) Dorsal habitus; 2) Head, frontal view; 3) Lateral habitus; 4) Ventral habitus.