Asynapteron andinum, Juárez-Noé & González-Coronado, 2023

Juárez-Noé, Gino & González-Coronado, Uzbekia, 2023, A new species of Asynapteron Martins, 1970 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Cerambycinae, Tropidini) from the Peruvian Andes, Zootaxa 5256 (4), pp. 397-400 : 397-399

Asynapteron andinum sp. nov.

( Figs 1–3 )

Description. Holotype male. Integument mostly dark brown; frons reddish brown; antennomeres III–VII reddish brown (slightly lighter toward antennomere XI), except dark-brown dorsal carina and black apex; pronotal anterior margin reddish brown; elytra dark brown basally, gradually lighter toward posterior margin, except three yellowish-white maculae, one irregular on anterior third, not reaching suture and almost reaching epipleural margin, strongly constricted centrally, one irregular on beginning of posterior third, not reaching suture and reaching epipleural margin, another on apex, reaching suture and epipleural margin; femoral peduncles reddish brown; tibiae reddish brown with small dark area on base; tarsi orangish brown.

Head. Frons densely rugose-punctate, with sparse, minute yellowish pubescence (more silver depending on light intensity) and a few long, erect pale setae interspersed. Antennal tubercles elevated; with pubescence as on frons basally and glabrous close to apex. Vertex abundantly, finely punctate; with dense yellowish pubescence (more silver depending on light intensity), with a few long, erect pale setae interspersed. Eyes not divided, with a row of ommatidia between lobes; upper eye lobes with four rows of ommatidia; area behind upper and lower eye lobes abundantly punctate, with yellowish pubescence (more silver depending on light intensity). Median groove distinct from clypeus to area between upper eye lobes. Genae finely punctate; with sparse yellowish pubescence and rather long, erect pale setae. Postclypeus with abundant yellowish pubescence (more silver depending on light intensity) and a few long, erect pale setae. Gulamentum transversely striate, with fine punctures interspersed and sparse yellowish pubescence. Antennae 2.8 times longer than elytra, reaching elytral apex at middle of antennomere VII. Scape elongate, slightly wider apically, densely and finely punctate, with coarse punctures interspersed; with sparse, short yellowish pubescence and a few long, erect pale setae on base and lateral surface; dorsally with wide and slightly deep longitudinal depression from base to middle. Antennomeres III–XI with minute, yellowish pubescence dorsally; pedicel and antennomeres III–VI with dense long, erect pale setae ventrally; antennomeres VII–XI with sparse, long, erect pale setae on apex of dorsal surface; antennomeres III–VI with carina well-marked; antennomere IV shorter than V. Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III: scape = 0.49; pedicel = 0.18; IV = 1.02; V = 1.11; VI = 1.15; VII = 1.09; VIII = 1.08; IX = 1.08; X = 1.08; XI = 1.21.

Thorax. Prothorax twice as long as wide, with well-marked anterior constriction, posterior margin slightly wider than anterior margin. Pronotum with five slightly elevated tubercles, one on each side close to anterior margin, one centrally, almost conical, and one on each side close to posterior margin; shallowly, sparsely punctate; with grayish pubescence partially obscuring integument, except glabrous area on middle; with a few long erect grayish setae interspersed. Sides of prothorax with sparse grayish pubescence and with a few long erect grayish setae. Prosternum sparsely punctate; anterior region glabrous and transversely striated; posterior region with abundant yellowish pubescence (paler depending on light intensity). Narrowest area of prosternal process about 0.13 times width of procoxal cavity. Ventral surface of meso- and metathorax with yellowish pubescence (paler depending on light intensity), except small glabrous area on middle of metaventrite; metathoracic discrimen well marked. Scutellum with yellowish pubescence (paler depending on light intensity), distinctly denser posteriorly. Elytra. Shiny; with three separate rows of piliferous punctures dorsally, with long and erect yellowish setae more abundant on basal half; interstices with minute yellowish pubescence; humerus slightly protruding; apex concave, with well-developed spine at outer angle. Legs. Femora with yellowish pubescence and long, erect pale setae interspersed. Tibiae with yellowish pubescence, denser ventrally, and long, erect pale setae interspersed, distinctly longer dorsally. Metatarsomere I about as long as II–III together.

Abdomen. Ventrites with abundant yellowish pubescence, absent on apex of ventrites 1–4, with short erect pale setae interspersed, distinctly denser laterally. Apex of ventrite 5 rounded, with long erect pale setae.

Female. Unknown.

Dimensions (mm) (holotype male). Total length, 12.10; prothoracic length, 3.10; humeral width, 3.00; maximun prothoracic width, 2.10; elytral length, 8.65.

Type material. Holotype male from PERU, Piura region, Huancabamba province, Cruz Grande village , 2059 m, 05º21’51’’S, 79º45’68’’W, 17.V.2011, G. Juárez & U. González leg. ( MUSM).

Etymology. The specific epithet is an adjective referring to the Andean region, ecosystem where was collected the holotype.

Remarks. Asynapteron andinum sp. nov., is similar to A. inca (Martins, 1962) by the body shape, color, and elytral maculae. However, it differs by the yellowish-white maculae on the posterior third of the elytra not fused laterally (fused laterally in A. inca ), and elytral apex with the outer angle spiniform (not spiniform in A. inca ).

The genus Asynapteron is represented by six species. Three of these species are distributed along the Pacific Ocean coast of Ecuador and Peru: Asynapteron equatorianum (Martins, 1960) and Asynapteron ranthum Martins, 1970 recorded in Guayas and Manabi provinces and A. inca recorded in Lima and Arequipa regions. Asynapteron glabriolum (Bates, 1872) has a wider distribution with records in Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador, between 550 m and 1710 m; Asynapteron eburnigerum (Aurivillius, 1899) is distributed in Guyana; and Asynapteron contrarium Martins, 1971 is recorded in the Amazonian Ecuadorian (Morona Santiago province) at 1250 m ( Martins 1970; 2009). A. andinum sp. nov. represents the second species recorded from Peru and the first recorded from Andean ecosystems.

Figures

FIGURES 1–3. Asynapteron andinum sp. nov., holotype male. 1) Dorsal habitus; 2) Ventral habitus; 3) Lateral habitus.