Hippopsis sexlineata, Vlasak & Santos-Silva, 2023

Vlasak, Josef & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2023, Description of a new species of Hippopsis Lepeletier & Audinet-Serville and comments on the identity of H. quadrivittata Breuning (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae, Agapanthiini), Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 63, pp. 1-7 : 2-4

Hippopsis sexlineata sp. nov. ( Fig. 1)

Description: Holotype female: Integument mostly blackish; ventral mouthparts brown, except palpomeres yellowish brown; scape dark brown; pedicel brown; antennomere III orangish brown on basal 6/7, blackish on apical seventh; antennomere IV orangish brown from base to near middle, then gradually blackish toward apex; antennomeres V-XI dark brown, except blackish apex of V-X. Elytral epipleural margin brownish. Femora mostly dark brown laterally, reddish brown dorsally and ventrally; tibiae reddish brown on basal 2/3, dark brown on apical third; tarsomeres I-II reddish brown on basal 2/3, black on apical third; tarsomeres III reddish basally, black on remaining surface; tarsomeres IV and basal half of tarsomeres V reddish brown, and apical half of V dark brown.

Head: Frons abundantly, finely punctate except smooth median groove; with dense yellow pubescence obscuring integument, except abundant pale-yellow pubescence not obscuring integument close to superior region of eyes, moderately abundant yellowish-white pubescence close to median groove, this area widened toward clypeus, and glabrous median groove; with one long, erect dark-brown seta close to eyes. Anterior region between antennal tubercles with abundant pale-yellow pubescence except glabrous median groove; remaining surface of vertex with dense, wide yellow pubescent band on each side, from area between antennal tubercles to prothorax, bands divergent and gradually widened toward prothorax, and abundant grayish-white pubescence not obscuring integument between yellow pubescent bands, except glabrous median groove; vertex moderately sparsely and coarsely punctate, except smooth median groove. Area behind eyes sparsely, finely punctate; with wide, longitudinal yellow pubescent band covering upper 2/3 of area behind lower eye lobe; remaining surface with abundant grayish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, except glabrous, subtriangular area close to yellow pubescent band and prothorax behind upper eye lobe and glabrous area close to prothorax behind lower eye lobe. Genae moderately sparsely, shallowly, finely punctate except nearly smooth apex and smooth subtriangular area close to eyes and frons; with dense yellow pubescence, except glabrous smooth area and almost glabrous apical area. Wide central area of postclypeus with dense yellow pubescence laterally close to frons, pubescence slightly sparser centrally, and sparse yellowish-white pubescence close to anteclypeus; with a few long, erect setae on sides, setae dark brown except yellowish apical region. Sides of postclypeus glabrous. Labrum moderately sparsely, finely punctate; posterior half with very sparse brownish pubescence and transverse row of long, erect setae about its middle, setae dark brown basally, gradually yellowish brown toward apex; anterior half with moderately abundant, long, erect yellowish-brown setae, more abundant laterally. Outer surface of mandibles triangularly depressed on basal half; depressed area with abundant pubescence, pubescence yellowish white basally, gradually yellower toward anterior region, and one long, erect dark-brown seta interspersed; remaining surface of mandibles glabrous. Area between antennal tubercles and eyes with dense yellow pubescence laterally and moderately sparse yellowish-white pubescence on remaining surface. Antennal tubercles with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument. Gulamentum glabrous, except intermaxillary process with moderately abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.23 times distance between outer margins of eyes; in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.37 times distance between outer margins of eyes. Antennae 3.3 times elytral length, reaching elytral apex at base of antennomere VI. Scape densely, minutely punctate; with abundant grayish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, and long, erect dark-brown setae on posterior 3/4 of ventral surface. Pedicel with moderately abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument and a few, both long and moderately short dark-brown setae ventrally. Antennomeres III-XI with moderately abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence appearing to be whiter on dark areas due to the integument color; with long, erect dark-brown setae ventrally; dorsal apex of III-XI with a few long, erect dark-brown setae. Antennal formula based on length of antennomere III: scape = 0.94; pedicel = 0.05; IV = 0.99; V = 1.04;VI = 1.13;VII = 1.08;VIII = 1.09; IX = 1.10; X = 1.03; XI = 0.88.

Thorax: Prothorax slightly longer than wide; sides slightly divergent from anterolateral to posterolateral angles; anterior constriction well marked. Pronotum sparsely, coarsely punctate; central region transversely striate from anterior third to posterior fifth; with dense, wide, longitudinal yellow pubescent band on each side of middle, from anterior to posterior margin, and dense, narrow, longitudinal yellow pubescent band close to sides of prothorax; remaining surface with abundant grayish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, except narrow yellowish-white pubescent band centrally on anterocentral third; with a few long, erect dark-brown setae interspersed. Sides of prothorax moderately sparsely, coarsely punctate; with dense, wide yellow pubescent band about middle, from anterior constriction to near posterior margin; remaining surface with abundant grayish-white pubescence not obscuring integument. Prosternumtransverselydepressednearprocoxalcavities; with abundant grayish-white pubescence not obscuring integument. Prosternal process gradually widened from base to apex; with dense yellowish pubescence partially obscuring integument; narrowest area located close to base, 0.37 times procoxal width. Mesoventrite with dense grayish-white pubescence, pubescence slightly yellow- er close to mesocoxal cavities and mesoventral process. Mesanepisternum with dense yellow pubescence except dense grayish-white pubescence close to mesanepisternum; mesepimeron with dense pale-yellow pubescence close to elytron and dense grayish-white pubescence on remaining surface; metanepisternum with dense yellow pubescence except apex with slightly sparser yellowish-white pubescence. Mesoventral process slightly narrowed centrally; narrowest area 0.67 times mesocoxal width; with dense yellowish pubescence except grayish-white pubescence close to margins. Metaventrite with dense yellow pubescent macula posteriorly close to metanepisternum, dense yellowish pubescence on large, subtriangular central area, from basal quarter to apex, except glabrous metathoracic discrimen, and dense grayish-white pubescence on remaining surface, appearing to be more yellowish white depending on light intensity and source. Scutellum with abundant yellowish-white pubescence partially obscuring integument. Elytra: Slightly, gradually narrowed from humeri to apex; apex concave, with outer and sutural angles distinctly spiniform, outer spine longer than sutural one; dorsal surface with three dense, longitudinal yellow pubescent bands fused posteriorly, innermost located close to suture, fused to central band about posterior sixth of elytron, central band widened basally, arched on its basal third, fused with outermost near elytral apex; remaining dorsal surface with abundant grayish-white pubescence not obscuring integument; sides with dense, longitudinal yellow pubescent band superiorly, basally inclined toward dorsal surface; remaining lateral surface with abundant grayish-white pubescence not obscuring integument except yellowish pubescence on epipleural margin; area close to epipleural margin on posterior quarter and apex with long, erect dark-brown setae. Legs: Femora with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument. Tibiae with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument on basal 2/3, except on ventral surface of protibiae; apical third of protibiae with moderately sparse brownish pubescence dorsally and laterally; ventral surface of protibiae with dense, bristly dark-brown pubescence; sides of apical third of meso- and metatibiae with sparse brownish pubescence; apical third of ventral surface of meso- and metatibiae with abundant, bristly yellowish-brown pubescence; apical third of dorsal surface of meso- and metatibiae with abundant, thick, moderately long, erect dark-brown setae. Dorsal surface of tarsomeres with sparse yellowish-white pubescence and long, erect dark-brown setae interspersed on I-III and apex of V. Metatarsomere I slightly shorter than II-III together.

Abdomen: Ventrites with dense greenish-yellow pubescence partially obscuring integument, except dense yellow pubescent band laterally, greenish-white pubescence laterally close to yellow pubescent band, and yellowish pubescence on apex of ventrites 4-5; posterior quarter with long, erect dark-brown setae interspersed. Apex of ventrite 5 emarginate centrally.

Variation: The longitudinal pubescent band on center of the pronotum is more distinct and reaches the posteri- or margin.

Dimensions (mm) (Holotype female/ paratype female). Total length, 20.20/18.60; prothoracic length, 2.60/2.50; anterior prothoracic width, 2.30/2.25; posterior and maximum prothoracic width, 2.55/2.30; humeral width, 4.10/3.85; elytral length, 15.30/14.05.

Type material: Holotype female from ECUADOR, Napo: Cosanga , 2,100 m, on cut wood at night, 25.XI.2022, J. Vlasak leg. ( MZSP) . Paratype female, same data as holotype ( JVCO).

Etymology: The specific epithet "sexlineata″, from Latin "sex″ (six) and "lineata″ (lined), refers to the six distinct yellow pubescent bands on the dorsal side of elytra.

Remarks: The new species, H. sexlineata sp. nov., fits in the key by Breuning (1962) at the alternative of couplet "10″ with H. quadrivittata Breuning, 1940 and following toward the alternative of couplet "11″. The alternative of couplet "10″ has the first part very subjective: Disk of the pronotum distinctly transversely striate, leading to H. quadrivittata ; disk of the pronotum not or slightly striate, leading to alternative of couplet"11″. However,in the second part, he provided a more reliable feature: abdomen with a longitudinal pubescent band centrally, leading to H. quadrivittata ; abdomen without a longitudinal pubescent band centrally, leading the alternative of couplet "11″. As H. sexlineata sp. nov. has no central pubescent band on the abdominal ventrites, it cannot be confused with H. quadrivittata ( Fig. 3L). In the alternative of couplet "11″ H. sexlineata sp. nov. cannot be identified as H. assimilis Breuning, 1940 because the prothorax has six longitudinal pubescent bands (seven if considered the very narrow central pubescent band on the pronotum) (four in H. assimilis – five if considered the slightly distinct central pubescent band on the pronotum of some specimens), then following toward the alternative of couplet"12″, with H. truncatella Bates,1866 and H. densepunctata Breuning, 1940 .The feature used by Breuning (1962) to separate these two species is very subjective: Elytra densely and slightly finely punctate, leading to H. truncatella ; Elytra very densely and very finely punctate, leading to H. densepunctata . However, H. truncatella has the pronotum not transversely striate, not even slightly. Bates (1866) did not report the presence of striation in H. truncatella and Galileo & Martins (1988b) affirmed that the pronotum is not striate.Therefore, H. sexlineata sp. nov. differs from H. truncatella by the pronotum transversely striate and by the prothorax distinctly shorter than distance between humeri (about as long as the distance between humeri in H. truncatella ). The new species differs from H. densepunctata by the lower eye lobes distinctly shorter than twice genal length (according to Breuning, 1940b, more than twice genal length in H. densepunctata ), pronotum transversely striate (only punctate in H. densepunctata ), and outer angle of the elytra distinctly spiniform (not spiniform in H. densepunctata ). Hippopsis sexlineata sp. nov. also differs from H. assimilis and H. quadrivittata by the dorsal surface of elytra with six longitudinal yellow pubescent bands (four in H. assimilis and H. quadrivittata ); from H. truncatella by the antennomeres III-IV bicolorous (antennomeres III-IV unicolorous in H. truncatella ); and from H. densepunctata by the elytra distinctly bispinose (strongly oblique with only the outer angle projected in H. densepunctata ).

The key by Martins & Galileo (2006) leads H. sexlineata sp. nov. to the alternative of couplet "8″, with H. pradieri Guérin-Méneville, 1844 ( Figs. 2 C-2D) and H. macrophthalma Breuning, 1940 ( Figs. 2 A-2B). The new species differs from both especially by the truncate and bispinous elytral apex, while it has a long and single spiniform projection in H. pradieri and H. macrophthalma , similar to specimens of H. fractilinea ( Fig. 3 A-3K).