Novantinoe pubescens, Bezark & Santos-Silva & Botero, 2023

Novantinoe pubescens sp. nov.

( Fig. 32 -36 View Figures 32-39 )

ZooBank:http://zoobank.org/ E0D40BFB-E03E-46C5-81A1-9D40455AB468

Holotype, ♀, HONDURAS, Yoro: Parque Nacional Pico Pijol, Linda Vista , 1450 m, 15º09’28”N 87º37’33”W, m. v. light , 7.V.2000, Ratcliffe, Smith, Ocampo & Cave leg. ( CASC, formerly LGBC). GoogleMaps

Description of the holotype

Coloration. – Integument mostly black with bluish and violaceous reflections; ventral mouthparts dark orangish brown, except lighter apex of palpomeres, maxillary and labial palpomeres II brownish, mentum mostly dark brown, and mostly brown cardo and stipes; antennomere III dark brown basally, orangish-brown on remaining surface; antennomeres IV–X orangish brown with apex slightly darker; antennomere XI orangish brown with central area slightly darker. Trochanters, femora, tibiae, and tarsi orangish, except brown outer and inner apices of femora, base of tibiae, and most of tarsal claws.

Head. – Slightly narrowed from behind eyes to prothorax. Frons narrow, vertical; smooth, glabrous centrally, sparsely, finely punctate laterally, each puncture with a minute, decumbent whitish seta. Antennal tubercles moderately elevated, close to each other, separated by deep sulcus; apex rounded; smooth, glabrous basally, sculpturing and setae as on sides of frons toward apex.Area between antennal tubercles and upper eye lobes somewhat sparsely and coarsely punctate; with sparse, short, subdecumbent yellowish-brown setae and long, erect setae of same color interspersed. Area between upper eye lobes sparsely, both coarsely and finely punctate; with sparse, both short and long yellowish-brown setae laterally, and sparse, minute yellowish-white setae centrally. Remaining surface of vertex and area behind upper eye lobes somewhat abundantly, coarsely punctate, glabrous close to prothorax; area close to eye somewhat coarsely rugose-punctate, with sparse, both short and decumbent yellowish-white setae and long and erect yellowish-brown setae; central region of vertex, somewhat abundantly, finely punctate, with sparse, minute yellowish-white setae; sides of central area of vertex after eyes and superior central area behind upper eye lobes smooth, glabrous area behind lower eye lobes tumid close to eye; sparsely, somewhat finely punctate superiorly, longitudinally striate-punctate inferiorly; with sparse, long, erect yellowish-brown setae and a few short, decumbent yellowish-white setae on tumid area and area close to it, glabrous on remaining surface. Genae transversely depressed about middle; somewhat sparsely, finely punctate close to eye, densely, finely punctate on depressed area, smooth on apex; with yellowish-white pubescence except glabrous smooth area, pubescence denser close to eye; with a few long, erect yellowish-brown setae toward ventral surface. Gulamentum depressed, smooth, glabrous on posterior quarter; anterior region transversely sulcate, sparsely, somewhat coarsely punctate, with a few short yellowish-white setae; wide central region tumid, sparsely, somewhat coarsely punctate, with a few, both long and erectyellowish-brown setae and short and decumbent yellowish-white setae; intermaxillary process somewhat abundantly, finely punctate with coarse punctures interspersed, and moderately abundant, both long and erect yellowish-brown setae and short and decumbent yellowish-white setae. Wide central area of postclypeus abundantly, coarsely striate-punctate; with somewhat sparse, decumbent yellowish-white setae and long, erect setae of same color interspersed, except sides of area close to anteclypeus with long, erect yellowish-brown setae. Sides of postclypeus smooth, glabrous. Labrum coplanar with anteclypeus at posterior third, inclined on anterior 2/3; somewhat abundantly and coarsely punctate on posterior third and sides, smoothon remaining surface; with long, erect yellowish-brown setae, distinctly denser laterally and on anterior margin. Maxillary palpomere IV widened toward obliquely truncate apex; labial palpomere III cuneiform. Inner margin of upper eye lobes large, rounded. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.28 times distance betweenouter margins of eyes; distance between lower eye lobes ventrally 0.67 times distance between outer margins of eyes. Antennae 1.9 times elytral length, reaching elytral apex at basal third of antennomere VIII. Scape abundantly, coarsely punctate, except smooth narrow apex of dorsal surface; with yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence denser on basal third, and long, erect setae of same color interspersed, erect setae more abundant on posterior third.Antennomeres III -XI with abundant yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument; antennomeres III-V with a few long yellowish setae directed backward on apex; ventral surface of III - XI with dense, very long yellowish-brown setae.

Antennal formula based on length of antennomere III:

– Scape = 0.78. – Pedicel = 0.11. – IV = 0.98. – V = 0.96. – VI = 0.94. – VII = 0.84. – VIII = 0.77. – IX = 0.68. – X = 0.55. – XI = 0.60.

Thorax. – Prothorax wider than long (including lateral tubercles); lateral tubercles large, conical, apex directed upward, located centrally; anterior and posterior constrictions well marked. Pronotum with three large, elevated tubercles: one on each side of center, longitudinal, more elevated anteriorly and posteriorly, located from anterior constriction to near posterior constriction; another longitudinal, located centrally, almost as long as lateral tubercles; sparsely, finely punctate; not pubescent; several punctures between area near anterior margin and posterior constrictions with long, erect yellowish-brown seta. Sides of prothorax smooth, glabrous, except anterior region with shallow punctures and sparse, long, erect yellowish-brown setae. Prosternum strongly concave centrally in lateral view; posterior third smooth and glabrous, except sparse fine punctures and sparse and minute yellowish setae near procoxal cavities; central region transversely striate; anterior third sparsely somewhat finely punctate, with sparse, long, erect yellowish-brown setae. Prosternal process almost parallel-sided, with rounded apex; narrowest area 0.16 times procoxal width. Mesoventrite with very sparse pubescence centrally, almost absent close to mesoventral process, more abundant laterally close to mesocoxal cavities and mesanepisternum, except glabrous lateral apices. Mesanepisternum and mesepimeron with dense yellowish-white pubescence. Mesoventral process parallel-sided, apex strongly emarginate centrally, and surface concave; with yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument laterally, with long, erect yellowish-brown setae interspersed, almost glabrous centrally. Metanepisternum and sides of metaventrite with moderately abundant yellowish-white pubescence, pubescence sparser on remaining surface except glabrous central region; with long,erectyellowish-brown setae interspersed onpubescent region.Scutellum with sparse, minute grayish-white pubescence, denser, longer on apical margin.

Elytra. – Abundantly, coarsely punctate on anterior half, punctures not aligned on circum-scutellar region, aligned on remaining anterior half, except smooth humerus; posterior half not punctate, except for a lateral row slightly surpassing anterior half, androw close tosuture reachingposterior quarter, but punctures gradually finer; apex concave, with outer angle forming long spine and sutural angle with triangular projection; with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument ( Fig. 36 View Figures 32-39 ), except glabrous humerus; with long, erect yellowish-brown setae interspersed, setae gradually shorter dorsally from anterior third.

Legs. – Outer apex of femora rounded and inner apex triangularly projected;meso- andmetafemora with minute white pubescence on club; all femora with sparse, long, erect yellowish setae throughout, except tuft of long, erect yellowish setae on each side of dorsal surface. Protibiae with a few minute, decumbent yellowish-white setae on basal 2/3 of dorsal surface, and abundant yellow setae on remaining surface, especially on posterior quarter; with sparse, long, erect yellowish setae interspersed. Meso- and metatibiae with a few, short, decumbent yellowish-white setae on basal 2/3 of dorsal surface, almost entire sides, and basal half of ventral surface; apical third of dorsal surface with dense, short, erect yellowish-brown setae, slightly sparser on metatibiae; remaining surface of ventral surface with bristly yellowish-brown setae, dense on apical quarter; with long, erect yellowish setae interspersed. Tarsi with moderately abundant, long, decumbent yellowish setae; metatarsomere I slightly shorter than II-III together.

Abdomen. – Ventrites 1 - 4 with abundant yellowish-white pubescence laterally, sparse centrally, except glabrous apex; with sparse, long, erect setae of same color interspersed. Ventrite 5 with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, except glabrous anterocentral region; with long, erect setae of same color interspersed; apex rounded.

Dimensions (mm)

– Total length, 23.20;

– Prothoracic length, 3.45;

– Anterior prothoracic width (close to anterior constriction), 2.85; – Posterior prothoracic width, 3.05;

–Maximum prothoracic width (between apices of lateral tubercles), 4.55; – Humeral width, 4.80;

– Elytral length, 16.30.

Etymology. – The specific epithet “pubescens ” (Latin, meaning hairy) refers to the pubescence of the elytra.

Remarks. – The general appearance of Novantinoe pubescens sp. nov. resembles that of some species of Distenia (Distenia) Lepeletier & Audinet-Serville, 1828 , especially by the head not distinctly narrowed after eyes. However, the short basal area of the galea and the lateral tubercles of the prothorax large and with the apex directed upward indicate that it belongs to Novantinoe .

Among the species with the elytra densely pubescent, Novantinoe pubescens sp. nov. is more similar to:

- N. germaini (Villiers, 1959) ( Fig. 37 View Figures 32-39 ),

- N. iani Santos-Silva & Hovore, 2007 ( Fig. 38 View Figures 32-39 ),

- N. lezamai Santos-Silva & Hovore, 2007 ( Fig. 39 View Figures 32-39 ).

However, it differs from these three species by the head not distinctly narrowed after the eyes, and meso- and metafemora not spiniform on outer apex.

Additionally, it differs from:

- N. germaini by the dark scape (orangish in N. germaini );

- N. iani by the metafemora proportionally shorter and wide (longer and slender in N. iani );

- N. lezamai by the femora unicolorous (bicolorous in N. lezamai ).

Novantinoe pubescens View in CoL sp. nov. can be included in the alternative of couplet “36” from Botero & Almeida (2019) (modified):

36 (35). Apex of metafemora with different shape: with outer long spine and inner triangular projection; or outer apex rounded and inner apex triangularly projected............................................... 37 ’

–– Apex of metafemora with outer short spine or triangular lobe and inner triangular lobe, or outer and inner spine, with the inner being shorter............................................................... 38

37 ’(36). Elytra pubescent; outer apex of metafemora rounded. Honduras................... N. pubescens sp. nov.

–– Elytra not pubescent; outer apex of metafemora with long spine................................... 37

37 (37 ’). Palpomeres and legs light orange; lateral tubercles of prothorax slender and long ( Fig. 26 View Figures 24-31 ); median gibbosity of pronotum more elevated. Ecuador.................... N. rileyi Santos-Silva & Hovore, 2007

–– Palpomeres and legs dark; lateral tubercles of prothorax uniformly and gradually narrowed toward apex; median gibbosity of pronotum poorly elevated. Ecuador................ N. vivida Botero & Almeida, 2019