Cyphosterna atropurpureum ( Chemsak and Noguera, 2001 ), 2024

Cyphosterna atropurpureum ( Chemsak and Noguera, 2001) , new combination

( Fig. 489–499 View Figures 489–499 )

Neotaranomis atropurpurea Chemsak and Noguera 2001: 51 View in CoL ; Turnbow et al. 2003: 18 (dist.); Monné and Hovore 2006: 146 (cat.)

Materials examined. Holotype male from Honduras: La Paz, 21 July 1978, J. V. Mankins.

Discussion. According to Chemsak and Noguera (2001: 51), this species is “moderate sized (20.5 mm), robust and tapered posteriorly.” Integument is all “black with dull greenish purple overtones.” Pubescence is “dense, short, dark, and appressed with long, erect” setae on vertex, pronotal disc and sternum. Front is short, finely punctate “with a deep pit on each side above a narrow impunctate area” of postclypeus below the antennal insertion ( Fig. 491 View Figures 489–499 ). The mid-cranial sulcus is margined and extends from postclypeus to anterior margins of upper eye lobes. The “vertex is convex and densely, finely punctate” with a prominent median polished longitudinal carina. The “antennal tubercles are prominent” and obtuse at apices with “area behind each with a deep pit.” The “antennae are slender, elongate, extending about four antennomeres beyond elytra.” The antennomeres are carinate from base to apex of scape and on antennomeres III–XI. The proportional lengths of the antennomeres are as follows: III longer than I; IV slightly longer than III; V–X subequal to IV; XI longest, apical two-fifth appendiculate, strongly tapered and recurved on apex. The “pronotum is broader than long” with acute lateral tubercules, and the disc is carinate in middle “with five elevated calli,” anterior half with callus on each side of the carina, and posterior half with an opaque, impunctate callus in middle and obliquely elongate, coarsely punctate callus on each side near base ( Fig. 494 View Figures 489–499 ). The base of disc behind the lateral and median calli is narrow impressed ( Fig. 495 View Figures 489–499 ). The integument of the disc is finely, densely punctate between the calli and carina and densely pubescent with short, appressed setae. The prosternum is convex, coarsely, irregularly punctate, and plicate. Mesosternal process is prominently tuberculate in middle and “abruptly declivous anteriorly” ( Fig. 495 View Figures 489–499 ). Metasternum is glabrous in middle, sides finely, sparsely punctate, and moderately, densely pubescent with long, silver, suberect setae. The elytra are “about two and half times longer than wide, tapered posteriorly,” and the “apices obliquely sinuate truncate with outer angles” obtusely dentate ( Fig. 497 View Figures 489–499 ). There are “four prominent costae” on each elytron ( Fig. 498–499 View Figures 489–499 ). The submarginal costa on each elytron branches off near apex medially into a shorter lateral costa. Legs are slender, femora are “coarsely, shallowly, subconfluently punctate, and moderately densely pubescent” with appressed setae on the dorsum and long suberect setae underneath. The metafemora extend to apex of fifth abdominal sternite. The tibiae are carinate, and the “posterior pair have rows of dark, short, subdepressed setae along dorsal and ventral margins.” The pro- and mesotarsi are broad and explanate. The metatarsi are elongate with first tarsomere subequal to the following two tarsomeres combined ( Fig. 496 View Figures 489–499 ). Abdomen is nitid and very finely, sparsely punctate with long pale erect setae. The proportional length of the abdominal sternites down the middle are as follows: sternite I longer than II; III slightly shorter than II; IV shorter than III; V longer than II, shorter than I. The apex of fifth sternite is vaguely emarginate. Female is unknown in this species.

This species can be differentiated from other Cyphosterna by the black integument with metallic greenish to purplish overtone, and the elytra “with four prominent costae on each” elytron where the submarginal one branches off into a shorter lateral fourth costa near the apex. The metatarsi are shorter and more explanate than the other two species with the first tarsomere subequal in length to the following two together. Also, the last abdominal sternite of this male is not as deeply emarginate as the males of other two species. According to Chemsak and Noguera, the species name atropurpurea “refers to the color of the integument” derived from Latin “ atro ” (dark) and purpurea (purple).