Dihammaphora meridensis, Ferreira & Cazorla & Alarcón & Mermudes, 2025

Dihammaphora meridensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 1A–E View FIGURE 1 )

Description. Holotype male. Coloration. Integument black, except maxillary palpomere IV and labial palpomere III dark brown, antennomeres X–XI reddish brown, protibiae and metatibiae brown. Head. Vertex microsculptured and alveolate; glabrous. Frons microsculptured; with dense, silver pubescence. Upper eye lobes with seven rows of ommatidia; upper eye lobes well separated, distance between them about 8x width of one upper lobe Antennal tubercle not elevated. Antennae with 11 antennomeres, extending to about middle of elytra. Scape robust, with alveoli; slightly longer than antennomere III; III–V subcylindrical with subequal length; VI–X gradually expanded apically and decreasing in length; antennomere XI elongated. Antennae with sparse, short, and decumbent silver pubescence. Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III: scape= 1.22; pedicel= 0.49; IV= 1.09; V= 1.45; VI= 1.71; VII= 1.60; VIII= 1.55; IX= 1.67; X= 1.52; XI=1.42.

Thorax. Prothorax subcylindrical. Pronotum microsculptured, alveolated, glabrous. Prosternum with long, decumbent, and dense silver pubescence. Prosternal process narrowed centrally, expanded apically; narrowest point less than half procoxal cavity; apex truncate; with short, decumbent silver pubescence.Mesoventrite, mesanepisterna, and mesepimera with dense silver pubescence. Mesoventral process wider than mesocoxal cavity. Metaventrite, metanepisterna, and metepimera with dense silver pubescence.

Elytra. Sides subparallel sided basally, slightly convergent toward posterior third, then toward apex. With dorsal costae between elytral suture and epipleura, from anterior margin to near apex, parallel and slightly convergent on posterior third toward near apex. With thick, shallow punctures irregularly arranged between suture and dorsal costae; between dorsal costae and epipleura with a single row of punctation. Apex rounded. With sparse silver pubescence, not covering surface.

Legs. Femoral peduncles distinctly sulcate; profemoral peduncle and club with subequal length; mesofemoral peduncle about 0.6x of club; metafemoral peduncle about 0.4x of club. Metafemora surpassing elytral apex at middle of club. Protibiae and profemora with subequal length; mesotibiae slightly longer than mesofemora; metatibiae shorter than metafemora. Metatarsomere I longer than II+III together. Legs with sparse silver pubescence, not obscuring surface.

Abdomen. Ventrites with dense silver pubescence. Apex of ventrite 5 rounded.

Measurements, mm. Holotype male. Total length: 9.1; prothorax length: 2.2; width prothorax: 1.6; elytral length: 6.4; humeral width: 2.0. Paratypes. Total length: 6.8–7.3; prothorax length: 1.5–1.6; width prothorax: 1.1– 1.2; elytral length: 5.0; humeral width: 1.5–1.6.

Etymology. The specific epithet “ meridensis ” is derived from the name of the state of Mérida in Venezuela, the locality where the type material was collected.

Type material. Holotype male, Venezuela, Mérida, Hacienda El alto Manzano Alto , 1600 m (Cloud Forest), 10.vii.1991, L. Stange & C. Porter leg. ( FSCA 00130022 View Materials ). Paratype male, Venezuela, Mérida, Hacienda El alto Manzano Alto , 1600 m (Cloud Forest), 08–20.vii.1991, malaise trap, L. Stange & C. Porter leg. ( FSCA 00130023 View Materials ); Paratype male, Venezuela, Edo. Mérida Parroquia Osuna Rodríguez 8°34’11”N, 71°11’52”O ± 1323 m, colecta manual, en bosque húmedo tropical, 24.i.2022, Maritza Alarcón leg. ( CLEIULA CUPAR1 ) GoogleMaps .

Remarks. Among the species of Dihammaphora with 11 antennomeres, Dihammaphora meridensis sp. nov. is similar to Dihammaphora erecta Bezark & Santos-Silva, 2023 (from Ecuador) and Dihammaphora falsa Napp & Mermudes, 2010 (from Brazil and Paraguay) by the integument entirely black. However, Dihammaphora meridensis differs from D. erecta by the elytra with sparse, short, decumbent silver pubescence, without erect setae (rather than minute or slightly longer whitish setae and long, erect, thick yellowish setae in D. erecta ) and abdominal ventrites with dense silver pubescence covering most of the integument (rather than abundant, long, erect pale-yellow setae, not covered the integument in D. erecta ) ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ). The new species also differs from D. falsa by the anterior margin of the prosternum without a small median projection (with projection in D. falsa ) and the inner side of each procoxa without a small unciform projection (with projection in D. falsa ) ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ). Dihammaphora meridensis sp. nov. is recorded only for the type-locality, in the state of Merida, Venezuelan Andes region. Dihammaphora erecta occurs only in Ecuador (Manabí) and D. falsa is recorded in Brazil (São Paulo, Paraná, and Santa Catarina), and Paraguay (Alto Parana).