Cymatodera hommertorum Rifkind, 2020

Cymatodera hommertorum Rifkind , new species

zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:

( Figs. 5 View Figs , 37, 38 View Figs )

Specimens Examined. Holotype male: Mexico, Colima, San Antonio (N of Comala), 3700 ′, July 21, 1995, beating Acacia, J. Rifkind, A. Reifschneider , colls. ( CNIN) . Paratypes: 1 M ( JNRC), Mexico, Colima, vic. El Terrero E. road , 2–6,000 ′, 3–5-X-1992, J. Huether.

Description ( Holotype). Length: 14.75 mm. Color: Brown to reddish brown; mouthparts and antennae a little lighter; elytra with a pair of narrow, irregularly angular (zigzag-shaped) fascia: One at anterior 1/5, very faint and incomplete, anteriorly extended in a streak laterally below umbones, the other at elytral median, somewhat more distinct, not attaining elytral suture. Head: Surface rather closely, finely but shallowly punctulate, and shallowly transversely rugulose, inconspicuously set with fine, very short, reclinate pale setae, intermingled with fewer, longer, more robust, erect pale setae; eye moderate in size; antenna elongate; antennomeres subconical to subserrate: Antennomere 2 about 3/4 the length of antennomere 3; antennomere 11 a little longer than antennomere 10, rounded at apex. Pronotum: Elongate, about 2× as long as wide; disc subflattened above; surface shining, shallowly transversely rugulose, inconspicuously micropunctate, rather sparsely set with short, fine, suberect pale setae, interspersed with erect, more elongate and more robust, testaceous setae. Elytra: Elongate (together more than 2× as long as broad), disc shallowly tumid subbasally, each side with an obscure, shallow carina extending to median; umbones elongate, prominent; sides subparallel, gradually, arcuately convergent from posterior 1/5 to dehiscent apices; surface shining, strial punctures moderately coarse, moderately deep, obsolete on disc posterior to median; vestiture rather sparse, composed mostly of short, suberect, pale testaceous setae, intermixed with fewer longer, more robust erect setae. Metaventrite: Shining, minutely shallowly punctulate; carinae absent; tubercles prominent, broadly set on either side of midline posteriorly; surface finely, sparsely, inconspicuously setose. Abdomen: Ventrites 1–5 with a shallow, obovate depression on each side; surface shining, finely, sparsely punctulate, very sparsely setose; ventrite 5 ( Fig. 37 View Figs ) with sides oblique, posterior margin rather deeply, semicircularly emarginate; ventrite 6 ( Fig. 37 View Figs ) oblong, sides subparallel, slightly convergent posteriorly, ventrolateral margins carinate, extending to and confluent with posterior angles; posterior angles abruptly turned inward, produced at a slightly oblique angle towards middle, obtuse at apices; posterior margin in the form of a broad and deep trapezoidal notch, densely set on its interior sides with elongate setae directed towards middle; tergite 6 ( Fig. 38 View Figs ) narrower and longer than ventrite 6, sides broadly arcuate, subsinuate and slightly convergent posteriorly, hind margin rather narrowly, deeply notched at middle, the two projections thus formed very broadly rounded posteriorly; surface rather conspicuously clothed with long, pale setae. Aedeagus: Apex of phallus abruptly downturned.

Variation. The paratype specimen, also a male, is the same length as the holotype. Its elytral fasciae are somewhat broader.

Etymology. I take pleasure in naming this species for Hieu Minh Dam and Jens Hommert, friends and patrons. The specific epithet is a genitive plural noun.

Distribution. The new species is known from the Mexican state of Colima.

Biology. One specimen was beaten from an Acacia Mill. species. The habitat at the type locality is tropical deciduous forest.

Diagnosis. The new species can be distinguished from congeners on the basis of a unique combination of surface sculpturing, elytral pattern, and the shape of the male pygidium. Affinities are unclear. In dorsal aspect the new species recalls Cymatodera marmorata (Klug) , a broadly distributed Mexican species, but the elytral patterning of the latter differs, as does the shape of its sixth abdominal ventrite, which has the posterior projections more or less rectilinear apically, rather than turned inward at right angles.