Trichoderes cristiani, Heffern & Santos-Silva & Berghe, 2025

Trichoderes cristiani sp. nov.

( Figs 1–8 View FIGURES 1–4 View FIGURES 5–12 )

Description. Male holotype ( Figs 1–4 View FIGURES 1–4 , 7 View FIGURES 5–12 ). Head capsule dark brown; ventral mouthparts both dark brown and brownish, except palpomeres light reddish brown; clypeus, labrum, mandibles, and scape dark brown; pedicel dark brown basally, gradually lighter toward apex; flagellomeres light brown, slightly dark on apex of III–IX. Thorax brown, more dark brown on some areas, especially close to coxae, part of metanepisterna, and central area of metaventrite. Scutellum brown, slightly darker on lateral margins. Elytra light brown on triangular area on basal third of dorsal surface, fulvous, gradually more pale yellow toward apex, except brown basal quarter of epipleuron, brownish epipleural margins, and sutural margin, sutural region darker anteriorly. Legs brown, more dark reddish brown depending on light intensity, except reddish basal 3/4 of tarsomeres V. Abdominal ventrites orangish brown, slightly darker on some areas.

Head. Frons abundantly, coarsely punctate, punctures confluent on some areas; with moderately abundant, long, erect straw-colored setae. Antennal tubercles abundantly, coarsely punctate, except smooth area close to antennal fossa; with abundant, long, erect straw-colored setae, distinctly denser centrally, absent close to antennal fossa. Vertex abundantly, coarsely punctate; with abundant, long, erect straw-colored setae, slightly denser close to eyes. Area behind upper eye lobes with sculpturing and setae as on vertex. Area behind lower eye lobes coarsely, confluently punctate close to eye, subsmooth close to prothorax; with abundant, erect straw-colored setae on punctate area, denser toward ventral surface, glabrous close to prothorax. Genae somewhat abundantly and coarsely punctate, except smooth apex; with moderately long, decumbent straw-colored setae on punctate area, glabrous on smooth area. Postclypeus separated from frons and its sides by slightly elevated carina, less distinctly centrally; wide central area abundantly, coarsely punctate; with moderately abundant, long, erect setae, setae yellowish brown basally, straw-colored on remaining surface. Sides of postclypeus smooth, glabrous. Labrum with somewhat long, bristly yellowish-brown setae, slightly sparser posteriorly, dense anteriorly. Apex of maxillary palpomere IV and labial palpomere III distinctly wider than length of segment. Gulamentum transversely striate on posterior half; with long, erect setae, sparse, straw-colored laterally, denser, both straw-colored and yellowish brown centrally; anterior half abundant, coarsely, shallowly punctate; with a few long, erect straw-colored setae. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.13 times distance between outer margins of eyes; in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.45 times distance between outer margins of eyes. Antennae 1.15 times elytral length, reaching posterior eighth of elytra. Scape abundantly, somewhat finely punctate; with moderately sparse yellowish-white pubescence and abundant pale-yellow pubescence on basal half of outer margin and base of ventral surface. Antennomere III with moderately abundant, both yellowish and light-yellow pubescence not obscuring integument, light-yellow pubescence denser ventrally and on outer surface. Antennomeres IV–X with moderately abundant light-yellow pubescence not obscuring integument, except glabrous apical region of ventral surface of VI, and glabrous ventral surface of VII–X. Antennomere XI with a few short, decumbent light-yellow setae on basal region of dorsal surface, glabrous on remaining surface. Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III: scape = 0.54; pedicel = 0.11; IV = 0.71; V = 0.61; VI = 0.56; VII = 0.51; VIII = 0.45; IX = 0.42; X = 0.40; XI = 0.57.

Thorax. Prothorax wider than long; sides with two long spiniform projections, one on anterior third, another about middle, and a short triangular projection between them, closer to posterior one. Pronotum abundantly, coarsely punctate; with abundant, long, bristly straw-colored setae not obscuring integument. Sides of prothorax with sculpturing and setae as on pronotum, except ventral surface of lateral tubercles of prothorax mostly smooth and glabrous. Prosternum abundantly, finely punctate, punctures denser centrally; with abundant, long, bristly straw-colored pubescence, sparser and slightly yellower centrally. Prosternal process somewhat abundantly, finely punctate; with somewhat abundant, long, bristly straw-colored setae not obscuring integument, sparser centrally on anterior 2/3, whiter, denser on apical third. Ventral surface of meso- and metathorax with abundant, bristly straw-colored pubescence, denser on some areas, except glabrous area close to slightly distinct metathoracic discrimen. Scutellum with somewhat abundant, long, bristly straw-colored setae laterally, glabrous centrally.

Elytra. Subparallel-sided from humerus to about posterior sixth, then rounded narrowing toward sutural angle, which has distinct spine; abundantly somewhat finely punctate on anterior third, abundantly, finely punctate on remaining surface; with three longitudinal carina dorsally, slightly distinct on anterior quarter, two innermost closer between them, depressed between carinae; with somewhat abundant, long, bristly straw-colored setae on anterior third, and moderately abundant yellowish-white pubescence on remaining surface, and long, erect yellowish-white setae interspersed, especially on basal half. Legs. Coxae and femora with abundant, long, erect straw-colored setae, setae sparse ventrally on basal quarter; trochanters mostly glabrous, except abundant, long, erect straw-colored setae ventrally. Tibiae with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument, dorsally and laterally, except sparser pubescence on basal third, and dense, bristly yellowish-brown pubescence ventrally on posterior 2/3 of ventral surface. Dorsal surface of tarsi with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument; metatarsomere I slightly longer than II–III together.

Abdomen. Ventrites 1–4 with abundant, decumbent yellowish-white setae not obscuring integument, sparser centrally, absent on central apex. Ventrite 5 with abundant, decumbent yellowish-white setae not obscuring integument; apex concave.

Female ( Figs 5–6, 8 View FIGURES 5–12 ). Similar to male, differing especially by apex of the maxillary palpomeres IV and labial palpomere III narrower than length of segment, antennae shorter, almost reaching posterior quarter of elytra, and elytra practically glabrous. Ventrite 5 with apex sinuously rounded.

Chromatic variation. Antennae mostly dark brown; pronotum dark brown; ventral surface of meso- and metathorax with large dark-brown areas; light-brown anterior area on elytra wider and/or irregular; posterior region of elytra more yellowish-brown; legs entirely or partially dark brown. Long setae from straw-colored to yellowish-brown.

Dimensions in mm (Male holotype /male paratypes /female paratype). Total length, 32.30/30.30–31.40/46.50; prothoracic length,3.45/3.35–3.40/5.10;anterior prothoracic width, 4.30/4.10–4.50/6.00; posterior prothoracic width, 4.50/4.10–4.65/6.50; maximum prothoracic width, 8.40/7.55–8.50/12.40; humeral width, 8.60/7.70–8.00/13.0; elytral length, 24.10/22.30–23.20/35.60. Only two male paratypes and one female paratype were measured.

Type material. Male holotype from HONDURAS, Francisco Morazán: Reserva Biológica Uyuca, along summit trail by abandoned house, 1870 m, 14°01 ’ 07 ” N 87°04 ’ 01 ” W, IV.7.2022, E. van den Berghe leg. ( TAMU, formerly DHCO). Paratypes (total = 33) as follows: HONDURAS, Francisco Morazán: Res. Biol. Uyuca , 1700 m, 14.03°N 87.07°W, II.27.2022, 2 males, 1 female, E. van den Berghe leg. ( MZSP) GoogleMaps ; same data, 4 males, 1 female, ( DHCO) GoogleMaps ; same data, 2 males ( EVDB) GoogleMaps ; same data, 1 male ( LGBC) GoogleMaps ; same data, 1 male ( SWLC) GoogleMaps ; same data as holotype, 1 male ( EVDB) GoogleMaps ; “ Chalet y Lagoon ”, 1650 m, 14°02 ’ 03 ” N 87°04 ’ 30 ” W, 7 males, 1 female, III.2/12.2023, E. van den Berghe & B. W. Grant leg. ( DHCO) GoogleMaps ; 2 males, 1 female ( EVDB) ; 1650 m, 14°02 ’ 04 ” N 87°04 ’ 30 ” W, 5 males, II.21/24.2025, E. van den Berghe leg. ( EVDB) GoogleMaps ; Res. Biol. Uyuca , ex. Pinus , 1 male, 2 females, VI.1/10.2018, J. Vlasak leg. ( JVCO) ; [ Escuela Agricola Panamericana Zamorano ], 14°02 ” N 87°04 ” W, I.28.2001, 1 male ( EAPZ 58.541 About EAPZ ), J. Ulloa and W. Licona leg., ( EAPZ) .

Etymology. This species is named after Cristian van den Berghe, son of Eric van den Berghe, for assisting his father in the field and for his enthusiasm in studying nature.

Remarks. Trichoderes cristiani sp. nov. is more similar to T. pini Chevrolat, 1843 but differs as pointed out in the key.

Biology: The host plant for Trichoderes cristiani sp. nov. on Cerro de Uyuca is Pinus maximinoi H. E. Moore ( Pinaceae ). There, the altitudinal range for P. maximinoi is sandwiched between the deciduous rainforest above 1830 m ( 6000 ft), with the lower bounds around 1520 m ( 5000 ft), transitioning into drier forest consisting primarily of Pinus oocarpa Schiede ex Schltdl. where Trichoderes has not been collected. The forest where P. maximinoi is found is not dominated by stands of pine, but rather pine-oak, with numerous epiphytes, especially bromeliads, even on the pines.

The striking feature, however, is the seasonality of the new species, which contrasts sharply with other prionines on Uyuca, including Derobrachus Audinet-Serville, 1832 , Mallodon Lacordaire, 1830 , Callipogon ( Callipogon) Audinet-Serville, 1832 , and Macrodontia Lacordaire, 1830 . These other prionines are active during the rainy season, running from May into October. Trichoderes cristiani sp. nov. is active from late January into April, at which time one can expect it to be attracted to lights in the right habitat, never abundant, but present. The other prionines wait for the first soaking rains, even though the forest always gets damp mist at night. Lepidoptera in the same habitat are active year-round, but collecting effort tends to focus on the wet months because that is when a majority of species are active and lower elevation sites are simply dormant. This explains the paucity of material prior to the last few seasons when monitoring was conducted systematically on dark nights in every month throughout the year.