Aneflomorpha gracilenta, Heffern & Santos-Silva, 2025

Aneflomorpha gracilenta sp. nov.

( Figs 30–40 View FIGURES 30–40 )

Description. Holotype female ( Figs 30–38 View FIGURES 30–40 ). Head capsule dark brown, except dark reddish-brown posterior half of ventral surface; anteclypeus dark yellowish brown with irregular dark brown maculae; labrum brown on posterior half, yellowish brown on anterior half; mentum dark brown; remaining surface of ventral mouthparts orangish brown except palpomeres brownish with orangish apex; scape dark brown; pedicel dark brown except orangish-brown apex; antennomeres III–XI brown, slightly darker before V; outer and dorsal surfaces of mandibles dark reddish brown except black inferior margin of outer surface, longitudinal band on outer margin of dorsal surface, and entire apical third. Prothorax dark brown except blackish anterior margin and area of prosternum close to procoxal cavities. Ventral surface of meso- and metathorax dark brown with irregular dark reddish-brown areas. Scutellum dark brown. Elytra brown except dark-brown sutural band and apical spines. Legs mostly brown with irregular dark-brown areas. Abdominal ventrites mostly brown.

Head. Frons somewhat rugose, abundantly, coarsely, partially confluently punctate, except frontal plate moderately abundantly and coarsely punctate centrally, mostly smooth laterally; with abundant yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence sparser centrally, except glabrous smooth areas of frontal plate. Vertex abundantly, coarsely punctate; with abundant yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument; with a few long, erect yellowish setae interspersed. Area behind upper eye lobes superiorly with sculpturing and pubescence as on vertex, except glabrous area close to eye; remaining surface somewhat finely punctate with minute yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument. Area behind lower eye lobes with abundantly yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument close to eye, glabrous on remaining surface. Genae moderately abundant and finely punctate except smooth apex; with moderately abundant yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument, except glabrous apex. Gulamentum smooth, glabrous on posterior half; anterior half coarsely, transversely rugose, with abundant yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument and long, erect setae of same color interspersed.Antennal tubercles abundantly, finely punctate, except smooth apex; apex moderately elevated, rounded; with abundant yellowish pubescence partially obscuring integument, except glabrous apex. Maxillary palpomeres IV and labial palpomeres III securiform. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.32 times distance between outer margins of eyes; in ventral view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.53 times distance between outer margins of eyes. Antennae 1.2 times elytral length, reaching about posterior ninth. Scape abundantly, coarsely punctate except smooth apex; with abundant yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument; with long, erect yellowish-white setae interspersed, setae slightly more abundant ventrally on apical third. Pedicel with abundant yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument, except glabrous apex; with long, erect yellowish setae interspersed on pubescent area. Antennomeres III–XI with abundant yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence denser from IV; III–XI with long, erect yellowish setae ventrally, setae gradually sparser toward X; dorsal apex of III–X with long, erect yellowish setae; III–XI without distinct longitudinal carina dorsally; inner apex of III with short spine ( Fig. 33 View FIGURES 30–40 ) with acute apex, as long as 0.5 times apical diameter of antennomere; inner apex of IV with short spine ( Fig. 36 View FIGURES 30–40 ) with acute apex, as long as 0.42 times apical diameter of antennomere; inner apex of V ( Fig. 37 View FIGURES 30–40 ) with spicule with acute apex, as long as 0.29 times apical diameter of antennomere; inner apex of VI ( Fig. 38 View FIGURES 30–40 ) with spicule with acute apex, as long as 0.13 times apical diameter of antennomere. Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III (excluding apical spines): scape = 0.97; pedicel = 0.23; IV = 0.85; V = 1.00; VI = 1.03; VII = 1.09; VIII = 1.06; IX = 1.09; X = 1.03; XI = 1.35.

Thorax. Prothorax distinctly longer than wide; anterior constriction narrow, well marked; subparallel-sided, slightly roundly widened centrally. Pronotum abundantly, coarsely, confluently punctate on anterior third; remaining surface abundantly, coarsely punctate, with somewhat rugose general appearance, except moderately narrow smooth central region; with longitudinal, dense yellowish-brown pubescent band centrally on posterior third, abundantly, bristly yellowish-brown pubescence close to posterior margin, and longitudinal, moderately dense dull yellowish pubescence band on sides, from posterior margin to anterior margin, pubescent band distinctly widened on posterior third and pubescence gradually sparser toward anterior margin; remaining posterior third with moderately abundant, dull yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument; remaining surface of anterior 2/3 with sparse dull yellowish pubescence, except glabrous smooth central area; with a few long, erect dull yellowish setae throughout. Sides of prothorax abundantly, coarsely, partially confluent punctate, except transversely striate anterior constriction; with moderately abundant yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument, except glabrous anterior constriction. Posterior 2/3 of prosternum with moderately sparse asperate punctures, with abundant yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence mostly absent close to procoxal cavities, and long, erect setae of same color interspersed; anterior third finely striate-punctate, with sparse yellowish pubescence, pubescence almost absent close to anterior margin, and with a few long, erect setae of same color interspersed. Sides of prosternal process convergent on anterior 2/3, widened on posterior third; with sparse yellowish pubescence on anterior third and moderately abundant yellowish-brown pubescence on apical third; narrowest area 0.23 times procoxal width. Mesoventrite with abundant yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence denser laterally. Mesanepisterna, mesepimera, and most of metanepisterna with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence partially obscuring integument. Sides of metaventrite, anterior quarter, and area close to metacoxae with dense yellowish-brown pubescence, pubescence lighter on anterior quarter; remaining surface with moderately sparse yellowish pubescence; with long, erect yellowish setae interspersed. Sides of mesoventral process slightly divergent on anterior 3/4, distinctly widened on posterior quarter; posterior margin distinctly notched centrally; with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument; narrowest area 0.48 times mesocoxal width. Scutellum with dense yellowish-brown pubescence. Elytra. Moderately sparsely, coarsely punctate on anterior quarter, punctures gradually finer, sparser toward apex on posterior 3/4; with abundant yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument; with sparse, long, erect, moderately thick setae interspersed, setae yellowish brown basally, gradually paler toward apex, and more abundant on posterior quarter; area close to epipleural margin with long, erect, slender yellowish setae; apex bispinose, outer spine longer than sutural spine. Legs. Femora and tibiae with abundant yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument and long, erect setae of same color interspersed, except ventral surface of protibiae and apical quarter of meso- and metatibiae with dense, bristly yellowish-brown pubescence; base of dorsal surface of protibiae not longitudinally carinate; sides longitudinally carinate from base to about apical quarter, carina on inner surface slightly distinct. Tarsi with moderately abundant, both short and long yellowish setae not obscuring integument, setae more yellowish-brown on protarsomeres; metatarsomere I slightly shorter than II–III together.

Abdomen. Ventrites with abundant yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument, except glabrous apex on ventrites 1–4; with long, erect yellowish setae interspersed throughout; apex of ventrite 5 subtruncate.

Male ( Figs 39–40 View FIGURES 30–40 ). Similar to females, differing: antennae slightly longer, 1.3 times elytral length, almost reaching elytral apex; and prosternum coarsely, abundantly punctate.

Variation. Antennae mostly dark orangish brown; prothorax with irregular orangish brown areas; elytra mostly orangish brown; ventral surface of prosternum mostly dark orangish brown with irregular blackish areas; ventral surface of meso- and metathorax and abdominal ventrites mostly orangish brown; legs mostly orangish brown.

Dimensions in mm (holotype female; paratype male; paratype female). Total length, 23.30/20.20/23.60; prothoracic length, 3.70/2.30/3.65; anterior prothoracic width, 2.30/2.10/2.35; posterior prothoracic width, 2.90/2.55/2.90; maximum prothoracic width, 3.15/2.90/3.10; humeral width, 4.60/3.90/4.50; elytral length, 16.30/13.80/16.40.

Type material. Holotype female from MEXICO, Jalisco: Mixtlan , 1842 m, 22.VII.2012, G. Nogueira leg. ( TAMU, formerly DHCO) . Paratypes — 1 male ( DHCO) , 1 female ( MZSP), same data as holotype .

Etymology. Latin, “gracilenta ” (slender, thin); alluding to the shape of the body.

Remarks. The key to species from North America by Linsley (1963) leads Aneflomorpha gracilenta sp. nov. to the alternative of couplet “13” with A. seminuda Casey, 1912 . The key to species from the United States of America by Lingafelter (2022) leads the new species to the alternative of couplet “15” also with A. seminuda . However, the new species has the elytra proportionally longer, about 4.5 times prothoracic length (about 4.0 times in A. seminuda ), elytra with long, thick erect setae (erect thick setae absent in A. seminuda ), elytral punctures abundant (very abundant in A. seminuda ), and elytral apex bispinose (bidentate in A. seminuda ).

The key to species from Mexico by Chemsak & Noguera (2005) separate the species into two groups from the alternative of couplet “6:” “Elytra and usually pronotum pale brownish… 7;” “Elytra and pronotum black to dark brown to dark reddish brown… 12.” As the color of elytra and prothorax are variable in A. gracilenta , we followed both alternatives. The first alternative leads the new species to the alternative of couplet “10” but the two options do not allow including the new species. Following the second alternative of “6,” the key leads A. gracilenta to the alternative of couplet “16” with A. puebla Chemsak & Noguera, 2005 . However, the new species differs by the antennae in male not surpassing the elytral apex (distinctly surpassing in A. puebla ), and the elytral apex bispinose (oblique, making the sutural angle acute in A. puebla ).

The general appearance of A. gracilenta resembles that in Aneflus poriferus Giesbert, 1993 , especially by the presence of contrasting setose punctures on elytra. Aneflus gracilenta differs by the elytral apex bispinose (sutural angle spinose and outer angle unarmed in A. poriferus ), and metaventrite without numerous small, round, glabrous spots (present in A. poriferus ). Using the key to Mexican species of Aneflus from Chemsak & Linsley (1963), the new species would be included in the alternative of couplet “9” with Aneflus protensus (LeConte, 1858) . However, the prothorax in A. protensus is about as long as wide (distinctly longer than wide in A. gracilenta ).