Colobothea brevicornis, Vlasak & Santos-Silva, 2025

Colobothea brevicornis sp. nov.

( Figs 81–84 View FIGURES 81–84 )

Description. Female holotype. Integument mostly dark brown, blackish on some areas; ventral mouthparts light brown with irregular dark-brown areas, except palpomeres blackish with orangish-brown or yellowish-brown apex; anteclypeus dark yellowish brown with irregular brown areas; labrum dark yellowish brown on anterior half; basal third of antennomeres III–IV brown; antennomeres VI, VIII, X–XI with wide dark reddish-brown ring on basal third. Prosternum, prosternal process, and mesoventral process mostly reddish brown. Apex of abdominal ventrites 1–3 reddish brown; apex of ventrite 4 yellowish brown.

Head. Frons densely, finely punctate; with dense yellowish-brown pubescence with pinkish tint, except irregular, longitudinal brown pubescent band on each side of median groove, reaching base of beginning of dorsal surface of antennal tubercles, and glabrous median groove; with a few long, erect dark-brown setae close to eyes. Remaining surface of antennal tubercles with abundant light yellowish-brown pubescence with pinkish tint not obscuring integument, except dense pale-yellow pubescence on apex. Area between antennal tubercles with yellowish pubescence, except glabrous median groove. Remaining surface of vertex with dense yellow pubescent band on each side of glabrous median groove, diverging after eyes and becoming paler close to prothorax, glabrous area distinctly wider away from eyes; with long, erect dark-brown setae close to eyes. Area behind upper eye lobes with moderately abundant dark yellowish-brown pubescence close to eye, glabrous close to prothorax, and abundant yellowish pubescence between these two areas. Area behind lower eye lobes with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence with pinkish tint, except narrow glabrous area close to prothorax and irregular macula with sparse pubescence about middle of abundant pubescent area. Genae about as long as lower eye lobe in frontal view; with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence with pinkish tint, slightly sparser laterally, except glabrous apex and sparse dark pinkish yellowish-brown pubescence close to frons; with a few long, erect dark-brown setae interspersed. Wide central area of postclypeus with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence with pinkish tint close to frons, sparser, longer, directed forward close to anteclypeus; with long, erect dark-brown and yellowish-brown setae interspersed, some setae dark brown basally, paler on remaining surface. Labrum with abundant yellowish-white pubescence on posterior 2/3, longer and more yellowish brown close to glabrous anterior third; anterior margin with fringe of yellowish-brown setae; with long, erect dark-brown setae about middle. Gulamentum smooth, glabrous, except abundant yellowish-brown pubescence with pinkish tint close to intermaxillary process. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.12 times distance between outer margins of eyes; in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.52 times distance between outer margins of eyes. Antennae 1.3 times elytral length, almost reaching elytral apex. Scape with abundant dull yellowish-brown pubescence with pinkish tint dorsally and laterally on basal 2/3, with irregular areas with brownish pubescence interspersed, abundant yellowish-brown pubescence with pinkish tint on outer region of dorsal surface and superior region of outer surface, and moderately abundant brown pubescence on remaining surface; ventral surface with abundant yellowish-white pubescence on basal 2/3 and brown pubescence on apical third; with sparse, moderately long, erect yellowish setae interspersed ventrally. Pedicel with abundant yellowish-white pubescence basally and abundant yellowish-brown pubescence with pinkish tint on remaining surface; with long, erect, thick dark-brown setae ventrally. Basal half of antennomere III with dense pinkish-yellow pubescence and apical half with abundant brown pubescence, with short, decumbent yellowish setae interspersed, except apex with dense yellowish-brown pubescence; with long, erect, thick dark-brown setae ventrally, more abundant on apex. Basal third of antennomere IV with dense whitish pubescence and apical 2/3 with abundant brown pubescence, with short, decumbent whitish setae interspersed, except apex with yellowish-brown pubescence; with long, erect, thick dark-brown setae on ventral apex. Antennomere V with abundant whitish pubescence on basal quarter, pubescence absent on base, and abundant brown pubescence on remaining surface, with sparse, short, decumbent whitish setae interspersed. Antennomeres VI, VIII, and X with abundant whitish pubescence on basal third, pubescence absent on base, and abundant brown pubescence on remaining surface, with sparse, short, decumbent whitish setae interspersed. Antennomeres VII, IX, and XI with moderately abundant whitish pubescence on basal third (pubescent band narrower than on VI, VIII, and X), pubescence absent on base, and abundant brown pubescence on remaining surface, with sparse, short, decumbent whitish setae interspersed. Antennal formula based on length of antennomere III: scape = 1.60; pedicel = 0.15; IV = 0.74; V = 0.61; VI = 0.52; VII = 0.46; VIII = 0.40; IX = 0.33; X = 0.31; XI = 0.34.

Thorax. Prothorax wider than long; anterior constriction very narrow; sides slightly rounded, divergent from anterior constriction to posterior fifth, then subparallel-sided toward posterolateral angles. Pronotum with posterolateral angles slightly rounded; with transverse row of coarse punctures near posterior margin; remaining surface with a few punctures on posterior third, bearing long, erect dark-brown setae. Pronotum with six blackish pubescent maculae on each side, one longitudinal, narrow laterally on anterior half; one rectangular on anterior third, located close to middle; one subtriangular on anterior third, located between the two previous maculae; one subtriangular just after middle, located close to middle; one on area of posterolateral angle; and another oblique close to posterior margin, between posterolateral angle and middle. Sides of pronotum with longitudinal, dense pubescent band, from near anterior constriction to posterior quarter, pubescence yellow on anterior 2/3 of band, paler depending on light intensity, and yellowish white on posterior third; remaining surface with complex pubescent pattern composed of white, pale-yellow, light-brown, yellowish-white, and yellowish-brown pubescence with pinkish tint. Sides of prothorax with dense yellow pubescence close to pronotum and mostly dull yellowish-brown pubescence with pinkish tint on remaining surface, pubescence sparser anterocentrally and slightly darker close to yellow pubescent area. Prosternum with abundant light yellowish-brown pubescence, slightly yellower laterally. Prosternal process with abundant light yellowish-brown pubescence on anterior 3/4 and abundant yellowish-white pubescence on posterior quarter; sides concave; narrowest area 0.54 times procoxal width. Mesoventrite with moderately abundant yellowish-white pubescence anterocentrally, dense light yellowish-brown pubescence laterally, except yellowish-white pubescence close to lateroanterior angles, mostly glabrous on remaining surface. Mesanepisterna and mesepimera with dense light yellowish-brown pubescence, sparser on some irregular areas. Mesoventral process with abundant pinkish-yellowish-white pubescence laterally on anterior half and abundant pale-yellow pubescence on remaining surface, pubescence longer on posterior half; sides convergent from base to near apex, then distinctly widened; narrowest area 1.2 times mesocoxal width; apex 1.4 times mesocoxal width. Metanepisterna with dense yellowish-brown pubescence on anterior 2/3 and apex, except yellowish pubescence on anterior 2/3 close to metaventrite, and moderately sparse yellowish pubescence on remaining posterior third. Metaventrite with dense yellowish-brown pubescence antero- and posterolaterally, light yellowish-brown pubescence with irregular subglabrous areas interspersed on remaining lateral region, abundant yellowish-white pubescence with pinkish tint not obscuring integument on wide central area, except glabrous metathoracic discrimen, and dense pale-yellow pubescence between sides and central area. Scutellum with abundant light pale-yellow pubescence anterocentrally and on entire posterior quarter, brownish pubescence centrally, and dense black pubescence on remaining surface.

Elytra. Sides slightly convergent on anterior 3/4, then distinctly convergent on posterior quarter; apex truncate, slightly sinuous, outer angle with short triangular projection, sutural angle rounded; abundantly, coarsely punctate on anterior third, punctures finer, sparser on remaining surface; humeral carina distinct from base to about posterior fifth; humerus rounded; pubescence mostly grayish white and light brown, with dark-brown pubescent maculae and spots on anterior third, with moderately abundant small tufts of bristly yellow pubescence with slightly pinkish tint, forming short longitudinal bands on some areas, except large, oblique band with brown and dark-brown pubescence on anterior half, from middle of dorsal surface to epipleural margin, transverse, wide, brown pubescent macula, with longitudinal black pubescent bands interspersed just after middle, from middle of dorsal surface to middle of epipleura, transverse brown pubescent macula on posterior fifth, with irregular blackish areas interspersed on its posterior region, from near suture to epipleural margin, transverse black pubescent band dorsally close to anterior margin of former macula, dense L-shaped pale-yellow pubescent macula on apex, from middle of dorsal surface to epipleural margin, and dashed white pubescent band on epipleural margin; with moderately abundant, long, erect dark-brown setae interspersed throughout. Legs. Coxae with abundant, both yellowish-brown and yellowish-white pubescence with pinkish tint. Trochanters with dense yellowish-white pubescence with pinkish tint. Femora with abundant yellowish-white pubescence with pinkish tint on femoral peduncle, pubescence slightly yellower depending on light intensity; profemoral club with transverse brownish pubescent band on posterior half of dorsal and inner surface, abundant yellowish-brown pubescence with pinkish tint on basal half, and abundant yellowish pubescence on remaining apical half; meso- and metafemoral clubs with brownish pubescent arc on posterior half of dorsal and lateral surfaces and large brownish pubescent band on base of dorsal and inner surface, this pubescent area covering entire basal half of outer surface of metafemoral club, abundant yellowish-brown pubescence with pinkish tint on remaining basal half, with small, glabrous spots interspersed, and abundant yellowish pubescence on remaining apical half. Tibiae with dense yellowish pubescence with slight pinkish tint basally, about middle, and entire basal 2/3 of ventral surface; remaining dorsal and lateral surfaces with abundant brown pubescence not obscuring integument, except dense, bristly yellowish-brown pubescence on dorsal sulcus of mesotibiae; apical third of ventral surface with abundant, bristly yellowish-brown pubescence; with long, erect yellowish-brown setae interspersed. Dorsal surface of tarsomeres I with abundant yellowish-white pubescence with pinkish tint; tarsomeres II–IV mostly with somewhat abundant yellowish-white pubescence with pinkish tint; basal 2/3 of V with abundant yellowish pubescence with pinkish tint not obscuring integument and apical third with sparse brown pubescence; sides of tarsomeres I–III and V with long, erect dark-brown setae, setae longer on V; metatarsomere I about as long as II–III together.

Abdomen. Sides of ventrite I with large black pubescent macula not reaching posterior margin, macula distinctly narrowed on its inner half; apical third of sides with dense yellow pubescence, area close to inner half of black band with dense yellow pubescence not reaching apex; remaining surface with abundant yellowish pubescence with pinkish tint not obscuring integument. Ventrite 2 with dense yellow pubescence laterally, except narrow black pubescent macula on basal half close to margin, dense yellow pubescent macula on superior 2/3 close to wide central area, black pubescent macula on superior 2/3 between the two previous yellow pubescent areas, somewhat abundant yellowish-white pubescence with slight pinkish tint not obscuring integument on remaining lateral area, and abundant brownish pubescence not obscuring integument, with irregular yellow and pinkish-yellow pubescence interspersed on posterior half, except glabrous apex. Ventrites 3–4 with dense yellow pubescence laterally, with irregular brown pubescent maculae interspersed, except dark-brown pubescent macula on superior half close to margin; central area with somewhat abundant brownish pubescence not obscuring integument, with decumbent yellowish setae interspersed on posterior half, except glabrous apex. Ventrite 5 with large, subtriangular yellow pubescent maculae on each side of basal third, yellowish-white pubescence anterocentrally, black pubescent macula on each side of basal half, abundant brownish pubescence centrally on remaining central region, and somewhat abundant yellowish-white pubescence on remaining surface; apical third with long, erect dark-brown setae; apex concave.

Dimensions (mm). Total length, 12.35; prothoracic length, 2.00; anterior prothoracic width, 2.40; posterior and maximum prothoracic width, 3.05; humeral width, 4.40; elytral length, 8.20.

Type specimen. Female holotype from ECUADOR, Loja: Vicinity of Macará , 700 m, at UV light, 20–24 Feb 2024, J. Vlasak leg. ( MZSP, formerly JVCO) .

Etymology. The name “ brevicornis ” (from Latin “ brevis ” short and “ cornu ” horn) refers to the relatively short antennae among the species of the genus Colobothea .

Remarks. Colobothea brevicornis sp. nov. is similar to C. fibrosa Erichson, 1847 (see photographs on Bezark 2025), but differs as follows: humerus not projected; humeral carina not strongly marked on anterior quarter; and outer apical angle of elytra not spiniform. In C. fibrosa , the humerus is projected, the humeral carina is strongly marked on the anterior quarter, and the outer apical angle of the elytra is spiniform. It differs from C. humerosa Bates, 1865 and C. scolopacea Erichson, 1847 (see photographs on Bezark 2025) especially by the different pronotal pubescent pattern and outer angle of the elytra not spiniform (spiniform in C. humerosa and C. scolopacea ).

DESMIPHORINI Thomson, 1860