Cymatodera opitzi Rifkind, 2020

Cymatodera opitzi Rifkind , new species

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( Figs. 1 View Figs , 29, 30 View Figs )

Specimens Examined. Holotype male: México, Jalisco, Careyes, Hotel Costa Careyes , July 4–7, 1991, Tropical Deciduous Forest, J. Rifkind & P. Gum, colls., at light ( CSCA) . Paratypes: 2 F ( JNRC), 2 F ( CNIN), same data as holotype ; MEXICO, JALISCO: 1 F ( CSCA), Hwy. 200, 5 km N Careyes, Estación de Biolog´ıa Chamela , July 4, 1993, at blacklight, Tropical Deciduous Forest, J. & E. Beierl; 1 F ( JNRC), Careyes, Playa Teopa , July 6, 1991, beating, Trop. Decid. Forest, J. Rifkind, P. Gum, colls .; 1 F ( WFBM), Mncpo. La Huerta, Hwy. 200 at Rio San Nicolas , July 8, 1993, beating riparian woodland, J. & E. Beierl, colls .; 1 M ( EMEC), Estación de Biolog´ıa Chamela , 9-VII-1991, Coll. J. D. McCarty, UC Berkeley, EMEC 1242485 ; 1 F ( EMEC), same data as previous except EMEC 1242488 ; 1 M ( EMEC), Estación de Biolog´ıa Chamela , 4-VII-1991, Coll. J. D. McCarty, UC Berkeley, EMEC 1242413 ; 1 ( EMEC), Estación de Biolog´ıa Chamela , 6-VII-1991, Coll. J. D. McCarty, UC Berkeley, EMEC 1242535 ; 1 F ( EMEC), Estación de Biolog´ıa Chamela , 8-VII-1991, Coll. J. D. McCarty, UC Berkeley, EMEC 1242414 ; 1 M ( WFBM), Est. de Biol. Chamela , VII-8/16-85, at light, J. Chemsak, H. Katsura, A. & E. Michelbacher, collectors, UC Berkeley EMEC 1249712 ; 1 F ( EMEC), same data as previous except EMEC 1249710 ; 1 M ( CIUM), Est. de Biol. Chamela , VII-13/22-1992, J. Chemsak coll., at lights, UC Berkeley, EMEC 1249638 ; 3 F ( EMEC), same data as previous, except EMEC 1249709 , 1249637 , and 1249639 ; 1 F ( CIUM), Est. de Biol. Chamela , VII-23/31-90, Chemsak, at lights, UC Berkeley, EMEC 1249641 ; 1 F ( WFBM), Est. de Biol. Chamela, km 59, Carr. Melaque-Pto . Vallarta, 26/27-IX-02, R. L. Westcott ; 1 M ( JNRC), Hwy. 200 at Costa Careyes , July 4, 1993, J. & E. Beierl, Tropical Deciduous Forest ; 1 F ( EMEC), Est. de Biol. Chamela , VII-19-1992, Bryan K. Eya, Leg., UC Berkeley, EMEC 1249711 ; 3 M ( CNIN), Chamela, Vic. ESTC UNAM , 9–19-VII-1993, J. Huether. GUERRERO : 1 M ( JNRC), 20 km NE Acapulco , 1000 ′, July 4, 1990, E. Barchet, coll., on vegetation at night, tropical deciduous forest ; 1 M ( JNRC), vic. Texca, 0-6 km W Hwy. 95 , 1100–2100 ′, July 5, 1990, J. Rifkind, P. Gum, colls., beating, tropical deciduous forest .

Description ( Holotype). Length: 12.0 mm. Form: Elongate; elytra subparallel. Color: Reddish testaceous; head piceous, except frontal umbo bearing a triangular rufous macula; pronotum dark reddish brown; each elytron with a faintly indicated, rather broad, oblique, pale testaceous post-median fascia; mouthparts, antennae, legs, and venter testaceous. Head: Shining, shallowly, rather finely punctate anteriorly; epicranium shallowly but distinctly transversely rugulose; surface sparsely set with fine, silvery, adpressed setae of moderate length; antenna moderately elongate, loosely composed; antennomeres as follows: 2–3 subconical; 2 approximately 2/3 the length of 3; 4 slightly longer than 3; 5–10 subequal in length; 4 and 5 conical; 6–10 subserrate; 11 elongate, 1/3 longer than 10, feebly emarginate internally on distal half, apex narrowed, rounded. Eye moderate in size, laterally protuberant. Pronotum: Elongate (ratio of length to width 3:2), subflattened on disc above; surface shining, moderately densely but inconspicuously vested with fine, short, reclinate silvery setae, intermixed with longer, more robust suberect grayish setae, these most conspicuous laterally; integument distinctly and densely transversely rugulose. Elytra: Elongate (ratio of length to combined width approximately 2:1); sides subparallel, arcuately convergent posteriorly to separately rounded, slightly dehiscent apices; dorsum broadly subflattened; integument shining, rather sparsely set with short, fine, suberect testaceous setae, and fewer, somewhat longer and more robust erect testaceous setae; punctures arranged in longitudinal rows, coarse and rather deep anteriorly but progressively smaller and more shallow posteriorly. Metaventrite: Shining, subglabrous, very sparsely setose; posteriorly with a bilateral pair of small, shallow tubercles. Abdomen: Ventrites shining, shallowly dimpled and sparsely setose, 1–4 with posterior margins membranous at middle; ventrite 5 ( Fig. 29 View Figs ) with hind margin broadly, shallowly, arcuately emarginate; ventrite 6 ( Fig. 29 View Figs ) oblong, sides subparallel and slightly arcuate; hind margin deeply, triangularly emarginate; posterior angles very slightly produced; surface shining, inconspicuously dimpled; tergite 6 ( Fig. 30 View Figs ) shining, sparsely setose, form elongate, narrower than ventrite 6 in dorsal view, sides broadly arcuate anteriorly, sinuate and slightly convergent posteriorly, posterior angles subacute, posterior margin feebly inflected at middle. Aedeagus: Parameres robust, their apices acute, upturned.

Variation. Length of available specimens ranges from 11.0 mm to 14.0 mm. Some specimens have the pronotum piceous and the elytral ground color dark reddish brown. In these individuals, the pale post-median fascia may be more distinct. The posterior margin of the last abdominal tergite in males varies in shape from subtruncate, to shallowly emarginate, to slightly more deeply, triangularly inflected. In specimens exhibiting the last condition, the posterior angles of the last tergite may be slightly more produced. In all cases, however, the posterior margin lacks crenulation and is never sinuate. The pygidium of the female appears as follows: Ventrite 5 with sides oblique, hind margin shallowly, semicircularly emarginate; ventrite 6 semicircular, posteriorly feebly depressed before margin, which is minutely inflected at middle; surface densely but shallowly punctate; tergite 6 with sides slightly oblique, hind margin broad, subtruncate, slightly surpassing ventrite 6 posteriorly.

Etymology. I take pleasure in naming this species for Weston Opitz, in recognition of his many contributions to the systematics of Cleridae worldwide.

Distribution. The new species is known from the western Mexican states of Jalisco and Guerrero.

Biology. Cymatodera opitzi has been collected at lights and beaten from vegetation in tropical deciduous forest and riparian woodland. Most specimens were collected in coastal locations at low to moderate altitudes during the summer rainy season (July).

Diagnosis. Cymatodera opitzi is similar to species belonging to the C. guatemalensis / hoegei complex. The status of Cymatodera guatemalensis Schenkling and Cymatodera hoegei Gorham is unsettled, and the former may eventually prove to be a junior synonym of the latter. For the present purpose of diagnosis, it is sufficient to note that both these nominal species possess a testaceous apical elytral macula, and often a testaceous subbasal marking as well, neither of which are present in C. opitzi . Furthermore, C. guatemalensis and C. hoegei appear to be restricted to southern Mexico ( Veracruz; Chiapas) and Central America ( Guatemala; Honduras), and have not been collected within the known distributional range of C. opitzi in coastal west-central Mexico. From Cymatodera tica Rifkind , new species, described below, C. opitzi can be separated by virtue of its shinier, apparently less setose elytra. Males, furthermore, are distinguished by differences in the surface sculpturing of abdominal ventrite 6, and by the shape of the last abdominal tergite: The latter is subtruncate or shallowly triangularly emarginate in C. opitzi , but with the posterior margin smooth, whereas in C. tica , it is shallowly triangularly emarginate, but with the margins irregularly, minutely crenulated or subsinuate. In addition, these two species appear to be allopatric, with C. tica restricted to Costa Rica and Nicaragua.