Sternacutoides albomaculatus, Santos-Silva & Bezark & Tavakilian & Audureau, 2025

Sternacutoides albomaculatus sp. nov.

( Figs 19–24 View FIGURES 19–24 )

Description. Male holotype ( Figs 19–23 View FIGURES 19–24 ). Head capsule dark brown, except dark reddish-brown apex of antennal tubercles, and ventral surface gradually tawny toward central region; ventral mouthparts orangish, except whitish apex of maxillary palpomeres I–III and labial palpomeres I–II; anteclypeus dark-brown close to postclypeus, yellowish brown on remaining surface; labrum yellowish brown on posterior 2/3, dark brown on anterior third; scape brown; pedicel light brown with irregular orangish area dorsally; antennomeres III–X orangish except dark-brown apex (lacking antennomere XI in left antenna and part of IX and X–XI in right antenna). Pronotum and sides of prothorax dark brown; prosternum and prosternal process dark brown except light reddish-brown central area of prosternum and central area of anterior 2/3 of prosternal process. Ventral surface of meso- and metathorax dark brown except mesoventral process reddish brown with dark-brown lateral margins and reddish-brown central area of metaventrite. Scutellum and elytra brown, elytra slightly lighter toward apex, except dark-brown centrobasal crest of elytra. Pro- and mesocoxae mostly orangish brown; metacoxae mostly dark reddish brown. Trochanters orangish except dark-brown apex. Pro- and mesofemoral peduncles light orange; metafemoral peduncles orange; profemoral club dark brown on outer surface, reddish brown on inner and ventral surfaces, and light reddish brown dorsally; meso- and metafemoral clubs light reddish brown. Tibiae brown basally, dark brown about apical third, orange on remaining surface. Tarsomeres I–II orange except brown apex, orange area slightly darker on protarsomeres I, except protarsomere II mostly brownish; remaining tarsomeres mostly dark orangish-brown, except brown apex of V. Abdominal ventrites 1–2 reddish brown, except orangish apex of central region; ventrites 3–4 reddish brown laterally, orangish brown centrally, except yellowish-brown apex of central region; ventrite 5 orange.

Head. Frons densely, minutely punctate; with abundant yellowish-white pubescence partially obscuring integument, pubescence dense on narrow area close to eyes, except glabrous median groove; with one long, erect brown seta close to eyes. Vertex with abundant pale-yellow pubescence partially obscuring integument, except area between eyes and prothorax partially with yellowish-brown pubescence, glabrous median groove and Vshaped glabrous area between antennal tubercles and upper eye lobes, forming an arrow-shaped area together with median groove. Area behind upper eye lobes with dense pale-yellow pubescence; area behind lower eye lobes with dense yellow pubescence close to eye, glabrous close to prothorax. Genae 0.5 times length of lower eye lobe; with abundant yellowish-white pubescence partially obscuring integument on some areas, pubescence yellower close to eyes and toward ventral surface, except glabrous apex; with a few moderately long, erect brown setae interspersed. Wide central area of postclypeus with abundant, bristly yellowish-white pubescence partially obscuring integument close to frons, sparse close to anteclypeus. Labrum with a suboval hole at center of posterior half (ill-formed); with sparse yellowish-white pubescence posteriorly, glabrous anteriorly, except short yellowish setae laterally; with long, erect dark-brown setae interspersed on posterior half. Antennal tubercles with both yellowish-white and pale-yellow pubescence partially obscuring integument on some areas. Gulamentum smooth, glabrous, except intermaxillary process with sparse yellowish pubescence. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.17 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, from base of scape to apex of antennomere X, 3.1 times elytral length, reaching elytral apex at apical fifth of antennomere V. Scape with abundant yellowish-white pubescence partially obscuring integument, except yellowish-brown pubescence on apical ninth of dorsal and lateral surfaces; erect ventral setae black. Pedicel with abundant whitish pubescence partially obscuring integument on some areas, sparser and more yellowish on others; erect ventral setae black. Antennomeres III–X with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument on light integumental area and abundant dark-brown pubescence not obscuring integument on dark integumental area; erect ventral setae on III–VII black; antennomeres VIII–X with short, erect whitish setae interspersed. Antennal formula based on length of antennomere III: scape = 0.96; pedicel = 0.13; IV = 0.91; V = 0.87; VI = 0.83; VII = 0.83; VIII = 0.93; IX = 1.00; X = 1.00.

Thorax. Pronotum with large, slightly elevated gibbosity on each side of anterior half; central area with dense white pubescence not obscuring punctures, this area strongly projected sideward on middle and close to posterior margin, except slightly sparse yellowish-white pubescence close to anterior margin, this area projected sideward and backward; with large, oblique, subelliptical dark-brown pubescent macula on each side of central region on anterior half; transverse, triangular brown macula on each side of central region of posterior half, with narrow transverse brown pubescent band projected toward lateral tubercle of prothorax; remaining surface with abundant pubescence partially obscuring integument, pubescence light yellowish-brown anteriorly, gradually yellowish white toward posterior margin, except glabrous anterior and posterior sulcus and transverse, irregular white pubescent band on each side about middle. Sides of prothorax sparsely, coarsely punctate, punctures slightly more abundant near posterior margin; with abundant yellowish-white pubescence partially obscuring integument, pubescence more pale yellow depending on light intensity, except yellowish-brown pubescence close to posterior margin and glabrous anterior sulcus. Prosternum with abundant pale-yellow pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence more yellowish white toward central region, except glabrous anterior sulcus. Prosternal process with abundant yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument on anterior 2/3, except sparse yellowish-white pubescence close to lateral margins, and moderately abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument on posterior third; narrowest area 0.37 times procoxal width. Sides of ventral surface of meso- and metathorax with dense pale-yellow pubescence, pubescence more yellowish-brown on some areas, and sparse yellowish pubescence centrally. Scutellum with sparse yellowish-brown pubescence anteriorly, pubescence gradually denser and pale yellow toward apex. Elytra. Abundantly, coarsely punctate on anterior quarter, punctures gradually sparser, finer toward middle, and very sparse and fine on posterior half; centrobasal crest with dense, partially bristly black pubescence; anterior quarter with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument between scutellum, suture, and centro-basal crest, abundant, slightly yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument on center of dorsal surface, and abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument on remaining surface, except white pubescent macula on center of posterior region of dorsal surface, whitish pubescence close to outer margin of centrobasal crest, brown pubescent spots between suture and centrobasal crest, and brownish pubescence on sides of base; with sinuous, wide, transverse dark yellowish-brown pubescent band from centrobasal crest to epipleural margin; with zig-zag, wide, transverse brown pubescent band from middle to posterior third, not reaching suture; with abundant yellowish-white pubescence partially obscuring integument close to suture, from anterior quarter to posterior third, then widened and covering entire posterior third, except brown pubescent spots interspersed; remaining central area with dense white pubescence with brown pubescent spots interspersed. Legs. Femora with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence more yellowish on some areas depending on light intensity and source. Protibiae arched on anterior third; with teeth on inferior margins, especially on outer margin; with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument, except apical third of dorsal and outer surface with moderately sparse brown pubescence, and ventral surface and apical third of inner surface with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence, this pubescence distinctly denser and bristly toward apex of ventral surface. Mesotibiae with small teeth on inferior margin of inner surface; with brownish pubescence basally, moderately abundant dark-brown pubescence about apical third of dorsal and lateral surfaces, abundant, bristly yellowish-brown pubescence on ventral surface about apical third, abundant, short, thick, erect dark-brown setae dorsally about apical third, setae denser on dorsal sulcus, and abundant white pubescence on remaining surface. Metatibiae with brownish pubescence not obscuring integument basally, moderately sparse brownish pubescence about apical third of dorsal and lateral surfaces, abundant, bristly yellowish-brown pubescence about apical third of ventral surface, and dense white pubescence on remaining surface; with short, erect, thick blackish setae interspersed dorsally. Dorsal surface of tarsomeres mostly with whitish pubescence not obscuring integument.

Abdomen. Ventrites with abundant yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument laterally, pubescence sparser centrally, absent on central apex of ventrites 1–4; sides of apical region of ventrite 5 with a few long, erect dark-brown setae. Apex of ventrite 5 distinctly concave.

Female ( Fig. 24 View FIGURES 19–24 ). Similar to males, differing especially by the slender and shorter femora.

Dimensions (mm). Total length, 7.75; prothoracic length, 1.50; anterior prothoracic width, 1.65; posterior prothoracic width, 2.10; maximum prothoracic width, 2.60; humeral width, 2.95; elytral length, 5.45. Only the holotype was measured.

Type material. Male holotype from FRENCH GUIANA: Amazone Nature Lodge, 04°336’N 52°124’W, 980 ft., Montague de Kaw , MV/UV light, 19–31.VIII.2019, J. Wappes & R. Morris leg. ( FSCA) . Paratypes — FRENCH GUIANA: 3 males, Haute Mana, Saint Leon , light trap, 11.IV.2002, Jean-Aimé Cerda leg. ( OMCP) ; Kaw rd. Camp Patawa, pk 36, light trap, 20.I.2012, Alain & Sylvaine Audureau leg. ( AACP) ; Kaw rd., Camp Caïman , pk 27, light trap, VIII.2023, Anel Sugrim leg. ( AACP) .

Note: There were also other specimens that had been sent for identification to the late Miguel A. Monné. These specimens were destroyed during the fire that devastated the “Palácio de São Cristóvão ” ( MNRJ) . The data of these specimens were: Piste de Kaw, pk 12, light trapping, 1 male, 27.IX.1997, Jean-Philippe Champenois leg. ( MNHN) ; Piste de Kaw , pk 45, light trapping, 1 female, 17.XII.1991, Michael Hudson leg. ( MNHN) ; Piste Coralie , pk 5, on cut trunk during the night, 1 male, 24.X.1987, Yves Latour leg. ( MNHN) ; light trapping, 1 male, 19.II.1988, Henri Cevaer leg. ( MNHN) . These specimens are not part of the type series .

Etymology. The species name “ albomaculatus ” refers to the large white elytral markings.

Remark. Although currently it is known only from French Guiana, it probably also occurs in other areas of the Amazon region.