Aneflus macraei Heffern & Santos-Silva, 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Heffern, Daniel
name: Santos-Silva, Antonio
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Cerambycidae
Aneflus
Aneflus macraei

description: Aneflus macraei sp. nov.
(Figs 41–50)
Description. Holotype male. Integument mostly dark brown; ventral mouthparts brown except yellowish-brown apex of palpomeres; anterior region of anteclypeus brownish; sides of labrum brownish; antennae dark reddish brown; elytra gradually dark reddish brown toward apex; apex of abdominal ventrites 1–4 brownish, and area close to brownish apex of ventrite 4 orangish brown. The general whitish pubescence appears to be whiter depending on light intensity.
Head. Frons somewhat rugose, moderately abundantly, finely punctate, with coarser punctures close to clypeus; with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument, except glabrous median groove; frontal plate somewhat rugose-punctate, with moderately sparse whitish pubescence. Area between antennal tubercles and posterior margin of eyes abundantly, shallowly punctate, punctures partially confluent, except deeper and coarser punctures close to eyes, and with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument, except glabrous median groove; area between posterior margin of eyes and prothorax elevated, abundantly, shallowly punctate, punctures mostly anastomosed, and with sparse whitish pubescence. Area behind upper eye lobes with sculpturing and pubescence as on posterior region of vertex, except smooth, glabrous narrow area close to eye. Area behind lower eye lobes smooth, glabrous superiorly and close to eyes, transversely rugose-punctate, with a few minutes whitish setae. Genae abundantly, finely punctate, except smooth apex; with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument, except glabrous smooth area. Gulamentum smooth, glabrous on posterior half; anterior half transversely, coarsely, striate-punctate, with whitish pubescence not obscuring integument and a few long, erect setae of same color interspersed, except smooth, glabrous anterior area of intermaxillary process. Antennal tubercles moderately elevated with apex forming an obtuse angle; abundantly, finely punctate, with coarser punctures interspersed, except smooth apex; with moderately abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument, except smooth apex. Maxillary palpomeres IV and labial palpomeres III securiform. Wide central area of postclypeus abundantly, coarsely punctate; with moderately sparse whitish pubescence; with one long, erect yellowish-white seta on each side. Sides of postclypeus smooth, glabrous. Labrum smooth, glabrous close to anteclypeus and anterior margin; central area abundantly, coarsely punctate, with yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument centrally and tuft of long, erect yellowish setae laterally; anterior margin with fringe of golden setae. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.37 times distance between outer margins of eyes; in ventral view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.59 times distance between outer margins of eyes. Antennae 1.4 times elytral length, slightly surpassing elytral apex. Scape densely, finely punctate except smooth apex of dorsal surface; with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument, except glabrous smooth area. Pedicel with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument and long, erect yellowish-white setae interspersed on posterior half. Antennomere III with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence gradually yellowish toward apex; apical quarter with long, erect yellowish setae interspersed throughout; inner apex (Fig. 46) with long spine with acute apex, about as long as apical diameter of antennomere.Antennomere IV with abundant yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument; ventral surface with long, erect yellowish setae, setae longer apically; apex of dorsal and lateral surfaces with long, erect yellowish setae interspersed; inner apex (Fig. 47) with moderately long spine with acute apex, as long as 0.67 times apical diameter of antennomere. Antennomeres V–XI with abundant yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument; outer surface distinctly flattened; with distinct longitudinal carina dorsally from VII; apex of V–X with short yellowish setae directed backward throughout; inner apex of V (Fig. 48) with moderately short spine with acute apex, as long as 0.43 times apical diameter of antennomere; inner apex of VI (Fig. 49) with short spine with acute apex, as long as 0.35 times apical diameter of antennomere; inner apex of VII (Fig. 50) with spicule with acute apex. Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III (excluding apical spines): scape = 0.91; pedicel = 0.27; IV = 0.82; V = 0.95; VI = 1.13; VII = 1.13; VIII = 1.09; IX = 1.09; X = 1.04; XI = 1.29.
Thorax. Prothorax longer than wide; anterior constriction narrow, well marked; sides slightly rounded from anterior constriction to near posterior sixth, then subparallel-sided toward posterolateral angles. Pronotum densely rugose-punctate except smooth anterior sulcus, narrow area close to posterior margin, and smooth, longitudinal central area from about middle to posterior sixth; sides with dense whitish pubescence, pubescence slightly sparser and yellowish centrally; anterior sulcus and smooth central area glabrous; remaining central region of anterior third with moderately abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument; central area of posterior third with U-shaped whitish pubescent macula, remaining surface of central area on posterior third with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument close to posterior margin; remaining surface with sparse whitish pubescence; with a few long, erect yellowish setae interspersed throughout. Sides of prothorax moderately abundantly, coarsely punctate except striate-punctate area close to anterior margin and posterior margins; with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence sparser anteriorly, especially close to prosternum, except glabrous anterior sulcus; with long, erect yellowish setae interspersed on superior region of area close to anterior margin. Prosternum transversely striate on anterior third; anterior third with sparse whitish pubescence; with a few long, erect yellowish setae throughout; coarsely rugose-punctate on posterior 2/3, with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument on posterior 2/3, pubescence denser laterally and close to procoxal cavities. Prosternal process with abundant whitish pubescence except glabrous sides of apex; distinctly narrowed centrally, with narrowest area 0.13 times procoxal width. Mesoventrite with moderately abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence denser on apex of sides, partially absent close to mesanepisterna. Mesanepisterna and mesepimera with abundant yellowish-white pubescence partially obscuring integument on some areas. Sides of mesoventral process convergent from base to posterior, then distinctly widened; apex oblique laterally and central area distinctly notched; sides with abundant whitish pubescence on anterior 3/4; remaining surface with sparse whitish pubescence; narrowest area 0.5 times mesocoxal width. Metanepisterna with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument. Metaventrite with dense whitish pubescence laterally and near metacoxal cavities, abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument on center of anterior third; remaining surface with very sparse whitish pubescence, except glabrous area close to metathoracic discrimen on posterior third; with long, suberect yellowish setae interspersed on pubescent region. Scutellum with dense pale-yellow pubescence. Elytra. Abundantly, coarsely punctate on anterior half, punctures gradually finer and sparser toward apex on posterior half; apex bispinose, outer spine longer and curved inward; with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence slightly sparser on irregular areas, except sparse white pubescence on oblique, wide band located on dorsal surface of anterior third, starting on humerus and not reaching suture; with sparse, long, erect, thick yellowish-brown setae throughout. Legs. Femora densely, shallowly, coarsely punctate except smooth apex; with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument and sparse, long, erect yellowish-brown setae interspersed. Protibiae with moderately sparse whitish pubescence on basal third of dorsal and lateral surfaces, moderately abundant yellowish-brown pubescence on remaining dorsal and outer surface, abundant, bristly yellowish-brown pubescence on remaining inner surface, and dense, bristly yellowish-brown pubescence on ventral surface; with long, erect yellowish-brown setae interspersed dorsally. Dorsal and lateral surfaces of meso- and metatibiae with moderately sparse whitish pubescence basally, pubescence gradually yellowish brown and slightly denser toward apex; ventral surface with bristly yellowish-brown pubescence, denser apically; with long, erect, thick yellowish-brown setae interspersed. Dorsal surface of tarsi with moderately abundant, both whitish and yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument and long, erect yellowish-brown setae interspersed; Metatarsomere I shorter than II–III together.
Abdomen. Ventrites with dense whitish pubescence laterally and entire anterior quarter, pubescence distinctly sparser on remaining central area, except glabrous apex of ventrites 1–4; with both short and long, suberect yellowish-brown setae throughout, except glabrous areas on ventrites 1–4, suberect setae more abundant on ventrite 5. Apex of ventrite 5 slightly concave.
Dimensions in mm. Total length, 20.60; prothoracic length, 3.60; anterior prothoracic width, 2.65; posterior prothoracic width, 3.00; maximum prothoracic width, 3.40; humeral width, 4.20; elytral length, 14.00.
Type material. Holotype male from MEXICO, Oaxaca: 16 km E Tehuantepec, 12.VII.1992, T.C. MacRae leg. (TAMU, formerly DHCO).
Etymology. This new species is dedicated to Ted MacRae, friend of the first author and collector of the holotype.
Remarks. The key by Linsley (1936) leads Aneflus macraei sp. nov. to the alternative of couplet “3” with A. prolixus and A. protensus, currently, both with subspecies: A. prolixus prolixus LeConte, 1873; A. prolixus fisheri Knull, 1934; A. prolixus insoletus Chemsak & Linsley, 1963; A. protensus protensus (LeConte, 1858); and A. protensus pallidus Tyson, 1968. Aneflus macraei differs from A. prolixus prolixus, A. p. fisheri, and A. p. insoletus especially by the inner apical spine of the antennomere III about as wide as the maximum diameter of the antennomere (distinctly shorter in these three subspecies). It differs from A. protensus protensus by the slender body (stouter in A. p. protensus), and the distance between the upper eye lobes distinctly wider than twice the maximum diameter of the scape (at most as wide as twice the maximum diameter of the scape in A. p. protensus); it differs from A. p. pallidus especially by the longer apical spine of the antennomere III (distinctly shorter than twice the maximum diameter of the scape in A. p. pallidus).
The key by Chemsak & Linsley (1963) leads Aneflus macraei to the alternative of couplet “13” with A. rugicollis Linsley, 1935. However, the new species differs from A. rugicollis by the smaller size (about 20 mm) (larger specimens, about 30 mm in A. rugicollis), and the elytral pubescence not forming patches (forming patches in A. rugicollis).
Aneflus macraei is similar to A. poriferus Giesbert, 1993, but differs as follows: apical spine of the antennomere III is about as long as the maximum diameter of the antennomere; and the outer apical angle of the elytra spiniform. In A. poriferus, the apical spine of the antennomere III is shorter than the maximum diameter of the antennomere, and the outer apical angle of the elytra is unarmed.
Aneflus macraei also resembles Aneflomorpha sinaloae (Linsley, 1935), a species that apparently would be better placed in Aneflus, but differs by the apical spine of the antennomere III shorter and straight (longer and arched in A. sinaloae), glabrous central area of the pronotum somewhat rugose (smooth in A. sinaloae), and the elytral pubescence denser (distinctly sparser in A. sinaloae).
description: Published as part of Heffern, Daniel & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2025, New species of Elaphidiini (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Cerambycinae) from Mexico and Central America, and new records in Cerambycidae and Disteniidae, pp. 231-252 in Zootaxa 5569 (2) on pages 245-248, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5569.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/14733941