Aneflomorpha unispinosa Casey
Creators: name: Lingafelter, Steven W.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Cerambycidae
Aneflomorpha
Aneflomorpha unispinosa

description: Aneflomorpha unispinosa Casey
(Fig. 1b, 3e, 5b, 6v, 7b, v, 8t, w, 9s, 10b, v, 14)
Aneflomorpha unispinosa Casey 1912: 295.
Aneflomorpha arizonica Linsley 1936: 475. New synonym.
Diagnosis. Length 15–23 mm, pronotum averages 1.15 times longer than wide, elytra together average 3.78 times longer than wide (Fig. 1b, 3e). Integument dark testaceous to rufous. Antennae carinate (Fig. 9s). Spine of third antennomere shorter or subequal to second antennomere, projecting away from antennal plane by less than 40 degrees, acute at apex (Fig. 9s). Pronotum with dense, mostly contiguous punctures partially obscured by pubescence; usually with small, narrow, impunctate post-median callus (Fig. 6b, v). Elytral apices rounded apicolaterally (rarely dentiform) to a well-developed sutural spine (Fig. 8t, w). Elytral pubescence white, recumbent and recurved, without erect or suberect setae, except for, at most, a few along suture (Fig. 7b, v). Procoxal cavities closed or nearly closed by broadly expanded prosternal process (Fig. 10b, v). Protibia slender, gradually widening apically with the dorsal margin straight and non-carinate (as in Fig. 11h).
Discussion. On average, this is the largest species of Aneflomorpha occurring in the United States with most specimens over 16 mm and often around near 20 mm. The large size, combined with short spine of antennomere three, absence of any erect hairs on pronotum and elytra (except for just a few near suture), normally rounded outer apex of the elytron and pronounced sutural spine, and distinct antennal carinae make this rarely collected species distinct. Careful examination of the holotypes of this species and A. arizonica (Fig. 14) demonstrate that they share all the features that distinguish A. unispinosa from the other species. The only differences seen are that the procoxal cavities of the holotype of A. unispinosa are slightly open (Fig. 10v) as compared to the holotype of A. arizonica (Fig. 10b) and the length of the holotype of A. unispinosa is 16 mm, while that of A. arizonica is 20 mm. Therefore, I consider A. arizonica a new synonym of A. unispinosa.
Distribution and biology. This species is rarely collected, possibly because specimens are more restricted to higher and less accessible mountain regions of Mexico and Arizona. It was originally described from Chihuahua, Mexico (Casey 1912) and its synonym, A. arizonica, was described from the Huachuca Mountains, Arizona (Linsley 1936). Linsley et al. (1961), recorded a specimen from 9,000 feet in the Chiricahua Mountains. Vlasak and Vlasakova (2021) reared larvae from living stems of Ceanothus fendleri A. Gray in the Santa Rita Mountains. A specimen examined from Sonora, Mexico adds that as a new state to the known distribution in Mexico.
Material examined. Mexico: Chihuahua: Colonia Garcia (holotype, USNM); Sonora (new state record): 2 mi. W. Tres Rios, 13 July 1988, Steve Prchal (FWSC); USA: Arizona: Cochise Co., Huachuca Mts., Van Dyke Collection (holotype of A. arizonica, CASC); Santa Cruz Co., Upper Madera Canyon, reared 2021 from Ceanothus fendleri, J. Vlasak (SWLC).
description: Published as part of Lingafelter, Steven W., 2022, Revision of Aneflomorpha Casey and Neaneflus Linsley (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) of the United States with an illustrated key to species, pp. 1-59 in Insecta Mundi 2022 (954) on pages 45-46, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7399054