Potemnemus wheatcrofti Breuning 1971
Creators: name: Wallin, Henrik
name: Kvamme, Torstein
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Cerambycidae
Potemnemus
Potemnemus wheatcrofti

description: Potemnemus wheatcrofti (Breuning, 1971: 2) nov. comb.
Figs. 34, 35, 36, 47, 67, 68, 69, 70, 79, 81.
Parapotemnemus wheatcrofti Breuning, 1971
Examined type specimens. Neotype ♂ BL = 38.0mm, BW = 10.5mm, Papua New Guinea: Sandaun & East Sepik Province, Tefalmin (Telefomin), 1969.12, leg. Wheatcroft, IRSNB; PT ♀ IRSNB, BL = 46.0mm, BW = 13.5mm, Tefalmin (Telefomin), 1969.12, leg. Wheatcroft;
Other examined specimen. 1 ♂ ZSM, BL = 37.5 mm, BW = 11.0 mm, Papua New Guinea, Sandaun & East Sepik Province, Tefalmin (Telefomin), 1970.06, unknown collector (photo examination).
Notes. The holotype of P. wheatcrofti is lost, and the male PT preserved at IRSNB is hereby designated as a neotype. Breuning (1980b) designated the specimen preserved at ZSM as a paratype nine year after the description of the species, in 1971. Thus, this specimen does not have any valid type status according to ICZN (1999).
Re-description. a large, elongated and relatively long-legged species (BL = 37.5–46.0 mm, BW = 10.5–13.5 mm) with body approximately 3.6 x longer than wide in males and 3.4 x longer than wide in females (Figs. 34, 35). Antennae: long, longer than body by about five to six antennomeres in males and by about four antennomeres in females (Figs. 34, 35). The last antennomere in males is 1.35 to 1.45 x the length of the penultimate. Antennae are cylindrical, smooth and black with fine brownish pubescence and with fringes of fine hairs beneath. Scape and the two consecutive antennomeres distinctly mottled. Scape is robust, and apical process (cicatrix) has a smooth lateral margin with dense brown pubescence. Third antennomere is almost twice as long as scape. Head: brownish, frons relatively narrow in males, wider in females. Eyes and lower eye lobes (below scape) are very large and only slightly elongated, about 2– 3 x as long as gena below. Thorax: pronotum is narrow, slightly longer than wide, surface flattened, smooth and covered with very fine brownish pubescence, except a narrow, yellowish and longitudinal line, interrupted with a glabrous small spot medially. The lateral pronotal spines are widened at base and towards the glabrous edge very fine, straight and sharp, and weakly projecting upwards (Fig. 47). Posterior base of pronotal spines with a series of very small tubercles combined with a short whitish line. Scutellum is very small, rounded with white or yellowish pubescence. Elytra: basal part of elytra about 1.5 x wider than pronotum. Elytra are brownish and often speckled with a combination of very fine brownish and whitish pubescence, medially often with a shining brownish transverse band where the integument is exposed (Figs. 34, 35). Basal part of each elytron often has a large brownish spot laterally towards epipleuron. Epipleuron is acutely folded (almost 90) and with a distinct margin between elytral surface and epipleuron, often has a series of small glabrous and rounded tubercles. Epipleuron with one or two rows of smaller tubercles, and numerous smaller granules. Anterior part of each elytron with a bulb-like raised area medially and covered with larger and numerous glabrous and completely rounded tubercles (Fig. 36). Remaining 2/3 of elytra with only smaller and scattered tubercles. Elytral apex has a small and blunt sutural spine, and projecting marginal spine. Legs: relatively long and supplied with mottled brownish and greyish pubescence. Front legs in males are moderately elongated and anterior femora are as long as, or only slightly longer, than pronotum and head combined. Tarsi are large, elongate and pubescent. Male front tarsi are without spines or projections. Claws have straight inner margin (i.e. not saw toothed). Venter: mesosternum, metasternum and abdominal ventrites mottled with a combination of brownish, yellowish and whitish pubescence. Mesosternal process is flattened at base, with a distinct knob-like extension anteriorly. Last visible abdominal segment in the females is very short with posterior margin concave. Male genitalia: aedeagus is 12.5 mm long and 1.0 mm wide, evenly curved at base, and almost straight towards apex (Figs. 67). Dorsal ridge is as wide as ventral ridge, and both ridges rounded at apex with yellowish colour (Figs. 68). The two yellowish and crescent-shaped sclerites at the proximal end of the basal phallomer are narrow and acutely folded. Internal sac contains a very thin, clearly sclerotized, long thread-like filament, 16.0 mm long. Tegmen: 9.0 mm long, base of tegmen extended and curved dorso-ventrally on middle. Parameres: 2.0 mm long, relatively long and flattened dorso-ventrally, well separated medially along inner margin and towards apex (Fig. 69). Base of inner margin has a distinct extension from each paramere, projecting forward forming a small “tooth (Fig. 69). Surface below base of parameres with a longitudinal furrow only, and thus not divided (Fig. 69). Apex evenly rounded along posterior margin with scattered fringes of relatively short, yellowish hairs, well concentrated at edge of apex. Ventral surface of parameres with scattered punctures and fine hairs concentrated at apex, but without micro-reticulation. Tergite VIII: 3.3 mm long and convex, with yellowish to brownish pigmentation, posterior margin narrowly rounded, and covered with short, fine yellowish hairs and a few brownish setae distally towards the posterior margin (Fig. 70). Surface covered with weak micro-reticulation. Female Terminalia: tignum is relatively thin (width: approx. 0.3 mm at the widest point apically) and almost straight or only slightly curved, 11.0 mm long. Tergite VIII: posterior margin (width: 3.5 mm) with relatively short fringes of yellowish hairs laterally, surface dorso-laterally with a few scattered and small punctures, and dorso-medially shining i.e. no micro-reticulation. Spermathecal capsule is well sclerotized, brownish, consisting of two different, and combined, structures: one basal spiral-like part, and a distal, elongated relatively short shaft with a rounded head (Fig. 79). The shaft and head is 2.8 mm long.
Remarks. We consider the genus Parapotemnemus Breuning, 1971, as a junior synonym of Potemnemus due to similar genitalia characters, and overlapping external characters with species of Potemnemus. Especially the smooth pronotum and the raised and bulb-like area extensively covered with rounded and glabrous tubercles anteriorly on each elytron are similar to the corresponding characters in P. thomsoni sp. res. and P. tuberifer. Consequently, the only member of the genus, Potemnemus wheatcrofti Breuning, 1971 comb. nov. is transferred to Potemnemus. This species is, to our knowledge, only known today by three specimens preserved in Museum collections (including the neotype and one valid PT) collected more than 30 years ago. P. wheatcrofti comb. nov. is only known from Sandaun & East Sepik Province in Papua New Guinea, near the border to Papua (Fig. 81).
description: Published as part of Wallin, Henrik & Kvamme, Torstein, 2015, A review of the genus Potemnemus Thomson, 1864 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) with description of a new species from Papua New Guinea, pp. 501-542 in Zootaxa 4040 (5) on pages 523-524, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4040.5.1, http://zenodo.org/record/239016