Psyllotoxus dalensi Nearns and Tavakilian 2012, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Nearns, Eugenio H.
name: Tavakilian, Gérard-Luc
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Cerambycidae
Psyllotoxus
Psyllotoxus dalensi

description: Psyllotoxus dalensi Nearns and Tavakilian, sp. nov.   
(Figures 4 a-d)  
 Description. Male. Length 12.5-13.0 mm (measured from vertex to elytral apices), width 5.0- 5.5 mm (measured across humeri). Habitus as in Fig. 4a. General form elongate-oblong, moderate-sized. Integument generally dark brown or black, with whitish, ochraceous, and pale red-orange pubescence; pronotal disk with whitish pubescence; elytral with central band of whitish pubescence; basal 1/3 and apical 1/3 of elytra with variegated whitish and pale red-orange pubescence; mesepimeron, mesepisternum, and lateral margins of humeri with dark brown or black pubescence; tibiae and metafemora with band of dark brown or black pubescence near middle.   
Head with frons roughly subquadrate, about 3 times width of one lower eye lobe (as in Fig. 4c). Eyes with lower lobes moderate-sized, oblong; narrowest area connecting upper and lower eye lobes about 2 ommatidia wide. Genae elongate, about as tall as lower eye lobes.  
Antennae nearly 2 times longer than body; antennal tubercles prominent, moderately separated; tubercles armed at apex with short blunt projection; scape robust, clavate, with distinct basal groove on inner face; antennomere III distinctly robust, strongly clavate; antennomeres IV and XI curved. Antennal formula based on antennomere III: scape=0.66; II=0.17; III=1; IV=0.85; V=0.73; VI=0.75; VII=0.74; VIII=0.72; IX=0.77; X=0.8; XI=1.12.  
Pronotum subcylindrical, slightly wider at apex, transverse, about 1.5 times as wide as long, sides irregular, with a small, blunt protuberance each side behind middle (Fig. 4a, d); disk with median, oval, glabrous region at basal half, adjacent to basal transverse sulcus; disk with two feebly elevated lateral tubercles; each lateral tubercle adjacent to apical transverse sulcus.  
Scutellum transverse, apex rounded; central 1/3 glabrous, outer margins fringed with grayish or whitish pubescence.  
Elytra about 1.6 times as long as width at humeri (Fig. 4a), about 3.5 times as long as pronotal length, about 1.2 times broader basally than pronotum at widest (behind middle); sides roughly parallel, slightly attenuate to apices, gradually rounded to apices at apical 1/3, apices jointly rounded; basal 1/3 of elytra with moderate to dense punctation, surface granulate-punctate; humeri prominent, anterior margin arcuate, angle with moderate-sized, obtuse tubercle.  
Venter with procoxae large, globose, with a moderate-sized, bunt protuberance projecting anteriorly, not uncate; narrowest area of prosternal process between procoxae about 1/3 as wide as procoxal cavity; apex of prosternal process not visible (specimens mounted on card). Mesosternal process not visible (specimens mounted on card). Fifth abdominal sternite slightly longer than IV.  
Legs moderate in length; femora robust; metafemora clavate apically; tibiae slightly expanded apically; metafemora about 1/3 as long as elytra; tarsomere V about as long as I-IV combined.  
 Female. Length 12.5-13.5 mm (measured from vertex to elytral apices), width 5.0- 5.3 mm (measured across humeri). Similar to male except antennae shorter, about 1.25 times as long as body; antennal tubercles not armed at apex; scape less robust, without basal groove on inner face; antennomere III not distinctly robust, strongly clavate; pronotum more strongly transverse; procoxae without bunt protuberance; fifth abdominal sternite nearly 2 times as long as IV, with a median triangular impression.   
 Type Material. Holotype, male (Fig. 4 a-d), “[French Guiana] Route de Kaw pk33, 13 Février 1985, piégeage lumineux, G. Tavakilian leg., 0379” (MNHN). Allotype, female, “[French Guiana] 06/V/2010, Route de Kaw pk16, Réserve Trésor, ex larva (girdled branches), P.-H. Dalens leg.” (PHDC). Six paratypes all from French Guiana: two females, same as allotype except “ 16/4/2010 ” and “ 13/II/2010 ” (PHDC); one male, “ 02/III/2008, Piste de Counamama pk22, forêt de Counami, ex larva (girdled branches), P.-H. Dalens leg” (PHDC); one male, same except “ 08/II/2008.” (PHDC); one female, same except “ 15/I/2008 ” (PHDC); one female, “Counami pk25, Counamama GF, 15/I/2008 ex larva” (JLGC).   
 Etymology. We are pleased to name this species in honor of Pierre-Henri Dalens, for his generosity, collaboration, and contributions to the study of Cerambycidae. The epithet is a noun in the genitive case.   
 Diagnosis and Remarks. This species is distinguished from its congeners by the combination of the following characters: eyes with lower lobes about as tall as gena; pronotum with small-sized, blunt protuberance each side behind middle; base of elytra distinctly granulate-punctate; mesepimeron, mesepisternum, and lateral margins of humeri with dark brown or black pubescence. Psyllotoxus dalensi is described from eight specimens: three males and five females. Little is known about the habitat and behavior of this species; they were collected either at light or reared from unidentified girdled branches.
description: Published as part of Nearns, Eugenio H. & Tavakilian, Gérard-Luc, 2012, A new genus and five new species of Onciderini Thomson, 1860 Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) from South America, with notes on additional taxa, pp. 1-23 in Insecta Mundi 2012 (266) on pages 9-10, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5175658