Bebelis imitatrix Santos-Silva 2022, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Santos-Silva, Antonio
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Cerambycidae
Bebelis
Bebelis imitatrix

description: Bebelis imitatrix sp. nov.
(Figs 45–48)
Description. Holotype female. Integument mostly black; anteclypeus pale yellowish-brown anteriorly; labrum dark reddish brown; ventral mouthparts dark yellowish brown; base of antennomeres III–XI and apex of XI reddish brown, darker on III; dorsal apex of femora, central area of tibiae, and tarsomeres dark reddish-brown, except dark brown area on posterior third of tarsomeres V.
Head. Frons moderately coarsely and abundantly punctate; with abundant pale yellow pubescence not obscuring integument (more straw-colored depending on light intensity), except glabrous median groove, and one long, erect dark setae on each side near eyes. Area between antennal tubercles and upper eye lobes coarsely, abundantly punctate; with dense yellowish-brown pubescence obscuring integument laterally, glabrous centrally. Remaining surface of vertex coarsely, abundantly punctate; with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument. Area behind lower eye lobes coarsely, moderately abundantly punctate; with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument, except irregular, large yellowish-white pubescent macula close to prothorax. Genae longer than lower eye lobes; coarsely, sparsely punctate; with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument, slightly denser close to eyes, and straw-colored pubescence not obscuring integument close to clypeus. Postclypeus with straw-colored pubescence no obscuring integument, directed to central region close to frons, and directed forward close to anteclypeus; with long, erect brownish setae interspersed. Labrum coplanar with anteclypeus at posterior third, inclined at anterior 2/3; with sparse yellowish-white pubescence on coplanar area, and long, erect brownish setae directed forward laterally and close to inclined area; anterior margin with dense fringe of golden setae. Outer side of mandibles with dense straw-colored pubescence on basal 2/3, and a few long, erect dark setae interspersed, glabrous on apical third. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.10 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 1.35 times elytral length, almost reaching elytral apex. Scape cylindrically, finely rugose-punctate; with yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument, except pale yellow pubescence on narrow apical area. Pedicel with yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument, slightly denser on narrow apical area, and one long, erect, thick dark seta ventrally. Antennomeres III–XI with yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument, except basal and apical yellowish-white pubescent ring; ventral surface with long, erect, thick, moderately abundant dark setae. Antennal formula based on length of antennomere III: scape = 0.83; pedicel = 0.24; IV = 0.97; V = 0.68; VI = 0.68.; VII = 0.63; VIII = 0.58; IX = 0.53; X = 0.51; XI = 0.53.
Thorax. Prothorax as long as wide; sides slightly tumid centrally, subparallel-side anteriorly and posteriorly. Pronotum coarsely, abundantly punctate; with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence, except center of posterior half with a few yellowish-brown setae, large zig-zag white pubescent band on anterior third, large, subtriangular white pubescent macula on each side of subglabrous area on posterior half, and sub Y-shaped white pubescent band on sides of posterior 2/3 (partially fused with zig-zag pubescent band); with a few long, erect brownish setae on sides of posterior quarter. Sides of prothorax with sculpturing as on pronotum; with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence partially obscuring integument, except yellowish-white pubescence close to posterior margin and apex of postcoxal process, and subglabrous central area of postcoxal process. Prosternum coarsely, abundantly punctate; with abundant pale yellow pubescence, denser, yellower laterally. Prosternal process coarsely, abundantly punctate; with abundant grayish-white pubescence not obscuring integument; narrowest area 0.24 times procoxal width; apex 1.10 times procoxal width. Mesoventrite coarsely, abundantly punctate, except smooth sides; with abundant yellowishwhite pubescence not obscuring integument centrally and dense pale yellow pubescence laterally, except glabrous apical area close to mesocoxae. Mesanepisternum coarsely, abundantly punctate; with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence, denser close to elytra, except longitudinal white pubescent band on center of area with dense yellowish-brown pubescence. Mesepimeron with dense yellowish-brown pubescence. Mesoventral process with yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument on anterior half, whitish, sparser on posterior half; apex 0.68 times mesocoxal width. Metanepisternum coarsely, abundantly punctate; with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument, except posterior quarter with abundant white pubescence interspersed. Metaventrite coarsely, abundantly punctate; sides with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument, except white pubescent macula after middle; wide central area with pale yellow pubescence close to mesocoxal cavities, light yellowish-brown close to metacoxal cavities, yellowish-white centrally. Scutellum with dense pale yellow pubescence.
Elytra. Coarsely, abundantly punctate on anterior third, punctures gradually finer, sparser toward apex; mostly with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence partially obscuring integument, except large V-shaped white pubescent band on anterior half, not reaching humerus and epipleural margin, with yellowish-brown pubescent maculae within it, arched white pubescent band on sides of central area, slightly reaching dorsal surface, oblique white pubescent band on posterior third, not reaching suture and epipleural margin, a few small white pubescent spots centrally and apical fifth, and subrounded brownish pubescent spots interspersed on yellowish-brown pubescence; apex with outer angle strongly projected, and slightly obliquely truncate toward sutural angle. Legs. Femora with abundant yellowishbrown pubescence not obscuring integument, except base with yellowish-white pubescence. Tibiae with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence, except posterior 2/3 of ventral surface of protibiae with dense, bristly dark pubescence, posterior third of ventral surface of mesotibiae with bristly brownish pubescence, posterior quarter of ventral surface of metatibiae with bristly brownish pubescence, dorsal third of mesotibiae and dorsal quarter of metatibiae with thick, erect dark setae. Tarsi mostly with yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument.
Abdomen. Ventrites coarsely, abundantly punctate, except subsmooth central apex of 2–4; with dense yellowish-brown pubescence laterally and central area of ventrites 4–5, longitudinal white pubescent band close to elytra on ventrites 1–5, longitudinal white pubescent band on each side of central area, from middle of ventrite 1 to near apex of 5, pale yellow pubescence on center of ventrites 1–3, yellowish-brown pubescence between longitudinal white band and pale yellow pubescence on 1–3, abundant yellowish-brown pubescence on center of ventrite 4, and abundant pale yellow pubescence on center of ventrite 5.
Dimensions (mm). Total length, 6.60; prothoracic length, 1.05; anterior prothoracic width, 1.00; posterior prothoracic width, 1.00; maximum prothoracic width, 1.05; humeral width, 1.40; elytral length, 4.70.
Type material. Holotype female from ARGENTINA, Mendoza: Res. Biol. Ñacuñan [Reserva de Biosfere Ñacuñán], 14–15.II.2012, G. Arriagada leg. (MZSP).
Etymology. Latin, “imitatrix” (imitator); allusive to the similarity with B. lignea.
Remarks. Bebelis imitatrix sp. nov. is similar to B. lignea (Fig. 25 —see also photographs on Bezark 2021), but differs as follows: vertex without oblique pubescent bands from area between upper eye lobes and prothorax; prothorax as long as wide; pronotum with white pubescence on large areas; inner margin of the V-shaped white pubescent band on the elytra without subglabrous band adjacent to it; and posterior white pubescent maculae on the posterior region of the elytra oblique. In B. lignea, the vertex has oblique pubescent bands from area between upper eye lobes and prothorax, prothorax slightly longer than wide, pronotum only with longitudinal white pubescent bands laterally, inner margin of V-shaped white pubescent band on the elytra with subglabrous band adjacent to it, and white pubescent band on the posterior region of the elytra longitudinally surrounding a dark pubescent macula. Bebelis imitatrix is slightly similar to B. pseudolignosa (Figs 21–24), but differs as follows: distance between upper eye lobes as wide as width of one upper lobe; pronotal pubescent pattern (Fig. 45); and elytral apex with outer angle strongly projected and wide (Fig. 45). In B. pseudolignosa, the distance between upper eye lobes is larger than width of one upper lobe, the pronotal pubescent pattern is different (Fig. 22), and the elytral apex is more distinctly truncate, with outer angle slightly projected (Fig. 22).
description: Published as part of Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2022, New species, revalidation, synonymies, and new records in Bebelis Thomson (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae, Apomecynini), pp. 401-428 in Zootaxa 5092 (4) on pages 416-417, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5092.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5886400