Psapharochrus auratus García & Nascimento & Hernandez 2019, sp. nov.

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences (Life Sciences)

Psapharochrus auratus sp. nov. (Figs. 2–9) urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 2DF5BF05-DDE9-477F-846E-959B1EBA4218 Holotype. Female. (Figs. 2–5). Integument most brownish, almost black in some areas; integument light brown: postclypeus, labrum (except darkened anterior margin), apex of palpomeres, labium, central band of tibiae and longitudinal elytral carina from basal margin towards apex; antennomeres III with middle area brownish, gradually darker anteriorly and posteriorly; antennomeres IV–XI brownish anteriorly, darker posteriorly. Head. Frons wider than long; coarsely, sparsely punctate; surface with yellowish pubescence, slightly lighter near tubercles and in a semicircular area near anteclypeus, nearly obscuring integument; vertex with pubescence and punctures as on frons. Area behind eyes minutely punctate, with sparse yellowish pubescence, lighter laterally, near to eyes lobes; posterior margin of pubescence not reaching anterior margin of prothorax, bilobed in dorsal view. Genae slightly, transversely wrinkled, with sparse yellowish pubescence. Antennal tubercles gradually, moderately elevated; with yellowish pubescence nearly obscuring integument, especially in apical margin. Median groove distinct from clypeus to anterior margin of prothorax. Postclypeus with dense yellowish-white pubescence with elongated yellowish setae, directed downward; anteclypeus glabrous; Labrum with moderately dense yellowish pubescence, not obscuring integument. Gulamentum minutely, sparsely punctate, narrow sparse yellowish-white pubescent area toward mentum. Lower eye lobes as long as genal length; distance between upper eye lobes about three times greatest width of an upper lobe eye. Antennae reaching elytral apex by mid length of antennomere XI; scape gradually widened toward apical third, slightly narrowed to apex; scape dorsally, with yellowish dense pubescent area at middle, more sparse anteriorly and posteriorly, ventral area with yellowish-white pubescence, not obscuring integument. Pedicel with a basal yellowish pubescent ring; antennomeres III with a basal yellowish pubescent ring, and a wider pubescent area at middle (on brownish integumentary area), pubescence sparser in remaining areas; thick short brownish setae at inner side; IV yellowish-white pubescent at anterior two third, and blackish pubescence toward apex, with thick short brownish setae at inner side; V–XI yellowish-white pubescent on anterior half, and blackish pubescent on posterior half, inner side with thick short blackish setae at apical margin, interspersed by minutely sparse erect yellowish setae. Antennal formula based on antennomere III: scape = 0.90; pedicel = 0.10; IV = 0.90; V = 0.50; VI = 0.40; VII = 0.40; VIII = 0.40; IX = 0.39; X = 0.38; XI = 0.39. Thorax. Prothorax about 1.8 times wider than long (including lateral central tubercles); sides with lateral central tubercle large at base, abruptly pointed at apex; smaller tubercle near anterior margin. Pronotum with three large, moderately elevated tubercle: two large, longitudinally elongated at sides and one less-prominent postmedian, conical tubercle; with transverse rows of coarse punctures anteriorly and posteriorly; smaller, denser punctures between pronotal tubercles and with sparse longitudinal row near lateral tubercles; surface mostly yellowish pubescent, nearly obscuring integument; near lateral tubercles, an elongated yellowish area surrounded by blackish pubescence; posterior margin yellowish-white pubescent. Prosternum slightly depressed near anterior margin of procoxal cavity; with yellowish-white pubescence. Procoxal cavity with elevated margin; prosternal process (at middle) slightly narrower than procoxal cavity diameter. Mesoventrite with sparse yellowish-white pubescence; mesoventral process as large as mesocoxal cavities diameter, margins abruptly elevated; mesanepisternum and mesepimeron with dense yellowish pubescence; metanepisternum sparse yellowish pubescent at anterior third, denser pubescent posteriorly, nearly obscuring integument; ventral area of metaventrite with large area of sparse yellowish-white pubescence; laterally, with coarsely sparse glabrous punctures, and denser yellowish pubescence. Metathoracic discrimen reaching anterior and posterior margin. Scutellum with blackish pubescent centrally, wider posteriorly, with median longitudinal yellowish-white pubescent band; sides with denser yellowish pubescence. Elytra. Sides gradually, slightly convergent toward apex; humerus prominent; elytral suture longitudinally sulcate, except anterior third; apex triangularly projected at outer side and rounded toward suture. Dorsal surface with a longitudinal carina between humerus and scutellum, almost reaching elytral apex, distinctly elevated (especially at anterior margin) and convergent toward anterior third; less prominent toward apex, distinct for not having pubescence. Surface coarsely, sparsely punctate, punctures denser at anterior third between dorsal carina and suture. Pubescence as follow: densely, mostly yellowish, with yellowish-white irregularly areas throughout, near obscuring integument; except small blackish area at anterior fifth between dorsal carina and suture; large inversed “M” shaped blackish area from middle; blackish circular areas along suture, except at anterior third; and two blackish circular areas near apex. Legs. Coxae moderately yellowish-white pubescent; femora strongly pedunculate-clavate, dense yellowish pubescence dorsally, partially obscuring integument; and sparse yellowish-white pubescence ventrally. Tibiae yellowish pubescent at base and at middle (on brownish integumentary area); blackish pubescence on remaining areas. Protarsomeres I–II blackish, III and V brownish with yellowish decumbent setae; Meso and metatarsomeres with yellow pubescence; meso and metatarsomeres II with blackish pubescence. Abdomen. Ventrite I about 2.5 times width of II; surface with yellowish-white pubescence, denser on median area, posterior margins with dense yellowish pubescence; I–IV subequal in width, sides densely yellowish pubescence, with small longitudinal blackish band at middle; V trapezoidal, about two times width of IV, with yellowish-white triangular shaped area at center, surrounded by a darkened area, remaining areas densely yellowish pubescent. Male. (Figs. 6–9). General aspect more slender than female. Specific description same as female except for following aspects: Head. Frons with a central triangular-shaped area between lower eyes lobes, without pubescence, with dark brown integument, coarsely and sparsely punctate. Dense yellowish pubescence, slightly obscuring labrum’s integument. Antennae longer than body, exceeding elytral apices at apex of antennomere IX. Thorax. Punctures between pronotal tubercles subequal in size as ones in remaining areas of pronotum. Lateral region of prothorax without blackish pubescence, covered only by yellowish pubescence, except tubercles and in its anterior and posterior areas, with dark brown integument; some long erect setae around tubercles, at both sides. Prosternum, mesoventrite and metaventrite with whitish pubescence. Lateral of metaventrite without glabrous punctures. Elytra. Slightly shorter; with blackish area at anterior fifth between carina and lateral margin of elytra. Legs. Coxae and ventral region of femora with white pubescence. Protarsomeres I–II with dense and decumbent blackish setae. Abdomen. Ventrite I about 1.1 times width of II; surface with white pubescence, denser on median and lateroposterior area, latero-posterior margins with dense yellowish pubescence; I–IV subequal in width, gradually narrow towards apex; V about 0.7 times width of IV, with posterior margin densely yellowish pubescent. Dimensions (mm), holotype female/ paratype male. Total length, 11.5/7.1; prothoracic length, 2.3/1.5; posterior prothoracic width, 3.1/1.8; anterior prothoracic width, 2.6/1.7; widest prothoracic width, 4.0/2.5; humeral width, 4.9/ 2.8; elytral length, 7.6/4.8. Etymology. Latin, auratus meaning golden, referring to the general golden yellowish pubescence. Type Material. Holotype female from COLOMBIA, Bolívar: San Jacinto, Reserva La Flecha, 324 m, 09° 51′ 12,4′′ N 75° 10′ 41,4′′ W, 15–16. IV.2018, White light-trap, García, K. col. MPUJ_ENT0041114 (MPUJ). Paratype male from COLOMBIA, Atlántico: Usiacurí, Reserva Campesina La Montaña, 260m, 10° 46′2,6′′ N 75° 0,2′34′′ W, 14.V.2018, UV light-trap, García, K. col. (UARC). Remarks. By the pubescence pattern, Psapharochrus auratus sp. nov. is similar to Psapharochrus sallei Thomson, 1865 (currently registered only for Mexico). The new species differs especially by the pronotum without median longitudinal carina, by the dorsal carina of the elytra less prominent (especially anteriorly) and by having the elytral apex emarginated and with the external and sutural angles equal in size (in P. sallei the elytral apex is obliquely emarginated and the external angle is more projected).