Eclipta moleiroi, Vlasak & Santos-Silva, 2025

Vlasak, Josef & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2025, Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) from South America: new species, notes, and new records, Faunitaxys 13 (19), pp. 1-14 : 11-13

Eclipta moleiroi sp. nov.

( Fig. 22 -25)

ZooBank:https://zoobank.org/ A9F65AC7-AD43-48E0-A7CD-B4DCE7625F5F

Holotype, ♀ ( MZSP 67362 ), BRAZIL, Bahia: Utinga (Bairro Cajueiro), Área de Caatinga, Chapada Diamantina , 11°58’18.2”S 41°04’09.0”W, Malaise, 10-17.XI.2022, H.P. Moleiro leg. ( MZSP).

Description of the holotype ( Fig. 22-25)

Coloration. – Head capsule black; ventral mouthparts orange, except yellowish-white apex of palpomeres; postclypeus black; anteclypeus dark brown; labrum brown with anterior fifth yellowish brown; scape orange on basal third, irregularly brownish on remaining surface, except dark-brown apex; pedicel and antennomere III black; antennomeres IV-VI light orange on basal quarter, dark brown on remaining surface; antennomeres VII-X dull orange on basal quarter, brown on remaining surface; antennomere XI mostly brown. Prothorax orange, except narrow brownish area close to anterior margin and wide, longitudinal, sinuous black band on center of pronotum, from posterior margin to near anterior margin. Ventral surface of meso- and metathorax orange, with irregular, both dark orange and brownish areas interspersed. Scutellum black. Elytra orange on humeral area, black on remaining anterior half, gradually brown toward apex on posterior half, more reddish brown depending on light intensity, except dark-brown punctures. Coxae and trochanters mostly light orange; femoral peduncles pale yellow, slightly orangish depending on light intensity; pro- and mesofemoral clubs light orange; metafemoral club brown; protibiae and protarsi light orange; mesotibiae light orange on basal quarter, orangish brown close to apex, brown on remaining surface; metatibiae orangish brown on basal fifth, black on remaining surface, except dark-brown apex; mesotarsi mostly orangish brown; metatarsomeres I mostly brown; metatarsomeres II-V mostly light brown. Abdomen orange, with irregular light orange areas on ventrites, except black apical 3/4 of last visible tergite, black apical third of ventrite 5 and light-brown remaining surface of apical half.

Head. – Frons sparsely, coarsely punctate, punctures slightly more abundant superiorly; with a few short, bristly yellowish-white setae, slightly more abundant close to superior and inferior or eyes. Vertex sparsely, coarsely punctate, punctures coarser and more abundant close to prothorax; some punctures with short, erect yellowish-white seta, some with long, erect yellowish seta, and some close to prothorax without seta. Area behind upper eye lobes coarsely, partially confluently punctate; glabrous.Area behind lower eye lobes partially smooth close to upper eye lobe, abundantly, coarsely, confluently punctate on remaining surface; with a few, both short and long, erect yellowish setae close to eye. Genae 0.43 times frontal length of lower eye lobe; abundantly, coarsely, confluently punctate laterally, somewhat abundantly, coarsely punctate frontally, except smooth apex; with sparse, short, erect yellowish-white setae, absent on apex, almost absent laterally, and long, erect yellowish setae laterally. Antennal tubercles with a few, somewhat coarse punctures anteriorly and posteriorly, smooth dorsally, punctures with short, bristly yellowish-white seta. Area between antennae and eyes with moderately sparse, erect, both short and yellowish-white and long and yellowish setae. Wide central area of postclypeus abundantly, coarsely punctate; with sparse, short, bristly yellowish-white setae and one long, erect, thick light yellowish-brown seta on each side. Sides of postclypeus smooth, glabrous. Labrum with a few short yellowish-white setae near anteclypeus, absent on remaining surface, except fringe of yellowish-white setae on anterior margin; sides with long, erect, thick light yellowish-brown setae. Gulamentum almost entirely coarsely rugose-punctate; with a few short, bristly yellowish-white setae and a few long, erect light yellowish-brown setae laterally. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.39 times distance between outer margins of eyes; in frontal view, distance between lower

Updated key to species of Giesberteclipta

1. Integument of prothorax not contrasting with that of the elytra. Ecuador............ G. unicolor Vlasak & Santos-Silva, 2020

— General integument of prothorax distinctly contrasting with that of the elytra or at least with most of the elytral surface ............... 2

2 (1) Femora entirely dark....................................................................................................................... 3

— At least meso- and metafemora bicolorous............................................................................................ 5

3 (2). Elytra with pubescence very conspicuous. Ecuador................................. G. morrisoni (Bezark & Santos-Silva, 2016)

— Elytral pubescence indistinct or mostly absent........................................................................................ 4

4 (3). Antennomere VII in males shorter than III; elytral apex with narrow pubescent band in both sexes. Ecuador.............................................................................................................. G. variicollis sp. nov.

— Antennomere VII in males longer than III; elytral apex without narrow pubescent band in both sexes. Panama.................................................................................................... G. costipennis (Giesbert, 1991)

5 (2). Pronotum with dark central macula; elytra unicolorous. Costa Rica....................... G. monteverdensis (Giesbert, 1991)

— Pronotum without dark central macula; elytra bicolorous. Ecuador....................................... G. abbreviata sp. nov.

22. Dorsal habitus. 23. Ventral habitus. 24. Lateral habitus. 25. Head, frontal view.

eye lobes 0.24 times distance between outer margins of eyes. Antennae 1.1 times elytral length, reaching beginning of posterior third of elytra. Scape sparsely, somewhat coarsely punctate; abundantly, minutely striate on apical 2/3; with a few short, decumbent yellowish-white setae, a few long, erect yellowish setae dorsally, and a few long, erect brown setae on apical third of ventral surface. Pedicel with a few short, bristly dark-brown setae and long, erect dark-brown setae interspersed throughout. Antennomere III filiform; with moderately long, erect, both brown and yellowish-white setae dorsally and laterally, and long, erect, thick dark-brown setae ventrally. Antennomeres IV-X widened from base to apex; IV-V with sparse yellowish pubescence on light integumental area, somewhat sparse dark-brown pubescence not obscuring integument on dark integumental area, with long, erect yellowish setae interspersed dorsally and laterally, and long, erect dark-brown setae interspersed ventrally. Antennomeres VI-X with sparse yellowish-white pubescence on light integumental area, abundant dark-brown pubescence with short decumbent yellowish-white setae interspersed on dark integumental area; with moderately short, erect yellowish setae interspersed dorsally and laterally; VI with a few long, erect dark-brown setae interspersed ventrally. Antennomere XI with abundant, both brownish and yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument.

Antennal formula (ratio) based on length of antennomere III:

– Scape = 0.77. – Pedicel = 0.28. – IV = 0.57. – V = 0.74. – VI = 0.68. – VII = 0.57. – VIII = 0.51. – IX = 0.48. – X = 0.40. – XI = 0.46.

Thorax. – Prothorax longer than wide; anterior constriction narrow, distinct; sides rounded from anterior constriction to posterior sixth, then subparallel-sided toward posterolateral angles. Pronotum sparsely, coarsely punctate, punctures distinctly coarser than on vertex, denser, partially confluent centrally close to posterior margin, dense, confluent, finer laterally close to posterior margin, absent centrally from about middle to posterior sixth; with sparse, long, erect both yellowish and yellowish-brown setae, except posterior sixth with sparse whitish pubescence with long, erect yellowish-brown setae interspersed. Sides of prothorax sparsely, coarsely punctate, except smooth area close to anterior margin; with sparse, long, erect yellowish-brown setae. Prosternum sparsely, coarsely punctate on posterior 3/4, smooth on anterior quarter; with sparse, erect, both short and long yellowish setae on posterior 3/4, glabrous on anterior quarter. Prosternal process strongly narrowed centrally and strongly widened posteriorly; narrowest area 0.19 times procoxal width; with sparse yellowish-white pubescence. Procoxal cavities closed posteriorly. Mesoventrite with abundant yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument centrally, sparse yellowish-white pubescence anterolaterally, and abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument on remaining surface. Mesanepisterna and mesepimera with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence denser on mesepimera. Mesoventral process truncate apically; apex 0.52 times mesocoxal width. Metanepisterna with moderately abundant yellowish pubescence not obscuring integument. Metaventrite with moderately abundant whitish pubescence close to meso- and metacoxal cavities, and sparse, long, erect yellowish setae throughout, except close to metathoracic discrimen. Scutellum moderately finely and abundantly punctate; glabrous anteriorly, with abundant orangish-golden pubescence not obscuring integument on remaining surface.

Elytra. – Reaching posterior third of abdominal ventrite 3; slightly divergent from middle; apex almost truncate, with outer angle rounded and sutural angle slightly projected; abundantly, coarsely punctate; punctures on anterior half with erect, long light yellowish-brown seta or short, erect light yellowish-brown seta; punctures on posterior half with short, erect yellowish-brown seta.

Legs. – Coxae and trochanters with a few yellowish-white setae. Femora with moderately sparse, long, erect yellowish setae. Apical 2/3 of sides of protibiae with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument; apical 2/3 of ventral surface with dense, bristly yellowish-white pubescence; dorsal and lateral surfaces and basal third of ventral surface with long, erect yellowish-brown setae. Meso- and metatibiae with erect, both long and moderately short yellowish-brown setae, and dense, bristly yellowish pubescence on posterior third of ventral surface. Dorsal surface of tarsomeres with sparse, subdecumbent yellowish setae and long, erect dark-brown setae interspersed; metatarsomere I 1.3 times longer than II-III together.

Abdomen. – Ventrites with sparse, long, erect yellowish setae, slightly denser laterally; apex of ventrite 5 slightly rounded.

Dimensions (mm)

– Total length, 5.00;

– Prothoracic length, 0.90;

– Anterior prothoracic width, 0.60;

– Posterior prothoracic width, 0.70;

– Maximum prothoracic width, 0.75;

– Humeral width, 0.85;

– Elytral length, 2.70.

Etymology. – The species is dedicated to Henrique Pereira Moleiro (MZSP), researcher of Hymenoptera, who collected the holotype.

Remarks. – Eclipta is a very problematic genus that includes species with very different morphological features (body shape, prothorax shape, antennal shape and length, pronotal sculpture, elytral length and shape, etc.). However, without a complete revision of the genus, it is not possible to exclude the new species from it. This forces us to include in the description some characters that should be generic (e.g. shape of the procoxal cavities).

Eclipta moleiroi issimilar to E. notatipes (Tavakilian & Peñaherrera- Leiva, 2005) but differs especially by the pronotum with longitudinal dark band (transverse in E. notatipes ), and elytra with distinct orange humeral area (dark in E. notatipes ).