Neocerambyx liyuani Lin, Miroshnikov & He, 2025

Lin, Mei-Ying, Miroshnikov, Alexandr & He, Li, 2025, Contribution to the knowledge of the longicorn beetle genus Neocerambyx (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Cerambycinae, Cerambycini) from China, with descriptions of three new species, ZooKeys 1247, pp. 45-61 : 45-61

Neocerambyx liyuani Lin, Miroshnikov & He sp. nov.

Figs 1 A – D , 2 A, B

Type material.

Holotype: China • ♂; Sichuan, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Leibo County, Guihua Village [四川省凉山彝族自治州雷波县桂花乡]; alt. 1740 m; 15 May 2024; Yuan Li leg.; at light; MYNU . Paratypes: China • 1 ♀, same data as for holotype; 16 May 2024; MYNU • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; 24 May 2024; CAM • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; 19 May 2025; Chun-Nan Li leg.; CLHC • 1 ♂; same data as for holotype; 20 May 2025; Chun-Nan Li leg.; CYLD • 1 ♀; Hubei, Shennongjia, Muyuzhen [湖北神农架木鱼镇]; 4 July 1993; IZCAS .

Diagnosis.

This new species is rather peculiar by the shining pubescence and particularly the male somewhat resembles a miniature Neocerambyx gigas (Fig. 3 A – D ), but differs from that species by the presence of a short transverse groove between upper eye lobes; the smaller body size ( N. gigas measures 55–84 mm in length); the features of the sculpture of the pronotal disc; the more slender elytra of both sexes (cf. Figs 1 A and 3 A ); the longer female antennae (cf. Figs 1 C and 3 C ), and the shape of the external apical angle of female antennomeres 8–10 and of the apex of female last antennomere (in N. gigas , the external apical angle of female antennomeres 8–10 is very sharp and the distal part of female last antennomere sharply tapers towards the apex).

The new species should be attributed to the paris group sensu Miroshnikov (2020 b): the anterior coxal cavities externally with a large triangular protrusion, the external apical angle of antennomeres 5–10 without a sharp spine, the elytra with a recumbent setation forming an iridescent pattern.

Description.

Body length 43.0–47.0 mm, humeral width 12.0– 12.5 mm. Body black to black-brown, covered with a golden yellow shining pubescence. Head with pubescence especially dense around compound eyes.

All antennomeres black-brown, without annulations, covered with golden yellow pubescence, without a fringe of setae underneath. Male antennae exceed apex of elytra by approximately the middle of antennomere 8; scape stout, subequal to third antennomere in length; third to fifth antennomeres distinctly inflated in apical part (inflation decreases from third to fifth); third subequal to fourth in length, sixth and seventh antennomeres slender and cylindrical, sixth much longer than fifth, slightly shorter than fourth and fifth combined, seventh longer than sixth, subequal to fourth and fifth combined; from eighth to eleventh, antennomeres become flatter and more slender, eighth to tenth subequal in length, eleventh the longest, much longer than tenth. Female antennae distinctly fail to reach apex of elytra; scape stout, subequal to third antennomere in length, third to fifth antennomeres slightly expanded in apical part, third longer than fourth; fifth slightly longer than fourth, and slightly shorter than third; sixth and seventh antennomeres slender and cylindrical, sixth obviously longer than fifth and obviously shorter than fourth and fifth combined, seventh slightly shorter and more slender than sixth; from eighth to eleventh, antennomeres become flatter but not more slender, eighth shorter than seventh, ninth shorter than eighth, tenth slightly shorter than ninth, eleventh and tenth subequal in length; sixth is the longest antennomere.

Eye deeply emarginate, lower lobe very large; head with a short transverse groove between upper eye lobes. Mandible moderately sized, curved and sharp apically, with one blunt mesal tooth. Prothorax covered with dense golden yellow pubescence, fringed with short orange setae at anterior and posterior margins of pronotum, and with a few long, erect setae scattered on sides. Pronotum 1.26 and 1.24 × as wide as long in male and female, respectively; at base distinctly wider than at apex; usually with an abrupt constriction at apex and a moderate constriction at base; pronotum with coarse, irregular (but in some regions largely transverse) grooves, with a smooth medial area in basal half.

Scutellum covered with golden yellow pubescence, with rounded triangular posterior angle. Elytra completely covered with golden recumbent pubescence forming an iridescent pattern; moderately elongate, 2.60–2.64 × as long as humeral width; approximately parallel-sided from base, rounded at apex. Venter with pubescence scattered over most sclerites. Prosternum with a deep transverse groove in front of middle, prosternal intercoxal process with a distinct apical tubercle, particularly distinct in males. Mesoventral intercoxal process with pubescence denser on sides than middle part; between coxae very clearly wider than prosternal process; metasternum with a very sharp longitudinal median groove. Legs black-brown, moderately long; femora and tibiae quite robust in male; metatarsomere 1 barely longer than tarsomeres 2 and 3 combined. Last visible abdominal sternite at apex in male with a shallow emargination, in female widely rounded; last visible abdominal tergite at apex in male narrowly and shallowly emarginate, in female widely rounded.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is gratefully dedicated to the collector of the type specimens from Sichuan, Mr Yuan Li (李圆, Deyang, Sichuan, China), an enthusiastic amateur entomologist and an experienced collector of beetles. The name is a noun in the genitive case.

Distribution.

China: Sichuan, Hubei.

Biology.

Seven specimens were collected by a light trap (Fig. 2 B ) installed in the forest environment (Fig. 2 A ).

Figures

Figure 1. Habitus of Neocerambyx liyuani sp. nov. A, B. ♂, holotype, from Sichuan; C, D. ♀, paratype, from Sichuan: A, C. Dorsal views; B, D. Ventral views.

Figure 2. Field observations of Neocerambyx liyuani sp. nov. A. Habitat of Guihua Village (Sichuan, CHINA); B. A living male caught by Yuan Li (all provided by Yuan Li).

Figure 3. Habitus of Neocerambyx gigas (Thomson, 1878). A, B. ♂, from Chiang Mai, Thailand; C, D. ♀, from Chiang Mai, Thailand: A, C. Dorsal views; B, D. Ventral views.