Neocerambyx miaobenfui 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 miaobenfui Lin, Miroshnikov & He sp. nov.

Fig. 4 A – D

Type material.

Holotype: China • ♂; Hainan, Ledong Li Autonomous County, Jianfeng Town, Jianfengling National Forest Park [海南省乐东黎族自治县尖峰镇尖峰岭国家森林公园]; alt. 940 m; 18°44'38″N, 108°50'38″E; 20 April- 10 May 2024; Sheng Wu leg.; at light; MYNU . Paratypes: China • 1 ♂; same data as for holotype; CAM • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Hainan, Ledong County, Jianfengling, Tianchi Bishushanzhuang [海南省乐东县尖峰岭天池避暑山庄]; alt. 950 m; 26 May 2011; Wenhsin Lin leg.; IZCAS • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 21–22 May 2011 • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀; same data as for preceding; 29 May 2011; CCCC • 1 ♀; Ledong, Jianfengling, Tianchi [尖峰岭天池]; alt. 808 m; Ke-Qing Song leg.; by light trap; IZCAS; IOZ (E) 1883507 ) • 1 ♂; Ledong, Jianfengling, Tianchi [尖峰岭天池]; alt. 800 m; May 2017; local collector leg.; CLHC • 1 ♂; Ledong County, Jianfengling Nat. Rev., Mingfenggu [海南省乐东县尖峰岭自然保护区鸣凤谷]; alt. 950 m; 09 June 2017; local collector leg.; CWD • 1 ♀; Ledong, Jianfengling, Mingfenggu [海南省乐东县尖峰岭鸣凤谷]; alt. 950–1,000 m; 22 May 2011; Wen-Xuan Bi leg.; CBWX • 1 ♀; Jianfengling, Yulingu [尖峰岭雨林谷]; alt. 746 m; 18°45'20″N, 108°53'50″E; 19 May 2009; Ke-Qing Song leg.; IZCAS; IOZ (E) 1883508 .

Diagnosis.

This new species, in combination with the structure of male antennomeres 3 and 4, the sculpture of the pronotal disc, and the setation of the elytra, somewhat resembles Neocerambyx sabinae , but differs by the less strongly protruding external apical angle of antennomere 1, the scutellum being more sharply narrowed towards the apex, the silver-grey recumbent setation of the antennae and legs, poorly hiding a black or dark coloration of the cuticle (in N. sabinae , the recumbent setation of the antennae and legs is of yellow tones and strongly or significantly hiding the black or dark coloration of the cuticle), the less strongly developed antennal tubercles, the shorter male antennae (and thus less elongate antennomeres), and the smaller body size ( N. sabinae measures 73–79 mm in length).

Neocerambyx miaobenfui sp. nov. can also be compared to N. unicolor ( Gahan, 1906) , N. vitalisi Pic, 1923 , N. punctulifer Holzschuh, 2020 , and N. brudermanni Holzschuh, 2020 . Like in N. sabinae , it can be distinguished by the less strongly protruding external apical angle of antennomere 1 and the shorter male antennae (and thus less elongate antennomeres, including 3–5). In addition, N. miaobenfui differs from N. unicolor and N. vitalisi by the more strongly inflated apical part of male antennomere 4, and from N. punctulifer and N. brudermanni by the more strongly inflated apical parts of male antennomeres 3 and 4.

The new species should be attributed to the unicolor group sensu Miroshnikov (2020 b), which includes all the species discussed above. The anterior coxal cavities are externally with a large triangular protrusion and the external apical angle of antennomeres 5–10 is without a sharp spine, which is the same as the paris group, but “ elytra with a uniform recumbent setation that does not form an iridescent pattern ” ( Miroshnikov 2020 b).

Description.

Body length 47.5–64.0 mm, humeral width 14.0–18.0 mm. Body black to black-brown or dark brown, covered with orange yellow to ochraceous pubescence. Head with pubescence, especially denser around eyes.

Most of antennomeres black starting from scape, last few antennomeres somewhat lightened, all antennomeres without annulations, covered with ochraceous or yellow pubescence, without a fringe of setae underneath. Male antennae exceed apex of elytra by antennomere 9; scape stout, barely shorter than third antennomere; third and fourth antennomeres (third in particular) strongly and asymmetrically inflated in apical part, without irregular rugose sculpture; fifth distinctly more slender than fourth but stouter than sixth, and distinctly longer than fourth whereas shorter than sixth; sixth to eleventh antennomeres become gradually more slender and flatter, seventh longer than sixth, shorter than fourth and fifth combined; eighth and ninth antennomeres subequal in length, eleventh is the longest, much longer than tenth. Female antennae slightly fail to reach the apex of elytra; scape stout, subequal to fourth antennomere in length; third to fifth antennomeres slightly expanded apically, third and fifth subequal and both longer than fourth; sixth to eleventh antennomeres become gradually more slender and flatter, sixth distinctly longer than fifth, distinctly shorter than fourth and fifth combined, seventh subequal to sixth in length; eighth shorter than seventh, ninth slightly shorter than eighth, tenth slightly shorter than ninth, eleventh is the longest antennomere.

Eye deeply emarginate, lower lobe very large; head with a short longitudinal groove between upper eye lobes and on occiput. Mandible moderately sized, curved and sharp apically, with two mesal teeth. Prothorax covered with dense orange yellow or ochraceous pubescence, fringed with short ochraceous setae at anterior margin of pronotum and a few long, erect setae scattered on sides. Pronotum 1.29 or 1.28 × as wide as long in male and female, respectively; at base slightly wider than at apex; usually with an abrupt constriction at apex and a moderate constriction at base; pronotum with coarse, irregular (in some regions largely transverse) grooves, usually ~ 10 in number.

Scutellum covered with ochraceous pubescence, posterior angle roundly triangular. Elytra moderately elongate, 2.70–2.82 × as long as humeral width; approximately parallel-sided from base, apex rounded, apical external angle obtuse, sutural angle with a short tooth. Venter with most sclerites pubescent. Prosternal intercoxal process with a pair of blunt tubercles (more distinct in males), expanded posteriorly; mesoventral intercoxal process entirely covered with pubescence, emarginate and forming two lobes apically, between coxae distinctly wider than prosternal process; metasternum with a very thin median groove. Legs black, partly black-brown, moderately long; femora quite robust, tibiae and tarsi slender; metafemur reaching middle of third visible abdominal sternite; metatarsomere 1 shorter than tarsomeres 2 and 3 combined. Both sexes with last visible abdominal sternite at apex with a shallow emargination; last visible tergite emarginate apically.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is gratefully dedicated to the third author’s friend, Mr Ben-Fu Miao (缪本福, Fuzhou, China), an enthusiastic amateur entomologist, who constantly assisted us with his research. The name is a noun in the genitive case.

Distribution.

China: Hainan.

Figures

Figure 4. Habitus of Neocerambyx miaobenfui sp. nov. A, B. ♂, holotype, from Hainan; C, D. ♀, paratype, from Hainan: A, C. Dorsal views; B, D. Ventral views.