Sfina nubicola, Vlasak & Santos-Silva, 2025

Vlasak, Josef & Santos-Silva, Antonio, 2025, The surprisingly little-known fauna of Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) of Ecuador: description of one new genus and eight new species of Acanthocinini (Lamiinae) and new records in Cerambycinae and Lamiinae, Zootaxa 5653 (2), pp. 151-195 : 161-164

Sfina nubicola sp. nov.

( Figs 14–19 , 55–60 )

Description. Holotype male ( Figs 14–17 ). Integument mostly dark brown; frons brown; postclypeus light brown with dark-brown margins; anteclypeus and labrum orangish brown except anterior third of labrum irregularly dark yellowish brown; ventral mouthparts light brown, except palpomeres dark brown with reddish-brown apex; mandibles mostly reddish brown on basal 2/3, black on apical third; scape light brown dorsally and laterally, except brown apex, dark brown ventrally; pedicel brown; antennomere III light brown, slightly darker apically; antennomere IV orangish brown, slightly darker apically; antennomeres V–XI light orangish brown on basal half, orangish brown on apical half, gradually darker toward apex. Tibiae with orangish brown ring about middle. Basal 2/3 of tarsomeres I orangish; tarsal claws orangish brown except blackish apex. Abdominal ventrites with large, irregular orangish and orangish-brown areas.

Head. Frons densely, shallowly, minutely punctate; with abundant dull yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument, except glabrous median groove and dense yellow pubescence surrounding lower eye lobes; with one long, erect seta on each side near eyes, setae dark brown on theirs basal 2/3, pale on apical third. Area between anterior region of antennal tubercles and anterior margin of upper eye lobes with dense dull yellowish-brown pubescence, except glabrous median groove and elongated brownish pubescent macula close to base of antennal tubercles. Remaining surface of vertex with narrow dull yellowish-brown pubescent band on each side of glabrous median groove and laterally, with large dark-brown pubescent macula in between. Area behind eyes with dense dull yellowish-brown pubescence, slightly sparser behind lower eye lobes, except dense, narrow yellow pubescent band close to eye. Genae 1.1 times longer than lower eye lobe; with dense, narrow yellow pubescent band close to eye and moderately abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument on remaining surface except glabrous apex; with a few long, erect dark-brown setae interspersed. Wide central area of postclypeus with abundant dull yellowish-brown pubescence close to frons, pubescence absent centrally, and sparse, short dull yellowish-brown setae directed forward close to anteclypeus; with one long, erect dark-brown seta on each side near frons and long, erect dull yellowish-brown setae directed forward close to anteclypeus. Sides of postclypeus glabrous. Labrum with moderately sparse dull yellowish-brown pubescence, with long, erect dull yellowish-brown setae interspersed on posterior 2/3, glabrous on anterior third except fringe of yellowish-brown setae on anterior margin. Outer surface of mandibles triangularly depressed on basal half; depressed area with yellowish-brown pubescence basally, pubescence gradually paler toward apex of depressed area, and one long, erect seta about middle of depressed area, seta dark brown on basal half, yellowish-brown on its apical half; remaining surface glabrous. Gulamentum smooth, glabrous, except rugose-punctate area close to intermaxillary process, intermaxillary process abundantly, finely punctate, with moderately sparse yellowish pubescence. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.32 times distance between outer margins of eyes; in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.71 times distance between outer margins of eyes. Antennae 2.25 times elytral length, reaching elytral apex at apical third of antennomere VI. Scape with abundant dull yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument, except sparser brownish pubescence on apical region of dorsal and lateral surfaces and entire ventral surface; with long, erect, thick dark-brown setae interspersed ventrally. Pedicel with somewhat sparse brownish pubescence and a few long, erect, thick dark-brown setae interspersed ventrally. Antennomere III with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument on basal sixth and somewhat sparse yellowish-white pubescence on remaining surface; with long, erect, thick dark-brown setae interspersed ventrally. Antennomeres IV–XI with abundant yellowish-white pubescence partially obscuring integument on basal half, pubescence sparser on apical half; with short, erect yellowish-white setae interspersed throughout; IV–VI with sparse, long, erect, thick dark-brown setae interspersed ventrally. Antennal formula (ratio) based on antennomere III: scape = 0.87; pedicel = 0.12; IV = 0.79; V = 0.62; VI = 0.54; VII = 0.50; VIII = 0.50; IX = 0.50; X = 0.50; XI = 0.46.

Thorax. Pronotum somewhat abundantly, coarsely punctate, punctures coarser on two transverse rows near posterior margin; with dense dull yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring punctures except large, right triangle dark-brown pubescent macula on each side of middle, from near anterior margin to near posterior margin, and irregular brown pubescent spots laterally; with a few long, erect dark-brown setae interspersed. Sides of prothorax abundantly, coarsely punctate; with dense dull yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring punctures, pubescence more yellowish-brown close to prosternum, except glabrous anterior sulcus. Prosternum with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument laterally and abundant yellowish-white pubescence on remaining surface, except glabrous anterior sulcus. Prosternal process with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence sparser on sides of apex; narrowest area 0.13 times procoxal width. Central area of mesoventrite and entire mesoventral process with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument; remaining surface of ventral surface of mesothorax with dense yellowish-brown pubescence, pubescence paler depending on light intensity and source. Apex of mesoventral process 0.26 times mesocoxal width. Metanepisterna and sides of metaventrite with dense dull yellowish-brown pubescence; remaining surface of metaventrite with abundant yellowish-white pubescence partially obscuring integument, except glabrous metathoracic discrimen. Scutellum with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence partially obscuring integument, pubescence paler on some areas, except sparse dark-brown pubescent macula on each side. Elytra. Abundantly, coarsely punctate on anterior third, punctures slightly sparser on remaining surface; with dense, narrow yellowish-brown pubescent band surrounding centrobasal crest; area close to outer margin of scutellum with abundant yellowish-white pubescence; area between centrobasal crest and suture with somewhat sparse, both brown and yellowish-brown pubescence; remaining anterior fifth of dorsal surface with abundant, both dull yellowish-brown and yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument, with abundant, irregular spots with sparse dark-brown pubescence; base of longitudinal carina starting on centrobasal crest with dense pale-yellow pubescent band; dorsal area from anterior fifth to middle with large yellowish-white pubescent area, anterior margin irregular and posterior margin oblique, descending toward suture, with irregular spots of sparse brown pubescence interspersed; middle of dorsal surface with wide, oblique band with two large, irregular dark-brown pubescent maculae and abundant yellowish-brown pubescence on remaining surface; remaining surface of dorsal region with dense yellowish-white pubescence centrally and on entire apical region, except large, longitudinal dark-brown pubescent band interspersed and irregular spots with sparse dark-brown pubescence interspersed, and sides between oblique central band and apical sixth with yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument and abundant, irregular dark-brown pubescent spots interspersed. Sides with dense dull yellowish-brown pubescence except irregular spots with sparse yellowish-brown pubescence close to epipleural margin. With very sparse, moderately short, erect dark-brown setae interspersed, setae slightly longer and more abundant on posterior third. Legs. Femora with abundant dull yellowish-brown pubescence partially obscuring integument, pubescence yellower dorsally, except wide macula with sparser brownish pubescence on posterior half of dorsal and inner surfaces of femoral club. Basal third of tibiae with sparse brownish pubescence with short, decumbent yellowish setae interspersed, dense yellowish-white pubescence on light integumental ring at middle, and abundant dark-brown pubescence on remaining surface, pubescence bristly ventrally; apical third of dorsal surface of meso- and metatibiae with abundant, short, erect dark-brown setae; posterior 2/3 of ventral surface of metatibiae with somewhat sparse, short, erect dark-brown setae interspersed. Dorsal surface of tarsomeres with abundant yellowish-white pubescence partially obscuring integument on light integumental area of tarsomeres I and abundant dark-brown pubescence not obscuring integument on remaining dark-brown integumental area.

Abdomen. Ventrites with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, except glabrous central apex of ventrites 1–4 and sparse pubescence on central base of ventrite 5. Apex of ventrite 5 widely concave.

Female ( Figs 18–19 ). Similar to males, differing by the antennae slightly shorter, 1.9 times elytral length, reaching elytral apex at middle of antennomere VII, and apex of abdominal ventrite 5 truncate.

Variation ( Figs 18 , 55–60 ). Dark pubescent maculae on pronotum irregular on their posterior 2/3 or 3/4, being triangular or not, and longitudinal on their anterior third or quarter; lateral tubercles of the prothorax proportionally small; elytral pubescent pattern somewhat variable; elytral pubescence somewhat shorter.

Dimensions in mm (Holotype male/ paratype males/ paratype females). Total length, 6.60/6.45–7.35/6.60–7.80; prothoracic length, 1.10/1.15–1.20/1.10–1.25; anterior prothoracic width, 1.35/1.35–1.50/1.35–1.55; posterior prothoracic width, 1.60/1.50–1.65/1.55–1.75; maximum prothoracic width, 1.80/1.75–2.00/1.70–2.00; humeral width, 2.30/2.25–2.55/2.35–2.70; elytral length, 4.90/4.65–5.35/4.90–5.80.

Type material. Holotype male from ECUADOR, Zamora Chinchipe : Cerro Tapichalaca , 2600 m, 10 km N Valladolid, 9–10 Aug 2023, J. Vlasak leg. ( MZSP) . Paratypes — 2 males and 4 females, same data as holotype (1 female MZSP, 2 males and 3 females JVCO) ; 2 females ECUADOR, Napo: Papallacta , 3400 m, 1 Sep 2024, J. Vlasak leg. ( JVCO) .

Etymology. The name “nubicola ” (from Latin “nubis” (cloud) and “colo” (dweller); sky-dwelling) refers to the cloud forest habitat where this species was collected. It is a noun in apposition.

Remarks. See remarks in Sfina gen. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 14–19. Sfina nubicola sp. nov. 14–17) Holotype male: 14) Dorsal habitus; 15) Ventral habitus; 16) Lateral habitus; 17) Head, frontal view. 18–19) Paratype female: 18) Dorsal habitus; 19) Ventral habitus.

FIGURES 53–60. Acanthocinini spp., dorsal habitus. 53–54) Anisopodus inopinatus sp. nov., paratypes: 53) Male; 54) Female. 55–60) Sfina nubicola sp. nov., paratypes from Ecuador: 55) Female from Napo (Papallacta); 56) Female from Zamora Chinchipe (Cerro Tapichalaca); 57) Female from Zamora Chinchipe (Cerro Tapichalaca); 58) Male from Zamora Chinchipe (Cerro Tapichalaca); 59) Female from Napo (Papallacta); 60) Male from Zamora Chinchipe (Cerro Tapichalaca).