New species of Acanthocinini Blanchard, 1845 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) from Rondônia state, Brazil and notes on some genera
Author
Nascimento, Francisco E. De L.
Author
Heffern, Daniel
text
Zootaxa
2018
2018-07-17
4446
2
292
300
journal article
29344
10.11646/zootaxa.4446.2.8
aa7fd103-8318-4cc4-9e3d-0e83b95adcb0
1175-5326
1444189
DE0D3C72-B603-41E5-A846-121D1A472A05
Leptostylus
LeConte, 1852
Leptostylus
LeConte, 1852
: 168
; Monné, 2018: 75 (cat.).
The definition of
Leptostylus
is controversial and the differentiation from
Leptostylopsis
Dillon, 1956
seems somewhat arbitrary. Firstly, when proposing
Leptostylus
,
LeConte (1852: 168)
reported: “the thorax is tuberculous on the disc, and more or less prominent on the sides; the elytra are very slightly truncate at the tip.” Subsequently, when proposing
Leptostylopsis,
Dillon (1956a)
pointed out: “from
Leptostylus
, this genus differs in the less strongly tuberculate pronotal disk, and the longer antennae with the fifth and sixth segments much longer… and the mesosternal process is broader, exceeding, as a rule, a mesocoxal cavity in width”. In the same work,
Dillon (1956a)
pointed out about
Leptostylus
: “The chief characteristics of this genus are the strongly tuberculate disks of pronotum and elytra, the lateral tubercle of the former placed only very indistinctly behind the middle, the elytral basal gibbosity prominent, the antennal scape rather short, reaching only slightly behind pronotal lateral tubercles, fifth segment one-half or two-thirds length of first, and sixth segment less than half as long as first. In addition, the shape of the front, the characters of the pro- and mesosternal processes, and the length of first tarsal segment are diagnostic”.
Linsley & Chemsak (1995)
used almost the same characteristics to define
Leptostylus
: “This genus may be recognized by the convex body form, prominent dorsal tubercles of the pronotum, relatively short antennae, width of the sternal processes, and by the basally gibbose, costate elytra with numerous tufted tubercles”.
Apparently, the pronotal tubercles, shape of the scape, antennal length, and the proportions of the antennomeres V–VI, do not separate these genera, or at least, several species are erroneously inserted into these genera. For example, by examining the photo of
Leptostylus latifasciatus
Zayas 1975
, there are no prominent tubercles on pronotal disk or at base of the elytra;
Leptostylus neivai
Melzer, 1930
, does not have tubercles on pronotum or at sides of the prothorax; and
Leptostylopsis viridicomus
(Fisher, 1942)
has remarkably elevated tubercles on the pronotum. In the key to the species of
Leptostylus
,
Monné & Hoffman (1981)
reported (translated): “3(1) pronotum without tubercles or slightly prominent elevations”; “8(7) elytral apex rounded.” Both of these features do not agree with the original description of
Leptostylus
. In other words, there are species in both genera that do not agree with the original description or any prior generic definitions of
Leptostylus
and
Leptostylopsis
.
When studying the species deposited at MZSP, we did not find reliable characteristics to separate these genera and a meticulous review is necessary. For now, due to the scarcity of material, we only mention the need to study this group in depth.