Paranota apiculata, new combination

Paranota apiculata (Boheman, 1854) new combination

(Figs. 82–84, 102)

Batonota apiculata Boheman 1854: 169, 1856: 95, 1862: 238; Gemminger and Harold 1876: 3644; Wagner 1881: 46; Spaeth 1914: 65; Maulik 1916: 583.

Dorynota apiculata: Blackwelder 1946: 747, Monrós and Viana 1949: 420.

Dorynota (s. str.) apiculata: Borowiec 1999: 161.

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished from other members of the genus by its reduced size, body uniformly and mostly reddish brown, and elytra with deep punctures arranged in rows.

Redescription. Body reddish brown dorsally, with anterior margin of pronotum reddish yellow and elytral margin red; yellow ventrally, except prosternal collar and process, pro- and mesosternum, metepimeron, posterior margin of metasternum, pro-, meso-, and metacoxae reddish brown. Head: Interocular distance 1.5 times shorter than widest width of eye. Vertex densely punctate and with long, dense setae; coronal suture deep, glabrous, extending to epistomal suture. Frontoclypeus subtriangular, swollen, with deep, sparse punctures and discernible, complete epistomal suture. Interantennal distance approximately 1/2 width of antennal sockets; antennae with length ratio of segments 100: 31: 19: 37: 50: 100: 81: 75: 75: 87: 131. Thorax: Mesosternal process notched medially, 2.5 times shorter than prosternal process, with truncate posterior angle, narrower at apex. Metasternum 3 times wider than long, smooth and glabrous, 5.3 times longer than mesosternal process. Metepimeron with deep punctures close to anterior margin. Elytra lateral angle rounded; humeral ridge absent; humeral angle slightly projected; lateral margins subparallel and posterior margin rounded; disc with dense, confused punctures dorsally, clustered at the parascutellar disc and closely arranged into rows in lateral view. In ventral view, epipleural ridge well-developed with blunt, short projection at the anterior third over the metepimeron. Spinose projection at anterior third of disc slightly bent posteriorly, ca. 1.6 times shorter than body height in lateral view. Tarsomere II subequal in length to IV, 2 times longer than I; III slightly longer than II, strongly expanded laterally at apex; IV as long as III.

Measurements. Two females: total length: 9.7–11.5; greatest elytral width: 8.0–10.0; pronotal length: 2.5–3.3; greatest pronotal width: 5.5–6.0.

Remarks. Boheman (1850), in his original description, compared P. apiculata (Figs. 82–83) to P. spinosa (Figs. 69–70) and considered the size and height of the body, regular elytral punctation forming rows, and shorter and sharper dorsal spine as similar between the two species. However, the body shape of P. spinosa is elongate, although small males might have a slightly subquadrangular body, whereas P. apiculata is subquadrangular. In lateral view, the punctation of P. apiculata is arranged in rows, wheres the elytral punctation in P. spinosa is not confluent and closely arranged into rows.

Wagener (1881) differentiated P. apiculata from P. spinosa by the humerus extending laterally, while in P. spinosa it does not. However, with close examination of both species, it is possible to see that they share the feature of a rounded anterior elytral angle not expanded laterally. For more comments, see P. spinosa.

Geographic Distribution. Recor ded from Brazil (São Paulo) (Boheman 1854). New state records in Brazil are Goiás, Mato Grosso, Pará, and Rondônia (Fig. 102).

Type Material. Lectotype (Figs. 82–83): Brasil // Type // M. Berl // Lectotype \ des. L. Borowiec // NHRS-JLKB \ 000020990 (SMNH).

Other Material Examined (8). BRAZIL: Goiás: Campinas, XI.1984, T. Borgmeier lgt. (1 specimen, MNRJ); Mato Grosso: Chapada dos Guimarães, VII.1983, O. Roppa & M.A. Monné lgt. (1 specimen, MNRJ); Pará: Santarém, (1 specimen, DBET); Rondônia: Colorado d’ Oeste, Cabeça do Rio Pimenta, X.1988, J. Becker lgt. (4 specimens, MNRJ); XI.1961, F. M. Oliveira lgt. (1 specimen, DZUP).