Dolichestola birai Galileo & Santos-Silva, 2016, sp. nov.

Dolichestola birai sp. nov.

(Figs. 4–7)

Description. Holotype female. Integument brown, except for: dorsal surface of head (excluding reddish-brown area near clypeus), pronotum, large central band on elytra (from base to about distal third), basal third of lateral sides of elytra dark-brown; antennomeres III–XI yellowish on basal half (mainly after VIII), reddish-brown on distal half; palpomeres reddish-brown with distal region yellowish; remaining elytral surface reddish-brown, but punctures distinctly brown; metatibiae yellowish-brown, except for reddish-brown wide ring on base and about middle (slightly distinct); tarsi reddish-brown, maculated with yellowish-brown (mainly on metatarsus).

Head. Frons moderately coarsely, abundantly punctate throughout; pubescence yellowish-brown, moderately dense, almost obliterating integument; with long, erect, sparse setae. Area between antennal tubercles and upper eye lobes depressed; punctures as on frons; pubescence yellowish-brown, except for whitish small spot close to inner side of upper eye lobes, whitish small spot between antennal tubercles, on each side and close to longitudinal sulcus, and narrow band along longitudinal sulcus starting at apex of the latter (this band almost reaching anterior margin of prothorax). Vertex moderately coarsely, densely punctate; yellowish-brown pubescence less dense than on frons, interspersed with long setae. Longitudinal sulcus distinct from clypeus to anterior margin of prothorax. Antennal tubercles finely, abundantly punctate; pubescence as on frons. Area behind eyes punctate, pubescent (pubescence distinctly denser close to eye); with long, sparse setae. Genae pubescent close to eyes, glabrous toward apex. Gula shiny, smooth, glabrous. Submentum pubescent, but not densely. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.65 times length of scape; distance between lower eye lobes in frontal view equal to length of scape. Antennae as long as 1.6 times elytral length; reaching elytral apex at base of antennomere X; pubescence yellowish-white, not dense, with long, sparse setae ventrally (mainly on basal antennomeres); antennal formula based on antennomere III: scape = 1.06; pedicel = 0.30; IV = 1.03; V = 0.97; VI = 0.88; VII = 0.82; VIII = 0.85; IX = 0.69; X = 0.64; XI = 0.69.

Thorax. Prothorax transverse, 1.35 times as wide as long including lateral tubercles, about 1.1 times excluding lateral tubercles; with long, spiniform tubercle at basal half of lateral sides. Pronotum coarsely, deeply, abundantly punctate throughout; pubescence obliterating integument, mostly yellowish-brown, except for whitish, narrow central band, from base to apex, and some small, irregular patches with whitish pubescence laterally; with long, moderately abundant setae throughout. Lateral sides of prothorax coarsely, abundantly, deeply punctate; with yellowish-brown pubescence obliterating integument (more yellowish toward ventral side). Prosternum coarsely, abundantly, moderately deeply punctate; pubescence yellowish-white, almost entirely obliterating integument. Prosternal process with pubescence as on prosternum, narrow centrally, as wide as 0.5 times base of profemoral peduncle. Mesosternum moderately coarsely, abundantly punctate, with pubescence not obliterating integument. Metepisterna narrow, pubescent. Metasternum coarsely, abundantly punctate, slightly sparser centrally; pubescence whitish, obliterating integument laterally, distinctly less dense toward center. Scutellum with yellowish-brown pubescence, not obliterating integument. Elytra coarsely, abundantly punctate throughout, pubescence yellowishwhite, denser, more whitish on basal third, along suture, and oblique band laterally; with long, thick, moderately abundant setae throughout; apex individually rounded.

Abdomen. Ventrites I–III coarsely, moderately sparsely punctate; ventrite IV moderately finely, sparsely punctate; ventrite V indistinctly punctate; ventrites with yellowish-white pubescence, partially obliterating integument; ventrite V flat centrally. Legs. Femora and tibiae pubescent; femora with long, sparse setae; tibiae with long setae, denser toward apex. Metatarsomere I slightly shorter than II–III together.

Paratype female (?). Integument mostly dark-brown, almost black on some regions; lighter region on elytra occupying the same region as on female holotype, but distinctly darker (same on antennomeres, metatibiae and tarsi). Elytral pubescence mostly yellowish-brown, except for distinct band with white pubescence along suture, oblique band laterally, and irregular spots. Antennae 1.6 times as long as elytral length, reaching elytral apex near apex of antennomere IX.

Dimensions (mm). Holotype female/ Paratype female (?). Total length (including mandibles), 6.00/4.8; prothoracic length, 1.10/0.90; anterior prothoracic width, 1.15/0.90; basal prothoracic width, 1.10/0.85; largest prothoracic width, 1.55/1.20; humeral width, 1.75/1.35; elytral length, 4.35/3.50.

Type material. Holotype female from ARGENTINA, Buenos Aires: Punta Lara, 03.I.1932, Bosq col. (MZSP). Paratype male (?), same data as holotype, except for Daguerre col. (MZSP).

Etymology. The new species is named after the late Ubirajara Ribeiro Martins de Souza (Bira). Remarks. Dolichestola birai sp. nov. differs from the other species of the genus, except for Dolichestola monnei sp. nov., mainly by the lateral spiniform tubercle of prothorax distinctly longer. It differs from D. monnei and D. egeri Martins et al., 2015, by the pronotal pubescence distinctly denser, obliterating integument (not so in D. monnei and D. egeri).