A new species of Plectromerus Haldeman from Central America and description of the female of Plectromerus dezayasi Nearns & Branham ( Coleoptera , Cerambycidae , Cerambycinae , Plectromerini )

A new species, Plectromerus roncavei, sp. n. (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Cerambycinae, Plectromerini), from Honduras and Nicaragua is described and illustrated. Features distinguishing the new species from its congeners as well as a modifi ed key to Plectromerus species are presented. In addition, the previously unknown female of Plectromerus dezayasi Nearns & Branham is described and illustrated.


Introduction
conducted a revision and phylogenetic analysis of Plectromerini (Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae). Among the eight new species of Plectromerus Haldeman, one was described from a single male specimen (Plectromerus dezayasi Nearns & Branham) and three were described from only female specimens (Plectromerus giesberti Nearns & Branham; Plectromerus michelii Nearns & Branham; Plectromerus thomasi Nearns & Branham). Subsequently, three additional specimens of P. michelii were discovered, and Nearns (2008) described the previously unknown male. Recently, specimens representing a new species of Plectromerus from Honduras and Nicaragua, as well as the fi rst known female specimens of P. dezayasi, were discovered. Th e new species and newly discovered female specimens of P. dezayasi are described herein.

Methods
Specimens from the following collections were examined for a comparison of characters with the new species. Th e following acronyms are used throughout the paper:

Diagnosis.
Plectromerus roncavei is one of the largest species in the genus, ranging in length from 8.6-14.1 mm. From congeners, P. roncavei is distinguished by the combination of the following characters: intricate elytral pattern; pronotal disk with moderately raised calli; and moderately to strongly, deeply serrate metafemoral teeth. Th is species is most similar to P. dezayasi but is distinguished by the elytral markings (Figs. 1a,2a); the pronotal surface opaque, with sparse and shallow punctures (pronotal surface moderately shining, with dense, shallow punctures in P. dezayasi); the surface of the pronotum with moderately dense, short, recumbent, pale pubescence (absent in P. dezayasi); the surface of the meso-and metasterna with moderately dense, short, recumbent, pale pubescence (absent in P. dezayasi), and the posterior edge of the metafemoral tooth with about 15-22 serration "peaks" (about 11-14 serration "peaks" in P. dezayasi).
Head with front nearly fl at, transverse, with a median, shallow line from between eyes to just beyond vertex; head slightly concave between antennal tubercles, which are slightly raised and separated by about the width of two antennal sockets; vertex a b c d microsculptured, with dense, shallow punctures; vertex with short, recumbent, pale pubescence. Eyes coarsely-faceted, transverse, subreniform, with shallow indentations around antennal insertions. Antennae eleven segmented, slightly longer than body; scape bowed; third antennomere about as long as scape, about twice as long as fourth; fi fth antennomere longest, almost 4 times longer than fourth, about 2 times longer than third; antennomeres 6-10 becoming progressively shorter; eleventh slightly longer than tenth; basal antennomeres subcylindrical, from third moderately fl attened; apices of antennomeres 5-10 produced externally. Scape with short, recumbent, pale pubescence; antennomeres 2-8 ciliate beneath with coarse, moderately long, suberect, pale hairs.
Pronotum subcylindrical, about 1.3 times as long as wide, widest at middle, slightly broader at apex than base; pronotal sides broadly infl ated, arcuately constricted at basal third, with a slight infl ation just before apex; basal margin moderately arcuate; disk convex, slightly fl attened, with one moderately raised, median callus at about the center; disk with two moderately raised, submedial calli slightly anterior to center, and two moderately raised, submedial calli slightly posterior to center; lateral margins of pronotum with patch of coarse, deep punctures, and two to four long, suberect setae anterolaterally. Basal third of disk with two to four long, pale, recumbent setae positioned submedially, arising from deep punctures. Surface opaque, microsculptured, sparsely and shallowly punctate; surface with moderately dense short, recumbent, pale pubescence (Fig. 1c).
Scutellum small, rounded, almost as long as broad, impunctate. Elytra about 2.7 times as long as width at humeri, about 3 times as long as pronotal length, about 1.5 times broader basally than pronotum at widest point (at middle); sides nearly parallel, slightly sinuate around middle, somewhat evenly rounded to apex; elytral apices individually rounded, nearly subtruncate; epipleural margin strongly sinuate. Elytral disk moderately concave medially, subsuturally, creating a distinct costa on each elytron; base of each elytron moderately raised. Elytral surface strongly shining; elytral punctation moderately dense, coarse, and deep at basal third; punctures becoming more shallow toward apex and sides, almost obsolete at apical third; each puncture with a short, fi ne, pale hair.
Venter with portions of prosternum strongly shining; one irregular patch of coarse, deep punctures front of and spanning the width of procoxae (Fig. 1b); narrowest area of prosternal process between procoxae about 0.2 times as wide as procoxal cavity, and about 0.3 times width of apex of process which is subtriangular with rounded corners; prosternal process between procoxae gradually declivous; procoxal cavities open behind. Mesosternum surface moderately shining, nearly impunctate; mesosternal surface with moderately dense short, recumbent, pale pubescence (Fig. 1b). Metasternum surface moderately shining, sparsely and fi nely punctate, with scattered deeper punctures and sparse suberect, pale hairs interspersed; metasternal surface with moderately dense short, recumbent, pale pubescence. Metepisternum clothed with short, recumbent, pale pubescence, which is denser posteriorly. Abdomen moderately shining; fi nely, shallowly punctate; abdomen with sparse long, suberect, pale hairs and punctures each with short, fi ne, pale hair; abdominal surface with moderately dense short, recumbent, pale pubescence; fi fth sternite broadly subtruncate, about as long as preceding sternite.
Female. Length 11.8-14.1 mm; width 2.8-3.0 mm (measured across humeri). Similar to male except pronotal sides lacking coarse punctures and prosternum lacking irregular patch of punctures in front of procoxae. Abdomen with terminal sternite evenly, broadly rounded, slightly longer than preceding sternite.
Etymology. We take pleasure in naming this species for Ronald D. Cave, for his contributions to the study of cerambycids and who provided the holotype specimen. Th e epithet is a noun in apposition.

Plectromerus dezayasi Nearns & Branham, 2008 Figs 2a-b
Plectromerus dezayasi Nearns & Branham, 2008 was described from a single male specimen (Fig. 2a) collected by Dr. Henry Stockwell in Nicaragua, Jinotega Department, Cerro Chimborazo, 1400 m elevation, 13°02´N, 85°56´W, beating dead branches, 20 November 1971. Th e holotype is deposited in the EMEC. Two additional specimens collected by Dr. Stockwell, both female, with exactly the same label data are in the STRI. Th e following description supplements the description of this species using the methods indicated in Nearns and Branham (2008).
Description. Female. Length 8.0-9.5 mm; width 1.8-2.1 mm (measured across humeri). Similar to male except pronotal sides without coarse punctures and prosternum without one irregular patch of coarse, deep punctures in front of each procoxa. Legs similar to males except metafemoral teeth with posterior edge strongly, deeply serrate, with about 11 serration "peaks" of uneven height and distribution. Abdomen with terminal sternite broadly rounded, slightly longer than preceding sternite.

Modified couplets to key to Species of Plectromerus
A modifi ed key to species of Plectromerus is presented based on Nearns and Branham's (2008, page 21) key to the genus. In their key, P. roncavei will run to couplet 19. Couplets 18-26 can be modifi ed, as presented below, to accommodate this new species as well as the newly described female of P. dezayasi.