Taxonomic and nomenclatorial revision within the Neotropical genera of the subtribe Odontocheilina W. Horn in a new sense—23. Odontocheila parafemoralis sp. nov., a new species of the O. cajennensis species-complex (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae)

Abstract

A new species of the genus Odontocheila Laporte de Castelnau, 1834 is described from Brazil as Odontocheila parafemoralis sp. nov. Along with other species previously treated as subspecies of O. cajennensis (Fabricius, 1787), the new species is classified here as a species of the O. cajennensis species-complex (within the O. cajennensis species-group). It was commonly confused in collections with O. bipunctata (Fabricius, 1792) and O. femoralis Chaudoir, 1860. Specimens from Itaituba, Rio Tapajoz, Pará (the type locality of the new species) were previously considered by the present author to be aberrant adults of O. oseryi (Lucas, 1857) and were also included within the species in the taxonomic revision of the genus (Moravec 2018). A recent examination of numerous specimens from Itaituba has revealed that they represent an undescribed species, which is diagnostically separated from all taxa of the O. cajennensis species-complex. Consequently, it is described here as new to science. Illustrations of the habitus, diagnostic characters and variability of the new species and distinguishing characters of similar species are presented in colour photographs. A revised key to species of the O. cajennensis species-complex (within the complete O. cajennensis species-group) is presented with reference to the taxonomic revision of the genus (Moravec 2018). An essential map of distribution is also given.

Figure 10 from: Roza AS, Schrago CG, Mermudes JRM (2022) Phylogeny, infrageneric classification and historical biogeography of Mesochila Rivalier, 1969 (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), with the performance of different phylogenetic inferences using morphological data compared. Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny 80: 117-135. https://doi.org/10.3897/asp.80.e76575

“…Finally, it is important to highlight that the outgroup relationships suggest, in most analysis, a relationship between Odontocheila nodicornis and Phyllodroma lu-teomaculata, and in many of them, also between Pentacomia speculifera and Mesachantina chalceola. As already pointed out by Moravec (2016Moravec ( , 2018aMoravec ( , b, 2020, the Pentacomia former subgenera are probably not phylogenetically related, due to several morphological differences. The most conspicuous one is the uniformly shaped protarsi in both sexes in all Pentacomia species (unique character in the subtribe and within majority of Cicindelidae).…”

“…The Central American species of Mesochila (Paramesochila), M. (Mesochila) conformis (Dejean, 1831), M. (Mesochila) drechseli (Sawada and Wiesner, 1997) and M. (Mesochila) prepusula (Horn, 1907) were not found in the visited collections and thus not examined. However, their character states were possible to obtain from their extensive descriptions and detailed illustrations (Sawada and Wiesner 1997;Duran and Moravec 2013;Moravec and Brzoska 2013;Moravec 2016Moravec , 2018aMoravec , 2020.…”

“…The large Neotropical subtribe Odontocheilina W. Horn, 1899 sensu Moravec (2012) was revised recently, with the description of several new species and genera reassessment (summarized by Moravec 2018aMoravec , 2020. The former five subgenera of Pentacomia Bates, 1940(Rivalier 1969 were all elevated to a generic status (Moravec and Huber 2015;Moravec 2018a).…”

“…The group was subsequently elevated to a generic position, being composed of 20 species, revised and divided into three subgenera (Moravec 2018a(Moravec , 2020 (Fig. 1): M. (Mesochila), with 13 species, subdivided into two species-groups: M. (M.) procera species-group (five species with a predominant Atlantic rainforest distribution and three distributed in central South America.)…”

“…Although recently revised, Mesochila and its subgenera remain hard to diagnose, with several heterogeneous characters. The genus is mainly recognized by a ventral transversal sclerite in the aedeagus, usually referred as ventral spur (Rivalier 1969), which is also variable in shape (Moravec 2018a(Moravec , 2018b(Moravec , 2020. The three subgen-era are also diagnosed by variable characters, with the following set of characters not varying in the species of each subgenera: M. (Mesochila) have four toothed mandibles (plus basal molar) and elongate body with notably elongate elytra with parallel to subparallel lateral margins; M. (Eumesochila) have four toothed mandibles (plus basal molar) and a wider and less oblong shaped elytra; and M. (Paramesochila) have three toothed mandibles (plus basal molar) and elytra coarsely punctate (Moravec 2018a(Moravec , 2020.…”