Penaherreraus birai Heffern & Santos-Silva 2023, sp. nov.

Penaherreraus birai sp. nov.

(Figs 6–9)

Description. Holotype female. Integument mostly dark brown, lighter from anterior eighth of elytra and abdominal ventrites 2–5, except two large, subcircular black maculae on each elytron, one on anterior half, another on posterior half, and orangish apical area of abdominal ventrite 5; ventral mouthparts reddish brown, except yellowish brown apex of palpomeres; anteclypeus reddish brown; labrum brown, except yellowish brown anterior region; antennomere III dark reddish brown on basal third, brown on remaining surface; antennomeres IV–VIII orangish on basal third, gradually brown toward apex, dark apical region gradually darker toward VIII; antennomeres IX–XI reddish brown on basal third, gradually brown toward apex. Profemora reddish brown, meso- and metafemora orangish brown; scape and pedicel dark reddish brown. Tibiae brown basally, dark brown apically, orangish brown on wide central area. Tarsi reddish brown.

Head. Frons densely, finely punctate; with dense straw-colored pubescence centrally and close to eyes and abundant dark yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument on remaining surface, except glabrous median groove. Area between antennal tubercles with abundant straw-colored pubescence partially obscuring integument, except glabrous median groove. Area between upper eye lobes and area behind them with dense straw-colored pubescence close to eye, gradually dark yellowish brown toward glabrous median groove on vertex; remaining surface of vertex and of area behind upper eye lobes glabrous. Area behind lower eye lobes tumid, with abundant straw-colored pubescence not obscuring integument close to eye, glabrous close to prothorax. Genae with abundant straw-colored pubescence partially obscuring integument, except glabrous apex, and one long, erect seta close to frons, seta blackish basally, gradually yellowish toward apex. Wide central area of postclypeus with abundant, bristly straw-colored pubescence, and long, erect setae interspersed, setae dark brown basally, gradually translucent toward apex. Sides of postclypeus glabrous. Labrum glabrous close to anteclypeus and on yellowish-brown area, with somewhat abundant whitish pubescence on remaining surface, and long, erect setae of same color interspersed. Gulamentum smooth, glabrous, except intermaxillary process with sparse yellowish-white pubescence. Antennal tubercles with abundant dark yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument, except straw-colored pubescence posteriorly. Distance between upper eye lobes 0.29 times distance between outer margins of eyes; in frontal view, distance between lower eye lobes 0.47 times distance between outer margins of eyes. Antennae 2.1 times elytral length, reaching elytral apex at posterior third of antennomere VII. Scape with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, with a few long, erect, both dark brown and yellowish-brown setae on posterior third of ventral surface. Pedicel with abundant yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument basally, and abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument on remaining surface; ventral surface with one short, erect, thick black seta and one long, erect dark-brown seta. Antennomeres III–VIII with abundant yellowish-white pubescence on light basal area slightly sparser, brownish pubescence on remaining surface; ventral surface of antennomere III with a few short, thick black setae on basal third, and long, erect blackish setae throughout; ventral surface of antennomeres IV–VI with long, erect blackish setae ventrally; antennomeres VII–VIII with one long, erect blackish setae on ventral apex of ventral surface; antennomeres IV–VIII with one moderately long, erect blackish seta on apex of dorsal surface; antennomeres IX–XI with moderately long, erect yellowish-white setae throughout, sparser on IX; apex of antennomere XI with moderately long yellowish-white setae directed backward. Antennal formula based on length of antennomere III: scape = 0.96; pedicel = 0.15; IV = 1.23; V = 1.00; VI = 0.88; VII = 0.84; VIII = 0.77; IX = 0.77; X = 0.73; XI = 0.65.

Thorax. Prothorax wider than long; anterior constriction narrow, well marked; sides tumid close to anterior constriction and slightly tumid close to posterior transverse sulcus; lateral tubercle large, conical, from slightly before middle to posterior fifth. Pronotum with one large tubercle on each side, slightly oblique, with its dorsal surface obliquely truncate, located between anterior quarter and posterior third, and another elongate, slightly elevated tubercle centrally from middle to posterior quarter; sparsely, coarsely punctate, around smooth tubercles, punctures forming transverse row anteriorly and posteriorly, and oblique row on each side of central tubercle, from anterior to posterior row of punctures; sides and posterior third with dense straw-colored pubescence, except irregular dark yellowish-brown pubescent macula on lateral tubercles of prothorax, posterior area of central tubercle, and on each side of posterior third, and glabrous posterior sulcus; central region with abundant grayish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, forming large triangular macula from anterior quarter to straw-colored pubescence on posterior third; central area close to anterior margin with abundant brownish pubescence not obscuring integument; remaining surface with abundant, somewhat brownish-gray pubescence not obscuring integument; area behind lateral tubercles of prothorax with one long, erect seta, brownish basally, gradually pale yellow toward its apex. Sides of prothorax with row of coarse punctures near posterior margin; remaining surface smooth; with dense slightly yellowish pubescence, except yellowish-white pubescence on postcoxal process and glabrous posterior sulcus. Prosternum with abundant pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence straw-colored laterally, whitish centrally. Prosternal process almost parallel-sided on wide central area; with abundant whitish pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence gradually sparser toward apex on posterior half; narrowest area 0.52 times procoxal width. Wide central area of mesoventrite with grayish-white pubescence not obscuring integument and sides with dense straw-colored pubescence. Mesanepisternum, mesepimeron, metanepisternum, and sides of metaventrite with dense straw-colored pubescence; remaining surface of metaventrite with abundant white pubescence not obscuring integument, except glabrous area of metathoracic discrimen on posterior half. Sides of mesoventral process distinctly convergent from base to near apex, where they are divergent; apex concave; basal area about 1.25 times mesocoxal width; narrowest area 0.62 times mesocoxal width; apical width 0.75 times mesocoxal width. Scutellum with dense yellowish-white pubescence. Elytra. Centrobasal crest gibbous; anterior quarter moderately abundantly, coarsely punctate, part of punctures with long, erect black setae, except all punctures on centrobasal crest with long setae; remaining surface sparsely, finely punctate, each puncture with long, erect black seta; apex obliquely truncate; black subcircular maculae with dense black pubescence and surrounded by yellowish-brown pubescence; remaining surface with abundant yellowish pubescence, denser and lighter on anterior quarter, with irregular, narrow white pubescent bands interspersed dorsally, white pubescence dashed on sutural region; sides with yellowish pubescence as on dorsal surface, except area close to epipleural margin with dashed white pubescence. Legs. Femora with abundant yellowish-white pubescence not obscuring integument, pubescence more grayish-white on profemora, except posterior half of dorsal surface of femoral club with irregular macula with sparser light yellowish-brown pubescence. Tibiae with dense white pubescence on basal 2/3, except dorsal surface of basal third with sparse pubescence; apical third with moderately abundant dark yellowish-brown pubescence not obscuring integument; apical third of meso- and metatibiae with abundant, thick, erect black setae, more abundant on mesotibiae; dorsal surface of apical third of metatibiae with sparse, long, erect black setae interspersed; ventral surface of metatibiae with abundant, short, erect black setae interspersed; protibiae with sparse, long, erect yellowish-brown setae interspersed dorsally and laterally; dorsal surface of meso- and metatibiae with sparse, short, spine-shaped black setae on basal quarter of dorsal surface. Dorsal surface of tarsi with abundant white pubescence not obscuring integument. Metatarsomere I slightly shorter than II–III together.

Abdomen. Ventrites with abundant yellowish-white pubescence partially obscuring integument, pubescence forming fringe on apex of ventrites 1–4; ventrite 5 with narrow, glabrous sulcus on center of anterior third, with sparse, long, erect dark-brown setae on sides of posterior half and close to apex; apex of ventrite five widely, slightly concave.

Dimensions (mm). Total length, 6.50; prothoracic length, 1.25; anterior prothoracic width, 1.35; posterior prothoracic width, 1.75; maximum prothoracic width, 2.20; humeral width, 2.50; elytral length, 4.60.

Type material. Holotype female (MZSP 54744) from BRAZIL, Amazonas: Manaus, 1 km W Taruma Falls, 100 m, primary forest, 13.II.1981, G. Ekis leg. (MZSP).

Etymology. The new species is named in honor of the late Ubirajara Ribeiro Martins de Souza (Bira).

Remarks. Penaherreraus birai sp. nov. differs from the other species of the genus by the absence of dark sutural band about middle of the elytra, and the presence of two subcircular black maculae on each elytron.