PNG Cerambycidae

[bandrow]

Greetings,

I would like to ask if anyone out there has seen this particular cerambycid species from Papua New Guinea? It appears to be a species of Iothocera, but not the (for now!) only known species I. tomentosa. This differs from tomentosa in the pubescent annulations of the antennae, the patches of strong punctures under the dark elytral fasciae, and the somewhat shorter and more robust body.

Next post will include a lateral image...

If you have specimens matching this, I would be very grateful for images and locality data and any other information available.

Thank you!
Bandrow

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[bandrow]

And here is the lateral view...

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[prillbug4]

Have you tried Gorton Linsley's Cerambycidae of New Guinea for Laminae? But then it might be a new species that was recently described.
Jeff Prill

[bandrow]

Thanks, Jeff,

I'll check that paper tomorrow at work, but so far, I can find no reference to any other species described in Iothocera. It's possible that it could have been described in some other genus, but it is so similar to Iothocera tomentosa that I find that unlikely. I found another specimen that looks like these in a Google Image search, but it is labeled as I. tomentosa. There is some possibility that this is a variant, but the characters are distinct enough that I doubt that. Having either completely bare antennae, or heavily annulate antennae, is not a character that varies within a species - I can think of no example where this character comes and goes within a species of cerambycid. I'm leaning toward this being something undescribed, but I'd like to see more specimens before deciding on that as a final conclusion.

Cheers!
Bandrow