Agamemnon cornutus (Burmeister, 1838), new combination

 

Synonymy

Acanthoderus cornutus Burmeister, 1838   Burmeister, 1838: 569.     [ Holotype, a female. St. Thom. (ZMHU) ]   Westwood, 1859: 56.   Rehn, 1903: 136.       Bacteria cornuta (Burmeister, 1838)   Saussure, 1868: 65.       Bacteria (Pseudobacteria) cornuta (Burmeister, 1838)   Saussure, 1872: 161.       Ceroys cornutus (Burmeister, 1838)   Kirby, 1904b: 354.   Rehn, 1909: 199.       Canuleius cornutus (Burmeister, 1838)   Redtenbacher, 1906: 66, 67.   Wolcott, 1923: 24.   Wolcott, 1936: 36.   Wolcott, 1948: 50.   Wolcott, 1951: 50.       Pygirhynchus thomae Saussure, 1868   Saussure, 1868: 64.     [ Type locality:  St. Thomas, West Indies. The type was not in Geneva and is presumed lost.  New synonymy. ]   Saussure, 1872: 170.   Kirby, 1904b: 408.       Agamemnon thomae (Saussure, 1868)   Moxey, 1971: 73, 80, figs. (female).       Ocnophila illegitima Brunner, 1907   Brunner, 1907: 311, 316.     [ Holotype, a male. St. Thomas. Antilles. (GM). (In his description, Brunner incorrectly reported the type locality as “Cuba.”)  New synonymy. ]   Rehn, 1909: 197.

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Description

Color.  Brown when pinned.   Female.  Head with a pair of short, erect spines between the eyes, the vertex with some small tubercles or spines.   Pronotum tuberculate, with a pair of stubby spines on the posterior margin; mesonotum laterally tuberculate, sometimes with a pair of median excrescences.   Abdomen longitudinally rugose, segment VII at most slightly depressed, narrowed distally. Supraanal plate lanceolate, medially carinate, reaching at least to the end of the subgenital plate, thus having a beak-like appearance. Lateral carinae of sternite VII each ending in a small, blunt retrorse spine; each side of the praeopercular organ with an oblique, blunt spine; subgenital plate longitudinally rugose and medially carinate in the distal three-quarters.   Margins of the femora and tibiae granulate to slightly foliaceously lobate, lower lateral and median carinae of femora II and III each with two subapical granules.

Male.  Head with a pair of short, sharp spines between the eyes, the vertex with a quartet of spines.   Pronotum with a pair of small tubercles on the anterior margin and a slightly larger pair on the posterior margin; mesonotum with small, rounded tubercles laterally and medially in a row.   Subgenital plate strongly fornicate.   Anterior coxae without a lateral spine; margins of the femora and tibiae almost smooth.

Egg.  Large, subcylindrical, surface granulate. Micropylar plate planaria-shaped, about three times longer than broad. Operculum flat. Length 3.5 mm.

Distribution.  St. Thomas and coastal lowland Puerto Rico.

Material examined.  Two males, four females.     < no locality label > ZMNH Puerto Rico Aguadilla USNM Algarrobo ANSP St. Thomas < island label only > GM ZMHU

After examining the type of this species, I am certain that the specimen Moxey (1971) described as A. thomae is conspecific with cornutus. Regrettably, the type of thomae seems lost. Brunner’s illegitima is clearly a male of Agamemnon; the anterior legs are missing, and the genitalic region has been consumed by dermestids. I have associated illegitima with cornutus because of similar spinous development and type localities (St. Thomas).

[ key to species of Agamemnon Moxey, 1971 ]

Measurements

	Male	Females
Total length	55 mm	53-68 mm
mesonotum	15 mm	11-16 mm
metanotum and median segment	9 mm	7- 9 mm
anterior femur		10-13 mm
middle femur	11 mm	8-10 mm
posterior femur	15 mm	10-13 mm
supraanal plate		3- 4 mm

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