Fidia marraverpa Strother, 2008

Strother, M. S. & Staines, C. L., 2008, A revision of the New World genus Fidia Baly 1863 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae: Adoxini), Zootaxa 1798 (1), pp. 1-100 : 49-50

Fidia marraverpa Strother , New Species

( Figs. 15 , 67 , 86 ; Map 7)

Holotype ♂ ( CMNC): " MEX. Hwy 131, 70 km S Oaxaca, Rio de la Y Km 3 W of jct. 1530m 17.VI.1979 H. & A. Howden / HOLOTYPE Fidia marraverpa M.S.Strother 1993 [red]". The specimen is glued on a point and is in excellent condition with all appendages intact. The abdomen is glued on a point pinned beneath the specimen. The aedeagus and associated sclerites are preserved in glycerin in a microvial pinned beneath the specimen . Paratype ♀ (TAMU): " MEXICO: Oaxaca 1 mi. n. El Pacifico July 14, 1973 Mastro & Schaffner / PARATYPE Fidia marraverpa M.S.Strother 1993 [red]" .

Description. Holotype (♂): TL = 4.64 mm., HW = 2.12 mm. Paratype (♀): TL = 4.56 mm., HW = 2.24 mm. Color: Head nearly black with only apical margin of clypeus red-brown in male, very dark red-brown with entire clypeus lighter red-brown in female; pronotum nearly as dark as head in male, entirely red-brown in female; elytra of both sexes light red-brown with humeral calli, intrahumeral calli, and basal sutural area darker red-brown; thoracic sterna very dark red-brown to blackish; abdominal sterna entirely dark red-brown in male, blackish with apical margin of last sternum orange-brown in female; femora of both sexes distally very dark red-brown, lighter basally; tibiae dark red-brown in male, orange-brown in female; tarsi entirely blackish in male, red-brown with blackish margins in female; pubescence white. Pronotum: Length subequal to width, widest at middle, sides distinctly arcuate in dorsal view, dorsum straight in lateral view; densely, coarsely punctate-reticulate; pubescence moderately dense, recumbent. Mesepisternum: Entirely glabrous. Elytra: Intrahumeral callus obsolete in male, feebly developed in female; humerus prominent, impunctate, glabrous; punctate-striae obscure, not impressed; asetose punctures subequal in diameter to setose punctules; interstices flat, moderately densely to densely punctulate-pubescent. Abdomen: Male: medial area of first sternum with small, transversely ovoid, impunctate, glabrous area; remaining sterna uniformly punctatepubescent; pygidium dorsally gently convex in apical ½ with subacutely rounded apex. Female: medial area of first sternum with narrow, longitudinal, impunctate, glabrous area; remaining sterna uniformly punctatepubescent; apical margin of last sternum concave with small, feebly developed, rounded medial process; pygidium dorsally flattened in apical ½ with apex more acutely rounded than that of male. Legs: Both sexes with femora gradually tapered towards base. Male with pro- and mesotibial spurs thick, minutely rugulose; disco-setae on all basitarsi. Penis: In posterior view, sides tapered; apex slightly constricted proximal to broad, truncate, hoe-shaped apical process; sclerotized area between posterior margin of ostium and apical process bearing low, oblong callus. In lateral view, eudorsal surface of declivitous area feebly convex, euventral surface nearly straight; apex distinctly recurved. Sperm guide composed of lower sclerite only. Spermatheca: Basal arm type.

Etymology. From Latin marra, meaning hoe, and verpa, meaning penis; referring to the hoe-shaped apical process of the penis.

Diagnosis. Medium-sized (approximately 4.6 mm.); red-brown with humeral callus glabrous, polished and darker; intrahumeral calli obsolete or feebly developed; mesepisternum entirely glabrous. Male with abdominal sterna lacking distinct modifications; pro- and mesotibial spurs stout, minutely rugulose; discosetae on all basitarsi; penis with broad, truncate, hoe-shaped apical process ( Fig. 86 ). Female with apical margin of last abdominal sternum with small, rounded medial process ( Fig. 67 ).

Fidia marraverpa is the only species in which males possess the following combination of characters: stout, minutely rugulose pro- and mesotibial spurs, disco-setae on all basitarsi, and the mesepisternum entirely glabrous. Fidia marraverpa is most similar to pale specimens of F. humeralis but is distinguished from the latter by having the humeral callus glabrous and darker than the surrounding humeral area. Females of F. marraverpa are distinguished from paler specimens of F. pedestris and F. spuria by the much smaller apical process of the last abdominal sternum and from F. humeralis by having the apical process rounded rather than pointed.

Distribution (Map 7). Known only from the types.

Natural History. Unknown.

Figures

FIGURES 13–16. Dorsal habitus of Fidia species. 13. F.humeralis. 14. F. longipes. 15. F. marraverpa. 16. F. papillata.

FIGURES 61–70. Last visible abdominal sternum of female (scale bar = 1.0 mm). 61. F. rileyorum. 62. F.spuria. 63. F. delilahae. 64. F. pedestris. 65. F. papillata. 66. F. confusa. 67. F. marraverpa. 68. F. dichroma. 69. F. humeralis. 70. F. xanthonioides.

FIGURES 84–86. Distal part of male aedeagus, lateral and dorsal views (scale bar = 0.5 mm). 84. F. spuria. 85. F. pedestris. 86. F. marraverpa.