Colaspis costipennis Crotch, 1873

Riley, Edward G., 2020, A review of the Colaspis suilla species group, with description of three new species from Florida (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae), Insecta Mundi 2020 (830), pp. 1-21 : 7

Colaspis costipennis Crotch

( Fig. 3–4 , 17–18 , 40 , 43, 49, Map 2)

Colaspis brunnea, var. costipennis Crotch 1873: 44 ; type locality: not originally stated. Horn 1892: 224.

Colaspis Crotchi Lefèvre 1884 : cxcix [as valid species, unnecessary replacement name for Colaspis brunnea, var. costipennis Crotch, 1873 ]. Lefèvre 1885: 52 [catalogue].

Colaspis costipennis Crotch. Blake 1974: 14 , fig. 23.

Type material. Images of a syntype ( MCZ Type Database) examined. The imaged syntype is a male (determined by shape of pro- and meso-basitarsi), labeled “[orange disc = southern and Gulf states] || C. costipennis | (2) + Dej. || [red label] M.C.Z. | Type | 28447 || MCZ-ENT | 00028447 | [matrix barcode]”. Blake (1974) examined this specimen. It is a model example of the species, having a bright metallic green head and pronotum and broad pale elytral costae.

Remarks. The broad, markedly raised, and pale primary costae are diagnostic. The pale costae contrast strongly with the darker punctate strial areas. Heavily marked specimens have the head, pronotum, elytral marginal trim and strial areas, and the venter distinctly metallic green. In less strongly marked specimens, these areas are brownish with a faint metallic reflection. Males tend to be more elongate than males of other species of the group and have the punctate strial intervals narrow, often not much wider than the primary costate are broad. In most male specimens, there is little trace of secondary costae, the strial punctation of these areas is combined into a single punctate field. Females are more robust than males with the costae more widely spaced, and the secondary costae usually partially developed. Body length ranges from 3.9–4.9 mm. Among the dissected males, there is notable variation in the shape of the median lobe (en-face view), more variation than seen in other species of Colaspis . The post-orifical length is moderately long, but the general shape may be evenly tapered ( Fig. 40a, c ) to sub-angulate ( Fig. 40b, d ) and the apical nodule distinct ( Fig. 40a, c, d ) or obsolete ( Fig. 40b ).

Range. Map 2. Previously recorded from several Atlantic coastal states ranging from Massachusetts to Louisiana ( Blake 1974). It appears to be restricted to the Atlantic and eastern Gulf coastal plain, and the immediate coast in the northern-most portions of its range. In Florida, it occurs as far south as the Miami area on the east coast, and the Tampa area on the west coast. I have been unable to confirm its occurrence in Louisiana, although it is expected in the Florida parishes (southeastern Louisiana). Chapin (1979) reported one specimen from Natchitoches Parish (central Louisiana), but this specimen is a male C. suilla (LSUC, examined). I have been unable to locate the locality “Perdicto Beach”, the single Louisiana locality cited by Blake (1974). The listings of C. costipennis from Ontario and Manitoba, Canada ( LeSage 1991; Bousquet et al. 2013), are likely based on misidentifications. My examination of images of CNC specimens under the name C. costipennis show that they are examples of C. suilla . I have seen specimens from USA: AL, FL, GA, ME, MS, NC, NH, NY and SC.

Biological notes. Data from Blake (1974) and specimen labels indicate associations with many kinds of plants, with several references to oaks (all from Florida), including Q. laevis Walter , Q. laurifolia Michx. , and Q. nigra L.

Specimens examined. 229 total, see Appendix 2.

Figures

Figures 1–4. Habitus of Colaspis species, dorsal and lateral. 1) Male, C. suilla F. (Lake Claiborne St. Pk., LA). 2) Female, C. suilla F. (Lake Claiborne St. Pk., LA). 3) Male, C. costipennis Crotch (Sand Hill St. Forest, SC). 4) Female, C. costipennis Crotch (Sand Hill St. Forest, SC). All figures to scale.

Figures 11–18. Forebodies of Colaspis suilla species group, anterodorsal and dorsolateral views. 11) Male C. ansa n. sp. (Port St. Joe, FL). 12) Male C. skelleyi n. sp. (Lake Marion Estates, FL). 13) Male C. thomasi n. sp. (Archbold Biol. Sta., FL). 14) Male C. suilla F. (Kisatchie Nat’l. Forest, LA). 15) Female C. suilla F. (Torreya St. Pk., FL). 16) Male C. suilla F. (Merritt Reservoir, NE). 17) Male C. costipennis Crotch (Gainesville, FL). 18) Male C. costipennis Crotch (Pensacola, FL). All figures to scale.

Figures 33–40. Colaspis suilla species group, male median lobe en-face view and male genitalia lateral view. 33) C. ansa n. sp., a. Port St. Joe, FL; b. Eastpoint, FL; c. Port St. Joe, FL. 34) C. ansa n. sp. (Eastpoint, FL). 35) C. skelleyi n. sp., a. Tiger Creek Preserve, FL; b. Lake Marion Estates, FL; c. Hopkins Prairie, FL. 36) C. skelleyi n. sp. (Lake Marion Estates, FL). 37) C. thomasi n. sp., a. Archbold Biol. Sta., FL; b. Lake Jackson, FL. 38) C. thomasi n. sp. (Archbold Biol. Sta., FL). 39) C. suilla F. a. Kirby St. Forest, TX; b Merritt Reservoir, NE; c. Hope Mills, NC; d. Schenectady, NY. 40) C. costipennis Crotch, a. Sand Hill St. Forest, SC; b. Gainesville (airport), FL; c. Gadsden County, FL; d. Gainesville, FL. En-face views (dry preparations) to scale, lateral views (wet preparations) to scale. AS = apical sclerite.