Normaltica, Konstantinov, Alexander S., 2002

Konstantinov, Alexander S., 2002, A new genus of flea beetles from the Greater Antilles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Zootaxa 124, pp. 1-24 : 2-11

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.4620248
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/A416F80C-BE6C-D80E-D947-FCAFFAD39D19
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Normaltica
status	gen. nov.

Treatment

Normaltica new genus ( Figs. 177 View FIGURES 1 — 4 View FIGURES 5 — 8 View FIGURES 9 — 11 View FIGURES 12 — 15 View FIGURES 16 — 18 View FIGURES 19 — 24 View FIGURES 25 — 29 View FIGURES 30 — 33 View FIGURES 34 — 36 View FIGURES 37 — 42 View FIGURES 43 — 44 View FIGURES 45 — 48 View FIGURES 49 — 54 View FIGURES 55 — 58 View FIGURES 59 — 65 View FIGURES 66 — 71 View FIGURES 72 — 77 )

Description. Body of medium size, length 1.942.59 mm, oval, relatively convex in lateral view. Color black, brown or dark brown, with or without metallic luster, appendages paler. Eight apical antennomeres vary in color.

Head ( Figs. 14 View FIGURES 1 — 4 ) nearly hypognathous, flat in lateral view. Frons and vertex form nearly straight or slightly convex line ( Fig. 4 View FIGURES 1 — 4 ) in lateral view. Vertex smooth. Supraorbital pore single, well developed, protruding dorsally, surrounded by shallow grove nearly equally deep all around pore. Antennal callus variously developed, if developed nearly trapezoidal, 1.45 times as wide as long. Midfrontal sulcus poorly developed. Suprafrontal sulcus well developed. Supraorbital and orbital sulci well developed, deep. Supracallinal sulci variable. Subgenal suture well developed along base of mandible. Orbit wide, 1.7 times as wide as transverse diameter of eye. Interantennal space 0.8 times as wide as transverse diameter of eye and 1.54 times as wide as transverse diameter of antennal socket. Frontal ridge wide. Anterofrontal ridges variable in height, poorly developed, not separated from frontal ridge. Labrum ( Figs. 12, 13 View FIGURES 12 — 15 ) with six setiferous pores and two sensilla medially. Apical margin with seven short sensilla on each side. Torma relatively short. Mandible ( Figs. 7, 8 View FIGURES 5 — 8 ) with four denticles. Labium with three palpomeres per palpus, second palpomere longest. Maxilla with galea slightly wider than lacinia ( Figs. 16, 17 View FIGURES 16 — 18 ). Sensilla patch of last maxillary palpomere longer than wide, consisting of four imbedded sensilla ( Fig. 18 View FIGURES 16 — 18 ). Antenna clavate ( Figs. 911 View FIGURES 9 — 11 ), club with six antennomeres.

Pronotum ( Figs. 1924 View FIGURES 19 — 24 ) 1.67 to 1.95 times wider than long, without impressions, side weakly rounded and relatively widely explanated. Lateral sides not parallel to each other, converging gradually at apical twothirds. Anterolateral callosity unusually long, with pore situated nearly in middle of lateral margin. Posterolateral callosity not protruding. Anterior coxal cavity open. Intercoxal prosternal process wide, in middle from 1.40 to 1.76 times as wide as long, nearly parallel sided or narrowing apically with apex slightly concave, not projecting beyond coxa. Distance between proximal margin of prosternum to coxal cavity 0.23 times as long as distance from proximal margin of prosternum to end of intercoxal prosternal process ( Fig. 24 View FIGURES 19 — 24 ). Proendosternites relatively short, facing each other, slightly rounded on top ( Fig. 20 View FIGURES 19 — 24 ).

Mesonotum weakly developed, membranous with postmedial projection attached to lateral side of metanotum and prealar projection attached to mesepisternum ( Fig. 29 View FIGURES 25 — 29 ).

Mesoscutellum flat, broadly triangular. Longitudinal diameter of mesocoxal cavity 2.28 times as long as mesosternum above mesocoxal cavity. Mesepimeron and mesepisternum forming outer side of mesocoxal cavity. Mesosternal intercoxal process nearly as wide as prosternal intercoxal process, slightly concave on top. Mesendosternite wide at base, narrowing apically, not connecting with mesepisternomeral ridge ( Fig. 25 View FIGURES 25 — 29 ).

Metanotum fully developed in N. obrieni and simplified in N. iviei , allocrista situated nearly in middle of notum. Metasternum longer than mesosternum in N. obrieni and shorter than mesosternum in N. iviei . Metendosternite with stalk nearly as wide as long ( Fig. 28 View FIGURES 25 — 29 ). Normaltica obrieni with robust arms and full set of ridges; N. iviei with arms long and thin, stalk lacking most ridges ( Fig. 25 View FIGURES 25 — 29 ).

Elytron ( Figs. 3142 View FIGURES 30 — 33 View FIGURES 34 — 36 View FIGURES 37 — 42 , 57, 58 View FIGURES 55 — 58 ) with maximum width near mid length. Humeral callus well to poorly developed. Elytral apex narrowly rounded, surrounded by distinct border. Epipleura nearly horizontal, reaching almost to sutural margin of elytron. Lateral margin of elytron delimiting epipleura dorsolaterally, continuing along apical margin of elytron. Elytral lock mechanism asymmetrical near base and symmetrical apically ( Figs. 3033 View FIGURES 30 — 33 ).

Lock of left elytron with longitudinal groove dorsally, bordered by ridge ventrally. Right elytron with ridge dorsally and groove ventrally, so ridge of right elytron locks with groove of left elytron at base. Further apically, ridge of right elytron migrating ventrally, gradually opening groove slightly narrower but otherwise nearly identical to one of left elytron. Elytron with two sensilla patches ( Figs. 3440 View FIGURES 34 — 36 View FIGURES 37 — 42 ) near middle, basal patch larger than medial patch. Sensilla on periphery of basal patch sharktoothshaped, facing toward middle of patch and away from patch on posterior side of it; medial patch lacks sharktoothshaped sensilla. Sensilla medial to sharktooth sensilla wide arrowheadshaped, in basal patch facing toward middle, in medial patch facing away from middle. Sensilla occupying centers of all patches stumpshaped, facing middle of patch in basal patch and laterally in medial patch. Elytral apex with sensilla stripes along apex and suture ( Figs. 41, 42 View FIGURES 37 — 42 ).

Wings greatly variable. In N. obrieni , wings with full set of veins including two sclerites between radial cell and RPmp2. In N. iviei , wing of full length but very narrow with apical part lacking veins and surrounded by long setae. Basal part with only radial and median bars ( Figs. 53, 54 View FIGURES 49 — 54 ).

Pro and mesotibiae without apical spine. First protarsomere in male wider than in female. Metafemur robust, with two small humps on anterior and posterior margins ( Figs. 43 View FIGURES 43 — 44 , 50 View FIGURES 49 — 54 ). Metatibia ( Figs. 4352 View FIGURES 43 — 44 View FIGURES 45 — 48 View FIGURES 49 — 54 ) slightly curved in dorsal and lateral views, nearly cylindrical, apical 1/6 slightly flattened, without callosity in lateral view. Apical spur shorter than tarsal claw. Metatibia 5 times as long as first metatarsomere. Latter triangular, ventral side flat, covered with long and thin setae of same shape as on dorsal side. Second metatarsomere smaller than first and third, triangular with setae similar to those of first. Third metatarsomere entire. Setae on ventral side of third metatarsomere, abruptly widening at apex, with few microtrichia ( Figs. 4448 View FIGURES 43 — 44 View FIGURES 45 — 48 ). Claw appendiculate ( Figs. 47, 48 View FIGURES 45 — 48 ).

Abdomen with five distinct sternites ( Figs. 60 View FIGURES 59 — 65 , 66 View FIGURES 66 — 71 , 72 View FIGURES 72 — 77 ). Apical sternite as long as three preceding sternites together, without appendages basally. Apical tergite of female nearly triangular, unevenly covered with long setae, with lightly sclerotized area in middle ( Figs. 61 View FIGURES 59 — 65 , 67 View FIGURES 66 — 71 , 73 View FIGURES 72 — 77 ).

Spermatheca ( Figs. 62 View FIGURES 59 — 65 , 69 View FIGURES 66 — 71 , 75 View FIGURES 72 — 77 ) with receptacle variable in length. Pump with long vertical part. Duct without abrupt border with receptacle, without coils. Sclerotized part between duct and gland long. Tignum ( Figs. 65 View FIGURES 59 — 65 , 70 View FIGURES 66 — 71 , 76 View FIGURES 72 — 77 ) straight, widening anteriorly, with two sclerotized hook shaped structures posteriorly. Vaginal palpus ( Figs. 64 View FIGURES 59 — 65 , 71 View FIGURES 66 — 71 , 77 View FIGURES 72 — 77 ) robust, wide posteriorly, abruptly narrowing anteriorly.

Median lobe of aedeagus ( Figs. 55, 56 View FIGURES 55 — 58 ) relatively robust, simple in shape, slightly convex in lateral view, without any sculpture ventrally, without membranous window.

Type species. Normaltica obrieni sp. nov.

Etymology. This genus is named after Norman Woodley, who collected male and female of the type species of the genus. The name is feminine.

Discussion. Normaltica can be easily separated from all New World flea beetles based on the clavate antennae. Normaltica is the only known flea beetle genus one species of which species possesses a particular kind of sexual dimorphism in which the male has a greatly enlarged head and long labrum and mandibles. This kind of sexual dimorphism is known in some other leaf beetles, for example Clytrini ( Labidostomis Germar , Coptocephala Lacordaire , etc.), but not in other flea beetles. Males of Chaloenus Westwood have the facial part of their head longer, but their mouthparts seem no longer than those of females.

Based on the lack of the impressions on the pronotum and the dilation on the posterior part of the pronotum, Normaltica keys together with Pseudodibolia Jacoby in Scherer’s (1983) key to Neotropical flea beetle genera. Besides having clavate antennae, Normaltica can be easily distinguished from that genus based on the lack of a denticle on the hind tibia, having six setiferous pores on the labrum, and having strongly developed supraantennal and supraorbital sulci. Normaltica is also similar to Monotalla Bechyne. This genus was synonymized by Scherer (1983) with Pseudodibolia , but later removed from synonymy ( Savini and Furth 2001). Normaltica can be separated from Monotalla by its 11 segmented antennae (they are 10 segmented in Monotalla ), lack of the prebasal transverse impression on the pronotum, tiny metatibial spur, and the lack of denticles on the dorsal side of the metatibia.

The two species of Normaltica provide an opportunity to understand some of the consequences of wing reduction in flea beetles. Comparison of the fully winged specimens of N. obrieni with specimens of N. iviei with significantly reduced wings indicates noticeable differences in thoracic structures, particularly in the meso and metathorax ( Figs. 25, 29 View FIGURES 25 — 29 ). In N. iviei , the meso and metanota have lost most of the ridges, leaving only allocrypta on the metanotum. Although the length of the mesosternum in N. obrieni and N. iviei is essentially the same, the length of the metasternum in N. iviei is significantly shorter ( Figs. 26, 27 View FIGURES 25 — 29 ). Among internal structures, the metendosternite in N. iviei ( Fig. 25 View FIGURES 25 — 29 ) is also much simplified; it lacks most of the ridges and its stalk is much shorter than in N. obrieni ( Fig. 28 View FIGURES 25 — 29 ).