Asteriza flavicornis ( Olivier, 1790 )

Shin, Chulwoo, Chaboo, Caroline S. & Clark, Shawn M., 2012, Revision of the endemic Hispaniolan genus Asteriza Chevrolat, 1836, with description of two new species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae: Ischyrosonychini), Zootaxa 3227, pp. 34-53 : 43-44

Asteriza flavicornis ( Olivier, 1790)

Cassida flavicornis Olivier 1790: 393 [original description], 1808: 957 [figure]; Staines & Whittington 2003: 3 [type catalog]. Asteriza flavicornis Chevrolat 1836: 372 [transfer]; Boheman 1854: 496 [description], 1856: 147 [checklist], 1862: 365 [description]; Gemminger & Harold 1876: 3660 [catalog]; Spaeth 1914: 122 [catalog]; Blackwelder 1946: 748 [checklist]; Wilcox 1975: 154 [catalog]; Borowiec 1996: 130 [checklist], 1999: 169 [catalog]; Chaboo 2000: 379 [outgroup in phylogenetic analysis]; Takizawa 2003: 97 [checklist]; Chaboo 2007: 23 [phylogeny]; Perez-Gelabert 2008: 125 [checklist]; Świętojańska & Windsor 2008: 655 [mature larvae, pupa, host plant]; Borowiec & Świętojańska 2011 [catalog]. Asteriza punctatissima Chevrolat 1836: 372 [checklist, cited with Klug as author]; Gemminger & Harold 1876: 3660 (nomen nudum).

Asteriza flavicornis var. retigera Chevrolat 1836: 372 [checklist; cited with Mannerheim as author]; Gemminger & Harold 1876: 3660 (nomen nudum).

Type. Lectotype ( Fig. 1 ) and paralectotype ( Fig. 2 ) in RSME, lacking locality information. Staines & Whittington (2003: 3) indicate the same information.

Diagnosis. A. flavicornis (Figs. 10–12) can be distinguished from A. tainosa n. sp. ( Figs. 4–6 ) by the coloration of the pronotum and elytra that are less tan; from A. blakeae n. sp. (Figs. 7–8) by the elytral lateral margin that is less explanate, the pale pronotal lateral edges and bicolored femora; and from A. darlingtoni (Figs. 13–14) by the coloration and the shape between pronotal and elytral bases. The pronotum is nearly as wide as the elytral base, and together they form a nearly regular oval in dorsal view; the pronotal lateral margin is pale; the elytral punctures are more closely, regularly arranged; the dark markings on the elytra are interconnected, surrounding isolated pale blotches; the pale elytral markings are similar in size to those of the pronotal disc; each femur is black with the apical end reddish.

Redescription. Adult: Male (n=50) length 8.5–10.0 mm, width 7.2–8.0 mm; female (n=80) length 9.5–11.0 mm, width 8–10.0 mm. Body (Figs. 10–11) oval, slightly discontinuous between pronotal and elytral base in dorsal view; profile ( Figs. 20–21 ) hemispherical with elytra slightly more extended than pronotum ventrad. Dorsal color mottled, black with irregular brown spots, shiny; pale color ranging from yellowish brown to reddish-brown (Figs. 10–11). Head entirely concealed in dorsal view, black; vertex with paired, tan, swollen regions. Frontoclypeus often divided by mesal sulcus or sulcus obliterated by punctures basally but apparent apically. Gena and subgena black or dark reddish-brown. Maxillary palpomeres III and IV ( Fig. 36 ) occasionally with apical sensilla; III slightly curved, 2 times as long as II; IV 1.1 times longer than wide. Ligula (Fig. 40) apically rounded, coarsely setose; labial palpomere III 2.3 times as long as broad, with sensilla on apex, and with 2 individual sensilla subapically. Pronotum ( Figs. 42–43 ) with anterior margin semicircular; posterolateral and posteromedial angles well developed; maximum width across posteromedial angles; dorsum smooth, without punctation or setation; anterior and lateral margins explanate; explanate portion slightly broader posteriad; anterior margin pale, translucent. Elytra ( Figs. 51–52 ) moderately convex, with margins black with reddish brown edge, translucent in some specimens; explanate margin width less than one third elytron discal width.

Material examined. Lectotype, Dufrasne 1936–50, 236; no data ( RSME: male); paralectotype, Dufrasne 1936–50, 235; no data ( RSME: female); Dominican Republic: Prov. Azua: 8km N.E., Padre Las Casas, Rio Las Cuevas, 18˚ 46’ N., 70˚ 53’ W., Alt. 580 m, Oct 3–4 1991, C. Young, R. Davidson, J. Rawlins, Riparian growth in arid thorn scrub, hand collecting ( CMNH: 10 males, 15 females; BYU: 2 females); Prov. Independencia: Rd. 47, between Los Pinos & Angel Felix, 760 m, 18˚ 36’ 98.6 N., 71˚ 45’ 55.6 W, 20 VI 2005 (CCC: 4 females); ESE Jiman, La Florida, 18˚14' N., 71˚44' W., 20m, moist site, 13 APR 1993, M. A. Ivie, D. Sikes, W. Lanier ( WIBF: 4 males, 4 females); Prov. Monte Cristi: 5–9 km. N. Villa Elisa, 26 V 1992, col. M.C. Thomas ( FSCA: 1 male, 1 female); 8 km. N. Villa Elisa, 31 V 1994, col. M.C. Thomas ( FSCA: 2 males, 2 females); no data ( ZMHB: 1 male, 1 female); Prov. San Juan: 28 km. S.E., San Juan, August 6, 1979, G. B. Marshall ( WIBF: 1 female); St. Domingo, 2446, Gorham col. ( USNM: 2 females); Haiti: Prov. Ouquest: Diquini, W.M. Mann, F. Monros col. 1959 ( USNM: 1 female); Port au Prince, R.J. Crew, Wickman col. 1939 ( USNM: 10 males, 15 females); Port au Prince, 2˚ 27’ 98 [no direction is provided on label], E.A. Klages, F. Monros col. 1959 ( USNM: 3 males, 11 females; CUIC: 3 males, 2 females); Port au Prince [no direction is provided on label] ( ZMHB: 1 male, 6 females); W.A. Hoffmann, Apr 16 1925, ex Cordia mariani ( USNM: 4 males, 2 females); Coll. E. Friv. ( HNHM: 1 female); no data ( ZMHB: 9 males, 10 females).

Distribution. Dominican Republic: St. Domingo ( Gemminger & Harold 1876), Azua (range extension), Independencia (range extension); Haiti: Port au Prince ( Borowiec & Świętojańska 2011). Boheman (1854) indicated the locality Guyana, which Blake (1939) cited as the country of Guiana; Chaboo (2007: 234) also listed Guyana. Olivier (1790: 393) indicated the locality as “l’Amérique méridionale [South America], which referred to all of South America in the past. Based on the specimens we examined, Asteriza appears to be confined to Hispaniola. Olivier’s two type specimens ( Figs. 1–2 ; RSME) lack locality labels ( Olivier 1790).

Host plant. Boraginaceae : Cordia species ( Świętojańska & Windsor 2008). One USNM specimen has a label with the host plant, Cordia mariani , but this is not an accepted name for any Cordia species.

Remarks. We hereby designate the male specimen as the lectotype ( Fig. 1 ) from the two syntypes (RSME) because it is intact. The other syntype becomes the paralectotype; it is a female specimen ( Fig. 2 ) lacking the abdomen.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3. Type specimens: 1, Asteriza flavicornis, lectotype (RSME); 2, Asteriza flavicornis, paralectotype (RSME); 3, Asteriza darlintoni, holotype (MCZ).

FIGURES 4 – 6. Asteriza tainosa, new species: 4, male, dorsal view; 5, female, dorsal view; 6, male, ventral view. Figs. 7 – 9. Asteriza blakeae, new species: 7, male, dorsal view; 8, female, dorsal view; 9, male, ventral view. Figs. 10 – 12. Asteriza flavicornis: 10, male, dorsal view; 11, female, dorsal view; 12, male, ventral view. Figs. 13 – 15. Asteriza darlingtoni: 13, male, dorsal view; 14, female, dorsal view; 15, male, ventral view. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 16 – 23. Lateral view: Asteriza tainosa, new species, 16, male; 17, female; Asteriza blakeae, new species, 18, male; 19, female; Asteriza flavicornis, 20, male; 21, female; Asteriza darlingtoni, 22, male; 23, female. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 34 – 37. Maxillae: 34, Asteriza tainosa, new species; 35, Asteriza blakeae, new species; 36, Asteriza flavicornis; 37, Asteriza darlingtoni. Figs. 38 – 41. Labium. 38, Asteriza tainosa, new species, 39, Asteriza blakeae, new species, 40, Asteriza flavicornis 41, Asteriza darlingtoni. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 42 – 46. Asteriza tainosa, new species, thorax. 42, pronotum, 43, prosternum, 44, mesonotum, 45, metanotum, 46, meso-metasternum. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 47 – 54. Elytra, dorsal view: Asteriza tainosa, new species, 47, male; 48, female; Asteriza blakeae, new species, 49, male; 50, female; Asteriza flavicornis, 51, male; 52, female; Asteriza darlingtoni, 53, male; 54, female. Figs. 55 – 56. Elytra, ventral view,: Asteriza tainosa, new species, 55, male; 56, female. Figs. 57 – 58. Hind-wings: Asteriza tainosa, new species, 57, male; 58, female. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.