Beltia tsachila Flowers, 2018

Flowers, R. Wills, 2018, A review of the genus Beltia Jacoby (Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae: Eumolpini), with descriptions of fourteen new species from Costa Rica, Panama, and northwestern South America, Insecta Mundi 672, pp. 1-43 : 24-25

Beltia tsachila Flowers , new species

Figures 38 , 57 , 72 , 79

Description of female holotype. Body ovate, dorsally convex; length 9.1 mm. Head, pronotum, and elytra dull metallic golden green, scutellum green with coppery margin; antennae with scape dark green, antennomeres 2–5 dark reddish brown, remaining antennomeres bluish black. Legs and underside glossy dark green, tarsi bluish black ( Fig. 38 ).

Head. Clypeus and frons densely aciculate-punctate, punctures separated by distance slightly less than their diameters; surface between punctures alutaceous, punctures separated by distance subequal to their diameters; frontoclypeal suture distinct, vertex with a distinct median impressed line, antennal calli small and poorly defined.

Thorax. Prothorax distinctly wider than long, L/W = 0.64, widest close to base; disc regularly, strongly punctate, punctures separated by distance subequal to their diameters; surface between punctures with numerous punctulae. Prosternum densely punctate, with dense whitish setae, posterior margin of intercoxal process distinctly concave, width of intercoxal process 1.5× diameter of procoxa. Mesosternum convex on anterior face. Metasternum smooth, metepisternum finely alutaceous.

Elytra. Evenly punctate, punctures separated by distance slightly greater than their diameters, surface between punctures with small punctulae; width across humeri 1.23× width across pronotum. Basal calli moderately developed, postbasal depression deep.

Abdomen. Sterna glossy, with numerous long setae, surface of segments V–VII alutaceous. Terga sclerotized, bluish green, alutaceous; a few small spicules laterally on tergum III.

Genitalia. Ovipositor ( Fig. 72a ) elongate, narrow (L/W = 5.47); sternum VIII with long, strap-like basal apodeme, slightly expanded and less strongly sclerotized in apical fourth; segment IX covered with microspicules, hemisternites with elongate basal rods; baculum distinct, elongate; gonocoxae about as long as wide. Spermatheca ( Fig. 72b ) with receptacle elongate, a sclerotized raised opening for the spermathecal gland.

Male allotype. Length 9.2 mm, color of head, pronotum, elytra, underside, and legs as in female; antennae entirely bluish black.

Head. Punctation as in female.

Thorax. Pronotum with proportions and punctation as in female. Prosternum narrower than in female (subequal to diameter of procoxa). Metasternum as in female.

Elytra. As in female.

Abdomen. Sterna with numerous white setae except for a glabrous area along midline of sterna III–VII.

Genitalia. Median lobe robust, curved at a right angle, a sinuate lamina on lateral margin along inside curvature ( Fig. 57a ); apex of median lobe tapered to a slightly off-center sharp projection ( Fig. 57c ). Apical sclerite small, twisted, and somewhat paddle-shaped ( Fig. 57b ).

Specimens examined. (1♂, 1♀) Female holotype labeled: ECUADOR: Pichincha Prov. Tinalandia, 12 km E. Santo Domingo de los Colorados 11–17-V-1986, G.B. Edwards forest, field, 2200–2500′ ( FSCA). Male allotype labeled: same data as holotype. Holotype and allotype deposited in FSCA.

Etymology. Tsachila, named for the indigenous Tsachila people of Ecuador, who still inhabit the region where this species was found.

Diagnosis. This species can be recognized by its large size and relatively coarse punctation on both the pronotum and elytra. The laminae along the curve of the median lobe are unique among the Beltia so far known.

Remarks. The female was selected to be the holotype because it is in a much better condition than the male. The male abdomen and genitalia were badly broken during the pinning process; the drawing of the aedeagus is a composite of the various fragments found after dissection. This species is known from one locality in the foothills of the western Andes in Ecuador ( Fig. 79 ).

Figures

Figures 36–41. Beltia, dorsal habitus. 36) Beltia tilarana, male. 37) Beltia tisingalita, female. 38) Beltia tsachila, female. 39) Beltia vacilona, female. 40) Beltia weyrauchi, male. 41) Beltia weyrauchi, female.

Figures 57–59. Beltia, male genitalia: a) lateral view of median lobe; b) endophallic apical sclerites; c) en-face view of median lobe. 57) Beltia tsachila. 58) Beltia vacilona. 59) Beltia weyrauchi.

Figures 67–74. Beltia, female genitalia: a) ovipositor, ventral view; b) spermatheca. 67) Beltia osa. 68) Beltia placidula. 69) Beltia sanchezae. 70) Beltia tilarana. 71) Beltia tisingalita. 72) Beltia tsachila. 73) Beltia vacilona. 74) Beltia weyrauchi.

Figures 78–79. Distribution maps for Beltia spp. 78) Northwestern South America: B. confusa (star), B. gorgona (inverted triangles), B. placidula (blue circles), B. rugosa (red circle), B. weyrauchi (square). 79) Ecuador: B. awapita (hexagon), B. ledesmae (squares), B. napoensis (triangles), B. talaga (circle), B. tsachila (star).