Brontispa caledonica, Borowiec & Świętojańska & Sekerka, 2019

Borowiec, Lech, Świętojańska, Jolanta & Sekerka, Lukáš, 2019, Revision of the tribe Cryptonychini (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae) of New Caledonia, Zootaxa 4690 (1), pp. 1-71 : 6-11

Brontispa caledonica sp. nov.

( Figs 1–8 , 219)

Etymology. Named after its terra typica—New Caledonia.

Type locality. New Caledonia, Rivière Bleue , Haute Purina .

Diagnosis. Brontispa caledonica sp. nov. is conspicuous by its large size of 13.2 mm, which makes it the largest known species of Brontispa as other species of the genus have usual size 7–8 mm, only rarely reaching 11 mm in B. depressa (Baly, 1859) from the Philippines. Brontispa caledonica sp. nov. also has anterior corners of pronotum weakly projecting laterally thus the pronotum has lateral margins only slighly sinuate while most species of Bronti- spa have anterior corners strongly projecting laterally or anteriad. Only three New Guinean species have similarly shaped anterior corners of pronotum: B. eversi Gressitt, 1960 , B. lateralis Uhmann, 1953 and B. simonthomasi Gressitt, 1960 . They differ in emarginate sides of anterior margin in front of anterior corners and in smaller size (7–8 mm). Brontispa caledonica sp. nov. is the only species of Brontispa which has anterior corners of pronotum continuous with convex anterior margin.

Description. Length 13.20 mm, width 3.05 mm.

Frontoclypeus, interocular plate and anterior part of vertex ferrugineous, gena and posterior part of vertex black, cheeks behind gena with yellowish-brown spot of diffused borders. Pronotum, scutellum and elytra ochraceous ( Fig. 1 ). Antennomere I ochraceous internally, black externally, antennomeres II–VII ochraceous-brown, apical four antennomeres black ( Fig. 2 ). Prosternum ochraceous ventrally with darkened sides and apex of prosternal process; mesoventrite and anterior part of metaventral process ochraceous, rest of metaventrite brown to dark brown. Abdominal ventrites I–IV mostly brown with ochraceous margins, ventrite V mostly ochraceous with brownish spot of diffused borders apically. Trochanters ochraceous brown, femora mostly brown with ochraceous apex, tibiae and tarsi ochraceous ( Figs 7, 8 ). Body glabrous. Head 1.7 × as broad as long, interocular plate slightly trapezoidal, almost flat, at base shallowly impressed, distinctly separated from vertex, lateral and anterior margin not elevated, anterior corners almost straigh. Surface of interocular plate coarsely and densely punctate basally, finely to moderately coarse punctate laterally; with small impunctate area laterally in front of mid length; along middle runs deep, complete median sulcus; interantennal process as long as half length of antennomere I, parallel-sided, along dorsal side with thin sulcus, apex truncate ( Fig. 4 ). Frontoclypeus 1.7 × as long as broad (including interantennal process), obtuse apically, anterior corners forming elevated tubercles, central plate with converging grooves, without median keel, surface regular and shiny, with moderately coarse and dense setose punctures ( Fig. 3 ). Antennae 0.29 × as long as body, slightly compressed apically; antennomere I elongate, approximately 1.5 × as long as broad; antennomere II 1.3 × as long as broad, 0.7 × as long as I; antennomere III approximately 0.8 × as long as I; antennomeres IV–VI approximately as long as III, antennomeres VII–X slightly longer than III, antennomere XI 1.5 × as long as X, subangulate apically ( Fig. 2 ). Pronotum approximately as broad as long, shallowly constricted behind anterolateral projections then subparallel-sided, anterior margin regularly convex and smooth, basal margin distinctly bisinuate; anterior angles obtuse without anterior tubercle, anterolateral projections softly marked, only shallowly impressed obliquely to anterior corners, basal angles obtuse, without tooth ( Fig. 5 ); disc mostly flat, in middle with short and shallow sulcus and with small depression in front of scutellum, shiny; punctation of pronotum on sides coarse and dense, punctures mostly touching each other but surface not appearing rugose, surface of anterolateral projections with only a few punctures, partly smooth, middle of disc mostly impunctate, with only a few coarse punctures, shiny. Elytra approximately 3.7 × as long as broad, subparallel-sided on almost whole length, before apex softly converging, sutural angle subangulate, apex of elytra not emarginate. Disc with 7–8 punctures in scutellar row, in humeral part with six main rows plus additional two rows between external costa and margin of elytra, eight rows behind middle and ten rows apically; intervals 1–3 flat, interval 4 obtusely costate on whole length and interval 6 obtusely costate in anterior ⅔ length, interval 8 indistinctly costate on whole length; area between external costa and lateral margin only with two regular rows, without additional punctures. Ventral surface microreticulate and slightly alutaceous, hypomera finely punctate; anterior margin of prosternum distinctly elevated and margined from prosternal process by sulcus; prosternal process with extremely fine and sparse punctation, mesoventrite with a few small punctures, posteriorly with short longitudinal striation, metaventrite laterally with small and sparse punctures, anterior process and posterolateral convex angles with longitudinal and oblique striation, central part mostly smooth; abdominal ventrites I–III impunctate, ventrite IV with fine punctures close to posterior margin, ventrite V on almost whole surface punctate, in anterior angles punctures fine and sparse, centrally and apically punctures gradually coarser and denser. Legs stout.

The only studied specimen is female, therefore sexual dimorphism is unknown, apices of fore tibiae with deep excavation on inner margin and with small spine on outer margin ( Fig. 6 ); mid tibiae almost straight with convex external margin ( Fig. 7 ), apically armed with moderately strong black spine; hind tibiae straight with convex external and internal margins, at apex with small apical spine ( Fig. 8 ). Ventrite V truncate at apex.

Host plant. According to the label data the specimen was collected on Dracophyllum sp. ( Ericaceae ). However, it is quite unlikely the true host plant as all species of Cryptonychini with known host plant are associated with various monocots (e.g. Arecaceae , Cyperaceae , Pandanaceae , Poaceae , Orchideaceae). We assume that the beetle was hiding among leaves as the plant resembles Pandanaceae and thus provides a similar shelter.

Type material examined. Holotype: ♀, ‘ NEW CALEDONIA 11211 | 22°06'S x 166°38'E. 800m | Riv. Bleue, Haute Purina. | 22 Nov 2002. G. Monteith [w, p, cb] || ex Dracophyllum [w, hw, cb] ( MNHN).

Brontispa longissima ( Gestro, 1885) 2

( Figs 9–15 , 217)

Oxycephala longissima Gestro, 1885: 162 (original description).

Brontispa froggatti: Risbec 1934: 7 (biology, larva, pest status), 1936: 178 (description, immature stages).

Brontispa longissima: Gressitt 1960b: 104 (faunistics: Anse Vata, Nouméa; larva).

Type locality. Indonesia, Maluku Province, Aru Islands, Wokam Island .

Description. Length 8.00– 9.50 mm, width 1.95–2.20 mm.

Head brown to black anteriorly and rust coloured behind eyes. Pronotum yellowish-orange to rust coloured, usually with darker, brown spot in area above head. Elytra in darkest form completely shiny black or with narrowly orange to reddish humeral area and suture behind scutellum ( Fig. 9 ); usually with yellowish-orange to reddish basal ¼ length ( Fig. 10 ); in pale forms elytra predominantly yellow with elongate central brown spot or also brown along sides; epipleura and apical margin of elytra often reddish brown to red. Antennae brownish to black, often basal shiny antennomeres darker than pubescent apical ones ( Fig. 11 ). Thorax and abdomen in New Caledonian populations uniformly rust coloured or only posterior corners of thorax slightly infuscate. Legs orange to rust coloured with all tibiae, tarsi and hind femora more or less infuscate brown, usually paler along inner margin and darker along outer one. Body glabrous except for yellowish hairs on frontoclypeus, short golden brown pubescence on distal four or five antennomeres and golden orange pubescence on tarsal pads and apices of tibiae. Head approximately as long as broad, interocular plate rectangular, almost flat, well separated from vertex by very deep sulcus ( Fig. 14 ). Surface of interocular plate coarsely and densely punctate and with narrow but deep median sulcus along entire length, also anterior corners margined by deep sulci. Interantennal process in males as long as ⅔ length of anten- nomere I, in females ½ as long as antennomere I, stout, slightly rounded apically and medially with deep sulcus along entire length continuing from interocular plate. Frontoclypeus 1.9 × as long as broad (including interantennal process), subacute apically, with surface between eyes somewhat uneven but without deep pits or granulose-punctation, apically smooth and shallowly impressed ( Fig. 12 ). Antennae ⅓ as long as body, slightly compressed and widened apically; antennomere I large, 2.1 × as long as broad; antennomere II short, slightly longer than broad, 3.0 × shorter than I; antennomeres III–IV 1.5 × as long as II; antennomere V barely longer than IV or VI; antennomere VII approximately 1.8 × as long as III; antennomeres VIII–X approximately 1.2–1.3 × as long as III; antennomere XI 2.3 × as long as X, subangulate apically ( Fig. 11 ). Terminal four antennomeres pubescent on upper and underside, laterally shiny and glabrous, antennomere VII pubescent only on underside. Pronotum 1.1 × as long as broad, subparallel-sided, moderately constricted near middle, with well-marked obtuse anterolateral projections; anterior margin strongly convex, basal margin almost straight; basal angle slightly constricted and bearing minute acute tooth ( Fig. 13 ); disc somewhat uneven, shiny, somewhat raised near anterior margin, with large and irregularly distributed punctures, which are largely absent on apical and central portions as well as near base, interspaces with sparse minute punctures. Scutellum subcordiform, widest at middle, rounded-obtuse apically. Elytra 3 × as long as broad, subparallel-sided anteriorly and distinctly broadened from base to middle and widest somewhat behind middle. Apex with sharp or denticulate sutural angle and broadly rounded lateral angle ( Figs 9, 10 ). Disc with 3–4 punctures in scutellar row, eight rows in humeral part, ten rows behind middle and 9–10 rows apically; intervals 2–5 flat, interval 2 anteriorly slightly broadened but not swollen, interval 6 carinate anteriorly, intervals 1, 3, 5, 6, 7 carinate apically. Ventral surface shiny and minutely punctate, only sides of thorax with row of coarse punctures, abdominal ventrites with several gentle lateral impressions; ventrite V large and pubescent near apex, apically feebly emarginate in males and convex in females. Legs stout, not sexually dimorphic, fore tibiae with emarginate inner and outer margins at apex ( Fig. 15 ).

Sexual dimorphism distinct but weakly manifested, males with slightly longer interantennal process and brush of dense hair on clypeus between eyes and emarginate apex of ventrite V (convex in females).

Immature stages. Larva of New Caledonian population was figured by Risbec (1934: 7) and Gressitt (1960b: 105).

Host plants. Arecaceae : Cocos nucifera L., Areca catechu L., Caryota sp., Metroxylon sagu (Rottb.) , Bent- nickiopsis sp., Balaka sp., Calamus sp. (summarized in Gressitt 1960b).

Remarks. Based on genetic studies Brontispa longissima appears to be a complex of at least two cryptic species ( Takane et al. 2011, 2013). They sequenced also a population from New Caledonia, which was resolved within the Asian clade, what suggests that the species was introduced like the population in Vanuatu; in contrast to populations from Australia, New Guinea and Samoa forming the Pacific clade and which are probably native to the southern Pacific Region.

Type material. The species was explicitly described from a single specimen deposited in Museo Civico di Storia Naturelle ‘ Giacomo Doria’ in Genoa, Italy. For the purpose of this work we did not studied the type as it was unnecessary because the species is well known. Additional material examined. NEW CALEDONIA: Anse Vata , 20–50 m, 20.x.1967, 1 ♂, 1 ♀ , J. & M.

Sedlacek leg. ( BPBM); Port Boise (G. Kanua), 22°21′S, 166°58′E, 10 m, 22.iv.2005, 5 spec. (ex Cocos nucifera ) , G. Monteith leg. (2 LS, 3 QMBA); N. Caledonie, 1932, 9 ♂ , Risbec leg. ( QMBA) .

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Brontispa caledonica sp. nov,. 1. Body of female dorsal, 2. Antenna, 3. Frontoclypeus and prosternum, 4. Head dorsal, 5. Pronotum, 6. Fore leg of female, 7. Mid leg of female, 8. Hind leg of female.

FIGURES 9–15. Brontispa longissima (Gestro, 1885). 9–10. Body dorsal, 11. Antenna, 12. Frontoclypeus and prosternum, 13. Pronotum, 14. Head dorsal, 15. Fore leg.