Metaparia mandibuloflexa, Sublett & Cook, 2021

Sublett, Clayton A. & Cook, Jerry L., 2021, A Comprehensive Revision of the Genus Metaparia Crotch, 1873 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae) and Description of a New Genus, The Coleopterists Bulletin 75 (4), pp. 779-811 : 784-786

Metaparia cephalotes ( Lefèvre, 1877) ( Figs. 2a , 3–7 )

microsculptured on frons and base of clypeus; punctures medium, moderately dense to dense, stretched longitudinally dorsally on frons, coarse on clypeus; setae short, longer at clypeal apex. Clypeus trapezoidal to arched, suddenly constricted (male) or gradually constricted (female) in apical 1/4; apex weakly emarginate or not; when present emargination forming broad, shallow arch ( Fig. 5 ). Mandibles laterally punctate-setose; in males mandibles enlarged; color green, with or without pink sheen basally, with apical teeth red-brown; base convex; or in females mandibles not enlarged; weakly convex to flat laterally; punctures coarse, stretched, almost rugulose (males), or punctures small (females); mandibles bent at ca. 90°–135°, evenly rounded (males), or bent at ca. 90° (females); mandibular dorsal surface smooth; outer edge with low ridge or not (males), or flat (females). Antennal sclerite with patch of short setae; scape Spintherophyta cephalotes Lefèvre 1877: 115 . Spintherophyta cephalotes : Jacoby 1881: 122. Spintherophyta cephalotes : Lefèvre 1885: 6. Metaparia cephalotes : Flowers 1996: 41 [species transferred to Metaparia ].

Type Specimens. Lectotype here designated, male pinned to a card, dissected with abdomen point-mounted below card, genitalia in a pinned vial. Labels : “ Holo- /type [circular label with red outline]//Type [circular label with red outline, upside down]//Type//Cordova//576//Type./Sp. figured.// Mexico./Salle Coll. [upside down]// Spintherophyta /cephalotes/(type ♂) E. det.// B.C.A./122.2. [upside down]// Syn- /type [circular label with blue outline]”; deposited in the BNMH . Paralectotype here designated, female, pinned to a card labeled “ Cordova // Mexico./Salle Coll.//Jacoby Coll./1909-28a.// Spintherophyta /cephalotes/(type ♀) E. det.// Syn- /type”; deposited in the BMNH .

Redescription. Body ovate; sides subparallel; dorsum convex ( Figs. 3, 4 ). Length 2.47–3.86 mm (males) or 2.68–3.16 mm (females). Width 1.55–2.26 mm (males) or 1.61–1.9 mm (females). Color green with rose-gold sheen; venter shining green-gold; appendages light brown. Head: IOR 2.00–3.00 (males) or 1.72–2.51 (females). Frons and clypeus punctate-setose, with space between punctures globular; antennomeres 7–10 subquadrate.Gena with glabrous, smooth umbone at ventral margin. Pronotum: Pronotal ratio 0.53–0.61 (males) or 0.56 (females); disc with medium, dense punctures, with space between punctures smooth with light microsculpturing at anterior corners. Anterior edge broadly, shallowly concave, setose; setae short, directed anteriorly; sides evenly rounded; posterior edge margined with lip; lip with lower edge weakly dentate, with upper edge margined with row of punctures. Scutellar shield: Form pentagonal to semi-elliptical; corners rounded; disc smooth, impunctate. Elytra: Disc glabrous, punctate-striate, with space between punctures smooth or with light, sparse micropunctures; punctures large and dense in basal half, smaller and less dense in apical half; striae weakly geminate basally, more distinct apically. Sublateral costae faint, terminating at elytral apex. Venter: Prosternal lateral arms with anterior edge straight to weakly concave; disc alutaceous, sparsely setose; anterior edge margined with bead, narrowly connecting with pronotal anterior edge; setae short ( Fig. 2a ). Prosternum hourglass-shaped; disc sparsely setose, weakly rugulose; anterior edge straight, margined with bead; sides concave, with small bump at midlength; posterior edge flat. Legs: Color light brown; trochanters with single seta. Meso- and metatibiae with lateral and ventral ridges extending 1/2–2/3 tibial length. Aedeagus: Basal hood subequal in length to median lobe. Median lobe evenly rounded; sclerotized region around endophallic opening narrow; apex emarginate; emargination small, narrow, V-shaped ( Figs. 6, 7 ). Spermatheca: Unknown.

Diagnosis. Metaparia cephalotes is most similar to M. hybrida but can distinguished by the following characters: anterior pronotal corners not deflexed (strongly deflexed in M. hybrida ), space between elytral punctures smooth (subrugulose in M. hybrida ), the basal hood subequal in length to the median lobe (basal hood ca. 0.5× as long as the median lobe in M. hybrida ), median lobe apical emargination narrowly V-shaped (broadly V-shaped in M. hybrida ), and endophallic opening not reaching apical emargination (reaching apical emargination in M. hybrida ). Metaparia cephalotes is easily separated from all other species of Metaparia by its shallow to absent clypeal emargination.

Specimens Examined. 8 specimens deposited in the BMNH, CAS, NMNH, and UNAM. MEXICO: Tamaulipas: Tula Hwy. 101 (1 EGRC) . Veracruz: Cordoba (1 CAS, 4 NMNH); Orizaba Buena (1 UNAM) ; Tuxpan (1 BMNH) .

Distribution. Mexico (Tamaulipas, Veracruz) ( Fig. 70 ).

Temporal Occurrence. April, May.

Remarks. Lefèvre (1877) did not designate a type and did not list the number of specimens examined, but he did describe both a male and female specimen and listed the location as “Cordova ( Mexique). – Mus. Sallé.” There are two specimens in the BMNH, one male and one female, bearing the labels “Cordova” and “ Mexico./Salle Coll.” The male bears a holotype label and the female bears a syntype label, but we can find no published record validating these type designations. We are treating both specimens as part of a syntype series, based on Lefèvre (1877), and designate the male, which bears a holotype label, as the lectotype for M. cephalotes , and the female, which bears a syntype label, as a paralectotype.

There was one specimen of M. cephalotes from the BMNH bearing a syntype label and misidentified at M. lesueuri . The type label was clearly not placed by the original author, so we are not treating it as part of the syntype series for M. lesueuri .

Figures

Fig. 2. Lateral arm of prosternum of species of Metaparia. a) M. cephalotes, b) M. clytroides, c) M. guatemalensis, d) M. hybrida, e) M. lesueuri, f) M. mandibuloflexa, new species, g) M. opacicollis, h) M. prosopis, new species, i) M. viridimicans. Scale bars = 0.5 mm. Left side is anterior edge.

Figs. 3–7. Lectotype of Metaparia cephalotes. 3) Dorsal habitus; 4) Lateral habitus; 5) Head, frontal view; 6) Median lobe, apical view; 7) Median lobe, lateral view. Figs. 3, 4 scale bars = 1.0 mm; Figs. 5–7 scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Figs. 70–75. Distribution maps for Metaparia and Dispardentium species. 70) M. cephalotes (black circles), M. clytroides (black triangles), M. guatemalensis (gray triangles); 71) M. hybrida (gray triangles), M. lesueuri (black circles), M. mandibuloflexa, new species (black triangles); 72) M. opacicollis (black triangles); 73) M. prosopis, new species (black triangles); 74) M. viridimicans (black triangles); 75) D. laevicollis (black triangles).