Metaparia opacicollis ( Horn, 1892 )

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 : 796-798

Metaparia opacicollis ( Horn, 1892) ( Figs. 2g , 37–42 )

Colaspoides opacicollis Horn 1892: 229 .

Metaparia opacicollis : Schultz 1970: 104 [non-validated combination; not published].

Metaparia opacicollis : Wilcox 1983: 40 [first publication of combination from Schultz (1970)].

Metaparia opacicollis : Riley et al. 2003: 146.

Type Specimens. Lectotype here designated, point-mounted male: labeled “ Big Springs ,/ Texas,/ Wickham.//408//PARA-TYPE/3776 [label on blue paper]”; deposited in the MCZ.

Redescription. Body ovate, dorsum convex; elytra strongly curved ventrally in apical 1/3 ( Figs. 37, 38 ). Length 2.91–4.73 mm (males) or 2.87–4.98 mm (females). Width 2.20–3.36 mm (males) or 2.23–3.41 mm (females). Color of dorsum green, blue-green, or blue-purple; elytra may be colored differently than head and pronotum. Venter green, alutaceous. Legs red-brown with green sheen. Head: IOR 2.13–2.56 (males) or 2.08–2.49 (females). Frons punctate-setose, space between punctures microsculptured; punctures small to micro, medium dense; setae short, originating in punctures. Clypeus punctate-setose, space between punctures microsculptured, form arched (males) or rectangular (females), apical 1/4 suddenly constricted, apex broadly emarginate; punctures small, medium dense, coarser than on frons; setae longer apically; apical emargination arched to broadly triangular ( Fig. 39 ). Scape rectangular, edges rounded, dark metallic spot dorsally. Antennal sclerite with small patch of short setae. Mandibles enlarged, laterally expanded, with two inner teeth; medial tooth larger than basal tooth, both triangular (males); or not enlarged, inner teeth absent (females). Lateral face in basal half colored like dorsum and punctate-setose, apical half red-brown and smooth. Dorsal face red-brown, smooth, weakly sloped up to outer margin. Pronotum: Pronotal ratio 0.48–0.54 (males) or 0.46–0.54 (females). Disc glabrous, punctate, space between punctures microsculptured; punctures mixed, small dense punctures interspersed with sparse micropunctures. Anterior edge setose; setae short, directed anteriorly. Sides subparallel in basal half, evenly rounded in anterior half. Posterior edge weakly convex, margined with lip; bottom edge weakly dentate, top edge margined with punctures. Anterior corners slightly deflexed. Scutellar shield: Form pentagonal to broadly triangular with rounded corners, disc microsculptured, anterior edge flat. Elytra: Disc punctate-striate, space between punctures smooth at low magnification, wrinkled or cracked at 50×; punctures large and dense basally, smaller and finer apically; striae weakly geminate basally, single and more distinct apically. Basal calli impunctate, microsculptured. Sublateral costae faint to absent. Venter: Anterior edge of prosternal lateral arms broadly, evenly arched, reaching anterior pronotal corner ( Fig. 2g ). Disc subrugulose, sparsely setose. Prosternum nearly rectangular, somewhat hourglass shaped, disc sparsely setose to glabrous. Anterior and posterior edges straight. Sides weakly concave, gradually expanded in posterior half. Legs: Trochanters with 1 primary seta. Mesometatibia medial dorsal ridge faint. Aedeagus: Median lobe subequal to basal hood, weakly curved in basal half, flat in apical half, sclerotized region around endophallic opening not thickened, apex upturned, weakly produced, emarginate; emargination broadly triangular, basal corners sharply defined ( Figs. 41, 42 ). Spermatheca: U shape moderately broad, medial third slightly flattened, base curved towards apex ( Fig. 40 ).

Diagnosis. Metaparia opacicollis is easily distinguished by the blue-green to blue-purple color, microsculptured head and pronotum with smooth elytra, and moderately broad spermatheca with the base bent towards the apex and a small, sclerotized patch at the base. The only other species with similar microsculpturing is M. clytroides , but it is smaller, more elongate and less convex, completely green, and has microsculpturing on the elytra.The only other species with a sclerotized patch on the spermatheca is M. prosopis , which has the spermatheca narrowly U-shaped and the base not bent towards the apex.

Specimens Examined. 279 specimens deposited in BYU, EGRC, EMEC, ENMU, MCZ, NMNH, OSUC, SHSU, and TAMU. UNITED STATES: New Mexico: Eddy: US 285 Delaware Creek (3 EMEC) ; 5 mi. N Carlsbad (1 EMEC) . Quay: Tucumcari (17 MCZ, 3 NMNH). Lea: Co.Rd. 165 ( Price Rd. )/ ca. 0.7 mi. W. Hwy 206 (33.410052,/−103.342636), 28.vii.2015 (1 ENMU) ; Co. Rd. 165 (Price Rd.),/ ca. 0.7 mi. W. Hwy 206 (33.410052,/−103.342636), 31.vii.2015 (2 ENMU) . Roosevelt: 10 mi. N. Portales (11 BYU) ; 49.5 mi. S. Portales (1 NMNH) ; 1.5 mi. NW Kenna,/just N. Roos rd. 28 (33.850753,/−103.803919), 4,435 ft., 14.vi.2015 (1 ENMU) ; nr. Jct. Hwy 480 &/S. Roos. Rd. AG, ca 15 mi. WSW/ Portales (34.120912, −103.581585),/ 29.v.2017 (2 ENMU) ; nr. Jct. Hwy 480 &/S. Roos. Rd. AG, ca 15 mi. WSW/ Portales (34.120912, −103.581585),/ 26.v.2017 (1 ENMU) . Texas: Bexar: San Antonio (1 NMNH) . Brooks : Brooks Co. (5 OSUC) . Cameron: Rustic Manor Road , 25.98037 / −97.50648 (3 SHSU) ; Brownsville (8 MCZ, 2 NMNH, 28 OSUC); 10 mi. E. Brownsville on Hwy. 4 (1 BYU) ; 11 mi. E. Brownsville on Rt. 4 (1 BYU) ; Palmito Hill Hwy. 4 E. of Brownsville (5 BYU) ; Sabal Palm Grove Sanctuary (2 BYU) ; W. Cameron Co. (3 NMNH) . Crosby: 2–4 mi. E. Crosbyton (3 EGRC) . Dickens : 1 mi. N Dickens (2 EGRC) ; 4 mi. W. Dickens (4 EGRC) . Frio : Frio Co. (12 OSUC) . Garza: Justiceberg (4 NMNH) . Gillespie : Gillespie Co. (26 OSUC) . Hidalgo: Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park (1 BYU) ; Mission (1 EGRC) ; Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge (1 EGRC) ; Hidalgo Co. (1 OSUC) . Jim Hogg: Hebbronville (1 EMEC) ; 1 mi. N. Hebbronville (2 TAMU) ; 19 mi. SW Hebbronville (1 EGRC) . Howard: Big Spring (4 MCZ) ; Coahoma (1 BYU) . Kenedy: 6 mi. S. Sarita (4 BYU) . Kleberg: Ricardo (1 NMNH) . Live Oak : 17 mi. SW George West (3 BYU) . Lubbock: Couch Ranch Lubbock (1 NMNH) . Mason: Hwy. 29 near Honey Creek , 30°47.5′N / 99°19.5′W (2 BYU) . Potter : 15 mi. N Amarillo (1 EGRC) . Starr: 755 Kct /2294 (1 EMEC) ; Chapeno, Rio Grande below Falcon Reserve (4 BYU); FR 1688 , 0.1–0.5 mi E. JCT. 649 (2 BYU) ; Falcon Dam (27 TAMU) ; Falcon State Park (1 BYU) ; 5–9 mi. W La Gloria Rt. 168 (1 EMEC) . Taylor : Taylor Co. (3 OSUC) . Travis: Austin, Brackenridge Field Laboratory , 30°17′03′′N / 97°46′41′′W (1 BYU) . Uvalde: Sabinal River, Hwy. 127, NW of Sabinal (1 BYU) . Val Verde: Del Rio (3 MCZ) ; Devil’s River (3 OSUC) ; Devils River Dolan Falls (13 BYU) ; Sycamore Creek (3 BYU) ; Val Verde Co. (16 OSUC) . Webb : 9 mi. W Encinal (1 EMEC) ; Laredo (1 MCZ) ; 9 mi. E Laredo (1 EMEC) ; Rt. 359 at Retama (3 BYU) . Wichita: Burkburnett near Red River (10 BYU) . Zapata : 1 mi. SE Ramireño (1); Zapata Co. (3 OSUC) . Ambiguous: Uvlade (1 MCZ) . State of Texas (2 MCZ) .

Distribution. United States (New Mexico, Texas) ( Fig. 72 ).

Temporal Occurrence. April, May, June, July, August, September.

Remarks. From the original description, it is clear that Horn (1892) examined both males and females when describing the species. He did not designate a type but listed the locality as “ Texas, Big Springs (Wickham)”. There are three specimens of M. opacicollis in the MCZ bearing type labels: one male labeled “S.W/Tex.” and “ LectoTYPE /3776”, one female labeled “S.W./ Tex.” and “ Allotype /3776”, and one male labeled “Big Springs,/ Texas,/Wickham.” and “ PARATYPE /3776”. The male bearing the paratype label is here designated as the lectotype because its locality labels match the original description. Although Big Springs, Texas could be considered southwest Texas, we are choosing not to designate the male and female with the locality labels “S.W./Tex.” as paralectotypes because the locality labels do not match the original description.

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. 37–42. Lectotype of Metaparia opacicollis. 37) Dorsal habitus; 38) Lateral habitus; 39) Head, frontal view; 40) Spermatheca; 41) Median lobe, apical view; 42) Median lobe, lateral view. Figs. 37, 38 scale bars = 1.0 mm; Figs. 39, 41, 42 scale bars = 0.5 mm; Fig. 40 scale bar = 0.1 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).