Dispardentium laevicollis ( Jacoby, 1881 ) 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 : 807-810

Dispardentium laevicollis ( Jacoby, 1881) , new combination

( Figs. 63–69 )

Noda laevicollis Jacoby 1881: 121 .

Noda laevicollis : Lefèvre 1885: 17.

Metaparia laevicollis : Flowers 1996: 41 [species transferred to Metaparia ].

Type Specimens. Lectotype here designated, male, pinned: labeled “ Oaxaca./ Mexico.//Salle Coll.//443//1 st Jacoby /Coll.// Type /9449// Aug.–Dec. 2003 /MCZ Image/Database”; deposited in the MCZ . Paralectotypes here designated, 1 male, card-mounted: labeled “ Oaxaca.// Mexico./Salle Coll.//B.C.A./121.21.// Noda /laevicollis/Jac.// Syn- / type”; 1 female, card-mounted: labeled “ Mexico./ Salle Coll.//B.C.A./121.21.//21. Noda laevicollis .// Syn- /type”; deposited in the BMNH .

Redescription. Body elongate-oval, dorsum weakly convex ( Figs. 63, 64 ). Length 2.26–2.86 mm (males) or 2.32–3.01 mm (females). Width 1.43–1.87 mm (males) or 1.43–1.86 mm (females). Dorsum metallic green to blue-green, venter metallic blue-green, ventrites fade to red-brown medially, antennomeres 1–6 light brown, antennomeres 7–11 dark brown, legs light brown. Head: IOR 1.71–2.41 (males) or 1.47–2.00 (females). Frons and clypeus punctate-setose, space between punctures microsculptured; punctures micro, sparse, faint. Clypeus arched, asymmetrical with left side more convex than right (male) or symmetrical (female), gradually narrowing in apical 1/4, emarginate; emargination arched or broadly triangular. Labrum light brown, apex metallic green. Mandibles asymmetrical, right mandible short, thick, lateral face flat, left mandible long, narrow (males) ( Fig. 65 ) or symmetrical, both mandibles short, thick (females), basal half metallic green, apical half light brown. Gula strongly concave, exposing entire labium (males) or straight, exposing only apex of labium (females). Eye ventral margin setose. Antennomere 1 cylindrical, weakly arched, antennomeres 7–11 with shining blue-purple raised, glabrous patch (males) or without raised, glabrous patch (females). Pronotum: Pronotal ratio 0.57–0.64 (males) or 0.52–0.65 (females). Disc glabrous with faint, dense micro punctures, space between punctures microsculptured. Sides evenly rounded. Posterior edge nearly straight, weakly convex. Anterior corners deflexed. Scutellar shield: Semi-elliptical, disc impunctate, microsculptured. Elytra: Disc punctate-striate, space between punctures microsculptured; punctures micro to small, dense within striae, sparse between striae; striae more distinct in apical half. Basal calli impunctate, microsculptured. Venter: Prosternal lateral arms strongly to moderately convex, suddenly tapering and continuing as thin bead along dorsal half to third of hypomeron, connects with anterior margin of pronotum. Disc sparsely setose, microsculptured, distinct gap in the prosternal lateral arms ( Fig. 66 ). Prosternum disc subrugulose, setose; setae sparse to dense, moderately long, erect, golden or yellow. Sides concave, constriction angular and anterior of midlength. Meso- and metaventrite densely setose (males, part) or sparsely to moderately setose (females and males, part); setae short, golden, erect.Abdomen with ventrite 1 densely setose medially between metacoxae; setae moderately long, erect, golden or yellow. Pygidial opening with 2 long setae on each side on ventrite 5. Pygidium: Disc divided by triangular medial depression; depression with small subapical tubercle, sometimes preceded by a faint to moderately prominent triangular ridge. Disc halves quadrate, sparsely setose, separated from disc by shallow groove; apical groove connects with medial depression (males) or disc halves triangular, raised in apical 1/4 (females). Legs: Pro-, meso-, and metatibial carinae weak to absent, especially lateral and ventral carinae. Metatrochanter densely setose, metafemur narrow and densely setose along inner and outer edges in basal half, expanded and sparsely setose in apical half; setae short, erect, golden (males, part) or metatrochanter sparsely setose, metafemur narrow in basal 1/3, weakly expanded in apical 2/3, sparsely setose throughout (females and males, part). Aedeagus: Median lobe ca. 0.5× the length of the basal hood, apex acuminate ( Figs. 67, 68 ). Spermatheca: Asymmetrically U-shaped, base enlarged, ca. 2× size of apex ( Fig. 69 ).

Diagnosis. The characters listed in the generic description (asymmetrical male mandibles, lateral prosternal groove, glabrous patches on antennomeres 7–11, and acuminate apex of the median lobe) combined with the erect setae on the prosternum and intercoxal portion of ventrite 1 and asymmetrically U-shaped spermatheca clearly distinguish D. laevicollis from similar species in other genera. Metaparia clytroides is similar in size, color, and texture but can easily be separated by the form of the male mandibles, form and setae of the prosternum, the antennae, and the form of the median lobe and spermatheca.

Specimens Examined. 33 specimens deposited in BYU, CMNH, TAMU. MEXICO: Guerrero: 2 mi. NCacahuamilpa(2 TAMU) ; 2.1 mi. NWCacahuamilpa (4 TAMU); 2.4 mi. N Mazatlan (3 TAMU) . Jalisco: 2 mi. SW Atenguigne (1 TAMU) ; 16 km N Autlan (5 TAMU) ; 6.7 mi. N Autlan (1 TAMU) ; Guadalajara (2 CMNH) ; San Francisco Microwave Tower (8 TAMU) . México: 3 mi. NW Valle de Bravo (3 TAMU) . Michoacán: 5 mi. W Jacona (1 TAMU) . Oaxaca: 2.7 mi NW El Cameron (1 TAMU) ; Mt. Alban (1 BYU) ; 3 mi. NE Putla (1 TAMU) .

Distribution. Mexico (Guerrero, Jalisco, México, Michoacán, Oaxaca) ( Fig. 75 ).

Temporal Occurrence. Unknown.

Remarks. Jacoby (1881) mentioned that he examined three specimens when describing this species, but he did not designate a type. We have examined three specimens of D. laevicollis that bear type labels and locality labels matching the original description: one male in the MCZ and one male and one female in the BMNH. The specimen in the MCZ is the only one with the venter exposed and is in the best condition. Since we have found no publication record validating the type labels, we are here designating the male in the MCZ as the lectotype and the two specimens in the BMNH as paralectotypes.

Figures

Figs. 63–69. Lectotype of Dispardentium laevicollis. 63) Dorsal habitus; 64) Lateral habitus; 65) Head, frontal view; 66) Groove in prosternal lateral arm; 67) Median lobe, apical view; 68) Median lobe, lateral view; 69) Spermatheca. Figs. 63, 64 scale bars = 1.0 mm; Figs. 65–68 scale bars = 0.5 mm; Fig. 69 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).