Brachypterodina, Flowers, R. Wills, 2004

Flowers, R. Wills, 2004, New flightless Eumolpinae of the genera Apterodina Bechyné and Brachypterodina n. gen. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) from the Neotropics, Zootaxa 549, pp. 1-18 : 9-10

Brachypterodina new genus ( Fig. 12 , 7–8 , 10 , 17–20 , 25–28, 30 , 34 )

Type species. Brachypterodina morae n. sp., here designated.

Body ovate, dorsally convex. Head with clypeus coarsely punctate, punctures separated by distance greater than diameter of a puncture. Frons coarsely punctate, punctures separated by distance greater than diameter of a puncture; surface between punctures microreticulate, vertex coarsely punctate; antennal calli flat. Eyes oval, shallowly and broadly emarginate at antennal insertion. Antenna with scape elongate oval, pedicel subglobose, shorter than scape, distinctly shorter than flagellomere 1; flagellum subclavate, antennomeres robust, each slightly wider at apex; antennomeres 36 with scattered appressed setae, antennomeres 7–11 densely pubescent, with whorl of long erect setae at apex of antennomeres 3–10; antennomere 11 spindle­shaped. Mouthparts with apex of labrum emarginate, with 2 dorsal setae and a pair of long lateral setae at outer angles. Mandibles with outer margin with sharp bend, lateral surface microreticulate and setose, two prominent setae on dorsal surface, apical teeth broad, pointed. Maxillary palpi with apical segment tapered. Prothorax distinctly wider than long, pronotum convex, with posterior margin wider than anterior margin; anterior angles acute, directed laterally, posterior angles obtuse; all angles with a seta­bearing puncture; basal marginal bead present; lateral margin narrow, rounded, greatest width of pronotum anterior to middle; disc regularly, finely punctate, with punctures separated by a distance greater than their own diameters; surface between punctures shining. Prosternum with anterior margin closely fitting against cervix; with long setae, finely punctate, intercoxal process expanded laterally behind coxae, with posterior margin truncate. Lateral arms of prosternum with anterior margin straight, surface glabrous. Proepimeron weakly concave, sparsely punctate, with punctures separated by distance greater than diameter of a puncture, with surface alutaceous. Mesosternum subequal in width to prosternum, flat between coxae, surface punctate, with long yellow setae. Metasternum narrow between meso­ and metacoxae, smooth, with numerous short yellow setae; metepisternum broad, gradually narrowed posteriorly, with surface aluteceous. Legs sparsely covered with short prostrate setae; all surfaces alutaceous. Femora strongly swollen in middle. Tibiae multicarinate, slightly to moderately sulcate between carinae, with setae increasing in length toward apex of tibiae; all tibiae widened apically, lacking apical emargination. Tarsi densely and uniformly pilose beneath; basal tarsomere of fore­ and middle legs triangular, with length subequal to width; second tarsomere broadly triangular, with acute apicolateral angles; third tarsomere longer than second, deeply bilobed; terminal tarsomere distinctly surpassing apex of third tarsomere; claws divergent, appendiculate. Elytra with humeri not prominent, broadly rounded, sides broadly rounded, convergent; apices conjointly rounded. Epipleuron slanted downward, visible in lateral view, tapering evenly from base to apex. Hind wing reduced ( Fig. 10 ) or lacking. Scutellum V­shaped, with base subequal to length; surface smooth, with few punctulae. Abdomen with segments subequal in length, with numerous erect setae. Sternum VII with lateral margins smooth. Pygidium with longitudinal median groove broad, shallow, extending almost to apical margin, low median carina present on floor of median groove; pygidial surface smooth, lateral margins smooth, with long setae apically. Male Genitalia: Median lobe in lateral view curved ( Fig. 17 ); basal hood long, lightly sclerotized, with apodemes distinct at lateral margins of hood; subbasal fenestra present; basal spurs small, acute; tegmen triangular. Female Genitalia: Segments VIII–XI forming elongate ovipositor ( Fig. 25 ). Sternum VIII with long aciculate basal apodeme; only several setae remain of the apicolateral arms; dorsum of segment VIII with two pairs of weak sclerites laterally ( Fig. 27 ). Segment IX with hemisternites with long aciculate basal rods, paraprocts separated into pair of slender dorsal rods, apically forming hoodlike projection above genital orifice ( Fig. 26 ); baculum aciculate, apical. Gonocoxae narrow, with long setae in apical half; coxostyli very small, with several long apical setae. Spermatheca ( Fig. 28, 30 ) with receptacle bulbous, continuous with pump, spermathecal duct sclerotized and inflated.

Etymology. Brachy, from Greek meaning short; ptero, from Greek meaning wing.

Remarks. Brachypterodina can be distinguished from all other Neotropical Eumolpinae by the following combination of characters: 1) humeri broadly rounded and lateral margins of elytra arcuate; 2) anterior margin of prosternum closely applied to cervix; 3) hind wings either reduced or absent; 4) pygidial groove present; 5) spermathecal duct sclerotized, tightly coiled and inflated. Brachypterodina most closely resembles Apterodina but the shape of the spermatheca and spermathecal duct are very different from known Apterodina , as well as other known Neotropical Eumolpinae . Brachypterodina will key to either Brachypnoea Gistl or Alethaxius Lefévre in Flowers (1996), depending on how clavate the antenna appears to the observer, but can be distinguished by the broadly rounded humeri.

Figures

FIGURES 10 ­ 13. Hind wings. 10. Brachypterodina morae; 11. Apterodina ruminyahui. 12; Apterodina bechynei; 13. Apterodina bucki.

FIGURES 7 ­ 9. 7 ­ 8, Brachypterodina gonzalezi. 7. female, dorsal view; 8. humeral area enlarged; 9. Apterodina bucki, pygidium.

FIGURES 14 ­ 20. Male genitalia. Figs. 14 ­ 16, Apterodina bechynei; 14. median lobe, lateral view; 15. median lobe, apex; 16. apical sclerite. Figs. 17 ­ 20, Brachypterodina morae; 16. median lobe and base of endophallus, lateral view; 18. median lobe, apex; 19. apical sclerite; 20. endophallic lateral digits of endophallus.

FIGURES 21 ­ 32. Female genitalia. Figs. 21 ­ 23, 29. Apterodina bechynei; 21, ovipositor, ventral view; 22, dorsal hood of segment IX. 23, segment VIII, dorsal view; 29, spermatheca. Figs. 24, 32, Apterodina ruminyahui; 24, ovipositor, ventral view; 32, spermatheca. Figs. 25 ­ 27. 30, Brachypterodina morae; 25, ovipositor, ventral view; 26, dorsal hood of segment IX. 27, segment VIII, dorsal view; 30 (above and right), spermatheca; 28 (left and below), Brachypterodina gonzalezi, spermatheca. 31, Apterodina bucki, spermatheca.

FIGURES 33 ­ 34. Distribution of Apterodina and Brachypterodina. 33. Distribution of Apterodina; A. bechynei, closed diamond; A. bucki, closed circle; A. granulifera, closed triangle; A. ruminyahui, closed square. 34. Distribution of Brachypterodina. B. gonzalezi, closed triangle; B. morae, closed circle.