Stolas lineaticollis ( Boheman, 1850 )

Sekerka, Lukáš, 2020, Commented catalogue of Cassidinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) of the state of São Paulo, Brazil, with remarks on the collection of Jaro Mráz in the National Museum in Prague, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 60 (2), pp. 667-707 : 695

* Stolas lineaticollis ( Boheman, 1850)

( Figs 13–17 )

Mesomphalia lineaticollis Boheman, 1850: 333 . Type locality: ‘Brasilia’. Mesomphalia silaceipennis Boheman, 1862: 169 . Type locality: ‘Brasilia’; syn. nov.

Type material examined. Mesomphalia lineaticollis : Lൾർඍඈඍඒඉൾ (designated by Bඈඋඈඐංൾർ (1999)):J, pinned, ‘ Brasil [w, p, s] || M. Wien [w, p, s] || Type. [w, p, s] || LECTOTYPE | des. L. Borowiec [r, p, cb] || NHRS-JLKB | 000022713 [w, p, cb]’ ( NHRS). Pൺඋൺඅൾർඍඈඍඒඉൾඌ: 1 ♀, pinned, ‘ Brasil [w, p, s] || Schh [w, p, s] || Type. [w, p, s] || PARALECTOTYPE | des. L. Borowiec [r, p, cb] || NHRS-JLKB | 000022714 [w, p, cb]’ ( NHRS); 1 ♀, pinned: ‘ Brasil [w, p, s] || Bhn. [w, p, s] || PARALECTOTYPE | des. L. Borowiec [r, p, cb] || NHRS-JLKB | 000022715 [w, p, cb]’ ( NHRS); 1 ♀, pinned: ‘ Brasil [w, p, s] || M. Wien [w, p, s] || PARALECTOTYPE | des. L. Borowiec [r, p, cb] || NHRS-JLKB | 000022716 [w, p, cb]’ ( NHRS).

Mesomphalia silaceipennis : Sඒඇඍඒඉൾ: J, ‘pinned, Brasil [w, p, s] || Dohrn [w, hw, s] || Type. [w, p, s] || NHRS-JLKB | 000022641 [w, p, cb]’ ( NHRS).

Additional type material examined for comparative purpose. Mesomphalia augur . Hඈඅඈඍඒඉൾ: ♀, pinned: ‘E. Coll | Chevt. [w, p, cb] || 78 [g, p, s] || Type [w, p, s, circle label with red frame] || N. | Picoffer [w, hw, s] || Mesomp | augur | Bhn | Bras [w, hw, s, Chevrolat’s hw] || 67·56 [w, p, s]’ ( BMNH).

Additional material examined. Sඞඈ Pൺඎඅඈ: without further data,9 JJ 20 ♀♀, J.Mráz leg.( NMPC);Campinas, v.1883, 2 spec.,A.Fry leg.( BMNH). Published records. Indiana; São Paulo (Bඎඓඓං 1988); Cantareira (Bඈ- උඈඐංൾർ 1996).

Distribution. Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil (Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina, São Paulo), and Peru.

Remarks. Bඈඋඈඐංൾർ (1999) synonymized Stolas silaceipennis with S. augur without further details, but presumably based on the note in Spaeth’s unpublished manuscript Cassidinae der Welt stating that ‘ M [esomphalia]. silaceipennis is presumably hardly different’. BඈΗൾආൺඇ (1862) stated that Mesomphalia silaceipennis had the same size and shape as M. lineaticollis and, comparing the primary descriptions of the two species, that the main differences were in body colouration, i.e., yellow pronotum with a medial black stripe continuing along the suture to the apex of elytra in M. lineaticollis , and red-brown pronotum without a medial dark stripe but elytra with a brown stripe along the anterior third of the suture in M. silaceipennis . Mesomphalia augur was described from the collection of Chevrolat presumably based on a single specimen (BඈΗൾආൺඇ 1857) which was never studied by subsequent workers on Cassidinae; as a result, M. augur was only cited in catalogues (see Bඈඋඈඐංൾർ 1999). I have studied types of all three taxa involved, and in my opinion S. silaceipennis differs from S. lineaticollis only in colour, otherwise the shape of elytra and pronotum, convexity of elytra, and their punctation are identical. Even the syntype of S. silaceipennis has a slightly indicated medial stripe in the anterior third of pronotum, and it is well known that small species of Stolas Billberg, 1820 , associated with Convolvulaceae , are very variable in colouration. This is nicely demonstrated by the series of specimens collected by Mráz in São Paulo which contain examples nearly identical to the types of both, S. lineaticollis ( Fig. 13 ) and S. silaceipennis ( Fig. 17 ), with numerous intermediate forms (e.g. Figs 14–16 ) having a broad black medial stripe on brown pronotum or yellow pronotum nearly without a medial stripe; some of the yellow specimens have suture in the postscutellar third more or less brownish. Finally, S. lineaticollis was reported as feeding on Convolvulaceae by Bඎඓඓං (1994). Therefore, I hereby synonymize S. silaceipennis with S. lineaticollis .

Stolas augur also belongs to this group of small species presumably feeding on Convolvulaceae but it has narrower body and smaller but denser punctation of elytra in comparison to S. lineaticollis ; thus, I consider it a valid species. So far, I have not seen any other specimen matching it and thus it is known only from the holotype specimen.

The material collected by Mráz was identified by Spaeth as S. lineaticollis and S. silaceipennis , and he considered all specimens with brown pronotum as belonging to S. silaceipennis , not distinguishing whether they had a medial black stripe on pronotum or not. On the other hand, this character was used as critical to separate S. lineaticollis and S. augur (incl. S. silaceipennis ) in his manuscript of Cassidinae der Welt. Probably most, if not all specimens identified by Spaeth as S. silaceipennis are in accordance with its type but do not belong to S. augur .

Figures

Figs 13–20. Dorsal aspects. 13–17 – Stolas lineaticollis (Boheman, 1850), variability, all collected by J. Mráz; 18 – Stolas perfuga (Spaeth, 1926), syntype, ♀; 19–20 – Stolas selecta (Spaeth, 1928), syntypes: 19 – ♀; 20 – J. Scale bars = 2 mm.