Phrynocepha punctulata Pallister 1953

Gilbert, Arthur J., 2011, A review and clarification of the alticine genera Hemiphrynus Horn 1889 and Phrynocepha Baly 1861 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini), Insecta Mundi 2011 (200), pp. 1-57 : 54-55

Phrynocepha punctulata Pallister 1953

( Fig. 46 , 54 , 63 , 70 , 78 )

Phrynocepha punctulata Pallister 1953: 67 . Wilcox 1975: 108. Furth and Savini 1996: 64. Furth 2006: 233.

Type Specimens. Holotype. Male [ AMNH] labeled: “Santa Barbara/ Sta. Barbara Dist./ Chih. Mex. 7,500ft. / July 18, 1947 ” [printed on white], “ D. Rockefeller / Exp. Michener” [printed on white], [male symbol printed on white], “ HOLOTYPE / Phrynocepha / punctulata / Pallister” [printed and handwritten on red].

Paratypes. Female [ AMNH] labeled: “San Juan del Rio/ Dgo. Mex. 5,200ft. / VII-30-47” [printed on white], “D. Rockefeller/ Exp. Michener” [printed on white], [female symbol printed on white], “PARA- TYPE/ Phrynocepha punctulata / Pallister” [printed and handwritten on yellow]. Male [ AMNH] labeled: “San Juan del Rio/ Dgo. Mex. 5,200ft. / VII-30-47” [printed on white], “D. Rockefeller/ Exp. Cazier” [printed on white], [male symbol printed on white], “ PARATYPE / Phrynocepha / punctulata / Pallister” [printed and handwritten on yellow]. Male [ AMNH] labeled: “Santa Barbara/Chih., Mex. 6300ft. /VII- 18-47” [printed on white], “D. Rockefeller/Exp. Gertsch” [printed on white] [not labeled as a paratype, but cited in the original description as a paratype].

Redescription. Male [ AMNH, holotype]. Body length 5.35 mm ; width at elytral humeri 2.24 mm; form elongate. Elytra shining, bluish-black; head, pronotum, legs yellow-orange. Head elongate, with noncarinate curvature ventrally extending from eye to front edge of postclypeus, appearing “jowl-like;” genal length 1.67x longer than maximum length of eye; vertex shining with a few coarse, coalescing punctures near eye; postclypeus with transverse prefrontal ridge acutely, shallowly emarginate; an acute, elevated frontal carina extends between antennal fossae, descending uniformly to front edge of postclypeal ridge; anteclypeus entire; labrum rounded; labral notch indistinct; antennal fossae separated by frontal carina, coronal suture; antennal fossae separated by distance 1/2 width of antennal fossa (fossal width measured from inside edges); frontal tubercles flat, elongate, distinct, separated by coronal suture; area in front of antennal fossa with sunken appearance, bordered by obtuse lateral carina extending from eye to front edge of postclypeus; frontogenal suture indistinct; interocular distance 2.10x wider than width of both eyes combined; eyes nearly round, very small relative to head; antennae stout, 0.75x length of body; antennomeres 1-2 orange; 3-4 bicolored, orange to brown; 5-11 dark brown; antennomeres 1 and 4 approximately equal in length, shorter than 3; antennomere 3 longest; antennomere 2 shortest; antennomeres 5-11 subequal in length. Pronotum shining, vaguely reticulate, impunctate; lateral margins rounded, widest behind middle, maximum length at midline; basolateral projections small, obtuse; anterolateral projections rectangular, distinct; basal depression faint, poorly defined, about 1/2 width of pronotum. Scutellum dark brown, obtusely triangular, impunctate. Elytra shining, reticulate, with coarse, shallow, irregular punctures; humeral costa short, indistinct. Prosternal intercoxal process distinctly furrowed, narrowed between procoxae, less than 1/3 width of procoxa, elevated ventrally over plane of prosternum and plane of procoxae, slightly wider posterior to procoxae, curving downward to mesosternum. Procoxae globose. Procoxal cavities open. Mesosternum black. Legs orange; tarsi bicolored, orange to brown, darker than femora or tibiae; pro- and mesofemora enlarged, broadly expanded, with shallow sulcus along anterior surface; tarsomere 1 of protarsi enlarged, heart-shaped, wider than 3; tarsomere 1 of mesotarsi enlarged, more elongate than tarsomere 1 of protarsi, but still wider than tarsomere 3 of mesotarsi; tarsomere 1 of metatarsi enlarged, more elongate than tarsomere 1 of pro- or mesotarsi, wider than tarsomere 3 of metatarsi; all tibiae narrow with median longitudinal carina. Abdomen black, shiny, coarsely punctured, moderately pubescent; last abdominal ventrite shallowly, broadly emarginate. Aedeagus (from unlabeled paratype specimen) sharply bent ventrally about 90 degrees near mid-point ( Fig. 63 ); basal piece about 19% total length of aedeagus; ventral end with weak subapical notch, weak subapical lobe, acute tip ( Fig. 70 ).

Female. Female characters were obtained from a paratype specimen in the American Museum of Natural History and two specimens collected by the author. The female is similar in size to the male (see “ Variation ”) but differs in the following characters: “jowl” less obvious ; face in front of eyes narrower; antennae less robust, shorter, 0.70x length of body; pro- and mesofemora not enlarged; all tibiae expanded but slender; tarsomere 1 not expanded, narrower than third on all legs; fifth ventrite entire. Variation. Male : length 4.71 – 5.35 mm ; width at humeri 2.12 – 2.29 mm. Female: length 4.76 – 5.82 mm; width 2.00 – 2.35 mm. The stout or slender appearance of the antennae, as represented by the fourth antennomere (length to width ratio), varies. In the specimens selected, the ratio of the fourth antennomere of the male is stout, approximately 3.2x longer than wide, while in the female the ratio of the fourth antennomere is even more stout, approximately 2.6x longer than wide .

Remarks. Phrynocepha punctulata is similar in external appearance to P. deyrollei and has a similar aedeagus. A number of external morphological characters will separate the two species on typical specimens. However, most of these characters are variable and most should not be evaluated individually. The shiny, less coarsely punctured pronotum ( Fig. 54 ) and vertex ( Fig. 46 ) in P. punctulata are the most reliable characters. The pronotum in P. deyrollei is very reticulate and coarsely punctured ( Fig. 48 ) and the vertex is uniformly covered with coarse, confluent punctures ( Fig. 43 ). Other useful characters include antennal tubercles that are elevated in P. deyrollei and flat in P. punctulata , a deeply emarginate transverse postclypeal ridge in the male of P. deyrollei ( Fig. 43 ) as opposed to a shallowly emarginate ridge in P. punctulata ( Fig. 46 ), and the interantennal space of P. deyrollei that is nearly equal in width to the antennal socket (in P. punctulata the interantennal space is clearly narrower than the antennal socket). The pro- and mesotibiae are more sulcate in the male of P. punctulata , and there are no obvious depressions on the anterior margin of the pronotum ( Fig. 54 ). See also the remarks for other species.

Few specimens of P. punctulata were available for study. As more specimens are collected of P. punctulata and P. deyrollei , especially in the geographical interface of the two species, a more clear relationship of the two species may evolve, solidifying their status or requiring synonymy.

Distribution. The distribution for P. punctulata is currently limited to the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Durango. Specimens were collected at elevations between 5,200 and 7,500 feet.

Figures

Figures 43-46. Frontal view of faces of Phrynocepha. 43) P. deyrollei. 44) P. marciae. 45) P. pueblae. 46) P. punctulata.

Figures 51-54. Pronota of Phrynocepha. 51) P. marciae. 52) P. pseudocapitata. 53) P. pueblae. 54) P. punctulata.

Figures 60-63. Aedeagi, lateral view. 60) Phrynocepha pseudocapitata. 61) P. pueblae. 62) P. pulchella. 63) P. punctulata.

Figures 64-71. Tips of aedeagi, ventral view. 64) Phrynocepha capitata. 65) P. deyrollei. 66) P. kendrae. 67) P. marciae. 68) P. pueblae. 69) P. pulchella. 70) P. punctulata. 71) P. pseudocapitata.

Figures 78-79. Distribution of Phrynocepha in Mexico.

Figures 47-50. Pronota of Phrynocepha. 47) P. capitata. 48) P. deyrollei. 49) P. kendrae. 50) P. laevicollis.