Hemiphrynus sulcatipennis Jacoby 1891 RESTORED GENERIC PLACEMENT

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 : 21-22

Hemiphrynus sulcatipennis Jacoby 1891 RESTORED GENERIC PLACEMENT , incertae sedis

( Fig. 3 , 29 , 36 , 82 )

Hemiphrynus sulcatipennis Jacoby 1891: 266 (tab. 41, fig. 24). Heikertinger and Csiki 1939: 214. Blackwelder 1946: 699.

Phrynocepha sulcatipennis: Wilcox 1975: 108 . Furth and Savini 1996: 64. Furth 2006: 233.

Type Specimens. Lectotype (here designated and labeled). Male [ MCZC] labeled: “Parada.” [printed on white], “ Mexico./ Salle Coll.” [printed on white], “ Hemiphrynus / sulcatipennis / Jac.” [handwritten on blue], “ Jacoby 2 nd / Coll.” [printed on white], “ Type / 18644” [printed and handwritten on red].

Paralectotypes (two here designated and labeled). Male [ BMNH] labeled: “TYPE/ H.T.” [printed on circular white with red border] ; “Omilteme,/ Guerrero,/ 8,000 ft. / July. H. H. Smith. ” [printed on white], “B. C. A., Col. VI, 1./ Suppl./ Hemiphrynus / sulcatipennis ,/ Jac.” [printed on white], “ Hemiphrynus / sulcatipennis / Jac.” [handwritten on blue], “ Hemiphrynus / sulcatipennis Jac. / BM(NH)” [printed on white]. Female [ MCZC] labeled: “Parada.” [printed on white], “ Mexico./Salle Coll.” [printed on white], “Jacoby 2 nd Coll.” [printed on white], “ syntype ” [handwritten on pink] .

The MCZC specimen was selected as the lectotype as it is a male and in the “Biologia Centrali- Americana” where the collection locality, Parada [La Parada], is cited before the Omilteme [Omiltemi] collection locality of the BMNH specimen.

Redescription. Male [MCZC type 18644]. Body length 3.88 mm; width at elytral humeri 1.65 mm; form elongate. Elytra shining, deep purple; head, pronotum, legs yellow-orange. Head not elongate, without a ventral “jowl-like” area; genal length 0.50x length of eye; vertex shining, reticulate with scattered punctures near eyes, with vague central longitudinal ridge extending from frontal tubercles to occiput; postclypeus reticulate, truncate, raised in front of antennae into a thickened “v-shaped” anterolateral ridge; frontal carina extending between antennal fossae, terminating at coronal suture between frontal tubercles; interantennal space slightly wider than antennal fossa (fossal width measured from inside edges); labrum orange, reticulate, rectangular, with corners rounded, shining, impunctate with 5 long setae; frontal tubercles small, distinct, elevated, separated by coronal suture; area in front of antennal fossa without sunken appearance, without lateral, obtuse carina; interocular distance 1.40x wider than width of both eyes combined; antennae slender, 0.85x length of body; antennomeres 1-4 orange; 5-6 brownish-orange; 7-11 dark brown; antennomere 2 shortest; antennomere 3 shorter than 4; other antennomeres approximately equal in length. Pronotum transverse, shining, with a few irregularly placed punctures laterally; margins uniformly arcuate, widest at center; a vague basal posterior depression along each side of longitudinal midline; basal margin thickened, with shallow central emargination, gradually curving forward to the side margins (not sinuate); anterolateral projections rectangular, with corners rounded; posterolateral angles distinct, acute. Scutellum elongate, orange-brown, shining, acutely triangular, impunctate. Elytra shining, not reticulate, moderately, irregularly punctate; humeri distinct, with obvious forked humeral costa forming a distinct sulcus along middle 1/3 of elytra. Prosternal intercoxal process level with prosternum, not elevated ventrally to level of procoxae, very narrowly, inconspicuously separating procoxae. Procoxae conical, appearing contiguous. Procoxal cavities open. Mesosternum black. Legs including tarsi, orange; pro- and mesofemora not enlarged; tarsomere 1 of protarsi enlarged, but not wider than 3, about equal in length to 2-4 combined; mesotarsi similar to protarsi; tarsomere 1 of metatarsi about equal in length to 2-4 combined, longer than tarsomere 1 of pro- or mesotarsi; hind tibiae with a central longitudinal carina along entire length. Abdomen black, shiny, impunctate, sparsely pubescent; fifth abdominal ventrite obscured by wings and debris [other male specimens have a shallow, broadly emarginate fifth ventrite]. Pygidium deeply, broadly emarginate. Aedeagus (from non-type specimen) sharply bent 90 degrees at basal piece ( Fig. 29 ); basal piece about 25% total length of aedeagus; ventral end narrow, narrowing further to acute tip ( Fig. 36 ).

Female. Differs from the male in longer body length (see “Variation” below), in the pro- and mesotarsi in which tarsomere 1 is not expanded, and in the fifth abdominal ventrite that is broadly, shallowly emarginate with an acute central projection (segment observed from a “ syntype ” specimen).

Variation. Male: length 3.76 – 4.06 mm; width at humeri 1.47 – 1.71 mm. Female: length 4.00 – 4.82 mm; width 1.53 – 1.88 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 very slender, approximately 5.3x longer than wide, while in the female the ratio is 4.0x longer than wide.

Remarks. This species clearly lacks the diagnostic characteristics of the genus Phrynocepha . It is similar to Phrynocepha only with respect to the characters of Scherer’s (1983) larger “group 5” and in the coloration and geography. It is much more similar to Hemiphrynus in relation to the genal length, the shape of the prosternal intercoxal process, the relative length of the third and fourth antennomeres and placement of the antennae. However, the slender filiform antennae that are nearly as long as the body and the shiny, nonreticulate, distinctly and deeply punctate elytra not only separate this species from all other Hemiphrynus , except H. tenuicornis , but seem to indicate that Hemiphrynus is not the proper placement for this species. Conversely, the shape of the aedeagus in lateral view compares well with the aedeagi of all other Hemiphrynus . The external morphology of this species and H. tenuicornis are more similar to the written description of Deuteraltica Bechyné and Bechyné 1960 , but with the similarity of the aedeagi, generic placement is best left with Hemiphrynus , incertae sedis, until further study of the related alticine genera. However, it would appear that for H. sulcatipennis and H. tenuicornis , future study would place one or both species in a closely related group.

The very long and slender antennae, nonreticulate and distinctly punctate elytra ( Fig. 3 ) and genitalia will separate this species from all other Hemiphrynus , except H. tenuicornis . Hemiphrynus sulcatipennis can be separated from H. tenuicornis by the forked humeral costa enclosing a distinct sulcus that extends more than 1/3 the length of the elytra ( Fig. 3 ). Hemiphrynus tenuicornis lacks the distinct costa and sulcus and instead there are up to five indistinct costae on each elytron. The face is also different between the two species. The postclypeus of H. sulcatipennis has a thickened “v-shaped” anterolateral ridge and a distinct frontal carina extending between the antennal fossae. A weak carina extends from the antennal fossae to the occiput. In H. tenuicornis , the postclypeus is broadly curved and without a thickened “v-shaped” anterolateral carina. The frontal carina is very weak and the vertex lacks a central longitudinal carina. The mesosternum in H. sulcatipennis is black and in H. tenuicornis it is orange. See the remarks for the other species for additional differences.

Distribution. Known from the Mexican states of Jalisco, Guerrero, Mexico D. F., and Oaxaca. The type locality cited in the original description is La Parada, as opposed to the specimen label of “Parada.” The Mexican state in which La Parada is located is Oaxaca ( Selander and Vaurie 1962).

Host. Unknown.

Specimens Examined. In addition to the lectotype from Parada and the two paralectotypes, other specimens examined included 3 males and 9 females from the following localities. MEXICO. JALISCO: Parque Nacional de Volcan , 11.0 mi. from Hwy , 11 July 1984, J. B. Woolley (5) [ TAMU] ; MEXICO D. F.: Morelos border Hwy 95, 19 June 1979, E. P. Case and D. B. Thomas (3) [ TAMU] ; OAXACA: 2 miles north San Jose Pacifico , 20 July 1974, Clark, Murray, Ashe, Schaffner (2) [ TAMU] ; UNKNOWN STATE: 23683 [green label], Truqui [?], Fry Coll. 1905-100 [on underside of label] (1) [ BMNH] ; Salle Coll. , 1068 [on underside of label] (1) [ BMNH] .

Figures

Figures 1-4. Habitus of adult Hemiphrynus. 1) Hemiphrynus elongatus, male. 2) H. intermedius, male. 3) H. sulcatipennis, male. 4) H. sydneyae, female.

Figures 29-31. Aedeagi, lateral view. 29) Hemiphrynus sulcatipennis. 30) H. smithi. 31) H. sydneyae.

Figures 32-38. Tips of aedeagi, ventral view. 32) H. barri. 33) H. corrugatus. 34) H. elongatus. 35) H. intermedius. 36) H. sulcatipennis. 37) H. smithi. 38) H. sydneyae.

Figures 81-82. Distributions. 81) Hemiphrynus in the western United States. 82) Hemiphrynus in Mexico.