Hemiphrynus sydneyae Gilbert, 2011

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 : 23-24

Hemiphrynus sydneyae Gilbert sp. nov.

( Fig. 4 , 18 , 24, 31, 38, 82)

Type Specimens. Holotype (male) and allotype (female). MEXICO. PUEBLA: 3.7 miles south Zacapoaxtla , 23 July 1985, Jones, Schaffner . Holotype and allotype deposited in the collection of Texas A&M University.

Paratypes (4 males and 13 females) – same data as holotype (2) [ AJGC], (1) [ TAMU] ; Hwy. 129, 5 mi. W. Teziutlan, 7,500ft., 18 August 1982, C. W. and L. O’Brien and G. Wibmer (1) [ TAMU] ; 5 mi. S. Teziutlan, 7,500ft., hwy 131, 18 August 1982, C. and L. O’Brien and G. Wibmer (1) [ TAMU] ; MEXICO: No. 2, 13.3 mi. E. Santa Barbara, 9,700ft., 30 June 1961, George W. Byers (1) [ KSBS] ; # 11, 13.4 mi. E. Santa Barbara, 9,750ft., 26 July 1963, George W. Byers (1) [ KSBS] ; MEXICO D. F.: 6 mi. E. of Avila Camacho, Hwy. #190, 10,500ft., 3 July 1956, R. E. Boer and party (1) [ KSBS] ; OAXACA: Hoege (4) [ BMNH – labeled as B. C. A. material] ; PUEBLA: 3.7 mi. S Zacapoaxtla , 2 July 1985, 85/085, Coll. Woolley and Zolnerowich (1) [ TAMU] ; UNKNOWN STATE: 67-56 (1) [ BMNH] ; VERACRUZ: 3 mi. S. Altotonga, 7,700ft., hwy 131, 20 August 1982, C. and L. O’Brien and G. Wibmer (2) [ TAMU] ; Cordova [Cordoba], Salle Coll. (1) [ BMNH] .

Description. Male (holotype). Body length 4.41 mm; width at elytral humeri 1.82 mm; form elongate. Elytra shining, dark blue; head, pronotum, legs yellow-orange. Head not elongate, without ventral “jowl-like” area; genal length 0.54x length of eye; vertex shining, with coarse coalescing punctures, a tentorial pit near eye, a “v-shaped” ridge extending forward, connecting with frontal tubercles, enclosing coronal suture; anterior margin of postclypeus truncate, with an abruptly elevated anterolateral ridge posterior to margin; frontal carina acute, distinctly raised in lateral view, emanating from anterolateral ridge of postclypeus; antennal fossae separated by distance slightly more than width of antennal fossa (fossal width measured from inside edges); labrum orange, rectangular, with corners rounded, shining, impunctate; labral notch indistinct; frontal tubercles distinct, elevated, separated by coronal suture; area in front of antennal fossa without sunken appearance, without lateral carina; interocular distance 1.47x wider than width of both eyes combined; antennae slender, 0.85x length of body; antennomeres 1-4 orange; 5-11 orange-brown to brown; antennomere 2 shortest; 4 longer than 3; antennomere 1 longest; 6-11 nearly equal in length. Pronotum transverse, dorsal surface uneven (not smooth), reticulate, shining, with shallow, coarse, irregular punctures; lateral margin widest in front of middle; basal depression most obvious near lateral margins, where it is delimited by distinct callosities; basal margin nearly straight; anterolateral projections distinct, rectangular, with corners rounded; posterolateral angles distinct, acute. Scutellum brown, shining, obtusely triangular, impunctate. Elytra reticulate, impunctate, with vague costae; humeri distinct. Prosternal intercoxal process level with prosternum, not elevated ventrally to level of procoxae, very narrowly, inconspicuously separating procoxae, ending in dark brown knob with numerous setae. Procoxae conical, appearing contiguous. Procoxal cavities open. Mesosternum black. Legs including tarsi, orange; pro- and mesofemora not enlarged; tarsomere 1 of protarsi enlarged, about as wide as 3, about equal in length to 2-4 combined; tarsomere 1 of meso- and metatarsi not wider than tarsomere 3 of meso- and metatarsi. Abdomen black, shiny, impunctate, sparsely pubescent; fifth ventrite shallowly emarginate, with small central nipple, with tip orange. Aedeagus sharply bent 90 degrees near basal piece ( Fig. 31 ); basal piece about 30% total length of aedeagus; ventral end narrow, narrowing further to long, narrow, acute tip ( Fig. 38 ).

Female (allotype). Similar to holotype, differing in the following characters: size slightly larger (length 4.71 mm; width 1.94 mm); tarsomere 1 on all legs not enlarged; fifth abdominal ventrite dark, truncate, with acute central projection.

Variation. Male: length 4.18 – 4.65 mm; width at humeri 1.65 – 1.82 mm. Female: length 4.35 – 4.88 mm; width 1.76 – 2.00 mm. The elytral costae (up to six per elytron) are more pronounced in the female, especially the humeral costa. 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 slender, approximately 3.6x longer than wide, while in the female the ratio of the fourth antennomere is even more slender, approximately 4.2x longer than wide.

Remarks. Hemiphrynus sydneyae can be distinguished from all other species in the genus by the very rough, uneven pronotum with a distinct basal depression which is delimited by obvious callosities (Fig. 24), the “v-shaped” ridge on the vertex of the head and the aedeagus. It also has an acute frontal carina distinguishing it from H. corrugatus ( Fig. 14 ), H. intermedius ( Fig. 16 ), and H. smithi ( Fig. 17 ) which have a broad frontal carina. Hemiphrynus elongatus is larger in size and has distinctly stout antennae, and H. barri has a very differently shaped pronotum, with entirely orange thoracic sterna and lacks an anterolateral ridge on the postclypeus. See the remarks for the other species for additional differences.

Distribution. Known from the Mexican states of Mexico, Mexico D. F., Oaxaca, Puebla, and Veracruz at elevations between 7,500 and 10,500 feet.

Host. Unknown.

Etymology. Named for my first, and to date, only grandchild, Sydney Evelyn Jenkins.

Specimens Examined. See “ Type Specimens.”

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 13-18. Frontal view of faces of Hemiphrynus. 13) H. barri. 14) H. corrugatus. 15) H. elongatus. 16) H. intermedius. 17) H. smithi. 18) H. sydneyae.

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.