Phrynocepha capitata Jacoby 1884

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 : 30-34

Phrynocepha capitata Jacoby 1884

( Fig. 47 , 56 , 64 , 75 , 78 )

Phrynocepha capitata Jacoby 1884: 293 . Heikertinger and Csiki 1939: 215. Blackwelder 1946: 699. Wilcox 1975: 107. Furth and Savini 1996: 64. Furth 2006: 233.

Type Specimens. Lectotype (here designated and labeled). Female [ MCZC] labeled: “ Tuxtla ” [printed on white], “ Mexico./ Salle Coll.” [printed on white], “1 st Jacoby / Coll.” [printed on white], “ capitata Jac. / cotype” [handwritten on blue], “ Type / 18747” [printed and handwritten on red].

Paralectotype (here designated and labeled). Female [ BMNH] labeled: “TYPE/ H.T.” [printed on circular white with red border], “ Tuxtla .” [printed on white], “B. C. A., Col. VI, 1./ Phrynocepha / capitata , / Jac.” [printed on white], “ Mexico./ Salle Coll.” [printed on white], “ Phrynocepha / capitata . Jac.” [handwritten on blue], “936” [printed on white].

The female specimen in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard was selected as the lectotype for the species because it is labeled as a cotype on a blue handwritten label from the 1 st Jacoby Coll. A second specimen (designated as a paralectotype) from the type locality in the British Museum of Natural History did not indicate that it was from the 1 st Jacoby Coll. and did not appear to be labeled originally as a type.

Redescription. Female [MCZC, type 18747]. Body length 6.05 mm; width at elytral humeri 2.47 mm; form elongate. Elytra bluish-black; head, pronotum, mesosternum, legs yellow-orange. Head elongate, with lateral curved carina ventrally extending from behind eye to front edge of postclypeus, appearing “jowl-like;” genal length 1.75x longer than maximum length of eye; vertex indistinctly reticulate, with a few scattered large coalesced punctures near eye; postclypeus with prefrontal ridge truncate; an acute, elevated frontal carina extends between antennal fossae, curving upward before descending to front edge of postclypeus; anteclypeus entire, same color as labrum; labrum yellow-orange, rounded with a few scattered setae; antennal fossae separated by frontal carina; antennal fossae separated by distance equal to width of antennal fossa (fossal width measured from inside edges); frontal tubercles flat, distinct, separated by coronal suture; area in front of antennal fossa with sunken appearance, bordered by obtuse carina extending from eye to front edge of postclypeus, with frontogenal suture; interocular distance 1.60x wider than width of both eyes combined; eyes nearly round, very small relative to head; antennae stout, 0.60x length of body; antennomeres 1-3 orange; 4-11 dark brown; antennomere 3 longest, barely longer than either antennomere 1 or 4; antennomere 2 shortest; antennomeres 5-11 subequal in length. Pronotum roughly sculptured, reticulate, with dense coalescing punctures; lateral margins widest at middle, tapering to apex; posterolateral projections small, rounded; anterolateral projections rectangular, with corners rounded; basal depression poorly defined. Scutellum orange, triangular, impunctate. Elytra distinctly reticulate, irregularly punctate; punctures conspicuous; with obvious humeral costa extending about 1/3 length of each elytron; humeral depression obvious. Prosternal intercoxal process elevated ventrally over plane of prosternum, even with plane of tip of procoxae, narrowly, distinctly separating coxae, terminating at mesosternum as small knob. Procoxae globose. Procoxal cavities open. Mesosternum orange. Legs orange; tarsi orange-brown, darker than femora or tibiae; tarsomere 1 on all legs nearly as long as 2-4 combined; tarsomere 1 of metatarsi longer than tarsomere 1 of pro- or mesotarsi metatarsi; tarsomere 3 on all legs widest; all tibiae similar, slender, gradually expanded apically, with weak central longitudinal carina. Abdomen black, shiny, coarsely punctured, moderately pubescent; fifth ventrite entire.

Male. Male characters were obtained from specimens collected at or near the type locality that were in a short series of specimens, including females that could be compared to the type. Males are similar to the female type, differing in the following characters: size slightly larger (see “Variation”); head more robust with “jowl” more pronounced laterally, in frontal view the margin of the “jowl” is visible giving the male a broader head than the female in front of the eyes; all carinae on the head more developed; elytra with humeri indistinct, without humeral costa; tarsomere 1 broadly enlarged on pro- and mesotarsi; all tibiae stout, sulcate, expanded apically, with central carina; fifth ventrite emarginate, with a small, central orange tip, including small central orange lobe. Aedeagus laterally straight in basal half, bent about 25 degrees ventrally in apical half; basal piece about 21% total length of aedeagus ( Fig. 56 ); ventral end with distinct, broad subapical notch, followed by subapical lobe; tip with broad, obtuse point ( Fig. 64 , 75 ).

Variation. Male: length 4.88 – 7.06 mm; width at humeri 2.12 – 3.00 mm. Female: length 5.47 – 6.47 mm; width 2.35 – 2.71 mm. The humeral costa varies in length on female specimens from very short to about 1/3 length of elytra, and in some specimens there are additional vague elytral carinae. 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 2.2x longer than wide, while in the female the ratio of the fourth antennomere is slightly greater, approximately 2.7x longer than wide.

Remarks. Phrynocepha capitata , P. laevicollis , and P. pulchella were the only described species of Phrynocepha with an orange mesosternum. With the addition of three of the five new species described previously or below, there is now a group of six species with an orange mesosternum. This group now includes P. australis , P. capitata , P. kendrae , P. laevicollis , P. pseudocapitata , and P. pulchella . Phrynocepha pulchella is readily distinguishable by its large size. The other five species are all smaller and can be separated from each other using external morphological characters and male genitalia. The type for P. capitata is a female, and, since the male has most of the unique characters of the genus, the selection of specimens to designate as P. capitata was based on borrowed specimens collected at the type locality, and with a similar pronotum. The roughly sculptured, reticulate pronotum with dense coalescing punctures ( Fig. 47 ) and a distinct central carina on the metatibia should serve to separate this species from P. pseudocapitata which has a smooth, nearly impunctate pronotum ( Fig. 52 ) and a weak central carina on the metatibia. The pronotum of P. kendrae is shining, smooth, reticulate and obviously punctate ( Fig. 49 ). Generally, P. capitata is similar in size to P. kendrae , but does not occur in the same states. It does share the same habitat as P. pseudocapitata , but is slightly smaller in size.

The aedeagus of P. capitata ( Fig. 56 , 64 ) is also unlike that of P. pseudocapitata ( Fig. 60 , 71 ). When viewed from various perspectives, the tip of the aedeagus of P. capitata ( Fig. 64 , 75 ) is similar to that of P. kendrae ( Fig. 66 , 76 ) and P. marciae (new species below) ( Fig. 67 , 77 ). However, upon closer examination and when viewed from the lateral perspective, obvious differences can be observed. The aedeagus is unique for each species ( Fig. 56-77 ).

Another species with an orange mesosternum, P. laevicollis , is easily separated from all of the above species by its smaller size and uniquely expanded pro- and mesotibiae in the male ( Fig. 55 ). Phrynocepha australis can be distinguished by its smaller size, distribution and aedeagus.

All six species can also be differentiated from the four species with a dark mesosternum (see “Remarks” for other species) by the distinctly carinate “jowl” in the male.

Distribution. Based on material here examined, P. capitata is known from the Mexican states of Chiapas, Oaxaca and Veracruz at elevations between 138 and 3,400 feet. Furth (2006) also lists Guerrero, Jalisco and Tabasco for this species. This species and P. kendrae are the only two species in the genus that are known to occur below 1,850 feet elevation.

Host. Unknown. A single specimen was collected at light. Specimens of other species collected by the author were day active. A collection at light was probably inadvertent.

Specimens Examined. In addition to the lectotype and the paralectotype, other specimens examined included 21 males and 24 females. MEXICO. CHIAPAS: Tuxtla G.- Sumidero , 9 June 1991, flowering tree, F. W. Skillman Jr. (2) [ FSCA] ; 10 mi. W Ocozocuatla [Ocozocoautla], on Mex. Hwy. 190, 20 May 1965, D. E. Breedlove [2,400ft.] (1) [ CASC] ; El Aguacero , 20 June 1989, P. K. and E. B. Lago [1,678ft.] (4) [ TAMU] ; 19 mi. W. Ocozocoautla , 25 May 1965, H. R. Burke, J. R. Mayer, J. C. Schaffner [2,726ft.] (1) [ TAMU] ; 16 Km W Ocoz [not a known locality, probably an abbreviation for Ocozocoautla ], 1/ 7 July 1986, J. E. Wappes, 2500’ (1) [ USNM] ; El Aguacero , 16 km. W. Ocozocoautla, 10 June 2009, Skillman and Hildebrant, MV and UV light (1) [ BYUC] ; OAXACA: Tehuantepec , 8 July 1959 [138ft.] (18) [ AMNH] ; 1 mi. se. Rio Hondo , 22 July 1974, Clark, Murray, Ashe, Schaffner [1,971ft.] (1) [ TAMU] ; 2.5 mi. nw. Rio Hondo , 5 August 1980, Schaffner, Weaver, Friedlander (3) [ TAMU] ; 7.6 mi. n Totolpan , 14 July 1971, Clark, Murray, Hart, Schaffner [3,243ft.] (5) [ TAMU] ; Aguaceros , 40 km west Tuxtla Gutierrez , 21 June 1987, W. F. Chamberlain [3,340ft.] (2) [ TAMU] ; Presa Benito Juarez , 23 July 1974, Clark, Murray, Ashe, Schaffner [1,835ft.] (1) [ TAMU] ; Tehuantepec , 28 June 1965, P. H. Freytag and L. P. Gibson Collectors (1) [ BYUC] ; 2.7 mi. nw. El Camaron, 14 July 1971, Clark, Murray, Hart, Schaffner [3,291ft.] (3) [ TAMU] ; VERACRUZ: Lake Catemaco area , D. C. Robinson (1) [ TAMU] .

Figures

Figure 55. Protibia of Phrynocepha laevicollis.

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

Figures 56-59. Aedeagi, lateral view. 56) Phrynocepha capitata. 57) P. deyrollei. 58) P. kendrae. 59) P. marciae.

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 72-77. Tips of selected aedeagi, lateral view. 72) P. pueblae. 73) P. pueblae. 74) P. deyrollei. 75) P. capitata. 76) P. kendrae. 77) P. marciae.

Figures 78-79. Distribution of Phrynocepha in Mexico.

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.