Hemiphrynus Horn 1889

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 : 3-4

Hemiphrynus Horn 1889

( Fig. 1-6 , 11 , 13-38 , 81-82 )

Hemiphrynus Horn 1889: 212 . Type Species. Phrynocepha intermedia Jacoby 1884 , by monotypy.

Redescription. Body elongate; head, pronotum, legs yellow-orange; elytra dark bluish, greenish, or purplish. Head rounded; eyes large, maximum length of eye greater than genal length; clypeus truncate; frontogenal suture not evident; maxillary palpi not stout, last palpomere smallest, narrow, attenuate; antennae inserted at the bottom of eye, filiform, extending 2/3 to 3/4 length of body; antennomere 3 shorter than 4, slightly longer than antennomere 2; antennomere 5 as long as or longer than antennomere 4; antennomere 11 subequal in length to 4; ventral side of face from the eye to the front of the clypeus straight, without a “jowl-like” appearance; antennal fossae separated by distance equal to or slightly wider than antennal fossa. Pronotum transverse, laterally margined, without a distinct medial, basal depression across central half; basal margin straight to vaguely sinuate. Elytra reticulate and impunctate or reticulate and irregularly, shallowly punctate, with or without vague carinae. Prosternal intercoxal process level with plane of prosternum, projecting backwards, indistinctly separating procoxae. Procoxae conical, appearing contiguous. Procoxal cavity open. Legs with metafemora enlarged, larger than pro- or mesofemora; tibiae slender, scarcely wider toward apex, not sulcate, with a single carina; protarsi with tarsomere 1 enlarged, as wide as or wider than tarsomere 3; tarsal claws appendiculate. Sexes dimorphic in body size, size and shape of pro- and mesotarsi, shape of last abdominal ventrite.

Remarks. The genus Hemiphrynus was described by Horn in 1889. He transferred into this new genus a single species, Phrynocepha intermedius . Jacoby (1891) added two new species to the genus, H. sulcatipennis Jacoby 1891 and H. tenuicornis Jacoby 1891 . Leng (1920) listed H. intermedius from southern Arizona. Subsequently, Scherer (1962, 1983) placed Hemiphrynus in synonymy with Phrynocepha . In checklists by Wilcox (1975), Seeno and Wilcox (1982), and Furth and Savini (1996), this synonymy was maintained. Riley et al. (2001) reinstated Hemiphrynus as a valid genus for H. intermedius , citing significant and obvious morphological differences between Hemiphrynus and Phrynocepha . These differences included a short lower frons and genae ( Fig. 5 ) and a narrow, depressed prosternal intercoxal process in Hemiphrynus , whereas Phrynocepha possesses long and frequently carinate genae ( Fig. 9 ) and the prosternal intercoxal process is a broad flat plate. Recent publications, Riley et al. (2002), Riley et al. (2003) and Furth (2006), have maintained the validity of Hemiphrynus . Phrynocepha elongatus Jacoby 1884 is here transferred from Phrynocepha to Hemiphrynus (as H. elongatus ). Two additional species, H. sulcatipennis and H. tenuicornis are reinstated below to Hemiphrynus , although placed as incertae sedis. Four species are described below as new. These new species possess all of the characteristics of Hemiphrynus . The genus now consists of eight species.

Horn (1889) also cited an obvious character difference that would justify his new genus. He noted that the metatibiae of Phrynocepha were “broadly sulcate and bicarinate.” His new genus did not possess this character. While it is true that the metatibia of Hemiphrynus is not sulcate or bicarinate, some species of Phrynocepha appear similar with respect to having a single carina. Species such as P. deyrollei Baly 1876 and P. natalieae (new species below) have a strong carina on one side of the tibia along the outer edge, along with a row of setae (almost spine-like on some species) on each side. Towards the apical end of the metatibia, the carina gradually curves inward to the central portion of the metatibia, leaving rows of setae along both sides of the tibia to continue forward to the apex. As a result, the metatibia of these species, although sulcate, appears to have only a single carina similar to Hemiphrynus . In these instances, appearance of a single carina is more of an illusion. Other species of Phrynocepha , such as P. pulchella Baly 1861 and P. kendrae (new species below), are clearly sulcate and bicarinate. However, the strength of the carina can vary between individuals of a species. All species of Hemiphrynus are clearly not sulcate or bicarinate. Morphological differences are also discussed under the remarks for Phrynocepha .

Biological differences, with relation to adult host associations, also support the separation of the two genera. Clark et al. (2004) list Quercus sp. (Fagaceae) as a host for H. intermedius in Arizona. Label data for some specimens examined also list Quercus gambelii Nutt. , Q. undulata Torr. , Quercus sp. and silver oak [silverleaf oak ( Quercus hypoleucoides A. Camus )?]. Five of the eleven species of Phrynocepha are associated with plant genera in the Fabaceae .

At the species level, specimens of Hemiphrynus are more readily identifiable than are individual specimens of Phrynocepha . Each species possesses unique external morphological characters eliminating the need to dissect specimens for proper determination. However, if necessary, the aedeagi for each species are also very distinctly different.

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 5-10. Male heads (fgs = frontogenal suture, jl = jowl, lc = lateral carina). 5) Hemiphrynus intermedius, lateral view. 6) H. intermedius, frontal view. 7) Phrynocepha deyrollei, lateral view. 8) P. deyrollei, frontal view. 9) P. pseudocapitata, lateral view. 10) P. pseudocapitata, frontal view.

Figures 11-12. Male third and fourth antennomeres. 11) H. intermedius. 12) P. deyrollei.

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 25-28. Aedeagi, lateral view. 25) Hemiphrynus barri. 26) H. corrugatus. 27) H. elongatus. 28) H. intermedius.

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.