Hemiphrynus corrugatus 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 : 7-12

Hemiphrynus corrugatus Gilbert sp. nov.

( Fig. 14 , 20, 26, 33, 82)

Type Specimens. Holotype (male) and allotype (female). MEXICO. OAXACA: Hoege. 1 st Jacoby Coll ., Syntype [written on red, label folded] Holotype and allotype deposited in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard type collection.

Paratypes (3 males and 7 females) – OAXACA: same data as holotype (1) [ MCZC]; Oaxaca, Hoege. (3) [ BMNH]; PUEBLA: Salle Coll., 864 (1) [ BMNH]; TLAXCALA: 8 mi. W. Apizaco, 17 June 1961, 8,500ft., Univ. Kans. Mex. Exp. (2) [ KSBS], (2) [ AJGC]; same data as previous, except on flowers of Heteratheca chrysopidis [ Heterotheca (= Chrysopsis )] (1) [ KSBS].

Description. Male (holotype). Body length 5.59 mm; width at elytral humeri 2.18 mm; form elongate. Elytra shining, bluish-black; head, pronotum, legs yellow-orange. Head not elongate, without ventral “jowl-like” area; genal length 0.39x length of eye; vertex shining, coarsely, densely punctate; anterior margin of postclypeus truncate, without anterolateral ridge; anteclypeus truncate, lighter in color than postclypeus or labrum; frontal carina broad, raised in lateral view, peaking between antennal fossae; 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, with eight distinct setae; labral notch indistinct; frontal tubercles distinct, not elevated over arc of head viewed laterally, separated by coronal suture; frontogenal suture and lateral carina absent; interocular distance 1.66x wider than width of both eyes combined; antennae slender, 0.63x length of body; antennomeres orange basally, gradually darkening to brown; antennomere 2 shortest; 4 longer than 3; 4-11 nearly equal in length. Pronotum transverse, reticulate, distinctly, uniformly punctate, widest at middle; lateral margins rounded; with two indistinct basolateral depressions; basal margin vaguely sinuate; anterolateral projections distinct, rectangular with corners rounded; posterolateral angles indistinct to absent. Scutellum bluish-black, shining, obtusely triangular, impunctate. Elytra reticulate, indistinctly punctate; humeri obvious. Prosternal intercoxal process level with prosternum, not elevated ventrally to level of procoxae, very narrowly separating procoxae. Procoxae conical, appearing contiguous. Procoxal cavities open. Legs including tarsi, orange; pro- and mesofemora not enlarged; tarsomere 1 of protarsi very enlarged, wider than 3, as long as 2-4 combined; tarsomere 1 of mesotarsi enlarged, wider than tarsomere 3 of mesotarsi, as long as 2-4 combined; tarsomere 1 of metatarsi not enlarged, much longer than 2-4 combined, not wider than tarsomere 3 of metatarsi; all tibiae stout, gradually expanding distally with strong central longitudinal carina along entire length. Abdomen black, shiny, impunctate, sparsely pubescent; fifth ventrite with small central projection (concealed by pygidium on most specimens), orange at tip. Aedeagus sharply bent nearly 90 degrees ventrally near mid-point, with dorsal transverse undulations behind ostium ( Fig. 26 ), with strong ventral wrinkles ( Fig. 26 , 33 ); basal piece about 27% total length of aedeagus; ventral end beyond wrinkles, abruptly narrowed, continuing to blunt tip as strong, broad median carina ( Fig. 33 ).

Female (allotype). Similar to holotype, differing in the following characters: size slightly smaller (length 4.12 mm; width 1.76 mm); each elytron with four vague costae; tarsomere 1 not enlarged or overly elongate on all legs; all tibiae similar, slender, gradually expanding distally; fifth abdominal ventrite truncate, without orange tip.

Variation. Male: length 4.82 – 6.05 mm; width at humeri 1.82 – 2.41. Female: length 4.12 – 5.35 mm; width 1.76 – 2.06 mm. The stout or slender appearance of the antennae varies as represented by the fourth antennomere (length to width ratio). In the specimens selected, the male fourth antennomere is relatively stout, approximately 2.8x longer than wide, and in the female, more slender, approximately 3.7x longer than wide.

Remarks. One feature that distinguishes this species from all other Hemiphrynus is the lack of, or near lack of, posterolateral angles on the prothorax (Fig. 20). This species also lacks an anterolateral ridge on the postclypeus, a character also missing on H. intermedius and H. barri . However, locality and the enlarged first tarsomere on the pro- and mesothoracic leg of the male, that is as wide as or wider than the third tarsomere, will separate this species from H. intermedius . Locality, the black thoracic sterna, and the curved lateral margins of the prothorax will also separate this species from H. barri . Hemiphrynus barri is known only in Sinaloa, has orange thoracic sterna and a prothorax with a lateral margin that tapers from the posterior margin to the anterior angles (Fig. 19). The ratio of the fourth antennomere in the male of H. corrugatus is 2.8x longer than wide, which is close to that of the male of H. elongatus ( Jacoby 1884) (2.4x). However, the female of H. corrugatus has a much greater ratio (3.7x) for the fourth antennomere than the female of H. elongatus (2.4x). See the remarks for the other species for additional differences.

Figures 19-24. Pronota of Hemiphrynus . 19) H. barri . 20) H. corrugatus . 21) H. elongatus . 22) H. intermedius . 23) H. smithi . 24) H. sydneyae .

Three specimens in the MCZC labeled as “ syntypes ” of H. elongatus were examined. Two are males and one is a female. The three specimens represent a single species, but, although similar in general appearance to the lectotype and paralectotypes of H. elongatus , they do not agree well enough with to be considered as specimens of H. elongatus . The lectotype and paralectotypes of H. elongatus and the three “ syntypes ” were collected from different Mexican states. The lectotype and paralectotypes were collected in Cordova [Cordoba], Veracruz and the three “ syntypes ” were collected in Oaxaca, Oaxaca. All three “ syntypes ” are smaller than the types. The two male “ syntypes ” are 5.29 mm and 5.59 mm in length, while the male lectotype for H. elongatus is 6.29 mm in length. The “ syntype ” female is 4.12 mm, while the length for females of H. elongatus varies between 4.76 and 6.47 mm. The relative size of the eyes for the “ syntypes ” is larger making the genal ratio and the interocular ratio smaller. The genal ratio is 0.46x and 0.39x for the male specimens while the genal ratio for the lectotype of H. elongatus is 0.52x. The interocular ratios are 1.66x for both male “ syntypes,” while the interocular ratio for the lectotype of H. elongatus is 1.70x. The pronotum of the female “ syntype ” is more obviously transverse and reticulate, with many of the coarse punctures coalescing and the lateral margins nearly parallel in the basal half than that of the female paralectotypes of H. elongatus . The female “ syntype ” also has two vague elytral carinae that fork from a single point behind the humeri and extend most of the length of each elytron. Three other vague carinae are also present. One is central between the forked carina, and the other two occur more dorsally on the distal half of the elytron. All of these carinae are vague and only obvious as the specimen is exposed to light at different angles. Elytral carinae are not evident on specimens of H. elongatus . In view of the above mentioned differences, the three “ syntypes ” are herein described as H. corrugatus along with nine additional specimens.

Distribution. Known only from the Mexican states of Oaxaca, Puebla, and Tlaxcala. The Tlaxcala collection was at 8,500 feet elevation.

Host. Unknown. A single specimen was collected from Heteratheca chrysopidis [ Heterotheca (= Chrysopsis ) Asteraceae ].

Etymology. Derived from “corrugated” meaning wrinkled with furrows or with alternate ridges and channels. This is in reference to the highly wrinkled structure of the aedeagus.

Specimens Examined. See “ Type Specimens.”

Figures

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 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.