Asteriza darlingtoni Blake, 1939

Shin, Chulwoo, Chaboo, Caroline S. & Clark, Shawn M., 2012, Revision of the endemic Hispaniolan genus Asteriza Chevrolat, 1836, with description of two new species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae: Ischyrosonychini), Zootaxa 3227, pp. 34-53 : 44-45

Asteriza darlingtoni Blake, 1939

Asteriza darlingtoni Blake 1939: 238 [original description with figure]; Blackwelder 1946: 748 [checklist]; Wilcox 1975: 154 [catalog]; Borowiec 1996: 129 [checklist], 1999: 169 [catalog]; Takizawa 2003: 97 [checklist]; Perez-Gelabert 2008: 125 [checklist]; Borowiec & Świętojańska 2011 [catalog].

Type. Holotype (male, type number: MCZT _23637) and 2 paratypes in MCZ, url: http://insects.oeb.harvard.edu; 2 paratypes in USNM.

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished from the other three Asteriza species by the coloration and by the shape of the pronotal and elytral bases. The pronotum in dorsal view is moderately narrower than the elytral base (Figs. 13–14), not forming a nearly regular oval together with the elytra. The elytral punctures ( Figs. 53–54 ) are more sparsely and irregularly arranged; the pale markings of the elytral disc form numerous, irregularly shaped blotches, which are much larger than those of the pronotal disc in most specimens. Each femur is black, with the apex pale, similar to A. flavicornis ; A. blakeae has pale reddish femora and (Fig. 15). The frontoclypeus (Fig. 33) is coarsely to moderately punctate and not divided by a mesal sulcus.

Redescription. Adult: Male (n=13) length 8.5–9.0 mm, width 7.5–8.0 mm; female (n=17) length 9.5–10.0 mm, width 8.0–8.5 mm. Body oval in dorsal view; pronotum and elytra slightly to moderately discontinuous, often more distinctly so in male (Figs. 13–14); profile hemispherical ( Figs. 22–23 ), highest at middle of elytra. Head entirely concealed in dorsal view; gena and subgena black or dark reddish brown. Ligula with anterior margin slightly angled (Fig. 41). Pronotal disc slightly convex, black with brown blotches; anterior margin and edge slightly convex, translucent; lateral margin slightly depressed with edges curved upward, translucent and reddish. Elytra ( Figs. 53–54 ) with brown spots larger and with punctures more sparse than in A. flavicornis ( Figs. 51–52 ); brown spots often opalescent with small black spots; lateral reddish edge broader than in A. tainosa , n. sp. ( Figs. 47–48 ) and A. flavicornis ( Figs. 51–52 ) and narrower than in A. blakeae , n. sp. ( Figs 49–50 ). Legs shiny and reddish brown with coxae and proximal half of femora black. Spermatheca falcate, with inner margin slightly longer and broader than in other Asteriza species (Fig. 70).

Material examined. Dominican Republic: Prov. La Vega: Constanza, 3−4,000 ft. VIII. 1938, Darlington ( MCZ: 1 male, holotype; USNM: 1 female, paratype); Constanza to Jarabacoa 2−4,000 ft. Darlington ( USNM: 1 male); 10 km. N.E. Constanza, May 25, 1978 C.W. & L.B., O’Brien & Marshall ( WIBF: 1 female); 18 km. S.E. Constanza, August 4, 1979, C. W. O’Brien ( WIBF: 1 female); Jarabacoa PN Armando Bermudez Los Tablones N 19˚ 3’ 308, W 70˚ 53’ 49 W, 20 VII 2002, col. Sardis Medrano ( MHND: 1 male); Constanza Pinar Parejo, Valle Nuevo 10–12 VII 1998, S. Navarro y D. Veloz ( MHND: 1 male, 1 female); Cordillera Central 4.1 km, SW E1 Convento, 18˚ 50’ 37 N, 70˚ 42’ 48 W, Alt. 1730m, V 31 2003, J. Rawlins, R. Davidson, C. Young, C. Nunez, P. Acevedo, dense secondary evergreen forest with pine, hand collecting ( CMNH: 5 males, 2 females; BYU: 1 male, 2 females); Vic. Salta de Aguas Blancas, 19 VII 1996, M.C. Thomas ( FSCA: 2 females); Prov. Pedernales: N. of Pedernales, border rd, Rio Banana, S. of Arroyos, 18˚09’291N, 71˚45'540 W, 21 JUL 1999, Ivie & Guerrero ( WIBF: 3 males, 6 females); Prov. San Cristóbal: El Convento, Pinus forest on steep slopes above El Convento village, 1,700–1730 m, N 18˚ 50’ 574, W. 70˚ 42’ 189”, 20 XI 2003, leg. T, Szűts ( HNHM: 1 female).

Distribution. Dominican Republic: Prov. Pedernales and Prov. La Vega. Blake (1939) indicated two localities in La Vega—Constanza to Jarabacoa and Constanza; Borowiec (1999) indicated La Vega.

Remark. In contrast to Blake (1939), we found no consistent pattern of elytral brown spots and no significant difference in the aedeagus from the other Asteriza species.

Figures

FIGURES 47 – 54. Elytra, dorsal view: Asteriza tainosa, new species, 47, male; 48, female; Asteriza blakeae, new species, 49, male; 50, female; Asteriza flavicornis, 51, male; 52, female; Asteriza darlingtoni, 53, male; 54, female. Figs. 55 – 56. Elytra, ventral view,: Asteriza tainosa, new species, 55, male; 56, female. Figs. 57 – 58. Hind-wings: Asteriza tainosa, new species, 57, male; 58, female. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 16 – 23. Lateral view: Asteriza tainosa, new species, 16, male; 17, female; Asteriza blakeae, new species, 18, male; 19, female; Asteriza flavicornis, 20, male; 21, female; Asteriza darlingtoni, 22, male; 23, female. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.