Pachybrachis lodingi Bowditch, 1909

Barney, Robert J., 2018, Definition and Revision of the Atomarius Species-Group of North American Pachybrachis Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cryptocephalinae), Including Descriptions of Nine New Species, The Coleopterists Bulletin 72 (1), pp. 9-74 : 17-20

1. Pachybrachis lodingi Bowditch, 1909 ( Fig. 1 , Map 1A)

Pachybrachys lodingi Bowditch 1909: 243 . Blatchley 1924: 51 (taxonomy); Dozier 1922: 117 (regional species list); Hughes 1944: 131 (regional species list); Wilcox 1954: 389 (taxonomy).

Pachybrachis lodingi: Downie and Arnett 1996: 1317 (taxonomy); Kirk 1970: 86 (regional species list); Balsbaugh and Hays 1972: 30 (taxonomy); Peck and Thomas 1998: 133 (taxonomy); Riley et al. 2003: 159 (catalogue); Clark et al. 2004: 158 (plant associations); Ciegler 2007: 179 (taxonomy).

Type Material. A male from the MCZ-BOW, here designated as lectotype of Bowditch’ s P. lodingi and labeled “6 // Spring Hill / Ala. 5/9/06 [hand-inked, white paper] // lodingi / Type 6 [handinked, white paper] // Type / F. C. B. Collection [printed, pink paper] // LECTOTYPE / Pachybrachys / lodingi Bowditch 1909 / R. J. Barney 2017 [printed, red paper]”, was examined and photographed ( Fig. 1 ). A female from the MCZ-BOW, labeled “ ♀ // Grand Bay / Ala. VII/06 [hand-inked, white paper] // lodingi / Type ♀ [hand-inked, white paper] // Type / F. C. B. Collection [printed, pink paper] // Type [printed] / 8666 [hand-inked, red paper]” is herein designated as a paralectotype, “ PARALECTOTYPE 8666 / Pachybrachys / lodingi Bowditch 1909 / R. J. Barney 2017 [printed, red paper]”. Additional females from Grand Bay (2♀♀) and Spring Hill (1♀), Alabama are also designated as paralectotypes, “ PARALECTOTYPE / Pachybrachys / lodingi Bowditch 1909 / R. J. Barney 2017 [printed, red paper]”.

Redescription. Male. Dull, pale yellow with brown to black punctures; L = 1.84–2.04 mm (mean = 1.91 mm, n = 10); W = 0.95–1.17 mm (mean = 1.07 mm, n = 10); L/W = 1.74–1.85 (mean = 1.78, n = 10). Head: Slightly wider than thoracic apex, HW = 0.66–0.77 mm (mean = 0.74 mm, n = 10); eyes widely separated, IOD = 0.24–0.30 mm (mean = 0.26 mm, n = 10); IOD/HW = 0.33–0.40 (mean = 0.36, n = 10); face pale yellow with sparse, brown to black punctures, reduced on midline between eyes; antennae yellow to brown, not reaching elytral declivity. Pronotum: Yellow, M-shaped macula dark brown to black, broadly diffuse to almost imperceptible; incomplete punctation to lateral margins; PL = 0.60–0.69 mm (mean = 0.65 mm, n = 10); PW = 0.88–1.03 mm (mean = 0.93 mm, n = 10); PL/PW = 0.63–0.72 (mean = 0.69, n = 10). Elytra: Yellow striae mostly regular, punctures brown to black, standard maculae not present. Pygidium: Entirely yellow. Venter: Entirely black, upper sides of last ventrite yellow. Legs: Yellow. Genitalia: Median lobe in en-face view parallel-sided, abruptly narrowing at ALM to rounded extended tip; in lateral view, ALA 30° with setae along edges ( Fig. 1 ). Twenty-four males from six states were dissected.

Female. As in male, except L = 2.06–2.42 mm (mean = 2.23 mm, n = 10); W = 1.14–1.38 mm (mean = 1.26 mm, n = 10); L/W = 1.74–1.82 (mean = 1.78, n = 10); HW = 0.76– 0.90 mm (mean = 0.84 mm, n = 10); IOD = 0.31–0.38 mm (mean = 0.35 mm, n = 10); IOD/ HW = 0.41–0.44 (mean = 0.42, n = 10).

Remarks. Pachybrachis lodingi is one of the few species in the eastern USA that belongs to Fall’ s (1915) Group B species-group, which Fall described as species wholly or in great part yellow and elytra without standard spots.

Distribution. Pachybrachis lodingi is found in five southeastern Gulf coast states from Alabama to North Carolina, with the greatest concentration in Florida (Map 1A). The specimens from Illinois and Ohio would seem to be outliers, with the two females from Illinois being a new state record.

Biological Notes. The following potential host plants were listed on labels: Erigeron (Coryza) canadensis (L.) and Erigeron ( ramosus ) strigosus Muhl. Ex Willd. ( Asteraceae ), Eupatorium capillifolium (Lam.) Small ex Porter & Britton (Asteraceae) , Ceratiola ericoides Michx. (Ericaceae) , and Quercus sp. in Florida, and Hypericum sp. and Tephrosia sp. (Fabaceae) in Georgia. The following traps and habitats were also listed: Malaise trap, yellow pan trap, xeric oak hammock, longleaf pine-turkey oak-wiregrass, and longleaf pine-turkey oak burn zone.

Specimens Examined. See Appendix 1.

Figures

Fig. 1. Pachybrachis lodingi. A) Dorsal habitus, B) Lateral habitus, C) Face, D) Pygidium, E) Median lobe of aedeagus, lateral view, F) Median lobe of aedeagus, en-face view.