Amblycerus simulator ( Jacquelin Du Val, 1857 )

Santos, Aluska Tavares Dos & Ribeiro-Costa, Cibele Stramare, 2019, Rearrangements in some species groups of Amblycerus Thunberg, 1815 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) including keys, description of a new species, new host plant and distributional records, Zootaxa 4701 (2), pp. 101-148 : 142-143

Amblycerus simulator ( Jacquelin Du Val, 1857)

( Figs 21 , 34 , 47 , 60 , 77, 90, 113, 116, 122)

Spermophagus simulator Jacquelin Du Val, 1857: 167–168 (desc., distr.). For review of literature, see Ribeiro-Costa et al. (2018).

Type material. The type material was requested from the MNHN, but it was not found by the curator. The recognition of A. simulator was done by its original description, comparison with material previously identified by comparison with the type material by J. M. Kingsolver, and a work that illustrated the male genitalia ( Ribeiro-Costa 1995) .

Additional specimens examined. [1 male specimen]: Faz. Nova Orlandia\ Jataí, Go—Brasil\ I. 964—Martins,\ Morgante & Silva.; Dep. Zool.\ São Paulo; Amblycerus \ simulator\ (Jac-Duv)\ det.\ J. M. Kingsolver; Amblycerus simulator \ (Jacquelin Duval, 1857)\ Det.: A. T. Santos; C. S. Ribeiro-Costa, 2018. ( MZSP). [1 female specimen]: Faz. Aceiro ♂ [symbol handwriting]\ Jatai, Goiás—Brasil\ X. 1962 \ Exp. Dep. Zool.; Dep. Zool.\ São Paulo; Am- blycerus\ simulator\ (Jac-Duval, 1857)\ Ribeiro-Costa, C. S\ det. 1991; Amblycerus simulator \ (Jacquelin Duval, 1857)\ Det.: A. T. Santos; C. S. Ribeiro-Costa, 2018. ( MZSP).

Diagnosis ( Figs 34 , 47 , 77, 90, 113). Amblycerus simulator is characterized by the following characters combination: head entirely covered by fine punctures ( Fig. 34 ); eyes closer to each other anteriorly ( Fig. 34 ), ocular index: 7.5; antennomere 7 about 1.1 longer than wide; scutellum about 6.3 longer than wide, bidentate (Fig. 77); longitudinal axis of metepisternal sulcus one-fourth the length of metepisternum ( Fig. 47 ); basal tarsomere about 2.6 the length of the median spur ( Fig. 47 ); pygidium with apical margin subtruncated ( Fig. 90 ); median lobe of male genitalia about 6.1 times as long as its greatest width at apical region ( Fig. 113 ); internal sac in the apical region with elongate unpaired sclerite in form of an inverted “V” in lateral view ( Fig. 113 ); median region with a subcylindrical unpaired sclerite and a pair of short, angulate sclerites. The species was similar to no other of the genus.

Redescription. Measurements. BL: 6.7 mm; BW: 3.5 mm.

Integument color ( Figs 21 , 47 , 90 ). Dorsum and abdomen red; head and ventral region of thorax dark red or entirely deep red.

Vestiture ( Figs 21 , 47 , 60 , 90 ). Body covered with light yellow and brown setae. Pronotum and elytra mottled with light yellow and brown setae uniformly distributed. Scutellum light yellow. Ventral region with dark integument mottled with gray and brown setae. Pygidium with median faint stripe of light yellow.

Head ( Fig. 34 ). Frons covered with fine punctures, without frontal carina. Eyes strongly prominent laterally, closer to each other anteriorly ( Fig. 34 ), ocular index: 7.5; ocular sinus: 1.6 and postocular lobe about 0.2 the eye length. Antennae not reaching anterior margin of hind coxae, serrate from antennomeres 4–10 ( Fig. 47 ); antennomere 7 about 1.1 longer than wide, last antennomere subelliptic. Frontoclypeal suture indistinct. Clypeus covered with fine punctures, except for narrow region at apex. Labrum with few fine punctures on basal margin. Prothorax ( Fig. 60 ). Pronotum trapezoidal with lateral margins strongly curved, covered laterally by coarse and dense punctures; lateral carina reaching posterior margin of pronotum; cervical boss with two setae; cervical sulcus conspicuous behind eyes. Prosternal process expanded beyond anterior coxae, curved and gently constricted between coxae. Meso- and metathorax ( Figs 21 , 47 , 77). Scutellum about 6.3 longer than wide, bidentate (Fig. 77). Elytra with striae strongly impressed, all free apically ( Fig. 21 ). Metepisternum with moderately coarse and sparse punctures ( Fig. 47 ); metepisternal sulcus with transverse axis gently oblique; longitudinal axis about one-fourth the length of metepisternum. Metaventrite not proeminent in lateral view, without punctures and median sulcus longer than a half the lenght of metaventrite ( Fig. 47 ). Metacoxae with coarse punctures ( Fig. 47 ). Hind tibia with lateral spur about 1.8 times the length of median spur ( Fig. 47 ). Basal tarsomere about 1.4 times the length of lateral spur and 2.6 times the length of median spur. Abdomen ( Figs 47 , 90 ). Ventrites with moderately coarse punctures ( Fig. 47 ); last ventrite almost twice as long as the ventrite IV. Pygidium with apical margin subtruncated and with coarse and sparse punctures ( Fig. 90 ).

Male genitalia ( Figs 113 , 116 ). Median lobe of male genitalia about 6.1 times times as long as its greatest width at apical region ( Fig. 113 ). Ventral valve with lateral margins concave and acuminate apex; dorsal valve subtriangular with lateral margins almost convex. Internal sac on the apical region with elongate unpaired sclerite in form of an inverted “V”, in lateral view ( Fig. 113 ). Median region with subcylindrical unpaired sclerite, a pair of blades serrated on lateral margin and at apex, and a pair of short, angulate sclerites. Tegmen with shallow emargination between the enlarged lateral lobes ( Fig. 116 ). Female. Integument brown, excepted for blackish frons and hind legs; ventrite V not emarginated and pygidium with apex obtuse.

Distribution ( Fig. 122 ). Cuba, Honduras, Brazil (Mato Grosso, Goiás, São Paulo) and Peru.

Life History. No information was found for this species in the literature.

Host Plants ( Tab. I ). Malvaceae : Luehea speciosa Willd.

Figures

FIGURE 122. Map with the geographical distribution of A. eustrophoides, A. serieguttatus and A. simulator. Leaked symbols refer to bibliography data.

FIGURES 19–21. Species reallocated: 19. A. eustrophoides, 20. A. serieguttatus, 21. A. simulator. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 32–34. Head, species reallocated: 32. A. eustrophoides, 33. A. serieguttatus, 34. A. simulator. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 45–47. Lateral, species reallocated: 45. A. eustrophoides, 46. A. serieguttatus and 47. A. simulator. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 58–60. Pronotum, species reallocated: 58. A. eustrophoides. 59. A. serieguttatus and 60. A. simulator. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 88–90. Pygidium, species reallocated: 88. A. eustrophoides, 89. A. serieguttatus and 90. A. simulator. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 111–113. Male genitalia, species reallocated: 111. A. eustrophoides, 112. A. serieguttatus and 113. A. simulator. Scale bars = 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 114–116. Male genitalia, tegmen, species reallocated: 114. A. eustrophoides, 115. A. serieguttatus and 116. A. simulator. Scale bars = 0.25 mm.