Apraea priscilae, Clark & Lillrose & Belo Neto, 2013

Clark, Shawn M., Lillrose, Tiffany & Belo Neto, Luiz A., 2013, Leaf Beetles of the Cayman Islands (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Insecta Mundi 2013 (279), pp. 1-41 : 19-20

Apraea priscilae , new species

( Figures 11, 35)

Diagnosis. The greatly enlarged hind femora, in combination with the color of each elytron (yellowish brown, with dark humeri and with an elongate, median dark marking beginning near mid-length and extending to near the base of the apical declivity), are sufficient to distinguish this species from all other chrysomelids known to occur in the Cayman Islands. Compared with A. luciae (the only other species of the genus known from the Cayman Islands), the body is smaller (3.4-3.7 mm, as opposed to 4.3-5.2 mm long), the color is mostly pale yellowish brown instead of dark brown, and the elytral punctation is finer and largely arranged in regular rows. Beyond the Cayman Islands, A. priscilae is quite similar to Apraea anneae Blake , a species from Jamaica. However, the pronotum of A. priscilae is shorter, and the posterior elytral marking is larger and elongate, as opposed to small (or absent) and nearly round. There are also slight differences in the aedeagi.

Description. Body oval, dorsally glabrous; color light brown. Each elytron with dark brown circular spot on each humerus and with elongate dark brown medium macula behind middle; dorsal punctures deep, those on elytra arranged in slightly irregular rows. Length 3.4-3.7 mm; width across humeri 1.8 mm.

Head light brown; eyes large, dorsally separated at nearest point by about half length of antennomere 1; vertex between eyes, convex; frontal tubercles small, triangular; frontal ridge flat, narrow between antennae, broadly, triangularly expanded beyond antennae; expanded area of frontal ridge concave, pubescent; clypeal area reflexed beyond level of frons. Antennae pale brown, slender, extending to near middle of elytra, composed of eleven antennomeres; antennomere 1 elongate, curved, shining, nearly glabrous; antennomere 2 short, globular, nearly glabrous; antennomeres 3-11 elongate, densely pubescent, each about half as long as antennomere 1. Labrum pale brown, with four setae arranged in transverse row, with apical margin truncate and straight; mandibles piceous; maxillary and labial palpi pale yellow-brown.

Pronotum 2.0 times as wide as long, 1.8 times as wide as head across eyes, about as wide as elytra across humeri; anterior margin with fine bead; lateral margins arcuate, with strongly developed, carinate bead; posterior margin bisinuate, with well-defined but narrow bead; principal discal punctures well separated; interspaces minutely punctulate, appearing polished; color light brown. Scutellum subtriangular, pale brown.

Elytra 3.5 times as long as pronotum. Principal punctures of each elytron deeply impressed to apex, arranged in ten slightly irregular rows plus short subscutellar row; humerus impunctate. Interpunctural area polished, with scattered fine punctures. Color pale brown with humerus dark brown, also with median, elongate, dark brown macula extending from near mid-length to base of apical declivity.

Ventral areas brown, noticeably darker than dorsum; prothorax with hypomeron glabrous, shining; prosternum anterior to coxae short, about as long as width of antennomere 3; prosternal process separating coxae by distance slightly greater than width of antennomere 1. Ventral areas of mesothorax alutaceous, largely glabrous. Ventral areas of metathorax setose. Ventral areas of abdomen impunctate, shining, pubescent, alutaceous; mesal area of last abdominal sternite with dark brown fine mesal line, with apex of segment trilobed. Legs pale brown, alutaceous, sparsely setose on femora, densely setose on tibia; tarsal claws appendiculate. Aedeagus subtruncate near apex, with small median lobe at apex ( Fig. 35).

Material examined. Holotype: “CAYMAN IS: Grand Cayman Botanic Garden 9-VI-2008 M. C. Thomas, R. H. Turnbow, B. K. Dozier, blacklight trap ” (male, FSCA) . Paratype: Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman, Queen Elizabeth Botanic Garden, outside of entrance, 19-V-2009, M. C. Thomas, night beating (1 male, BYUC).

Plant associations. Unknown.

Etymology. The species epithet of this taxon honors the sister of the third author.

Comments. Although clearly belonging to the same genus, this species is quite different in appearance from Apraea luciae (see remarks in the above diagnosis).