Plagiometriona sahlbergi ( Boheman, 1855 )

Flinte, Vivian, Viana, Jéssica Herzog, Macedo, Margarete Valverde, Windsor, Donald & Sekerka, Lukáš, 2016, Revalidation and redescription of three distinct species synonymized as Plagiometriona sahlbergi (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 56 (2), pp. 743-754 : 749

Plagiometriona sahlbergi ( Boheman, 1855)

( Fig. 2 )

Coptocycla sahlbergi Boheman, 1855: 375 (original description).

Plagiometriona sp. : FLINTE et al. (2008): 205 (biology and host plant record); FLINTE et al. (2011): 18 (altitudinal and temporal distribution).

Type locality. ‘Brasilia’.

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE: J, pinned, ‘Rio Jan [white and printed label] || F. Sahlb. [white and printed label] || Type. [white and printed label] || NHRS-JLKB | 000022594 [white and printed label]’ (NHRS).

Additional material studied. BRAZIL: RIO DE JANEIRO: Teresópolis, Parque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãos, trilha da Pedra do Sino, ~ 1800 m a.s.l., 17.xii.2005, 4 spec., V. Flinte leg. Additional 13 specimens reared in laboratory conditions, all deposited at CLEI.

Description. Measurements: BL: 5.29–6.54 mm, BW: 4.92–5.85 mm, PL: 1.46–1.72 mm, PW: 2.94–3.66 mm, BR: 1.13, PR: 2.08. Body slightly longer than wide.

Living and fresh specimens ( Figs 2A,C ): Pronotum with translucent yellow explanate margins, greenish yellow strip and large black semicircular basal spot with two yellow shiny circular spots near scutellum. Scutellum black. Elytra with translucent yellow explanate margins, greenish yellow strip and wide black central spot with seven yellow shiny spots. Greenish yellow strip between explanate margins and black central spot of elytra, from base to apex, at base from 8 th to last row of punctures and broader apically. Wide black central spot, covering most part of elytra from basal and internal margins to 8 th row of punctures, with seven yellow shiny spots: one wide spot at basal margin from 1 st to 3 rd row of punctures close to anterolateral margins of scutellum, one small subtriangular spot near basal margin from 3 rd to 4 th row of punctures, two at basal region with almost the same size from 1 st to 2 nd row of punctures and 3 rd to 5 th row of punctures, one at subbasal region from 1 st to 4 th row of punctures, one small spot at mid region from 6 th to 7 th row of punctures and one wide spot at submedian region from 1 st to 4 th row of punctures. Underside with visible translucent yellow elytra and remaining body with greenish yellow color, except black eyes and apical region of last antennomere, mouthparts, claws and joints between femurs, tibiae and first tarsomere dark yellow. Color changes from translucent, greenish and shiny yellow in living specimens to opaque yellow in dead and dry specimens ( Fig. 2B ).

Male genitalia. Aedeagus slim, rounded on apex and lateral margins straight. Apex in lateral profile slightly bent ventrally, median lobe regularly curved dorsally ( Figs 2E‒F ).

Female genitalia. Spermathecal capsule C-shaped with base greatly expanded ( Fig. 2G ). Distribution. So far this species is with certainty known only from Serra dos Órgãos in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Figures

Fig. 2. Plagiometriona sahlbergi (Boheman, 1855): A – live specimen dorsal; B – dried specimen dorsal; C – live specimen ventral; D – head, antennae, prosternum and forelegs; E – aedeagus dorsal; F – aedeagus lateral; G – spermatheca. Scales: B–C – 2 mm; D – 1 mm; E – 0.5 mm; G – 0.1 mm.