Calligrapha famularis,

Gómez-Zurita, Jesús, 2015, Systematic revision of the genus Calligrapha Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Chrysomelinae) in Central America: The group of Calligrapha argus Stål, Zootaxa 3922 (1), pp. 1-71 : 19-21

Calligrapha geographica subsp. famularis Stål, 1860 stat. nov.

Stål, C. 1860: 462.

( Figs 3 c, 5)

Chrysomela famularis: Stål, 1865 , Mon. Chrys. Amer., 3, p. 277.

Calligrapha formularis [lapsus calami]: Gemminger & Harold, 1874, Cat. Col., XI, p. 3433. Polyspila argus ab. famularis : Weise, 1916, Col. Cat., pars 68, 12, p. 38.

Calligrapha argus a. famularis : Blackwelder, 1946, Checklist Col., Pt. 4, p. 674.

Calligrapha ramulifera var. famularis: Bechyné, 1952 , Entom. Arb. Mus. Frey 3, p. 4. Calligrapha ramulifera s. famularis : Blackwelder, 1957, Checklist Col., Pt. 6, p. 1436. Calligrapha argus var. famularis: Bechyné & Springlová de Bechyné, 1965, Rev. Fac. Agron. Maracay 3, p. 48.

Carl Stål (1865) treated this taxon with affinities with his almost indistinguishable C. geographica Stål , but highlighting that the latter was always smaller and with differences in their elytral patterns. Judging from the specimen figured in Biologia Centrali Americana (i.e., fig. 19, Table 10), Jacoby (1882) interpreted C. famularis possibly in a different way than the original author, finding understandable similarities with C. argus Stål which compelled him to propose the former as a synonym of the latter (see below). For example, Stål's description remarks the black tint of elytral maculae, while they are reddish in C. argus and also in the specimen named C. famularis by Jacoby. Nonetheless, Jacoby's taxonomic decision was perpetuated in subsequent catalogues (Weise 1916; Blackwelder 1946), and formalized by Bechyné (1952), considering this taxon a variety with confluent spots (possibly interpreting this taxon in the same way as Jacoby did seven decades earlier). However, after examining the type material for this species, I found Stål's judgement sound in discussing this taxon close to C. geographica . Indeed, I can only separate both taxa on the basis of their midlateral spots, free and very narrow in the case of C. geographica and wide, connected to dark elytral margin by dark suffusions in C. famularis (besides its larger size). With the limited distribution data available to me, both forms seem to be parapatric, whereby C. geographica occupies a northwestern range and C. famularis a southeastern range in their combined distribution ( Fig. 5 ), and until more data becomes available to resolve their taxonomic status, they are proposed here with subspecific rank.

There is no indication in the original description about this taxon being described based on a syntype series, however there were two specimens identified as types in the entomological collections at NHM in London (from Deyrolle’s collection) and NRM in Stockholm (Stål 1865). The one from NRM explicitly includes locality information (Teapa) matching the one included in the original description, and the size of the specimen is compatible with the measures given in this same description. Thus, this specimen is selected as Lectotype.

Lectotype by present designation: Teapa / Stål / Type / Typus [red] (NRM). Specimen lacking ten apical antennomeres of left antenna.

Paralectotype: Type Stål, Coll. Deyrolle / Baly Coll. / famularis Stål Mexico [underneath: Type Stål, Coll: Deyrolle] (NHM).

Habitus ( Fig. 3 c). Length: 10.29 mm, width: 6.57 mm. Body oval, moderately convex. Head and pronotum dark metallic green. Scutellum, ventral parts and appendices dark metallic green with reddish hue, more evident in ventral parts of abdomen. Four basal antennomeres mostly reddish, darkened dorsally. Labrum, knees, apex of onychium and claws red. Elytra dark yellow, almost orange. Epipleura and heavy elytral markings with a hint of green metallic shine, more so on epipleura.

Head broad, deeply inserted in pronotum; more or less evenly punctured except on supraantennal calli; frontal suture impressed, perpendicularly linked to broadly U-shaped clypeal suture; supraocular furrow short, not surpassing eye edge behind. Eyes dorsoventrally elongated and finely faceted. Antennae relatively thin, short, reaching humeri; first antennomere long, thick, posteriorly curved; all antennomeres rather elongated, 2–6 thinner, relatively smooth and nearly glabrous, second nearly 2/3 as long as first, third longer than first; antennomeres 3–6 shortening progressively, sixth and seventh subequal and slightly longer than second; antennomeres 7–11 thicker, rugose and pubescent, lengthening progressively; eleventh antennomere as long as third. Labrum feebly emarginate anteriorly. Mandibles large, strong, notably convex at exterior margin, largely protruding beyond labrum. Last segment of maxillary palpi broad and truncated at apex, with sides regularly curved. Pronotum transverse (W/L: 2.33) finely margined anteriorly and laterally; surface microreticulate with irregularly sparse punctures on all surface, denser at disc and laterally, with larger and sometimes confluent punctures; seta at anterior angle bent backwards; seta at posterior angle bent forwards. Hypomeral suture impressed along one third of thorax length, obsolete at apex, lacking at base; hypomera transversally wrinkled at base, microreticulate, without punctures. Prosternum convex; process with sparse golden pubescence, narrow between coxae, slightly enlarged and hollowed at apex, cut straight at posterior border. Metanepisterna broadly margined all around, coarsely punctured. Metaventrite finely sparsely punctured. Scutellum relatively small, flat, shiny, unpunctured, longer than wide at base (W/L=0.91). Elytra very finely punctured; punctures surrounding markings and premarginal lateral row slightly larger; scutellar row of punctures present; elytra with fine dark margin. Elytral markings: (i) sutural stripe entire from base of elytra, completely surrounding scutellum, to gradual narrowing at apex; (ii) subsutural stripe contiguous to sutural stripe in its entire length, except in scutellar area, abruptly cut preapically on elytra at level with premarginal row of punctures; (iii) arcuate band complete, fused to subsutural stripe, apically obliquely divergent; (iv) spot of apical declivity large, laterally confluent with subsutural stripe; (v) humeral spot large, elongated, confluent for most of its length to (vi) humeral lunule, reaching well beyond basis of arcuate band; (vii) spot enclosed by humeral lunule large and ovoid; (viii) apical spot large, confluent with surrounding spots; (ix) midlateral spot broadly elliptical, not entirely confluent with elytral margin except for a narrow zone of suffusion; (x) pattern of some ten spots with different confluence among them or with major markings. Legs slender, finely, sparsely punctured; with very fine short golden pubescence; apex of tibiae rugose with dense longer golden pubescence; broad longitudinal furrow externally on apical 2/3 of tibiae, with 1–2 longitudinal internal ridges, and expanding at apex.

Distribution. This subspecies of C. geographica occupies the southern parts of the species range in the southern states of Chiapas and Tabasco in Mexico ( Fig. 5 , black squares). Subspecies endemic of the Caribbean Mesoamerican domain.

Material examined (seven specimens).

MEXICO

EGRC: (1) one specimen: Mexico, Chiapas, Cuxtepeques area, 15/06/1987, D.B. Thomas & A. Mendoza, Calligrapha famularis Stål J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2011. NHM: (1) one specimen: Teapa, Tabasco, Feb., H.H.S., Calligr. multipustulata var., Godman-Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.-Amer.; (2) one specimen: Teapa, Tabasco, Jan., H.H.S., Godman-Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.-Amer.; (3) one specimen: Teapa, Pilate, Baly Coll. NRM: (1) one specimen: Mexico, Tarnier.

Variation. Apex of arcuate band subsquare; markings showing a lesser degree of confluence (e.g., spot of apical declivity and apical spot free from subsutural stripe).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Dorsal and lateral habitus of Holotype of Calligrapha consputa Stål (a), Lectotype of C. geographica ssp. geographica Stål (b), Lectotype of C. geographica ssp. famularis Stål (c), and Lectotype of C. multipustulata Stål (d). Scale bar = 5.0 mm.

FIGURE 5. Geographic distribution of species in the Calligrapha multipustulata - group.