Heptispa brevicornis Riley

Riley, Edward G., 2015, Three New Hispine Beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae) from the United States and a New United States Record, The Coleopterists Bulletin (mo 14) 69, pp. 183-190 : 185-186

Heptispa brevicornis Riley , new species

( Fig. 2 )

Holotype. Sex undetermined, labeled “ TEXAS: Cameron Co. | 6 mi. E Brownsville | January 13, 1972 | W. E. Clark ∥ HOLOTYPE | Heptispa | brevicornis | Riley”. Specimen ( Fig. 2 ) is in excellent condition, all appendages intact. Deposited in TAMU.

Paratypes. 1 specimen. Same data as holotype. Deposited in TAMU .

Description. Body elongate, parallel-sided, length 3.8–3.9 mm (mean = 3.85 mm, n = 2), width across elytral humeri 1.2–1.3 mm (mean = 1.22 mm, n = 2), depressed, flattened above, pronotum and elytra deeply punctate; pronotum markedly narrower than base of elytra; head narrower than anterior margin of pronotum; entire body orange in color except sides of metasternum brownish; antennae and legs entirely orange. Head: Feeble, longitudinal elevation present between upper extreme of antennal sockets; vertex flat, minutely granulose with faint median groove for most of length, deep groove present along inner margin of each eye; clypeus wider than long, flat, base rounded and weakly elevated, surface impunctate and finely granulate; eye large, occupying almost entire side of head; genal space very narrow; surface behind eye without large punctures. Antenna: Slightly longer than pronotal length but shorter than length of pronotum and scutellum combined, nearly uniform in width, with 7 freely articulating antennomeres. Scape and antennomere II slightly wider than following antennomeres; scape and antennomeres II–III subequal in length; antennomeres IV–VI especially short, shorter than II or III, each equal in length and slightly wider than long; antennomere VII (last) subequal to combined length of antennomeres IV–VI, without marked annuli, sparsely setose with short, golden hairs; apex of antennomere VII acute. Pronotum: Wider than long (length/width ratio = 0.74–0.77), greatest width at mid-length, anterior and posterior margins transverse; lateral margins subparallel for posterior half and gently curved inward anteriorly from midlength to anterolateral angle, each with obscure lateral bead; anterolateral angle with short, stout, seta-bearing nodule; disc uniformly covered with large, deep punctation except for impunctate midline, surfaces between punctation smooth and shiny. Elytra: Coarsely punctate, parallel-sided, width uniform until narrowing at apical curvature; lateral margins coarsely, uniformly serrate. Punctation on each elytron aligned in 7 uniform rows, scutellar row absent; rows geminate (arranged in paired rows) between suture and 3 uniformly developed discal costae occupying strial intervals 2, 4, and 6; single row of punctures present between outermost discal costa and margin, excepting a few unaligned punctures below humeral umbo; 3 rd (outermost) discal costa curved inward at declivity and ending at 1 st strial interval; 1 st and 2 nd costae joined to 3 rd costa apically; 3 rd and to a lesser extent 2 nd costae with serrations similar to those on lateral margin but with individual denticles finer and reduced in size anteriorly. Venter: Prosternum shiny, finely impressed medially and with few scattered punctures posteriorly; hypomeron of prothorax with a few fine wrinkles, alutaceous, lacking large punctures; metasternum with line of fine punctures adjacent to margin of mesocoxae and several irregularly placed large punctures near lateral margin, surface alutaceous; abdominal ventrites impunctate, alutaceous. Legs: Outer margin of mesotibia arcuate, outer margins of pro- and metatibiae straight.

Etymology. Named for its short antennae.

Geographical Range. Known only from the type locality.

Biological Notes. Nothing is known about the food plant(s) of this species. Multiple genera of Fabaceae are recorded food plants for Central American species of Heptispa Weise ( Staines 2012) , suggesting that the new species may possibly utilize this plant family. The type locality is an area of coastal brushy forest that covers low clay hills that grade into surrounding saline mud flats.

Remarks. This is an unusual and noteworthy beetle possessing hispine characters not seen in other species from the United States and a combination of characters probably not found in any other hispine. The form of the antennae is its most unique character. They are especially short, each composed of seven articulating antennomeres that are nearly uniform in width, with the intermediate segments (IV–VI) being especially short. The outermost elytral strial punctures, normally geminate in most hispines, are reduced to a single row, resulting in a total of seven rows on each elytron. The uniformly orange coloration without a hint of darker markings and narrow build are also distinctive. The 7-segmented antennae, seven rows of punctures on each elytron, and narrow build are my justification for placing this species in Heptispa .

Heptispa contains six species, four from South America ( Brazil and French Guiana) described by Maurice Pic and two from Central America ( Staines 2012). The two Central American species, Heptispa limbata (Baly) ( Mexico to Colombia) and Heptispa solarii (Weise) ( Nicaragua to Colombia), are known to me by examination of specimens. Both are larger, ca. 5 mm in length, with conspicuous dark markings, and narrower, longer, and distinctly clavate antennae. The four South American species are unknown to me except through their brief original descriptions ( Pic 1928, 1929), where all are said to be larger than the new species, 5–8 mm, and to have some dark markings on their bodies.

Specimens Examined. See type material cited above.

Figures

Figs. 1–2. Dorsal, ventral, and lateral views of holotype and holotype labels: 1) Baliosus randia; 2) Heptispa brevicornis. Scale bar = 1 mm.