Metaparia clytroides Crotch, 1873

Sublett, Clayton A. & Cook, Jerry L., 2021, A Comprehensive Revision of the Genus Metaparia Crotch, 1873 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae) and Description of a New Genus, The Coleopterists Bulletin 75 (4), pp. 779-811 : 786-788

Metaparia clytroides Crotch, 1873 ( Figs. 2b , 8–13 )

Metaparia clytroides Crotch 1873: 40 .

Metaparia clytroides : Horn 1892: 233.

Metaparia clytroides : Bechyné 1950a: 271. Metaparia clytroides : Wilcox 1983: 40. Metaparia clytroides : Riley et al. 2003: 146.

Type Specimens. Lectotype here designated, point-mounted male: labeled “Tex//J. L. Leconte/ Coll.//Type/5056 [label is on partially red paper]// LECTOTYPE / Metaparia /clytroides/Crotch/W.T. Schultz ’69 [on yellow paper, LECTOTYPE is typed, remainder is handwritten]// Metaparia / Crotch/clytroides/Cr (label outlined in red, handwritten]// Jan.–Jul. 2005 /MCZ Image/Database”; deposited in the MCZ.

Redescription. Body elongate; sides subparallel; dorsum weakly convex ( Figs. 8, 9 ). Length 2.62– 3.29 mm (males) or 2.70–3.53 mm (females). Width 1.54–1.92 mm (males) or 1.44–1.88 mm (females). Color shining green, venter red-brown with green sheen; legs and antennae red-brown, antennomeres 7–11 scarcely darker than antennomeres 1–6. Head: IOR 2.06–2.61 (males) or 2.06–2.52 (females). Frons and clypeus punctate-setose, with space between punctures micropunctate; punctures medium, medium dense; setae longer on clypeus than frons. Clypeus broadly arched, suddenly narrowed in apical 1/4, apex emarginate; emargination broadly arched ( Fig. 10 ). Antennal sclerite with small patch of setae; antennomeres 8–11 longer than wide. Mandibles shining green, punctate-setose basally, with space between punctures microsculptured; apical teeth red-brown and smooth; punctures variable in size, moderately dense; mandibular dorsal face red-brown and smooth; in males, mandibles enlarged; lateral face convex; inner edge of left mandible with 1 tooth; or in females mandibles not enlarged; lateral face flat; inner edge of right mandible with single tooth. Pronotum: Pronotal ratio 0.62–0.68 (males) or 0.62–0.69 (females). Disc punctate-setose, with space between punctures microsculptured; punctures medium, dense; setae short; anterior edge setose; setae short, directed anteriorly; sides evenly rounded; posterior edge margined with lip, with lower edge weakly dentate. Scutellar shield: Form semi-ovular; disc impunctate, weakly microsculptured. Elytra: Disc punctate-setose, with space between punctures microsculptured; punctures medium sized, dense, and form weak striae; setae short, originating in punctures. Basal calli impunctate, microsculptured. Venter: Prosternal lateral arms form thin ridge, not expanded anteriorly ( Fig. 2b ); anterior edge setose, margined with fine bead; not connecting to pronotal anterior margin. Prosternal disc sparsely setose; anterior and posterior edges straight; sides concave; posterior lateral arms short, rounded. Legs: Trochanters with primary seta. Aedeagus: Median lobe subequal in length to basal hood; sclerotization around endophallic opening thick apically; apex upturned, emarginate; emargination shallowly arched ( Figs. 12, 13 ). Spermatheca: Form narrowly U-shaped; smoothly curved throughout, with base broadly rounded ( Fig. 11 ).

Diagnosis. Metaparia clytroides is easily distinguished from all other species of Metaparia by its overall metallic green color, completely microsculptured dorsal surface, and form, which is more elongate and less convex than other species of Metaparia .

Metaparia clytroides also resembles Dispardentium laevicollis because of its dorsal color and microsculpturing, but the two species can be separated by the symmetrically enlarged mandibles and contiguous prosternal lateral arms and prosternum in M. clytroides .

Specimens Examined. 59 specimens deposited in BYU, CMNH, EMEC, EGRC, MCZ, NMNH, and TAMU. UNITED STATES: Colorado: Bent : Rd. 10, 5–10.5 mi. N Jct. Rt. 194 (1 BYU) . Kansas: Kingman: Rago (4 MCZ, 1 NMNH). Rooks: Rooks Co. (1 MCZ) . Wilson: Benedict (2 CMNH) . West Kansas (3 MCZ) . New Mexico: Guadalupe : 5 mi. S Santa Rosa Hwy. 84 (1 TAMU) . Nebraska: State of Nebraska (1 MCZ) . Texas: Bexar: Camp Stanley (2 TAMU) ; San Antonio (1 CMNH) . Caldwell: Lockhart (1 TAMU) . Cameron: Brownsville (1 MCZ) . Carson: Pantex Plant , E of Playa (2 TAMU) . Comal: New Braunfels (1 EMEC) . Dallas: Cedar Hill (1 TAMU) . Deaf Smith : 12 mi. N Friona (1 TAMU) . Sutton: Sonora (1 NMNH) . Tarrant : Tarrant Co. (1 TAMU) . Travis: Heep Farm 11 mi. S Austin (1 TAMU) . Ambiguous: Taylor (4 TAMU) . State of Texas (25; 5 CMNH, 16 MCZ, 2 NMNH). No data (1, CMNH, 6 MCZ) .

Distribution. United States (Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Texas) ( Fig. 70 ).

Temporal Occurrence. April, May, July, August.

Remarks. Crotch (1873) did not designate a holotype or indicate how many specimens were examined in the original description. He only recorded that the type locality was Texas. Schultz (1970) noted seven specimens labeled “Tex.//J. L. LeConte/Coll.” in a series of M. clytroides in the MCZ and designated the first specimen in the series, which also bore a type label, as the lectotype.This is an invalid designation, since his dissertation was never published. We have examined Schultz’s designated lectotype and determined that it closely matches Crotch’s description and is a good representative of the species. For this reason, and to reduce confusion in the future, we are designating this specimen as the lectotype and have given it a valid lectotype label.

Figures

Fig. 2. Lateral arm of prosternum of species of Metaparia. a) M. cephalotes, b) M. clytroides, c) M. guatemalensis, d) M. hybrida, e) M. lesueuri, f) M. mandibuloflexa, new species, g) M. opacicollis, h) M. prosopis, new species, i) M. viridimicans. Scale bars = 0.5 mm. Left side is anterior edge.

Figs. 8–13. Lectotype of Metaparia clytroides. 8) Dorsal habitus; 9) Lateral habitus; 10) Head, frontal view; 11) Spermatheca; 12) Median lobe, apical view; 13) Median lobe, lateral view. Figs. 8, 9, 12, 13 scale bars = 1.0 mm; Fig. 10 scale bar = 0.5 mm; Fig. 11 scale bar = 0.1 mm.

Figs. 70–75. Distribution maps for Metaparia and Dispardentium species. 70) M. cephalotes (black circles), M. clytroides (black triangles), M. guatemalensis (gray triangles); 71) M. hybrida (gray triangles), M. lesueuri (black circles), M. mandibuloflexa, new species (black triangles); 72) M. opacicollis (black triangles); 73) M. prosopis, new species (black triangles); 74) M. viridimicans (black triangles); 75) D. laevicollis (black triangles).