Fidia pedestris Lefèvre

Strother, M. S. & Staines, C. L., 2008, A revision of the New World genus Fidia Baly 1863 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae: Adoxini), Zootaxa 1798 (1), pp. 1-100 : 52-54

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.1798.1.1
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039887A6-FF99-7450-A1C3-7CC20872DA49
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Fidia pedestris Lefèvre
status

Treatment

( Figs. 17 View FIGURES 17–20 , 60 View FIGURES 58–60 , 64 View FIGURES 61–70 , 85 View FIGURES 84–86 ; Map 8)

Fidia pedestris Lefèvre 1877: 164 (original description); Jacoby 1882: 166 (faunal treatment); Lefèvre 1885: 76 (catalog); Clavareau 1914: 76 (catalog); Blackwelder 1946: 662 (checklist); Bechyné 1953: 249 (catalog); Wilcox 1975: 57 (checklist); Flowers 1996: 36 (checklist). The types of F.pedestris were not located. Lefèvre did not state the number of specimens he had before him, but he indicated it was more than one by giving a range for the length measurement. Two specimens bearing type labels are preserved in the BMNH; they are a male labeled, " Type / Toxpam [sic] Mexico. Salle Coll. [Toxpam is handwritten] / Fidia pedestris, Lef. apud Salle. [handwritten] / 556 [blue] / B.C.A. 166.1. [tan]" and a female labeled, "Type [white disc with red border] / SYN-TYPE [white disc with blue border] / Type / Cordova [sic] / Type. Sp. figured. / Mexico. Salle Coll. / Fidia pedestris . E. Lef. Type) [handwritten] / Fidia pedestris, Lef. apud Salle. [handwritten] / B.C.A. 166.1. [tan]". Neither of these was collected at the type locality, Oaxaca, given by Lefèvre in his original description. Jacoby (1882) listed four localities, "... Oaxaca 1, Toxpam [sic], Cordova [sic], Cerro de Plumas..." for F. pedestris . The superscript one after the first locality indicated that the reference had come from Lefèvre's publication. The latter three localities were new records reported by Jacoby. Therefore it is clear that the two specimens mentioned above were not part of Lefèvre's syntype series but simply specimens Jacoby had before him during his preparation for the Biologia. As a result these specimens are here rejected as syntypes, and the label, "SPECIMEN NOT A SYNTYPE BASED ON LOCALITY M.S.Strother 1993 [blue]", has been added to each.

According to N. Berti (pers. comm.), the MNHN does not house any specimens of F. pedestris which could be considered types. It is not known whether the types of F. pedestris have been lost or destroyed, but designation of a neotype does not seem warranted at this time.

Description. Males: TL = 3.88–4.16 mm, HW = 1.72–1.84 mm. Females: TL = 4.72–5.08 mm, HW = 2.12– 2.44 mm. Color: Polymorphic with three distinct forms: 1) entirely red-brown with apical antennomeres and legs often slightly darker; 2) entirely very dark red-brown to nearly black, occasionally with very faint bluegreen metallic luster on head, pronotum and legs; 3) head, pronotum, apical 1/3 to 2/3 of elytra, and legs blackish; often with faint blue-green metallic luster on head, pronotum, and legs; basal 1/3 to 2/3 of elytra redorange to red-brown; all forms with thoracic and abdominal sterna red-orange to blackish; pubescence silverywhite. Pronotum: Length subequal to width, widest at or immediately posteriad middle, sides feebly to gently arcuate in dorsal view, dorsum gently convex anteriorly to feebly sinuate with posterior portion feebly concave in lateral view; densely, coarsely punctate-reticulate to irregularly, moderately densely punctate; punctures of central and posterior portion of disc often separated by more than two diameters of one puncture; pubescence relatively sparse to moderately dense, fine, hair-like. Mesepisternum: Entirely glabrous. Elytra: Intrahumeral callus well-developed, posteriorly bordered by transverse, sublunate, shallow to moderately deep impression; asetose punctate-striae feeble to moderately distinct basally and laterally, obscure to obsolete distally; interstices flat to slightly convex laterally, sparsely to moderately densely, finely punctate; setose punctures subequal in diameter to asetose punctures; pubescence long, sparse, fine, hair-like. Abdomen: Males: medial area of first sternum feebly flattened; medial area of second sternum with two widely separated, weakly developed calli, each bearing dense tuft of long, posteromedially directed, recumbent setae that more or less overlap lobes of third sternum; medial area of third sternum with two small, closely spaced, round to subangulate, posteriorly directed lobes, each with dense, short tuft of setae beneath; last two sterna evenly convex to feebly flattened medially; pygidium dorsally weakly convex with subacutely rounded apex. Females: medial area of all sterna evenly convex, uniformly punctate-pubescent; apical margin of last sternum subacutely concave with large, subtruncate to rounded medial process; pygidium dorsally flat to shallowly impressed, apex subacutely rounded with distinct, acute process at each posterolateral angle. Legs: Both sexes with pro- and mesofemora robust, moderately to abruptly tapered toward base; metafemur narrow in basal 1/3, gradually enlarged in distal 1/3. Males with all tibial spurs small, lacking visible surface sculpture; discosetae on all basitarsi. Penis: In posterior view, sides tapered toward acutely rounded apex with long, stout, spine-like apical process. In lateral view, eudorsal surface of declivitous part basally feebly convex, more convex distally before stout, recurved, spine-like apical process; euventral surface feebly to slightly sinuate with proximal portion concave, apical portion convex. Sperm guide composed of upper and lower sclerites. Spermatheca: Basal arm type.

Diagnosis. Small to medium-sized (3.88–5.08 mm.); pubescence, especially of elytra, sparse, very fine, hair-like; intrahumeral callus of elytron prominent, posteriorly bordered by transverse, sublunate impression. Males with medial area of third abdominal sternum bearing two small, closely placed, round to subangulate, posteriorly directed lobes, each with dense, short tuft of setae beneath and partially covered by setal tufts of second sternum ( Fig. 60 View FIGURES 58–60 ); apex of penis with long, stout, spine-like apical process ( Fig. 85 View FIGURES 84–86 ). Females with api- cal margin of last abdominal sternum subacutely concave bearing large, subtruncate to feebly rounded medial process ( Fig. 64 View FIGURES 61–70 ).

Males of F. pedestris are immediately distinguished from males of all other species by the setal tufts and lobes of the second and third abdominal sterna, respectively. Females of F. pedestris are similar to females of F. spuria but can be distinguished from the latter by having the apicomedial process of the last abdominal sternum subtruncate to feebly rounded rather than pointed. Some specimens of F. pedestris are dark with redorange elytral humeri and superficially resemble specimens of F. humeralis but can be distinguished from the latter by the prominent intrahumeral calli and sparser pubescence.

Distribution (Map 8). Fidia pedestris occurs along the Sierra Madre Oriental in eastern Mexico from Hidalgo to Oaxaca. Collecting elevations ranged from 1265 m to 1524 m.

Specimens Examined (8♂♂, 9♀♀).

MEXICO. HIDALGO: 2.7 mi. N. Tlanchinol, hwy. 105, viii:2:82 ( EGRC:1), 46 km SW. Tamazunchale, vi:4:1987 ( EGRC:2, RHT:2), Molango, Laguna Atezca [sic], viii:3:82 ( EGRC:1). VERACRUZ: * Cerro de Plumas (see Selander & Vaurie 1962), no date ( BMNH:6), Cordova [sic], no date ( BMNH:1), Toxpam [sic] (see Selander & Vaurie 1962), no date ( BMNH:1). No locality, no date ( BMNH:2).

Temporal Data. Collecting dates ranged from 4 June to 3 August.

Natural History. Unknown.