Fidia pedinops Strother, 2008

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 : 54-56

Fidia pedinops Strother , New Species

( Figs. 18 , 34 , 98 ; Map 4)

Fidia murina Dejean 1836: 412 (catalog); Dejean 1837: 436 (catalog). Nomen Nudum.

Fidia longipes: Blatchley 1924: 57 (faunal treatment); Schultz 1970: 245 (dissertation), ex parte; Balsbaugh & Hays 1972: 73 (faunal treatment), ex parte.

Holotype ♂ ( MCZC): "FL: Madison Co.; 0.4 mi. W of Hwy 6 on Hwy 90; 26-V-1992 coll. M. S. Strother / collected on Vitis sp. / HOLOTYPE Fidia pedinops M.S.Strother 1993 [red]". The specimen is glued on a point and is in excellent condition with all appendages intact. The genitalia were not dissected . Paratypes (50): each bears the label, " PARATYPE Fidia pedinops M.S.Strother 1993 " (see SPECIMENS EXAMINED below for label data and deposition of each paratype).

Description. Males: TL = 4.48–5.36 mm, HW = 2.00– 2.52 mm. Females: TL = 4.52–5.76 mm, HW = 2.28–2.80 mm. Color: Entirely blackish, often with very faint, blue metallic luster, less commonly very dark red-brown; pubescence white. Head: In frontal view, lateral margin of eyes nearly flush with sides of head. Pronotum: Length subequal to width, widest at or immediately posteriad middle, sides slightly to distinctly rounded in dorsal view, dorsum feebly to gently convex in lateral view; densely, coarsely punctate-reticulate; pubescence fine, recumbent, moderately sparse. Mesepisternum: Densely pubescent. Elytra: Intrahumeral callus obsolete; asetose punctate-striae distinct; interstices flat to feebly convex, moderately densely punctulate-rugulose; pubescence moderately dense, not forming distinct rows between punctate-striae. Abdomen: Males: medial area of first three sterna feebly flattened; first sternum bearing impunctate, glabrous area; second and third sterna often bearing similar areas; last sternum mesally feebly impressed; pygidium dorsally slightly convex with broadly rounded to subtruncate apex. Females: medial area of all sterna evenly convex, uniformly punctate-pubescent; apical margin of last sternum distinctly concave, lacking distinct medial process; pygidium dorsally feebly to moderately impressed with reflexed margins, apex more acutely rounded than in males. Legs: Both sexes with femora gradually tapered toward base. Males with protibia distally feebly to moderately curved ventrally; pro- and mesotibial spurs stout, contiguous, minutely rugulose; discosetae on pro- and mesobasitarsi only. Penis: In posterior view, sides slightly concave near middle; posterolateral angles obtusely rounded; apical emargination small, subtriangular; apical lobes subtriangular. In lateral view, euventral surface of declivitous part convex, slightly rounded immediately proximal to apex; euventral surface nearly straight to feebly concave. Sperm guide composed of lower sclerite only. Spermatheca: Basal arm type.

Etymology. From Greek pedinos, meaning flat or level, and ops, meaning eye; referring to the unique eyes of this species, which are nearly flush with the sides of the head.

Diagnosis. Eyes not bulging from sides of head ( Fig. 34 ); medium-sized (4.48–5.76 mm.); entirely black to very dark red-brown; pronotal punctures coarse; apical emargination of penis small, subtriangular ( Fig. 98 ); apical lobes subtriangular. Fidia pedinops is immediately distinguished from all other species by having the eyes nearly flush with the sides of the head rather than distinctly convex and laterally protruding.

Distribution (Map 4). Fidia pedinops occurs in southeastern Alabama, the panhandle of Florida as far south as Gainesville, and in southwestern and central Georgia.

Specimens examined (222). Paratypes: "AL: Barbour Co.; 4 mi west of Hwy 431 on Hwy 82; 31-V- 1992 coll. M. S. Strother / collected on Vitis sp. & Parthenocissus quinquefolia " ( AUEM:7); "AL: Henry Co. ; 3.2 mi North of Hwy 431 on Hwy 173; 31-V-1992 coll. M. S. Strother / collected on mixed Vitaceae " ( MSS:5); "AL: Houston Co. ; 3.8 mi N of state line on Hwy 109; 31-V-1992; M. S. Strother / collected on Vitis sp. " ( MSS:2); "AL: Houston Co. ; at the jct of Hwy 231 & 109; 31-V-1992 coll. M. S. Strother / collected on mixed Vitaceae " ( MSS:1); FL: Hamilton Co. ; 3.5 miles W. of Hwy 441 on C.R. 6; 30-V-1992 coll. M. S. Strother / collected on Vitis sp. " ( MCZC:10); "FL: Jackson co. ; 5.1 mi, W of Hwy 231 on Hwy 169; 1-VI-1992 coll. by M. S. Strother / collected on Vitis sp. " ( LSUC:3); "FL: Jackson Co. ; at Jct. of Hwy 231 & 161; 31-V- 1992 coll. M. S. Strother / collected on Vitis sp. " ( MSS:5); "FL: Madison Co. ; 0.4 mi. W of Hwy 6 on Hwy 90; 26-V-1992 coll. M. S. Strother / collected on Vitis sp. " ( USNM:12); "FL: Suwannee Co. ; 0.1 mi W of Columbia Co. line on Hwy 90; 26-V-1992; M. S. Strother / collected on Vitis rotundifolia " ( LSUC:2); "GA: Chattahoochee Co. ; 2.5mi W of Marion Co. line on Hwy 26; 25-V-1992; M.S.Strother / collected on Vitis sp. " ( UGCA:2); "GA: Marion Co. ; 6.1 mi W. of Schley Co. line on Hwy 26; 25-V-1992; coll. by M. S. Strother / collected on Vitis sp. " ( UGCA:1) .

Non-type material: ALABAMA: Dale Co., Ft. Rucker Mil. Res., v:6:1983 ( RHT:1), v:7:1983 ( RHT:7), v:10:1983 ( RHT:6), v:12:1983 ( RHT:4), v:13:1983 ( RHT:9), v:21:1983 ( RHT:3), v:10:1984 ( RHT:7), vi:11:1983 ( RHT:1); Escambia Co., county only, v:17:1980 ( AUEM:1); Monroe Co. , county only, v:19:1963 ( AUEM:1) . FLORIDA: Alachua Co., 4 mi. N. LaCrosse, J.&E. Ranch, v:16:1989 ( FSCA:1), v:22–26:1989 ( FSCA:1), Gainesville, v:7:19 ( CUIC:1), v:22:57 ( FSCA:1), vi:1:1980 ( FSCA:1), vi:2:1981 ( FSCA:1), 6:5:1941 ( FSCA:2), 6:21:19 ( CUIC:6, PURC:1, UGCA:1), 6:24:19 ( CUIC:3), San Felasco Hammock, v:23:1977 ( FSCA:2), vi:2:1977 ( FSCA:2), vi:9:1977 ( FSCA:1), county only, 6:13:54 ( FSCA:3); Hamilton Co., 3½ mi. E. West Lake , v:17:1969 ( AJG:2); Jackson Co. , Fla. Caverns St. Pk., v:23:66 ( FSCA:1), Spring Lake , 5:25:74 ( MUIC:1); Liberty Co. , 4 mi. N. Torreya St. Pk., v:3:1980 ( FSCA:1), Torreya St. Pk., v:3:1976 ( AMNH:10, EGRC:2), v:4:1976 ( AMNH:5, EGRC:2), v:5:1976 ( AMNH:5, EGRC:2), v:6:1984 ( RHT:1), v:6:1989 ( RHT:1), v:7:1989 ( RHT:3), vii:8:1989 ( RHT:1), vii:15:1987 ( PES:1), Torreya State Park , v:13:69 ( FSCA:2), v:13:1970 ( FSCA:2), v:15:64 ( FSCA:2), v:17:1970 ( FSCA:3), vii:3:1973 ( FSCA:1), Torreya State Pk., v:19:1985 ( EGRC:7); Okaloosa Co. , Destin, v:19:69 ( FSCA:3); Union Co. , Hwy 241 at Santa Fe R., iv:23:1989 ( FSCA:4), v:11:1989 ( FSCA:6), v:24:1987 ( FSCA:1), Hwy 241 at Santa Fe River , iv:25:1985 ( FSCA:2); Wakulla Co. , Hwy 267, 1 mi. SE jct hwy. 319, v:12:1986 ( EGRC:1, RHT:2), US 319 5 Mi E Crawfordville, v:15:1973 ( FAMU:21); County not determined, Mikesville, v:14:60 ( FSCA:2) . GEORGIA: Hancock Co., 6.4 mi. S Sparta, v:25:1976 ( UGCA:1); Schley Co. , Ellaville, v:18:37 ( USNM:1). No locality, no date ( BMNH:1, MRSN:3 [=Dejean's three specimens]) .

Temporal Data. Collecting dates ranged from 23 April to 15 July.

Natural History. Specimens were collected on various members of the Vitaceae including Ampelopsis arborea (L.), Parthenocissus quinquefolia (L.), Vitis rotundifolia Michx. , and Vitis spp. Specimens were also taken "on log", at lights, in Malaise trap, in CO 2 baited Malaise traps, in Leggett traps, and in " 6m Malaise trap w/ 1-Octen-3-ol + 2 green balls".

Taxonomic History. Dejean (1836) did not provide a description nor indication for the name F. murina , and it is a nomen nudum. An examination of the three Dejean specimens bearing the name F. murina , located in the Spinola collection of the MRSN, revealed that subsequent authors failed to recognize Dejean's species and applied the name F. murina to other taxa ( Glover 1868; Crotch 1873). This taxon has gone unrecognized by several authors ( Blatchley 1924; Schultz 1970; Balsbaugh & Hays 1972), who did not distinguish it from the superficially similar F. longipes which occurs throughout the entire range of F. pedinops .

Figures

FIGURES 17–20. Dorsal habitus of Fidia species. 17. F.pedestris. 18. F. pedinops. 19. F. rileyorum. 20. F. spuria.

FIGURES 31–34. 31. F. convexicollis lateral view of head and prothorax. 32. Graphops curtipennis schwarzi head. 33. F. rileyorum head. 34. F. pedinops head. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 96–100. Distal part of male aedeagus, lateral and dorsal views (scale bar = 0.5 mm). 96. F. texana. 97. F.confusa. 98. F. pedinops. 99. F. viticida. 100. F. clematis.