Calligrapha geographica

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 : 17-19

Calligrapha geographica subsp. geographica Stål, 1860

Stål, C. 1860: 462.

( Figs 3 b, 4b, 4e, 5)

Chrysomela geographica: Stål, 1865 , Mon. Chrys. Amer., 3, p. 276.

Calligrapha geographica: Gemminger & Harold, 1874 , Cat. Col., XI, p. 3433. Calligrapha geographica: Jacoby, 1882 , Biol. Centr. Am., vol. 6, pt. 1, p. 196. Polyspila geographica: Weise, 1916 , Col. Cat., pars 68, 12, p. 40.

Calligrapha geographica: Blackwelder, 1946 , Checklist Col., Pt. 4, p. 674. Calligrapha geographica: Wilcox, 1975 , Checklist, Biol. Res. Inst. Amer., p. 66.

The author based the description of this species on a syntype series, as suggested by the range of measures given to describe the size of his new taxon. At least three specimens have been identified as potential members of this series, the one selected here as Lectotype and two additional specimens in the NHM collection, one labelled as one of Stål’s types from Deyrolle’s collection and another one signalled as co-type in Baly’s collection. All the specimens fit well the succinct description, and thus any of them can represent the name adequately; of the two specimens explicitly mentioning Mexico as geographic source of the specimen, the one at NRM, which was seemingly seen by M. Chevrolat, is arbitrarily selected here as the Lectotype.

Lectotype by present designation: Mexic / Chevrol. / Schh. / Type / Typus [red] (NRM).

Paralectotypes: (1) one specimen: Mexic. / Co-type / Calligrapha geographica Stål / Andrewes Bequest, B.M. 1922-221 (NHM); (2) one specimen: 46 / Type Stål Coll: Deyrolle / Calligrapha geographica Stål Mexico / Chrysomela geographica Stål [green] / Baly Coll. (NHM).

Habitus ( Fig. 3 b). Length: 8.93 mm, width: 5.86 mm. Body elongated oval. Head, mandibles, pronotum and scutellum black with greenish bronze metallic reflections. Antennae, apex of mandibles, mouth parts, ventral surfaces, epipleura, legs and elytral markings very dark rufous with a hint of metallic sheen. Ground of elytra creamy yellow.

2. This specimen does not look like typical C. consputa ; it is an aberrant specimen with blurred confluent markings and orange pale areas of elytra.

Head large; surface microreticulate with sparse punctures, stronger towards sides and close to clypeal suture; frontal suture impressed, perpendicularly joining broadly V-shaped clypeal suture; supraocular furrow deep, running from antennal calli to above upper margin of eye. Antennae relatively thin, short, reaching humeri; first antennomere long, thick, posteriorly curved; antennomeres 2–5 elongated, thin, relatively smooth and nearly glabrous, second half as long as first, third as long as first; antennomeres 3–7 shortening progressively, sixth and seventh slightly longer than second; antennomeres 7–11 thicker, rugose and pubescent, lengthening gradually, eleventh longer than first; eighth antennomere 0.67x as wide as long. Labrum weakly incised apically, with long apical setae. Mandibles sturdy, largely protruding beyond apical border of labrum for more than twice its length; srongly punctured and covered with long setae. Apical maxillary palpomere nearly as broad as long, slightly broader than previous segment; sides gently curved; apex slightly obliquely truncated. Pronotum transverse (W/ L=2.04) margined laterally and apically; surface microreticulate, rather densely and strongly punctured; punctures at sides much stronger, confluent; strong subelongated punctures more ore less arranged as row close to basal margin. Hypomeral suture impressed, not reaching base of pronotum, gradually slightly divergent from pronotal border towards apex; hypomera microreticulate, without punctures, transversely wrinkled basally. Prosternum microreticulate, punctured near coxae and along process; prosternal process depressed apically, slightly expanding laterally following countour of coxae. Metanepisterna and mesepimera strongly punctured. Metaventrite relatively strongly punctured except near apex and middle, with finer, sparser punctures. Scutellum microreticulate, unpunctured, relatively short (W/L=0.88). Interstrices of elytra almost unpunctured, except for some fine punctures medially near base and premarginal row of punctures; punctures surrounding and within dark markings slightly stronger; scutellar row of punctures present. Elytral markings as follows: (i) sutural stripe from base of elytra around scutellum to sudden narrowing at elytral apex; (ii) subsutural stripe from scutellar area almost to elytral apex; confluent with sutural stripe except briefly basally; (iii) arcuate band entire, laterally confluent for most of its length with subsutural stripe; obliquely diverging apically as a large subtrapezoidal spot; (iv) humeral spot elongated, confluent for most of its length except very briefly apically with basal half of (v) humeral lunule; apical half of humeral lunule free and obliquely oriented towards suture, ending slightly beyond basal end of arcuate band; (vi) spot enclosed by humeral lunule large, ovoid, with basal end irregularly demarcated; (vii) spot of apical declivity large, laterally confluent with subsutural stripe; (viii) apical spot relatively small, roundish; (ix) midlateral spot elongated, very narrow, occupying 6–7 punctures of premarginal line, detached from elytral dark margin; (x) ten additional medium sized markings on disk, with a tendency to break in smaller spots but preserving a relatively regular structure; innermost spot fused to arcuate band. External face of femora punctured, especially near articulation with tibiae. Tibiae externally canaliculated in apical 2/3; irregularly and finely ridged along canaliculation. Abdominal ventrites finely but rather densely punctured basally; with one roundish hollow laterally. Penis figured in Figs 4 b, 4e.

Distribution. This subspecies of C. geographica occupies the northern parts of the species range in the southern states of Chiapas, Tabasco and Veracruz in Mexico ( Fig. 5 , white squares). This is an endemic subspecies of the Caribbean Mesoamerican region.

Material examined (40 specimens).

MEXICO

EGRC: (1) one specimen: Mexico, Chiapas, E Tuxtla Gtz, El Chorreadero, 13/06/1989, P.K. Lago & S. Testa, Calligrapha consputa Stal det. Daccordi ’86, Calligrapha geographica Stål J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2011. MCZ: (1) one specimen: Calligrapha geographica Stal, Mex., Jacoby 2nd Coll.; (2) one specimen: Cosamaloapam, Mexico, Salle Coll., 1st Jacoby Coll.; (3) one specimen: 96, Mexico, M. Chevrolat, Jacoby 2nd Coll.; (4) one specimen: Jalapa, Vera Cruz, Höge, Jacoby 2nd Coll.; (5) one specimen: Chrysomela geographica Mex. ; (6) one specimen: Mex. Chrysomela pardalina ; (7) one specimen: Mex.; (8) one specimen: Mex., Calligrapha geographica Stal J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2010. MfN: (1) two specimens: Cosamaloapam 6, geographica St. [one specimen without data]. NHM: (1) one specimen: geographica Chevt. Mexico, Baly Coll.; (2) one specimen: E. Coll. Laferté, Mexico, 67- 56; (3) one specimen: Ent. Club. 44-12, [...] Newman, Mexico; (4) two specimens: Mexico, Z. Walker, 6 35 13; (5) one specimen: ex Mus Murray, Mexico, Fry Coll. 1905.100; (6) one specimen: [female], geographica Chv t, Mexico, Alvarado Sallé var., 67-56; (7) one specimen: Mex., Baly Coll.; (8) one specimen: Playa Vicente, Mexico, Sallé Coll., Calligrapha geographica Stål apud Sallé, Godman-Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.-Amer.; (9) one specimen: Cosamaloapan, Mexico, Sallé Coll., 641, Calligrapha geographica Stål apud Sallé, Sp. figured, Godman-Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.-Amer. NMB: (1) one specimen: Mexico, Calligrapha geographica Stål, J. Bechyné det. 1957; (2) one specimen: Mexiko, Calligrapha geographica Stål J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2010. NMCZ: (1) one specimen: [female], geographica Chev., Mex., Coll. Achard Mus. Pragense ; (2) one specimen: Mexique, geographica Stål, Coll. Achard Mus. Pragense ; (3) one specimen: Tacotalpa, Coll. Achard Mus. Pragense. NRM: (1) one specimen: Mexic, Chevrol, Schh.; (2) one specimen: Mexico, Tarnier. OUMNH: (1) one specimen: F. Wallan Mexico, Ent. Club 44-12, From the Brit. Mus. duplicates Pres. 1899, Calligrapha geographica Stål J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2011.

UNKNOWN SOURCE

MfN: (1) two specimens: consputa [...] [one without data]. NHM: (1) one specimen: geographica, Baly Coll. ; (2) one specimen: Mex., Baly Coll.; (3) two specimens: E. Coll. Laferté, geographica Chevrolat , 67-56; (4) one specimen: [male], 67-56. NMCZ: (1) one specimen: Calligrapha consputa Stål J. Achard det. in BCA, Coll. Achard Mus. Pragense.

Variation. Species rather constant in general features and colouration, displaying some variation on confluence of elytral markings. Subsutural stripe can be slightly more divergent basally than in type or almost entirely confluent. The midlateral spot can be absent. The apex of the humeral spot can be free or narrowly joined to basalmost additional spot on disc. Apex of humeral lunule can be sometimes very narrowly confluent with base of the arcuate band, and more rarely with the apex of the spot enclosed by humeral lunule. The strongest variation is observed in size and number and confluence of additional spots on disc, since they can be broken in smaller spots or confluent among them or with the predominant features, like the innermost spot sometimes confluent very narrowly with the external concavity of arcuate band, as in the type.

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 4. Penis in ventral, lateral and dorsal view of apex of the species Calligrapha multipustulata Stål (a, d), C. geographica Stål (b, e) and C. consputa Stål (c, f). Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

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