Calligrapha vigintimaculata ( Chevrolat, 1833 )

Gómez-Zurita, Jesús, 2016, Systematic revision of Calligrapha Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) with pale spots on dark elytra and description of two new species, Zootaxa 4072 (1), pp. 61-89 : 76-80

Calligrapha vigintimaculata ( Chevrolat, 1833)

( Figs 2 c, 2d, 3a, 5a)

Chrysomela vigintimaculata Chevrolat, 1833 . Col. Mexique, unpaginated (June 1833). Calligrapha vigintimaculata Chevrolat in Dejean, 1836. Cat. Col., p. 398.

Calligrapha 20-maculata: Stål, 1859. Öfv. Kongl. Vet.-Akad. Förhandl. 16, p. 326. Chrysomela viginti-maculata: Stål, 1865. Mon. Chrysom. Am., pt. 3, p. 285.

Calligrapha vigintimaculata: Gemminger & Harold, 1874 . Cat. Col., p. 3434.

Calligrapha vigintimaculata: Jacoby, 1882 . Biol. Centr.-Amer., vol. vi, pt. 1, p. 203. Calligrapha viginti-maculata: Jacoby, 1891. Biol. Centr.-Amer., vol. vi, pt. 1, suppl., p. 246. Calligrapha 20-maculata: Dugés, 1896. Cat. Col. Coleopt. Mex., p. 96.

Polyspila vigintimaculata: Weise, 1916 . Coleopt. Cat., p. 44.

Calligrapha vigintimaculata: Blackwelder, 1946 . U.S. Natl. Mus. Bull. 185, p. 674. Calligrapha 20- maculata: Bechyné, 1952. Entom. Arb. Mus. Frey 3, p. 5.

Calligrapha vigintimaculata: Wilcox, 1975 . Checklist Chrysom., Biol. Res. Inst. Am., p. 67. Calligrapha vigintimaculata: Bousquet & Bouchard, 2013 . ZooKeys 282, p. 102.

Louis Alexandre Auguste Chevrolat (Paris, 1799–1884) commissioned the publication of his Coléoptères du Mexique (1833–1835) as an unpaginated collection of species descriptions each occupying a single page, identified with the title of the book and specific publication date, in the dossier. Among the second batch of species published in June 1833, he included Chrysomela vigintimaculata Chevrolat , to be ranked among Calligrapha , a genus proposed by the same author a few years later (Chevrolat in Dejean 1836). A. Chevrolat’s collection, where the type of C. vigintimaculata was originally placed, was dismantled after his death, and the fate of these valuable specimens lost in some cases. It is possible that many of Chevrolat’s leaf beetles ended as part of the collection of British entomologist Joseph S. Baly, and eventually in that of Martin Jacoby. The latter collection, the basis for Biologia Centrali-Americana, is currently split between the Natural History Museum (London, U.K.) and the Museum of Comparative Zoology (Harvard, U.S.A.). The former institution includes at least one specimen that belonged in Deyrolle’s and Baly’s collections and apparently used by Stål to characterise the species, fitting relatively well the original description for C. vigintimaculata . The Deyrolle’s, both Émile and his son Achille, were contemporary and acquainted with Chevrolat, with whom they exchanged specimens, and chances are that the representatives of C. vigintimaculata in their collection had been compared to the type or originally identified by the author. In any case, having lost the type for this taxon and convinced of the taxonomic identity of this specimen, also with possible historical links with the original author and/or his collection, I propose designating the NHM specimen as neotype for the species.

Neotype by present designation: Type Stål coll. Deyrolle / Baly Coll. / 20-maculata Chevr. Mexique [underneath: type Stål, Coll: Deyrolle] (NHM). Specimen lacks left antenna (except first antennomere), right maxillary palp and left meso- and meta-onychia.

Habitus ( Fig. 5 a). Length: 10.0 mm, width: 6.33 mm. Body elongated oval, convex. Head, labrum, mandibles, pronotum, scutellum, dark parts of elytra, epipleura, ventral surfaces, femora and tibiae dark reddish brown, with a hint of weak metallic reflection on head, prothorax and abdominal ventrites laterally; antennae, palpi and tarsi orangish; pale spots on elytra custard yellow.

Head wide, deeply inserted into prothorax; surface finely microreticulate with sparse evenly distributed shallow punctures, except at convex glossy antennal calli; supraocular sulci deep, straight, curved at apex, marking posterior edge of antennal calli and bearing some yellowish translucent setae at and around apex; frontal suture feebly marked, joining a broadly bisinuous clypeal suture. Antennae slender, reaching humeri; scape thick, subcylindrical at apical half, convex at anterior edge, flattened posteriorly; second antennomere slightly longer than wide, less than half as long as scape; third antennomere subequal to first, gradually and weakly widening to apex; fourth to sixth antennomeres club-shaped, subequal, about 1.3x longer than second; antennomere seventh 1.7x longer than second; antennomeres eighth to tenth progressively longer; eight antennomere 0.72x wider than long; eleventh antennomere longer than first, ovoid, tapering, weakly emarginate dorsally at apex; antennomeres 1–6 nearly glabrous, remaining hairy. Clypeus convex, slightly depressed, more so at sides posteriorly; surface microreticulate, regularly covered by shallow punctures bearing short translucent seta. Labrum relatively long (W/ L = 2.0), with sides regularly curved and weakly emarginate apex; surface glossy, closely and minutely punctured, with about ten yellowish translucent setae, three at sides longer. Mandibles strong, robust, but relatively short, protruding from labrum by less than 1x its length; sides straight, convergent before strong preapical curvature; externally with large setose punctures. Last maxillary palpomere enlarged, trapezoidal with sides very weakly curved, outer longer than inner border, cut straight at apex; previous palpomere slightly broader at apex than base of last one, quickly narrowing externally to narrow base; first palpomere club-shaped, strongly widened towards obliquely cut apex, twice as wide as base of following segment. Pronotum transverse (W/L=1.91), more or less regularly convex; sides straight at basal half, weakly, regularly curved at apical half towards protruding anterior angles, finely margined, with margin visible from above except briefly under convexity of anterior angles; apical border concave, nearly straight medially and delicately margined; posterior border weakly bisinuous with feebly convex median lobe, unmargined but with basal punctures confluent with base, slightly elongated near angles; posterior angles slightly obtuse, with slightly advanced lateral trichobothria bent forwards; surface of pronotum very finely shagreened, with irregular dense punctuation of small, heterogeneous punctures on disc, larger and confluent laterally, but leaving anterior angles and sides nearly impunctate. Hypomeral suture deep, slightly curved, gradually diverging from nearly base towards base of anterior pronotal angles; hypomera finely microreticulate, unpunctured. Prosternum anteriorly concave and very finely margined, shagreened and grossly, almost rugosely punctate; prosternal process narrow, convex, raised but regularly sloping to anterior margin; glossy, unpunctured except at sides, with large setigerous punctures; sides concave towards expanded sloping spatulate apex. Intercoxal process of mesoventrite wider than apex of prosternum, raised above prosternal process, glossy, unpunctured. Metanepisterna, including raised margins, shagreened, with deep, longitudinally elongated punctures at sides and apically, shallow, imprecise elsewhere. Disc of metaventrite flat, raised above prosternum, unpunctured, glossy, with fine median line at posterior half; intercoxal process about 1.7x broader than apex of prosternal process, convex, broadly rounded apically, with sides strongly marked and depressed as broad, flattened rim to metacoxae; sides of metaventrite convex, leathery towards margins with some large punctures at anterior angles. Scutellum small, relatively short (W/L=0.85), sides feebly convergent towards broadly round apex; finely microreticulate, unpunctured. Elytra long, subparallel before regularly curved apical third, rather convex, raised above level of pronotum, with humeri rounded, callous; surface with finer microreticulation than pronotum, rather densely, irregularly punctured, except punctures marking some typical features of elytral maculation; punctures finer around sutural, lateral and apical areas, as well as on pale markings; scutellar row of punctures present; premarginal row of punctures confused except briefly at middle, at level with midlateral spot; marginal bead of punctures present, deeper at basal half. Epipleura unpunctured, microreticulate, concave at apical narrowed half, internally margined all along. Ten pale markings of similar sizes on each elytron: (i) basal subtrapezoidal spot between scutellum and inner humeral depression, basally confluent with dark margin of elytron; (ii) large spot at humeral angle; (iii) large irregular spot confluent with dark margin before middle of elytron; (iv) medium sized trapezoidal spot on third interval and beyond, on anterior half of disc, at level with previous spot; (v) medium-sized irregular spot, medially on lateral declivity of elytron, placed behind previous two; (vi) medium-sized roundish spot, postmedially on disc on fourth interval and beyond; (vii) smaller postmedian spot at lateral declivity of elytra, at level with previous one, reaching premarginal row of punctures; (viii) medium-sized irregular subsutural spot on third interval and beyond at apical declivity of elytron; (ix) large subrectangular premarginal spot at posterolateral declivity of elytron reaching premarginal row of punctures externally; (x) large triangular spot apically on elytron, laterally bounded externally by premarginal row of punctures without reaching sutural angle internally. Femora spindle-shaped, flattened ventrally, extremely finely leathery, almost glossy, with scattered punctures bearing fine short translucent appressed setae. Tibiae straight, feebly gradually expanding to apex; surface very finely leathery with scattered longitudinally elongated punctures with short, slightly stiff yellowish setae, gradually denser externally at apical half and at apex; tibiae very weakly canaliculate at apical half externally. Abdominal ventrites glossy, with fine scattered punctures, becoming deeper and denser towards apical segments. Penis ( Fig. 2 c, 2d) large, slightly widened at apical half in ventral view, reaching maximum width before dorsal operculum, conspicuously narrowing before lateral expansion; penis regularly curved in lateral view, tapering to apex; flap before dorsal opening cordiform; apical border weakly convex, projecting lateral teeth pointing backwards, distance between tips marking widest point of penis.

Distribution. The species is distributed from southern Mexico and possibly into South America, according to some isolated records from Colombia and Venezuela ( Fig. 3 a). However, it is remarkable that intense entomological prospection in recent years by INBio in Costa Rica, but also in Nicaragua by Jean-Michel Maes (Museo entomológico de León), has not yielded a single specimen of this species in these countries. Likewise, the entomological collection at the Museum of the Instituto de Zoología Agrícola (MIZA, Maracay, Venezuela) does not include a single exemplar of the species collected in this South American country. From a central area of distribution in southern Mexico and Guatemala, it is possible that the species becomes more sporadic in southern areas of a large range reaching South America, but its absence in well-prospected regions such as Costa Rica and Nicaragua at least generates some doubts about the old imprecise records in other localities beyond the Isthmus of Panama.

Material examined (145 specimens).

COLOMBIA. OUMNH: (1) one specimen: Bogota [?], Named 1899 by M. Jacoby, Calligrapha 20maculata Chev.

COSTA RICA. MfN: (1) one specimen: 29799, 20maculata Chevr., Costa rica, Wagner. NMNH: (1) one specimen: Chiriqui, Costa Rica, Casey bequest 1925.

EL SALVADOR. MIZA: (1) one specimen: MIZA 0040515, El Salvador, Ahuachapan, Los Ausoles, 26.i.1960, J. Bechyné & B. Bechyné coll., Calligrapha 20maculata Ch. J. Bechyné det.; (2) one specimen: MIZA 0040514, El Salvador, La Libertad, Comasagua, 3.vii.1959, R. Ayala coll., Calligrapha 20maculata Ch. J. Bechyné det. NMB: (1) one specimen: S. Salvador, 1877. xii.95, Calligrapha 20maculata Ch. J. Bechyné det., 1951.

GUATEMALA. FSCA: (1) one specimen: Guatemala, Retalhuleu, 17km N San Sebastián, 1100m, 21.v.1995, G. Monzón coll., Calligrapha vigintimaculata (Chev.) J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2011. MCZ: (1) three specimens: Capetillo, Guatemala, G.C. Champion [one with: Calligrapha 20maculata Stal]; (2) five specimens: Gua.; (3) three specimens: Guatem.; (4) four specimens: Capetillo, Guatemala, C. Champion, 1st Jacoby Coll.; (5) one specimen: Guatem. 5/71, 1st Jacoby Coll. MfN: (1) four specimens: Capetillo, Guatemala, G.C. Champion, 96649 [one with: Calligrapha 20maculata Stål]. NHM: (1) one specimen: Guatemala, 61/32; (2) one specimen: 25628, Guatimala, Fry Coll. 1905-100; (3) six specimens: Capetillo, Guatemala, G.C. Champion, Godman-Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.- Amer.; (4) one specimen: Duenas, Guatemala, G.C. Champion, Godman-Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.-Amer.; (5) one specimen: Cerro Zunil, 4–5000ft., Champion, Godman-Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.-Amer.; (6) one specimen: Guatemala, Sallé Coll., Calligrapha 20maculata Chev. apud Sallé, Godman-Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.-Amer.; (7) one specimen: Coban, Sallé Coll., Calligrapha 20-maculata Chev. apud Sallé, Godman-Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.- Amer. NMB: (1) one specimen: Verapaz, Guatemala; (2) one specimen: Panzos, Guatemala; (3) one specimen: Guatemala, Sammlung G. Schneider Museumsverein, Calligrapha vigintimaculata Daccordi det. ‘78. NMNH: (1) three specimens: Capetillo, Guatemala, G.C. Champion [one with: Calligrapha 20-maculata Chevr. F. Monrós det. 1953]; (2) one specimen: Guatemala, Antigua, 17.vi.1923, E.G. Smyth, F. Monrós Collection 1959, Calligrapha 20-maculata Chevr. F. Monrós det. 1954; (3) one specimen: Guatem., F. Monrós Collection 1959; (4) one specimen: Guatemala, L. Conradt; (5) one specimen: Antiqua, Guat. 5.14.1923, E.G. Smyth; (6) one specimen: Antiqua, Guat. 6.23.1923; (7) one specimen: Acatenango, Guatemala, Aug. 1948, H.T. Dalmat Collector; (8) one specimen: Acatenango, Guatemala, June 1948, H.T. Dalmat Collector; (9) three specimens: Guatemala, Suchitepequez, Zapotitlan, 1525 meters, Finca Las Nubes, 16 June ’73, Ginter Ekis. NRM: (1) one specimen: Capetillo, Guatemala, G. C. Champion. ZSM: (1) one specimen: Capetillo, Guatemala, G.C. Champion, Polyspila 20-maculata Chev., Staatssammlung München 1975 Erwerb Coll. Machatschke.

HONDURAS. FSCA: (1) one specimen: Honduras, El Paraíso, El Portillo (Apaguis Mts.), 7km S Danli, 12.x.1993, P.W. Skilman Jr. coll., Calligrapha vigintimaculata (Chev.) J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2011.

MEXICO. EGRC: (1) one specimen: Mexico, Chiapas, El Sumidero nr Tuxtla Gutiérrez, 20.x.1986, D. Thomas & E. Fisher coll.; (2) one specimen: Mexico, Chiapas, El Sumidero Park, 9.vi.1991, D. Thomas & B. Ratcliffe coll.; (3) one specimen: Mexico, Chiapas, Simojovel, June 1989, Thomas-Mendoza coll.; (4) two specimens: Mexico, Chiapas, Simojovel, 23.viii.1987, D.B. Thomas coll.; (5) three specimens: Mexico, Chiapas, Sumidero Canyon, 16.x.1988, D.B. & A.M. Thomas coll.; (6) one specimen: Mexico, Chiapas, Sumidero Natl. Pk., 17.x.1989, D. Thomas, H. Howden & B. Ratcliffe coll. FSCA: (1) one specimen: Mexico, Chiapas, Sumidero Cyn., 21.x.1988, J.E. Wappes coll., Calligrapha vigintimaculata Chev. Det. E.G. Riley ’89. MCZ: (1) one specimen: Paso de Telaga, Jicaltepec, V. Cruz, Mex., 4/9, 96; (2) one specimen: Mex.; (3) one specimen: R. Mex., Oriz., 8.7.19, F.A. Eddy Collection; (4) one specimen: Mexico, 1st Jacoby Coll.; (5) two specimens: Tapachula, Chiapas, Höge, Jacoby 2nd Coll.; (6) one specimen: 68, Mex. MfN: (1) one specimen: Mexico Wells; (2) two specimens: Córdova 6 [one without data]; (3) three specimens: Tapachula 16 [one without data]; (4) four specimens: Distrikt Socomusco, Hotzen S.V.; (5) two specimens: 20maculata Chevr. Mex. [one without data]; (6) one specimen: Mexico, 20maculata Chev.; (7) one specimen: Mexico; (8) one specimen: 1207, Tapaschula, Mexico; (9) one specimen: Comilan, Chiapas; (10) one specimen: C. de Plumas 1 1 5. NHM: (1) one specimen: 13110, Mexico, Fry Coll. 1905.100, Calligrapha vigintimaculata , Mexico, Ch. Dej. Cat.; (2) two specimens: E. Coll. Laferté, Mex. gales[?], 67-56; (3) one specimen: Mex., 67-56; (4) one specimen: Mexico, 67-56; (5) one specimen: Mexico, Fry Coll. 1905.100; (6) one specimen: Tapachula, Chiapas, Höge, Godman-Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.-Amer.; (7) two specimens: Orizaba, Mexico, Sallé Coll., Calligrapha 20-maculata Chev. apud Sallé, Godman-Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.-Amer.; (8) two specimens: Cordova, Mexico, Sallé Coll., Calligrapha 20- maculata Chev. apud Sallé, Godman-Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.-Amer. [one with: 671]. NMB: (1) one specimen: Mexico, Erwerb 1955 Coll. Brancsik; (2) one specimen: Mexico, Polyspila 20maculata. NMCZ: (1) one specimen: Mexique, Mexico, Calligrapha 20-maculata J. Achard det. in BCA, Coll. Achard Mus. Pragense; (2) two specimens: Mexique, Coll. Achard Mus. Pragense; (3) one specimen: 20maculata, Mexique, Coll. Achard Mus. Pragense; (4) one specimen: Sierra de Durango, Coll. Achard Mus. Pragense. NMNH: (1) one specimen: Mexico, Chiapas, jct. Of Hwy 190 & 195, 24 June 1973, Ginter Ekis; (2) one specimen: Mexico, Vera., Fortin de Las Flores, vi.28.1975; (3) one specimen: Mex., Orizaba, ix.5, Wickham; (4) one specimen: Mex., G. Smith, Calligrapha 20-maculata Chev.; (5) one specimen: Cordoba, Mex., 12.6, Fredk Knab collector; (6) three specimens: Cordoba, Mex. 12.6, F. Monrós Collection 1959; (7) one specimen. Cordoba, Ver. Mex., Dr. A. Fenyes, A. Fenyes Collection, Calligrapha 20-maculata Chevr. F. Monrós det. 1953; (8) one specimen: Cordoba, Mex., Koebele Collection. NRM: (1) three specimens: Mexico, Sallé; (2) one specimen: Mexico, Stål; (3) one specimen: Mexico, Orizaba, Sallé. TAMUIC: (1) one specimen: X0534539, Mexico, Chiapas, 60mi W Palenque, vi.24.1987, William F. Chamberlain coll., Calligrapha vigintimaculata (Chev.) J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2011; (2) one specimen: X0534768, Mexico, Chiapas, Sumidero Canyon, ix.10.1989, D.B. Thomas coll., Calligrapha vigintimaculata (Chev.) J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2011. ZSM: (1) one specimen: Mexico, Socomusco, 26.vii, Purpus S.V., Calligrapha 20maculata Stal, Staatssammlung München 1975 Erwerb Coll. Machatschke.

PANAMA. MCZ: (1) two specimens: St. Maria, El Real, Panama.

VENEZUELA. MCZ: (1) one specimen: Caracas [?], Jacoby 2nd Coll.; (2) three specimens: Venezuela.

UNKNOWN SOURCE. MCZ: (1) one specimen: 55, Calligrapha vigintimaculata Chev. 1273 ; (2) one specimen: 1779. NHM: (1) one specimen: 297, 55/24, 20maculata named by Stål, Baly Coll.; (2) one specimen: 4851; (3) one specimen: 20punctata Chev Stål, 67-56. NMCZ: (1) one specimen: ex coll. Chevrolat, Coll. Achard Mus. Pragense; (2) one specimen: Coll. Achard Mus. Pragense. NMNH: (1) one specimen: Gift Ex MCZ Dupl. Series. OUMNH: (1) one specimen: 37, Named 1898 by M. Jacoby, Calligrapha 20maculata Chev.; (2) one specimen: [no data]. ZSM: (1) one specimen: Staatssammlung München 1975 Erwerb Coll. Machatschke.

Variation. With few exceptions, it appears that specimens from the south-eastern range of the species, particularly these in Guatemala (but also the specimen from Chiriquí), tend to be dark, with greenish metallic tint on pronotum, while these in the north-western range, mostly from Mexico, tend to show reddish or reddish brown colouration on pronotum and elytra, with feeble or no metallic reflections. Thus, the colour of pronotum can vary from metallic greenish to cupreous, dark reddish to bronzy, with the intermediate colour gradation, but in some specimens (perhaps teneral) these dark parts can be dark reddish brown. In turn, the dark elytral background can be dark reddish, reddish brown, dark reddish brown, dark brown or blackish. Macuale are quite constant in position and rarely show confluence, and when it occurs it generally involves spots on the apical declivity of elytra. For example, one specimen from Guatemala in particular shows pale markings conspicuously larger, occupying most of posterior half of elytra, with some confluence and leaving narrow dark areas separating them. Other arrangements are possible, and for instance, in one specimen at MCZ, the two subsutural discal spots are very reduced, as two small round spots, and four spots of the latero-apical declivity of elytra are fused in two transversal series. In one specimen, humeral and subhumeral marginal pale markings also appear together. Basal half of femora can be darkened.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Ventral and lateral views and detailed dorsal view of distal end of penis of Calligrapha panzoensis Bechyné (a, b), C. vigintimaculata (Chevrolat) (c, d), C. barda (Say) (e, f), C. multiguttata Stål (g, h), and C. pavimentata sp. nov. (i, j). Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 3. Distribution of Calligrapha species with pale spots in Central America. Distribution map of the group of species allied to C. vigintimaculata (Chevrolat) (a), of C. multiguttata Stål (b), and the group of species allied to C. barda (Say) (c).

FIGURE 5. Dorsal and lateral views of (a) the neotype of Calligrapha vigintimaculata (Chevrolat), (b) the holotype of C. panzoensis Bechyné, and (c) the holotype of C. stillatipennis Stål. Scale bar = 2.0 mm.