Calligrapha stillatipennis Stål, 1859

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 : 80-83

Calligrapha stillatipennis Stål, 1859

( Figs 3 a, 4a, 4b, 5c)

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

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

Calligrapha stillatipennis: Jacoby, 1882 . Biol. Centr.-Amer., vol. vi, pt. 1, p. 203. Polyspila stillatipennis: Weise, 1916 . Coleopt. Cat., p. 43.

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

Calligrapha stillatipennis: Wilcox, 1975 . Checklist Chrysom., Biol. Res. Inst. Am., p. 67.

The species was apparently described from a single Mexican specimen that was part of the entomological collection at the natural history museum in Berlin (Stål 1865). Today, this collection has a single specimen that fits the original description of the species, and most remarkably the expanded redescription of C. Stål’s monograph, which is recognised here as the species holotype.

Holotype: 29798 / stillatipennis Stål / Mexico [green] ( MfN). Only two basal antennomeres of left antenna remaining.

Habitus ( Fig. 5 c). Length: 11.18 mm, width: 6.57 mm. Body large, elongated oval, rather convex, with stronger curvature of elytra relative to pronotum. Head, base of labrum and mandibles, first antennomere dorsally, pronotum, scutellum, ventral surfaces and legs black with faint bronze reflection; apices of labrum, of basal antennomeres and of onychium, base of trochanters, and claws reddish brown; apex of mandibles, apical antennomeres, mouth parts, and apex of tarsomeres dark brown; elytra very dark brown, almost black; pale markings on elytra creamy yellow.

Head large, deeply inserted in prothorax; surface very finely microreticulate, alutaceous, slightly irregular with shallowly impressed, sometimes confluent, punctures; supraocular area depressed, with fine supraocular furrow ending above antennal calli; frontal suture very fine, slightly depressed anteriorly at junction with sinuated clypeal suture. Clypeus with punctures at sides and near suture, with short, medially convergent setae at sides. Labrum short, broad (W/L = 3.0), emarginate anteriorly with long lateral setae convergent medially. Antennae long, slender, reaching humeri, slightly but gradually thickening towards apex; antennomeres slender, eighth 0.7x as wide as long; scape stout, convex at anterior edge and slightly concave posteriorly; pedicel half as long as scape, thick, shortly clavate; third antennomere nearly as long as scape, slender, narrower than pedicel; fourth antennomere about 0.8x as long as third; antennomeres 5–9 subequal, about 0.6x as long as third, sixth slightly shorter; tenth antennomere slightly shorter than third; eleventh antennomere slightly longer than first, slightly widening to apical 1/4, tapering to acute, dorsally emarginate pointed apex; antennomeres 1–5 nearly glabrous, glossy, with scattered appressed setae and sparse fringe of longer setae preapically; antennomeres 7–11 enlarged, rugose, densely pubescent. Mandibles large, short, protruding from anterior border of labrum twice its length; sides straight, punctured and setose, slightly convergent before strong preapical curvature. Maxillary palpomeres slender; last palpomere large, with slightly divergent and convex sides, weakly narrowing at slightly emarginate apical border; third palpomere as broad apically as last segment, slightly elbowed and strongly narrowed basally; second palpomere club-shaped, straight. Pronotum broad (W/L = 2.13), with sides regularly but weakly arched and widest at middle, curvature becoming stronger towards anterior, blunt and obtuse produced angles; apically almost regularly concave and basally almost regularly convex; sides and anterior border finely margined; surface very finely microreticulate, densely, strongly, but rather dully and sometimes confluent punctured on disc; sides with stronger, deeper, somewhat rugose punctures; basal border with deep elongated punctures; setae at anterior angles short, feebly bent laterally and upwards, and trichobothria at hind angles bearing 2–3 setae, laterally bent forwards and slightly upwards. Hypomeral suture deeply impressed as series of consecutive elongated punctures basally, as furrow apically, closer to border basally and gradually diverging towards base of anterior angles of pronotum; hypomera convex, alutaceous, unpunctured, transversally concave at base, with transverse impressed lines. Prosternum narrow, finely margined at concave anterior margin; finely microreticulate and strongly, densely punctured posteriorly; process very convex sagitally between procoxae, shiny, unpunctured; depressed below level of mesoventrite and largely expanded apically, with deep large punctures at sides and few translucent setae; apex feebly convex. Mesanepisterna and mesepimera very finely microsculptured, unpunctured. Metanepisterna very finely microreticulate, with strong but ill-defined punctures mostly externally and at apex. Metaventrite leathery at sides, smooth and shiny medially, with rather strong transverse punctures at sides and angles; finely punctured posteriorly. Scutellum small, short (W/L = 1.14), very finely microreticulate, unpunctured. Elytra long, parallel except at apical 1/5, regularly curved towards suture; surface in dark areas very finely microreticulate, densely covered by relatively strong punctures regularly aligned near suture and basal 1/3, and with sparse minute secondary punctation; premarginal and scutellar rows present; pale areas smooth, nearly unpunctured. Thirteen small pale spots on each elytron: (i) basal subrectangular spot between internal declivity of humerus and scutellum, narrowly separated from basal border of elytron; (ii) elongated spot at humeral angle, confluent with border of elytron; (iii) basal median spot on disc, transversally subrectangular through intervals 3–5, slightly emarginate behind; (iv) roundish marginal posthumeral spot at level with previous, almost confluent with margin; (v) two subtriangular spots on lateral declivity of elytra medially, basal spot separated three intervals from lateral border, apical spot closer to margin, reaching premarginal line of punctures laterally; (vi) two subtrapezoidal spots longitudinally arranged posteriorly on disc, anterior spot occupying intervals 5–6, posterior spot transverse on sixth and beyond; (vii) subtriangular spot on third interval, basally on apical declivity of elytron; (viii) small roundish spot laterally confluent to premarginal row of punctures, backwards from previous one; (ix) small round spot medially on apical declivity of elytron, at level with previous spot; (x) relatively large subtriangular spot internally at sutural angle, between second and premarginal rows of punctures; and (ix) minute spot confluent with sutural angle. Femora considerably thickened medially, smooth, very sparsely finely punctured and with very fine short setae. Tibiae slender, straight, sparsely but regularly covered by fine elongated punctures; finely longitudinally carinated internally, furrowed externally at apical 1/3, with fine dense golden pubescence externally and apically. Tarsi shorter than corresponding tibiae; onychia with two minute acute teeth ventrally and claws divergent at base, long, sharp, curved ventrally and slightly laterally. Surface of abdominal ventrites smooth, very finely, irregularly scratched, with very fine sparse pubescence; first ventrite moderately strongly punctured near metacoxae and at sides; last ventrite conspicuously punctured at sides. Penis ( Figs 4 a, 4b) broad, stout, subparallel in ventral view, feebly curved ventrally and more convex dorsally, tapering at apex in lateral view; apical border broadly and regularly curved, projecting lateral acute teeth weakly bend backwards.

Distribution. The species is endemic to Central Mexico, found in some localities along the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt ( Fig. 3 a).

Material examined (17 specimens).

MEXICO. MCZ: (1) one specimen: Ex. Coll. J. Sturm, Mexico, B., Chrysom. maculata mihi, Mexico Sallé Coll., 1st Jacoby Coll.; (2) one specimen: 993, Cerro de Plumas, Mexico, Hoege, 1st Jacoby Coll. NHM: (1) one specimen: Ex Coll. J. Sturm, Calligr. maculata St. Mexico, Sallé Coll., Calligrapha stillatipennis Stål = maculata Strm. apud Sallé, Sp. figured, Godman-Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.-Amer.; (2) one specimen: Cerro de Plumas, Mexico, Hoege, Sp. figured, Godman-Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.-Amer.; (3) twelve specimens: Temascaltepec, 1931 (two with: 1831), Mex. D.F., G.B. Hinton Collector, Hinton Coll. B.M. 1937-173. NMB: (1) one specimen: Mexique, Etat de Jalisco (Huejotitan 1700m), L. Diguet 1913, Calligrapha stillatipennis Stal J. Bechyné det. 1953.

Variation. The specimens from Temascaltepec ( Mexico) are generally very similar to the type, without remarkable differences except perhaps a couple of specimens with additional very small pale markings besides those described in the type. Jacob Sturm’s specimen, however, has clearly larger markings, especially those on the apical half of elytra, showing confluence of two discal subsutural markings. The specimens from “Cerro de Plumas” (Cerro de Palmas, Veracruz, Mexico; Selander & Vaurie 1962) differ in the shape of pronotum, which broadens apically, also in colouration, with a reddish tint to dark parts, and they show broad confluence of pale markings on the apical half of elytra, which appears as a generally pale area with dark spots (as in most other species of Calligrapha ). These uncharacteristic specimens could perhaps be an interspecific hybrid of C. stillatipennis with another, unknown species. The collection at NMB contains one specimen that was originally identified by Jan Bechyné as Zygogramma decempustulata Jacoby, 1891 , which looks very similar to these specimens, but it clearly has connate claws.

Figures

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 4. Ventral and lateral views and detailed dorsal view of distal end of penis of Calligrapha stillatipennis Stål (a, b) and C. zapoteca sp. nov. (c, d). Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

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.