Calligrapha limbaticollis Stål, 1859

Gómez-Zurita, Jesús, 2018, Systematic revision of Central American Calligrapha Chevrolat of the subgenus Erythrographa subgen. nov. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Chrysomelinae), Zootaxa 4531 (1), pp. 1-58 : 5-9

Calligrapha limbaticollis Stål, 1859

( Figs 1b , 2c, 2d , 3 )

Calligrapha limbaticollis Stål, 1859 . Öfvers. af K. Vet.-Akad. Förh. 16, p. 324.

Chrysomela limbaticollis: Stål, 1865 . Mon. Chrysom. Am., pt. 3, p. 283.

Calligrapha limbaticollis: Crotch, 1873 . Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. 25, p. 50.

Calligrapha limbaticollis: Gemminger & Harold, 1874 . Cat. Col., p. 3433.

Calligrapha limbaticollis: Jacoby, 1882 . Biol. Centr.-Amer., vol. vi, pt. 1, p. 206.

Calligrapha limbaticollis: Horn, 1884 . Canad. Entomol. 16, p. 128.

Polyspila limbaticollis: Weise, 1916 . Coleopt. Cat., p. 40.

Calligrapha limbaticollis: Blackwelder, 1946 . U.S. Natl. Mus. Bull. 185, p. 674.

Calligrapha limbaticollis: Wilcox, 1975 . Checklist Chryomelidae, p. 67.

Calligrapha limbaticollis: Maes & Staines, 1991 . Rev. Nica. Ent. 18, p. 14.

Calligrapha limbaticollis: Maes, 1998 . Ins. Nicaragua, vol. 2, p. 980.

Calligrapha limbaticollis: Montelongo & Gómez-Zurita, 2013 . Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 115, p. 380.

Calligrapha limbaticollis: Benítez-García et al., 2017 . Rev. Mex. Biodiv. 88, p. 339.

The original descriptions of Chrysomelinae by Carl Stål were typically very concise and lacked information on the type designation or repository. This is also the case for the Mexican C. limbaticollis Stål , but it is possible to deduce that the author established his taxon based on the examination of more than one specimen, considering that he originally reported a size range for the species ( Stål 1859). In his latter monograph of American Chrysomelinae ( Stål 1862 –1865), the author added that the specimens of his C. limbaticollis were part of the Carl Augustus Dohrn collection, in the Natural History Museum of Stockholm ( Sweden). The collection in this institution currently includes three specimens of C. limbaticollis , and one of them, matching the original description and the smaller measures of the range provided, also has a label with the name "Tarnier". Frédéric Tarnier was a coleopterist based in Dijon ( France), contemporary with both Carl A. Dohrn and Carl Stål, thus, it is very likely that this particular specimen was examined by the latter and is selected here as lectotype.

Lectotype by present designation: Mexico / Tarnier / Type / Typus [red] ( NRM). Specimen lacks anterior left leg (except for coxa and trochanter).

Habitus ( Fig. 1b ). Length: 7.51 mm, width: 4.65 mm. Body elongate oval; moderately convex. Head, mouth parts, background of pronotum, scutellum, narrow margin of elytra and epipleura, elytral markings, femora, tibiae and ventral surfaces rufous. Labrum, antennae and tarsi pale rufous. Margin of elytral markings dark rufous. Broad creamy yellow marginal band apically and laterally on pronotum, expanded longitudinally on disc, bifid at apex; small pale marking above scutellum, background of elytra and epipleura creamy yellow. Apex of mandibles black.

Head rather densely, strongly punctured on frons and around the eyes; surface finely microreticulate and antennal calli largely unpunctured; frontal suture fine, joining markedly bisigmoidal fine clypeal suture; supraocular sulci above upper margin of eye reaching slightly beyond eye. Clypeus broader than long at middle, sparsely punctured with finer punctation than frons. Labrum broad and short, slightly emarginate medially. Mandibles strong, relatively short, protruding beyond apex of labrum only three times its length; strongly punctured laterally; sides straight shortly before strong curvature towards apex. Maxillary palpi long; apical palpomere large, trapezoidal, twice as broad apically than basally, strongly curved externally at side with apex slightly obliquely truncate; previous palpomere as long externally as apical segment, strongly obliquely cut at apex; first palpomere longest, club-shaped. Antennae slender, reaching behind humeri; scape club-shaped, slightly bent posteriorly; pedicel less than half as long as scape, slender, glossy, nearly glabrous; third and fourth antennomeres slightly club-shaped, long and slender, 1.3x longer than pedicel, glossy and nearly glabrous; fifth to eighth antennomeres progressively wider at apex, and gradually more rugose and densely pubescent; fifth antennomere slightly shorter than fourth; sixth antennomere shortest, as long as pedicel; seventh almost as long as third and antennomeres 7–11 progressively longer; eighth antennomere 1.6x as long as wide preapically. Pronotum transverse, relatively short (width between posterior angles (W)/length along midline (L) = 1.92), with sides conspicuously curved, posterior border convex and anterior border weakly convex between strongly protruding anterior angles; anterior and lateral borders finely margined, with lateral margins concealed by lateral convexity of pronotum in dorsal view; pronotal surface almost smooth, delicately microsculptured on pale areas, with scattered, ocassionally large punctures near pale margins and on anterior angles; surface very finely microreticulated on darker areas, with scattered moderately impressed punctures on disc, stronger at sides; row of subelongated punctures along basal border laterally. Hypomera with fine microreticulation, nearly unpunctured except for few scattered elongate punctures near base; hypomeral suture broad and deeply impressed, as transverse fold at base of pronotum, parallel to pronotal margin at basal half, feebly divergent from margin beyond middle towards base of anterior pronotal angles. Mesepimera and mesanepisterna weakly and sparsely punctured, finely microsculptured. Metanepisterna with broad, unpunctured apical, basal and external borders; weakly depressed along inner half longitudinally, with strong irregular punctures on depressed area. Metaventrite longitudinally impressed at middle, convex at both sides, with moderately strong punctures at basal angles and finer, regularly scattered punctures elsewhere. Scutellum slightly longer than wide at base, weakly convex, unpunctured. Elytra long, convex, with humeri broadly round, feebly marked, sides weakly curved, widest at middle, and regularly converging towards sutural angle; pale areas nearly devoid of punctures at basal third, with scattered very fine punctation elsewhere, including premarginal row of very fine punctures; slightly confused scutellar row of 9–11 punctures, marginal bead of punctures, and punctures around and within markings stronger. Dark markings on elytra consisting of: (i) sutural stripe broadly surrounding scutellum, gradually narrowing towards and reaching apex of elytra; (ii) subsutural stripe discontinuous, consisting of basal small ovoid free spot at level with apex of scutellum, and subsutural stripe entirely confluent with sutural stripe, weakly enlarged at apical declivity and abruptly widened and disappearing before apex of elytron; pale gap between basal spot and basal end of stripe slightly longer than spot; (iii) base of arcuate band as free medium sized, elongate spot slightly divergent basally from suture; (iv) humeral spot large, long, basally confluent narrowly with basal margin of elytron and completely confluent internally with humeral lunule; (v) humeral lunule shortly distant from basal margin of elytron, prolonged posteriorly beyond apical end of humeral spot as continuous stripe obliquely directed to suture, reaching and fusing with basal end of apical spot of arcuate band (left elytron of type) and other surrounding markings, forming more or less closed ring, encircling pale spot; (vi) spot enclosed by humeral lunule large, longitudinally elongated, narrower at basal half; (vii) spot of apical declivity large, longer than wide, slightly oblique, free or connected by dark suffusions to preapical enlargement of subsutural stripe, and confluent externally with (viii) apical spot, subparallel and of equal size than spot of apical declivity; (ix) midlateral spot very small, covering some 3 punctures of premarginal line, free; (x) traces of subhumeral spot as minute dark spot on slightly larger puncture on premarginal line of punctures; (xi) three or four additional roundish or elongate markings in lateral declivity of elytron. Epipleura wide at basal third, gradually narrowing at middle, narrow and ciliated at apical third, reaching sutural angle; surface smooth, unpunctured. Femora club-shaped, with sparse fine punctation and short, appressed, fine golden setae. Tibiae broadly canaliculated apically beyond midlength, furrow smooth internally; fringe of setae running from apical area of dense setation towards base of tibiae internally, more clearly in protibiae. Pro- and mesotarsi broad and robust, particularly the first protarsomeres and the third slightly bilobed pro- and mesotarsomeres. Abdominal ventrites 1–4 finely alutaceous, with scatered small punctures and fine, posteriorly recumbent golden hairs mainly at sides and basal half; punctation of fifth abdominal ventrite more uniformly distributed. Penis ( Figs 2c, 2d ) straight and parallel-sided in ventral view, regularly curved in lateral view, with apex regularly tapering dorsally beyond ostium; apical border more or less regularly and broadly curved in dorsal view, projecting short, blunt lateral teeth, weakly surpassing lateral margin of penis; apical end of flagellum simple.

Distribution. Calligrapha limbaticollis Stål is a Mexican endemism with a relatively reduced range on the lowlands of Veracruz and southeastern slopes of the Sierra Madre Oriental and northeastern slopes of the Transvolcanic belt, with a northernmost record in a southeastern locality of the San Luis Potosí State ( Fig. 3 ). The species can be at present considered a Neotropical component in the northern edge of the Caribbean Mesoamerican domain proposed by Morrone (2006). Therefore, the records from other sources, including these in North America, as refuted already by Horn (1884), or Nicaragua ( Maes & Staines 1991), as well as a number of specimens reported in this work from other origins must be considered labelling mistakes.

Material examined (140 specimens).

BRASIL. NMB: (1) four specimens: Brasilien [one with: Calligrapha limbaticollis Daccordi det. ‘79].

GUATEMALA. NMB: (1) one specimen: Guatemala, Erwerb 1955 Coll. Brancsik.

MEXICO.

EGRC: (1) one specimen: Mexico, San Luis de Potosí, 4mi NE Xilitla, 2500 ft., at night, 26.v.1974, C.W. and L. O’Brien & Marshall coll.; (2) one specimen: Mexico, Veracruz, Vega de Alatorre, 28.vi.1971, Clark, Murray, Hart & Schaffner coll.; (3) one specimen: Puebla, 1km E Villacamacho [Villa Ávila Camacho], 300 m, 1.viii.1965, Wm. W. Gibson coll. FSCA: (1) sixteen specimens: Mexico, Veracruz, Rte. 143, 25.3 km E Huatusco, 750 m, 18.xii.1978, G.E. & K.E. Ball coll., in bromeliads, oak forest, Calligrapha limbaticollis (Stål) Daccordi det. ’84.; (2) one specimen: Mexico, Veracruz, 5.3 km E Mizantla, 150 m, 17.xii.1978, G.E. & K.E. Ball coll., in bromeliads.

HNHM: (1) one specimen: Mexico, coll. Geitner, maculicollis Chevr. , Calligrapha limbaticollis Stål J. Gómez- Zurita det. 2017; (2) one specimen: Mexico, coll. Geitner, picta Chevr. , C. limbaticollis det. Daccordi 1979; (3) one specimen: Mexico, coll. Geitner, Calligrapha circunscripta , C. limbaticollis det. Daccordi 1979; (4) one specimen: Mexico, coll. E. Frivaldszky, Calligrapha picta Chevr. , C. limbaticollis det. Daccordi 1979; (5) one specimen: Mexico, Polyspila hieroglyphica Kl. , C. limbaticollis det. Daccordi 1979. MCZ: (1) five specimens: Mex. [one with: Calligrapha limbaticollis Stål ]; (2) eight specimens: Mex.; (3) one specimen: Mexico (Reitter) 211; (4) one specimen: Mexico, Sallé Coll., 1st Jacoby Coll.; (5) two specimens: Mexico, 1st Jacoby Coll.; (6) one specimen: Calligrapha signaticollis Mex. (Deyr.) ; (7) two specimens: Mex., Jacoby 2nd Coll.; (8) one specimen: Yucatan; (9) one specimen: Mex., 1, Calligrapha signaticollis , Mexique, Deyrolle. MfN: (1) one specimen: 29795, Mexico, Mayer, maculicollis Chevr. ; (2) one specimen: Mexico, Stark; (3) one specimen: signaticollis Deyr. , Mexico Deyrolle; (4) one specimen: Calligrapha maculicollis Chevr. Mexico; (5) one specimen: Calligr. picta Chv. = maculicollis Chev., Mex. ; (6) one specimen: Mexico, limbaticollis Stål. NHM: (1) one specimen: Named by Stål, Baly Coll. [x2], limbaticollis Stål , Mexico; (2) one specimen: limbaticollis Stål , 324, 20 Mex., maculicollis Chev. Mexico, Mexico [...], 67-56; (3) one specimen: Mexico, Sallé Coll., 656, Calligrapha limbaticollis Stål apud Sallé, Sp. figured, Godman-Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.-Amer.; (4) one specimen: Mexico, Sallé Coll., Calligrapha limbaticollis Stål apud Sallé, Godman-Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.-Amer.; (5) one specimen: Calligrapha limbaticollis Stål var., Mexico, Baly Coll.; (6) one specimen: Calif., Baly Coll.; (7) one specimen: Mex., Baly Coll.; (8) one specimen: Mex., Sp. figured, Baly Coll.; (9) one specimen: 142, Mexico 2055, 67-56; (10) one specimen: Mexico, 4 km from Palma Sola towards Plan de las Hayas 19°45'N 96°30'W, 14viii79, A.W. Harvey & J.M. Ritchie. NMB: (1) one specimen: Mexico, Polyspila limbaticollis J. Achard det.; (2) one specimen: Mexico; (3) one specimen: Mexico, Coll. K. Neumann, Senckenberg Museum; (4) one specimen: Mexico, Erwerb 1955 Coll. Brancsik. NMCZ: (1) one specimen: Mexico [illegible], limbaticollis St. Mexiq. , ex coll. Chevrolat, Coll. Achard Mus. Pragense; (2) one specimen: C. limbaticollis Stahl , Mexique, Coll. Achard Mus. Pragense; (3) one specimen: Mex., Calligrapha limbaticollis St. J. Achard det. In BCA, Coll. Achard Mus. Pragense; (4) one specimen: Mexique, Mexico, Calligrapha limbaticollis St. J. Achard det. In BCA, Coll. Achard Mus. Pragense; (5) one specimen: Mexico, Polyspila limbaticollis St. J. Achard det. 1922, Coll. Achard Mus. Pragense; (6) one specimen: Mex., Coll. Achard Mus. Pragense; (7) one specimen: Mexico, Coll. Achard Mus. Pragense; (8) one specimen: Mexico, Mus. Pragense Col. Kambersky; (9) one specimen: Mexico, Coll. Nickerl Mus. Pragense, Sumichrak; (10) one specimen: Mexico, Coll. Nickerl Mus. Pragense, Calligrapha maculicollis Chev. Mex. ; (11) one specimen: Mexico, Coll. Nickerl Mus. Pragense. NMNH: (1) two specimens: Mexico, Veracruz, 5-XI-65, R.M. Ireland, on Bromeliad leaves, San Diego 10114, 66-165, Calligrapha limbaticollis Stål J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2003 [one with: Calligrapha sp. Det. R. White]; (2) one specimen: on orchids from D.F. Mexico, Laredo, 19-i-48, 916, Calligrapha limbaticollis Stål F. Monrós det. 1953; (3) one specimen: Mex., Collection F. Knab; (4) one specimen: Mexico, Collection F. Knab, Calligrapha picta ; (5) one specimen: Mexico, Collection F. Knab, Calligrapha pictrix , Calligrapha limbaticollis F. Monrós det. 1953; (6) one specimen: Vera Cruz, Mex., Lar. Tex. 59245, XI-24-58 -23275, Bromeliads, Calligrapha sp. nr. limbalicollis Stål DMW; (7) eleven specimens: Mexico, Oaxaca, at Brownsville, 27-ii-1969, García et al. on & with Bromeliads & orchid leaves, stems, roots 69-5539 [one with: Calligrapha limbaticollis Stål or near, d. R.E. White]; (8) one specimen: Mexico, Veracruz, at Brownsville 14-II-67, Haley, Brown, Taussig w. orchid plnt. 67-8645, Calligrapha sp. d. R. White; (9) three specimens: Mexico, Veracruz, 24-II-72, Burguess & Carbajal etc., bromeliads Brownsville 2768, Lot 72-9230 [one with: Calligrapha sp. det. R. White]; (10) one specimen: Cerro Gordo, Ver., ca. 3000 ft alt., Mex., vii.1.41, col & pres. by C.H. Seevers, F. Monrós Collection 1959, Calligrapha limbaticollis Stål J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2011; (11) one specimen: Mexico, Veracruz, 11.9 mi E Jalapa, 2600’, Rte. 140, iv.9.1966, in bromeliads, George E. Ball, D.R. Whitehead collectors, Calligrapha limbaticollis Stål J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2011. NRM: (1) one specimen: Mexico, Stål; (2) one specimen: Mexico, limbaticollis Stål. RBINS: (1) one specimen: Coll. Chapuis, Mexique Loc., Mexique; (2) one specimen: Coll. Chapuis, Mexique, Calligrapha limbaticollis Stål Mexico; (3) one specimen: Mexico, Calligrapha limbaticollis Stål det. M. Daccordi 2012. TAMUIC: (1) five specimens: [X0534238, X0534264, X0534943, X0535287, X0535297], Mexico, Veracruz, 10 mi W Conejos, 29.vi.1971, Clark, Murray, Hart & Schaffner coll., Calligrapha limbaticollis Stål J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2011; (2) one specimen: X0537863, Mexico, Veracruz, Vega de Alatorre, 28.vi.1971, Clark, Murray, Hart & Schaffner coll., Calligrapha limbaticollis Stål J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2011; (3) one specimen: X0541145, Mexico, Veracruz, 0.7 mi NW Municipio Papantla, 12.vi.1997, Wilson & Woolley coll., screen sweep, Calligrapha limbaticollis Stål J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2011; (4) one specimen: X0550349, Mexico, Veracruz, 14 mi W Conejos, 29.vi.1971, Wayne E. Clark, Ellwood R. Hart, Robert R. Murray & Joseph C. Schaffner coll. USA.

UNKNOWN SOURCE. HNHM: (1) two specimens: California, Calligrapha limbaticollis St. MfN: (1) one specimen: limbaticollis Stål ; (2) eight specimens: [no data]. NHM: (1) two specimens: 54/25; (2) two specimens: Amer. Bor., Fry Coll. 1905.100 [one with: 33020]. NMCZ: (1) four specimens: Coll. Achard Mus. Pragense; (2) one specimen: 3/120; (3) one specimen: Mus. Pragense Coll. Brídl. RBINS: (1) one specimen: Restit. 1885, Calligrapha limbaticollis Stål J. Bechyné det., 1954; (2) two specimens: Collect. Duvivier. ZSM: (1) one specimen: Coll. Haag, Polyspila limbaticollis Stål, Staatssammlung München 1975 Erwerb Coll. Machatschke.

Variation. This species is rather uniform in appearance throughout its reduced range, but some variation has been observed. For example, the discal marking of pronotum can have slightly different shapes, as an arrowhead instead of anchor-like, with its point reaching basal margin of pronotum. The midlateral and subhumeral spots can be either larger or almost missing. The humeral stripe might not reach the apical ring of the arcuate band and sourrounding spots; moreover, this ring so conspicuous in the left elytron of the lectotype is often broken (as in right elytron of type) or missing altogether, appearing as two spots; and the base of the arcuate band can be missing as well. In one specimen, the basal and apical elongate spots of the arcuate band, which is normally interrupted, narrowly join at their ends, and in another specimen the arcuate band is complete only in one elytron. The posterior end of the basal spot of the arcuate band can be connected to the subsutural stripe. The additional spots can show different patterns of confluence. The spot enclosed by humeral lunule is typically tear-shaped, but sometimes it looks like a question mark or a hook, suggesting the incomplete fusion of two features, the two longitudinally arranged spots enclosed by the humeral lunule characteristic for the C. labyrinthica Stål species group. Finally, the pale areas of elytra can remain golden in dry specimens, as they are when the insect is alive.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Dorsal and lateral views of the lectype of Calligrapha gyllenhali Stål (a), the lectotype of C. limbaticollis Stål (b), holotype of C. wickhami Bowditch (c), and the holotype of C. thermalis Gómez-Zurita (d).

FIGURE 2. Ventral and lateral views and dorsal view of apex of the penises of Calligrapha wickhami Bowditch (a, b), C. limbaticollis Stål (c, d), and C. gyllenhali Stål (e, f). Scale bars (different for whole penis or detail of apex) = 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 3. Distribution of Calligrapha gyllenhali Stål and C. limbaticollis Stål in Central Mexico.