Calligrapha suboculata 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 : 31-35

Calligrapha suboculata Stål, 1859

( Figs 10a , 11a, 11b , 12)

Calligrapha suboculata Stål, 1859 . Öfvers. af K. Vet.-Akad. Förh. 16, p. 325.

Chrysomela suboculata: Stål, 1865 . Mon. Chrysom. Am., pt. 3, p. 279.

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

Calligrapha suboculata: Jacoby, 1882 . Biol. Centr.-Amer., vol. vi, pt. 1, p. 200.

Calligrapha suboculata: Jacoby, 1891 . Biol. Centr.-Amer., vol. vi, pt. 1, suppl., p. 245.

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

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

Calligrapha suboculata: Bechyné, 1952 . Entomol. Arb. Mus. Frey 3, p. 4.

Calligrapha suboculata: Pallister, 1953 . Am. Mus. Nov. 1623, p. 52.

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

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

The original description of C. suboculata Stål is not very informative of the material that was available to the author ( Stål 1859). Yet, applying similar reasoning for other species described in this same work, it would be possible to suggest that the author only had one specimen, because, among other things, he did not provide a size range. However, in his later monograph on American Chrysomelinae, Carl Stål included additional details such as the mention of a certain "var. b " while retaining the measures given in the original description, and mentioned as unique repository the Museum of Stockholm (p. 280 in Stål 1865). Thus, it is possible that he had at least two specimens and, in fact, the Swedish Naturhistoriska riksmuseet possesses three specimens from Mexico and originally in the collection of A. Sallé, as indicated by Stål (1865). One of these specimens, already labeled as type, matches the description and does not show the trait that was signaled as characteristic of the variety b, namely the fusion of the two spots enclosed by the humeral lunule. This specimen is proposed here as lectotype and the species redescribed based on its features, while the other two specimens found in the same collection and matching the label indications of the original description are retained as paralectotypes.

Lectotype, by present designation: Mexico / Sallé. / Type. / Typus [red] ( NRM). The specimen lacks right median leg.

Paralectotypes, by present designation: (1) Mexico / Sallé ( NRM); (2) Mexico / Sallé ( NRM) .

Habitus ( Fig. 10a ). Length: 9.00 mm, width: 5.71 mm. Body elongate oval, moderately convex. Head, base of mandibles, pronotum, scutellum, elytral markings, epipleura, ventral surfaces and legs black with bronzy metallic reflection (with reddish hue depending on light intensity and incidence); labrum and most of four basal antennomeres light reddish brown; apical antennomeres, mandibles preapically, mouth appendages, base of trochanters, knees, apex of tibiae and tarsi bright reddish brown; elytra creamy yellow, paler around markings and along margins of elytra.

Head broad, deeply inserted into prothorax, with microreticulate surface and sparse punctures, denser and stronger towards sides; frontal suture fine, apically joined to broadly U-shaped and slightly deeper clypeal suture; supraocular furrows deeply impressed, almost straight and subparallel to median line. Clypeus transverse, slightly depressed at base, finely microreticulate, with fine punctures posteriorly at sides, and near anterior border. Labrum broad and long, with curved sides and slightly emarginate apical border, and few setigerous punctures at sides and medially on disc. Mandibles large, robust, protruding nearly twice length of labrum; sides straight before pronounced preapical curvature, with strong, setigerous punctures, and pale yellowish appressed setae. Maxillary palpi long, relatively big; apical palpomeres broad, strongly expanded apically at external, regularly curved border, with apical border feebly concave; previous palpomere cylindrical at base, slightly elbowed at basal third and strongly widened at apex, broader than base of last palpomere; basal palpomere thick, club-shaped. Antennae slender, slightly clavate, with all antennomeres longer than wide and reaching behind humeri; scape large, widest at apical third, convex anteriorly, slightly flattened and curved posteriorly; pedicel as short club, much narrower and about half as long as scape; third antennomere slender, slightly enlarged apically, 1.8x longer than pecidel; fourth antennomere slender, clavate, narrower and nearly 1.5x as long as pedicel; antennomeres 5 and 6 subequal, slightly longer than pedicel, and sixth slightly broader and hairer than fifth; antennomeres 7–11 rugose, slightly incrassate, densely covered by fine short hairs; seventh antennomere about 1.2x longer than pedicel, and antennomeres 8 and 9 imperceptibly shorter than seventh, with eighth antennomere 0.65x as wide at apex as long; tenth antennomere as long as fourth and eleventh antennomere slightly longer than scape, widest at middle and conical at apical third. Pronotum transverse (1.85x as wide between posterior angles as long along middle), margined at anterior and lateral borders, with margin thicker around anterior angles and invisible from above at sides due to lateral convexity of pronotum; sides nearly straight and parallel at basal half, feebly curved towards moderately produced anterior angles apically; posterior border markedly convex, and anterior border nearly straight behind frons; surface microreticulate, rather densely and strongly punctured on disc, with punctures at sides deeper, stronger, confluent, especially near anterior angles; row of elongated punctures confluent with pronotal base at sides; anterior trichobothria at vertex of anterior angles and posterior trichobothria laterally on posterior angles. Hypomera uneven, microreticulate at anterior angle and at raised external border, shagreened and transversally wrinkled basally, devoid of punctures; hypomeral suture shallow and discontinuously impressed. Prosternum short, regularly concave and margined at anterior border, microreticulate, depressed and irregularly impressed with large punctures in front of procoxae; prosternal process convex, smooth along middle, with some punctures and whitish, posteriorly recumbent setae laterallly in expanded, weakly convex apex. Mesepimera and mesanepisterna flattened; surface microreticulate with weakly impressed large punctures posteriorly. Metanepisterna finely microreticulate, with strong, slightly elongate punctures except in widened anterior part. Metaventrite transverse, shagreened, with punctures near anterior angles and laterally. Scutellum slightly wider at base than long at middle (W/L = 1.05), weakly arched at sides, nearly flat, microreticulate, unpunctured. Elytra long, weakly convex laterally, widest at middle and regularly curved at apical third; humeri round, weakly marked; surface finely and homogeneously punctured on pale areas, with fine, darkened punctures deeply impressed in parts of disc and subhumeral area, forming regular premarginal row, only confused in subhumeral area; punctures stronger around and within dark markings; short scutellar row of about ten punctures present. Dark markings consisting of: (i) broad continuous sutural stripe, confluent with base of elytra, broadly surrounding scutellum, and gradually narrowing posteriorly, reaching apex of elytron; (ii) subsutural stripe completely confluent laterally with sutural stripe from slightly before apex of scutellum, imperceptibly but gradually narrowing posteriorly, feebly enlarged at preapical declivity and preapically, obliquelly narrowed towards sutural angle at apex; (iii) arcuate band entire, weakly concave externally and laterally confluent slightly behind middle of elytron, except briefly at both ends, with subsutural stripe, with apex slightly divergent as a subroundish lobe; (iv) humeral spot large, long, convex externally, completely fused laterally with humeral lunule and free from elytron basally; (v) humeral lunule long, uniformly wide and sinuous, narrowly connected to dark basal margin of elytron at humeral inner declivity, reaching apically beyond and connected by dark suffusions with basal 1/3 of arcuate band; (vi) basal spot enclosed by humeral lunule small, roundish, slightly behind basal end of subsutural stripe, and apical spot enclosed by humeral lunule large, roundish, placed in median concavity and narrowly separated from lunule, briefly touching subsutural stripe internally; (vii) spot of apical declivity elongate, totally confluent laterally with brief enlargement of subhumeral stripe at apical declivity; (viii) apical spot small or minute, only visible on right elytron of type and indicated by pale area around dot-like spot on left elytron; (ix) midlateral spot large, elongate oval, covering some 13 punctures of premarginal line and entirely confluent laterally with dark margin of elytron; (x) large roundish spot in external concavity of humeral spot and lunule; (xi) six additional median or small rounding and irregular spots on apical lateral declivity of elytron; innermost spot fused to apical lobe of arcuate band on left elytron of type, free on right elytron. Epipleura broad at base, gradually narrowing at basal third, strongly and progressively narrowed beyond middle, slightly slanted ventrally, visible for most of elytron length in lateral view; surface leathery, unpunctured. Femora enlarged medially, glossy, finely and sparsely punctured, with fine, short, translucent setae; tibiae nearly straight, about as long as femora, gradually enlarged towards apex; inner apex of tibiae rugosely punctate, with dense long golden setae, expanding ventrally mainly in protibiae; ensembled tarsi shorter than corresponding tibiae. Abdominal ventrites glossy, finely and rather uniformly punctured, with punctures stronger at sides. Penis stocky, broad and thick, weakly narrowed slightly before middle and enlarged preapically, widest at level with basal opening of dorsal operculum, narrowing again toward apex, before apical teeth; operculum relatively narrow, slightly narrower at base, with subrectangular, short dorsal flap; distal end of flagellum non-sclerotized ventrally, projecting two sclerotized apically acute, divergent arms at sides; lateral teeth weakly curved, projecting slightly backwards, distance between tips slightly narrower than broadest part of penis seen in dorsal view; apical border regularly curved ( Figs 11a, 11b ).

Distribution. Neotropical species distributed from lowlands in the Caribbean Mexican States of Veracruz to western Panama, thus a typical Caribbean Mesoamerican endemic species (Fig. 12). The records from Suriname, far from the known range of the species, and in the Amazonian basin, where Calligrapha has never been recorded are considered labeling mistakes.

Other material examined (157 specimens).

COSTA RICA. MfN: (1) one specimen: Turrialba, Costa Rica, Heyne, Berlin-Wilm., Calligrapha ramulifera Stål J. Bechyné det. 1969.

EL SALVADOR. FSCA: (1) one specimen: El Salvador, San Isidro Co. Verde, 1000 m, 11.vi.1972, S. & L. Steinhauser coll., Calligrapha suboculata Stål J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2011.

GUATEMALA. FSCA: (1) one specimen: Guatemala, Santa Rosa, Pueblo Nuevo Viñas , 3.v.1997, M. Monzón coll. ,

Calligrapha suboculata Stål J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2011; (2) one specimen: Guatemala, Retalhuleu, 17 km N San Sebastian, 1100 m, 21.v.1995, G. Manzón coll., Calligrapha suboculata Stål J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2011. NMNH: (1) one specimen: Finca El Cipres, 3000 ft, June 1926, Suchetepequez Province , Guatemala, Pres. by J.R. Slevin collector .

MEXICO.

EGRC: (1) two specimens: Mexico, Veracruz, 1 mi Coatepec, 4000 ft., 19.viii.1982, C.W. and L. O’Brien & G. Wibmer coll. FSCA: (1) one specimen: Mexico, Veracruz, Fortín de las Flores, at Microwave Station, 30.vi.1992, B.K. Dozier coll., Calligrapha suboculata Stål J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2011; (2) three specimens: Mexico, Veracruz, 7 km N Fortín, Monte Blanco, 5.vii.1992, M.C. Thomas coll., sweeping & beating, Calligrapha suboculata Stål J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2011; (3) one specimen: Mexico, Veracruz, 1 km N San Andres Tenejapa, 9.vii.1992, M.C. Thomas coll., beating, Calligrapha suboculata Stål J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2011; (4) one specimen: Mexico, Veracruz, Fortín de las Flores, 2500–3000’, 14.viii.1963, H.V. Weems, Jr. coll., Calligrapha suboculata Stål J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2011. HNHM: (1) two specimens: Mexico, leg. Verebély, C. suboculata det. Daccordi 1981 [one with: Calligrapha suboculata det. Daccordi '81]. MCZ: (1) one specimen: Huauchinango, Mexico, Calligrapha suboculata Stål ; (2) six specimens: Mex.; (3) two specimens: Mex.; (4) one specimen: Mexico, Calligrapha suboculata ; (5) one specimen: Orizaba, Mexico, Sallé Coll., 1st Jacoby Coll.; (6) two specimens: Cordova, Mexico, Sallé Coll., 1st Jacoby Coll.; (7) one specimen: Jalapa, Mexico, Hoege, 1st Jacoby Coll.; (8) one specimen: Mex., Jacoby 2nd Coll.; (9) two specimens: Atoyac, Vera Cruz, May, H.H.S., Jacoby 2nd Coll.; (10) one specimen: Orizaba, H.H.S. & F.D.G., Dec. 1837, Jacoby 2nd Coll.; (11) four specimens: Orizaba, Mexico; (12) one specimen: Cordoba, V.C. Mex., Wickham; (13) two specimens: Mex. [one with: Calligrapha suboculata Stål J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2010]; (14) one specimen: Cordova, Mexico, Sallé Coll., Calligrapha Sylvia St. apud Sallé, Horn Coll. H6817, Chryso. sylvia , Calligrapha suboculata St. J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2010. MfN: (1) one specimen: Atoyac 6, suboculata St. ; (2) two specimens: Jalapa 6 [one specimen without data]; (3) one specimen: Orizaba 6; (4) one specimen: Atoyac 6; (5) one specimen: Mexico, Oaxaca, argus Stål ; (6) one specimen: Mexico. NHM: (1) one specimen: named by Stål, Baly Coll., Calligrapha suboculata Stål Mexico [underneath: Type Stål 303]; (2) one specimen: Mexico, Tarnier, Co-Type, Calligrapha suboculata Stål, Andrewes Bequest B.M. 1922 -221; (3) two specimens: Jalapa, Mexico, Hoege, Godman-Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.-Amer.; (4) one specimen: Atoyac, Vera Cruz, May, H.H.S., Godman-Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.-Amer.; (5) one specimen: Cerro de Plumas, Mexico, Hoege, Godman-Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.-Amer.; (6) one specimen: Orizaba, H.H.S. & F.D.G., Dec. 1837 [1857?], Calligr. suboculata var.?, Godman-Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.-Amer.; (7) three specimens: Vera Cruz, Mexico, Koebele, R.C.L. Perkins, B.M. 1942-95 [one with: Sept.]; (8) two specimens: Mex., 56/143; (9) one specimen: Orizaba, Mexico, Sallé Coll., Calligrapha suboculata Stål apud Sallé, Godman-Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.-Amer.; (10) one specimen: Orizaba, Mexico, Sallé Coll., 649, Godman-Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.-Amer.; (11) four specimens: Cordova, Mexico, Sallé Coll., Calligrapha suboculata Stål apud Sallé, Godman-Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.-Amer.; (12) two specimens: Toxpam, Mexico, Sallé Coll., Calligrapha sylvia Stål apud Sallé, Godman-Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.-Amer.; (13) three specimens: Toxpam, Mexico, Sallé Coll., 637, Calligrapha suboculata Stål , Godman- Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.-Amer. [one with: 651; one with: Sp. figured]; (14) one specimen: 13107, Mexico, Fry Coll. 1905.100 [x2]; (15) one specimen: Tapachula, Chiapas, Höge, Godman-Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.-Amer. NMB: (1) one specimen: Bilimek, Mexico 188, Calligrapha suboculata Stål J. Bechyné det. 1951; (2) nine specimens: Oaxaca, Mexico [one with: Calligrapha suboculata Stål J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2010; (3) two specimens: Mexiko. NMCZ: (1) one specimen: suboculata, Orizaba, Coll. Achard Mus. Pragense ; (2) one specimen: Mexique, suboculata Stål, Coll. Achard Mus. Pragense. NMNH: (1) two specimens: Cordoba, Ver., Mex., Dr. A. Fenyes, A. Fenyes Collection [one with: Calligrapha suboculata Stål J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2003]; (2) six specimens: Cordoba, Mex., 11.6, Fredk. Knab Collector [one with: Calligrapha suboculata Stål J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2003]; (3) one specimen: Mexico, 22.iv.1941, Hoboken, F. Monrós Collection 1959, Calligrapha suboculata Stål, F. Monrós det. 1954; (4) two specimens: Cordoba, Mex. Ver., Dr. A. Fenyes, A. Fenyes Collection [one with: Calligrapha suboculata Stål F. Monrós det. 1953]; (5) eight specimens: Cordoba, V.C. Mex., vii.16.36, col. by Dr. C.H. Seevers, F. Monrós Collection 1959 [one with: Calligrapha suboculata Stål J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2011]; (6) one specimen: Cordoba, Mex., 15-6, F. Monrós Collection 1959, Calligrapha suboculata Stål J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2011; (7) two specimens: El Fortín, Veracruz, Mex., [one with: vii.8.41; one with: 12.vii.41], Col. by H.S. Dybas, F. Monrós Collection 1959; (8) two specimens: Mexico, Ver., Atoyac, x.22.1963, A.B. Lau; (9) one specimen: Orizaba, Mex., Mch. 31, ’08, Fredk Knab collector, Calligrapha suboculata Stål J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2011; (10) two specimens: Cordoba, V.C. Mex., Dec. 17 ’07, Fredk Knab Collector [one with: on composite]; (11) two specimens: Cordoba, Mex., Dec. 20 ’07, Fredk Knab collector; (12) six specimens: Cordoba Mex., 15-6, Fredk Knab collector; (13) two specimens: Mexico, V.C. Huatusco, vii.2.65, A.B. Lau; (14) one specimen: Cordoba, Ver. Mex., vii.26 ’36, col. by C.H. Seevers, F. Monrós Collection 1959; (15) one specimen: Cordoba, Mex., 12.6, Fredk Knab collector, Calligrapha suboculata Stål ; (16) one specimen: Cordova, Mexico, Salle Coll., Calligrapha suboculata Stål ; (17) one specimen: Jalapa, Mexico, Hoege, Calligrapha suboculata Stål J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2011. TAMUIC: (1) one specimen: X0538933, Mexico, Veracruz, Fortín, Río Metlec, 2.x.1975, T.P. Friedlander coll. ZSM: (1) one specimen: Mexico, Calligrapha argus Stål Mexique, Staatssammlung München 1975 Erwerb Coll. Machatschke, Calligrapha suboculata Stål J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2011; (2) one specimen: Veracruz, Mexico, 1962-63, leg. Epping, Staatssammlung München 1975 Erwerb Coll. Machatschke, Calligrapha suboculata Stål J. Gómez-Zurita det. 2011; (3) one specimen: Cordova, Mexico, Sallé Coll., 96379, Calligrapha suboculata Stål, Staatssammlung München 1975 Erwerb Coll. Machatschke ; (4) one specimen: Atoyac 6, suboculata Stål, Staatssammlung München 1975 Erwerb Coll. Machatschke.

PANAMA. NHM: (1) three specimens: Bugaba, 800–1,500 ft, Champion, Godman-Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.-Amer.; (2) one specimen: Bugaba, Panama, Champion, Godman-Salvin Coll., Biol. Centr.-Amer .

SURINAME. NRM: (1) two specimens: Surinam, Barnet/Lyon.

UNKNOWN SOURCE. MCZ: (1) one specimen: 1st Jacoby Coll.; (2) one specimen: sylvia. MfN: (1) five specimens: [no data]. NHM: (1) one specimen: suboculata Stål, Baly Coll. ; (2) two specimens: Baly Coll. [one with: 1268]; (3) one specimen: 4853, 4853. NMCZ: (1) six specimens: Coll. Achard Mus. Pragense. NMNH: (1) two specimens: gift of F.C. Bowditch.

Variation. This taxon shows quite a lot of variation in elytral ornaments. For example, the largest of the spots enclosed by humeral lunule can be confluent with this feature laterally, or the two spots can be fused sometimes, or convergent in one elytron but not in the other, and even if rarely, the smaller spot can be minute, missing, or missing in one elytron but present in the other, inducing some confusion with species in the group of C. argus . The humeral lunule can be disconnected from the basal margin of elytron, leaving a dark spot in the internal declivity of humerus (similar to this feature in the C. polyspila group), and in turn it can show different types of confluence with surrounding features, such as described already, but also with spots in the external concavity of the lunule or with the base of the arcuate band that sometimes can be separated from the apex of the lunule by a very thin pale line. Even though an important defining feature of this species is the lack of subhumeral spot, several specimens have a tiny, sometimes irregular spot generally touching the external concavity of the humeral spot and it is reminiscent of the subhumeral spot in other species. The additional spots can be much reduced, sometimes disappearing or broken in even smaller roundish spots. The coloration in this species is constant and it helps distinguishing it from their relatives, but in one of the specimens from “ Suriname ”, one from Cordoba ( Mexico) and two from Atoyac ( Mexico), the dark metallic parts of their body are very dark reddish instead and even their legs are rufous.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Dorsal and lateral views of the lectotype of Calligrapha suboculata Stål (a), lectotype of C. notatipennis Stål (b), lectotype of C. labyrinthica Stål (c), and the holotype of C. aladina Bechyné (d).

FIGURE 11. Ventral and lateral views and dorsal view of apex of the penises of Calligrapha suboculata Stål (a, b), C. notatipennis Stål (c, d), C. labyrinthica Stål (e, f) and C. aladina Bechyné (g, h). Scale bars = 1.0 mm.