Fidia tibialis Jacoby

Strother, M. S. & Staines, C. L., 2008, A revision of the New World genus Fidia Baly 1863 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae: Adoxini), Zootaxa 1798 (1), pp. 1-100 : 71-80

Fidia tibialis Jacoby

( Figs. 22 , 83 ; Map 8)

Fidia tibialis Jacoby 1890: 232 (original description); Clavareau 1914: 77 (catalog); Blackwelder 1946: 662 (catalog); Bechyné 1953: 250 (catalog); Flowers 1996: 36 (checklist).

In his original description, Jacoby stated that he had a single specimen collected by Höge before him. Therefore , the female in the BMNH bearing the labels: "Type [white disc with red border] / Chilpancingo, Guerrero, 4600 ft. July H.H. Smith / Fidia tibialis Jac. [blue, handwritten in Jacoby's hand by comparison with plate 3 figures I and J of Smith & Lawrence (1967)] / B.C.A. 232.11. / Fidia tibialis . [folded] / HOLOTYPE Fidia tibialis Jacoby [red, added by M. S. Strother]", is the Holotype. The specimen is glued on a card and is in good condition with all appendages intact. The specimen was not dissected. No specimen of F. tibialis bearing Höge as the collector was found in the BMNH, and the specimen above matches Jacoby's description in every respect, except for the collector's name. It is therefore assumed that Jacoby erroneously listed Höge as the collector.

Description. Males: TL = 2.86–3.32 mm, HW = 1.41–1.63 mm. Females: TL = 3.06–3.36 mm, HW = 1.54– 1.73 mm. Color: Dorsum brassy black, occasionally brownish-black; abdomen brassy black, with apices of last abdominal sternum and pygidium dark red-brown in some specimens; femora brassy black with dark redbrown apices, tibiae and tarsi fulvous; last tarsomere and distal margins of remaining tarsomeres brown; pubescence usually white, but gold or bronze on disc of pronotum and elytra in some specimens. Pronotum: Length subequal to width, widest at middle, sides distinctly arcuate in dorsal view, dorsum slightly convex to nearly straight in lateral view; densely, coarsely punctate-reticulate; pubescence fine, recumbent, not obscuring surface sculpture. Mesepisternum: Entirely glabrous. Elytra: Intrahumeral callus moderately developed; asetose punctate-striae obsolete on disc, more evident on lateral aspect; surface coarsely punctate-areolate to feebly punctate-undose; setose punctures subequal in diameter to asetose punctures; pubescence relatively sparse, fine, suberect to recumbent, not obscuring surface sculpture. Abdomen: Both sexes with medial area of all sterna evenly convex; pygidium not distinctly sexually dimorphic, dorsally feebly convex in apical ½ with subacutely rounded apex. Males: medial area of first three sterna with impunctate, glabrous area. Females: medial area of all sterna uniformly punctate-pubescent; apical margin of last sternum subtruncate, lacking medial process. Legs: Both sexes with femora gradually tapered towards base. Males with all tibial spurs small, lacking visible surface sculpture; disco-setae on pro- and mesobasitarsi only. Penis: In posterior view, sides feebly tapered towards apex; apex truncate to slightly concave, with small, acutely angulate to subtruncate apical process; posterolateral angles distinctly rounded. In lateral view, eudorsal surface of declivitous part feebly convex; euventral surface feebly concave with very fine transverse ridges distally; apex feebly convex to subtruncate, nearly perpendicular to axis of declivitous part with apical process acute, slightly euventrally directed. Sperm guide composed of upper and lower sclerites. Spermatheca: Basal arm type.

Diagnosis. Small (2.86–3.36 mm); brassy black with distinctly contrasting fulvous tibiae. Male with declivitous part of penis distally widened in lateral view; apex of penis truncate with small angulate to subtruncate medial tooth ( Fig. 83 ). Fidia tibialis is the smallest member of the genus and quite distinctive. It is not likely to be confused with any other species.

Distribution (Map 8). Fidia tibialis is known from Colima, Guerrero, Mexico, Michoacan, and Morelos, in south-central Mexico. Collecting elevations ranged from 3658–5669 m.

Specimens Examined (9 ♂♂; 9 ♀♀).

MEXICO. COLIMA: 9 mi. NE Comala, vii:19:1983 (TAMU:1). GUERRERO: * 1 mi. NE. La Laguna, vii:17:1984 (TAMU:2), 4 mi. W. Chilpancingo, vii:15:1984 (TAMU:1), 20.4 km. W Teloloapan, vii:25:1987 (EGRC:1, RHT:1). MEXICO: 3 miles NW. Valle de Bravo, vii:16:66 (TAMU:1), Temascaltepec Dist., Temascaltepec, 1933 (BMNH:1). MICHOACAN: 5 mi. NW Tuxpan, vii:7:82 (EGRC:1). MORELOS: 4.4 mi E Cuernavaca , vii:6–8:1974 (TAMU:1), 4.4 mi. E. Cuernavaca , vii:27–29:1976 (TAMU:4), 5.1 mi. E. Cuernavaca , vi:29:1973 (TAMU:2), 5.1 mi. E. Cuernavaca , vi:30:1973 (TAMU:1).

Temporal Data. Collecting dates ranged from 29 June to 7 August.

Natural History. Several specimens were collected at lights.

Figures

FIGURES 21–24. Dorsal habitus of Fidia species. 21. F. texana. 22. F. tibalis. 23. F. viticida. 24. F. xanthonioides.

FIGURES 80–83. Distal part of male aedeagus, lateral and dorsal views (scale bar = 0.5 mm). 80. F. comalensis. 81. F. dicelloposthe. 82. F.humeralis. 83. F. tibialis. (abbreviations: ae- apical emargination; al- apical lobe; ao- apical orifice).