Epicauta missionum ( Berg, 1881 )

Campos-Soldini, María Paula & Roig-Juñent, Sergio Alberto, 2011, Redefinition of the vittata species group of Epicauta Dejean (1834) (Coleoptera: Meloidae) and taxonomic revision of the species from southern South America, Zootaxa 2824, pp. 21-43 : 38-39

Epicauta missionum ( Berg, 1881)

Cantharis missionum Berg, 1881: 306 .

Epicauta missionum: Bruch, 1914: 404 (cat.); Borchmann, 1917: 78 (cat.); Denier, 1935: 157 (cat.); Blackwelder, 1945: 483 (cat.).

Type material examined. Holotype female: [Typus] [Misio-/ nes] [Foto Bruch] [ Lytta / missionum / Berg] [ MLP 575/ 1].

Type material remarks. In his original publication Berg (1881) indicates that the species is based on a single female from Misiones, deposited in his collection. Since part of this collection is now at the MLP, we conclude that this specimen labelled as type is the holotype. This is the only specimen of E. missionum available for study.

Diagnosis. Cuticle brown; head with a small pale patch on frons; elytra with pale marginal vitta; legs with trochanters and base of femora light-orange. Pubescence of elytra is coincident with cuticle color.

Comparative remarks. Epicauta missionum is similar to E. clericalis and E. luteolineata in cuticle color, but differs in color pattern of elytra and legs: E. clericalis has elytra with two light vittae and legs are brown; E. luteolineata has elytra with three light vittae and legs are brown; and E. missionum has light marginal elytral vittae and legs are brown with trochanters and basal part of femur light-orange.

Redescription. Body length: 16 mm.

Cuticle and pubescence. Cuticle brown; head with pale patch on frons ( Fig. 13 ), elytra with pale marginal vitta (Fig. 27), legs with trochanter and base of femur light-brown. Pubescence sparse (13–19 setae by lineal mm); head and pronotum light brown, elytra pubescence coincident with cuticle color. Abdominal setae uniformly light brown.

Habitus. Head 0.9 times as long as wide (L/A: 19–21); mandible strongly curved apically ( Fig. 10 ). Pronotum 1.2 times as long as wide (L/A: 21–19), slightly impressed at apical third in lateral view. Elytron wider from apical third to apex; apex one third wider than base. Legs with adhesive setae of tarsal segments uniformly distributed. Claws with dorsal blade curved at apex, ventral blade slightly curved, broader than dorsal blade near apical third; hind tibia spurs acuminate, hollow; inner spine rotated inwards.

Distribution. Map ( Fig. 47 ). Known from Misiones, Argentina ( Adams and Selander, 1979).

Host Plants. There is no available information about plant associations for this species.

Material examined. One specimen from Argentina belongs to the following collection MLP: Misiones, Puerto Aguirre.

Figures

FIGURE 47. Distribution map of Epicauta leopardina and Epicauta missionum.

FIGURES 12 – 17. Head cuticle color: 12. E. excavate; 13. E. semivittata, E. missionum; 14. E. clericalis, E. luteolineata; 15. E. bosqi; 16. E. leopardina, E. monachica, E. rutilifrons; 17. E. grammica.

FIGURES 6 – 11. Epicauta lopardina, 6. Labial palpi with segment III strongly expanded from the basal third to the apex; 7. Maxillary palpi large (three times width) compressed dorso-ventrally, tapering to the base and expanding to apex. E. leopardina: 8. Prementum with central area having ample concavity; E. clericalis: 9. Prementum straight. Mandible dorsal views: E. leopardina: 10 (b, see arrow); E. clericalis 11 (b, see arrow).