Epicauta semivittata ( Fairmaire, 1875 )

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 : 40-41

Epicauta semivittata ( Fairmaire, 1875) .

Lytta virgata Klug, 1825: 441 (nomen nudum).

Cantharis semivittata Fairmaire, 1875: 200 .

Cantharis hemigramma Makl, 1875: 632 .

Cantharis virgata: Gemminger and Harold, 1870: 2155 (cat.) (nomen nudum).

Cantharis virgata Burmeister, 1881: 25 (desc.).

Epicauta semivittata: Bruch, 1914: 404 (cat); Borchmann, 1917: 82 (cat.); Denier, 1935: 159 (cat.); Bosq, 1934: 327 (cat.); 1940: 12 (cat.); Blackwelder, 1945: 484 (cat.); Viana and Williner, 1973: 16 (dist.); Di Iorio, 2004: 171 (cat.). Pyrotta virgata: Borchmann, 1917: 69 (cat.) (nomen nudum).

Type material. Unknown.

Diagnosis. Cuticle dark. Elytra brown with two pale vittae on disk: both central vittae are short, interrupted on apical and basal third, with slightly convex subparallel borders.

Redescription. Body length: 7 – 10 mm.

Cuticle and pubescence. Cuticle color dark; head with pale patch on frons ( Fig. 13 ); elytra with two pale vittae on disk; both central vittae are short, interrupted on apical and basal third, slightly and subparallel convex borders (Fig. 25). Pubescence dense (23–29 setae by lineal mm), elytral pubescence coincident with cuticle color. Legs pale. Abdominal pubescence light brown.

Habitus. Head 0.8 times as long as wide (L/A: 16–20); mandible strongly curved ( Fig. 10 ); antennae without sexual dimorphism. Pronotum square, impressed at apical third in lateral view. Elytron subequal in width throughout. Legs with adhesive setae of fore tarsal pads uniformly distributed, with distal region bilobed; medial and hind tarsal pads with two longitudinal rows of adhesive setae. Claws with dorsal blade curved from base to apex, ventral blade slightly curved, broader than dorsal blade near apical third.

Male genitalia. Spiculum gastrale with two marginal acuminate prominences, inner area bulged, not extending beyond the marginal spines; lateral face slightly bulged (Fig. 36). Median lobe rather long, dorsal-hook; uncus robust ( Fig. 44 ).

Remarks. Epicauta semivittata is a new inclusion in the E. vittata group.

Distribution. Map ( Fig. 49 ). Known from Chile, Uruguay, and Argentina. In Argentina it is reported from Buenos Aires; Córdoba; La Pampa; Mendoza; San Luis; Santa Fe; New records: Catamarca; Corrientes; Tucumán.

Host plants. Host plant associations for this species are: Solanaceae , Solanum tuberosum (potato) and Lycospersicum esculletum (tomato) ( Bosq, 1942; Di Iorio, 2004).

Material examined. Eight specimens from Argentina belong to the MLP collection. Buenos Aires. Catamarca. Aconquija (27º 29’ 09’’ S, 66º 01’ 44’’ W). Córdoba. La Pampa. San Luis. Santa Fe. Tucumán.

Figures

FIGURE 49. Distribution map of Epicauta luteolineata and Epicauta semivittata.

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).

FIGURES 37 – 44. Aedeagus, lateral view: 37. E. bosqi: (a) aedeagus, (dt) dorsal tooth, (h) hook; 38. Epicauta clericalis; 39. E. excavata; 40. E. grammica 41. E. leopardina; 42. E. luteolineata; 43. E. monachica; 44. E. semivittata.