Beltia vacilona Flowers, 2018

Flowers, R. Wills, 2018, A review of the genus Beltia Jacoby (Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae: Eumolpini), with descriptions of fourteen new species from Costa Rica, Panama, and northwestern South America, Insecta Mundi 672, pp. 1-43 : 25-27

Beltia vacilona Flowers , new species

Figures 39 , 58 , 73 , 80

Description of male holotype. Body ovate; length 5.3 mm (range 5.0–6.0 mm). Head, pronotum, elytra, underside, and legs except tarsi glossy dark blue; antennomeres 1–3 reddish brown, 4–11 piceous; tarsi dark brown.

Head. Clypeus densely punctate, punctures separated by distance equal to their diameters. Frons strongly punctate, punctures separated by distance greater than their diameters, surface between punctures finely wrinkled; vertex with a distinct median impressed line; antennal calli smooth, swollen.

Thorax. Prothorax distinctly wider than long, L/W = 0.58; pronotum convex, widest behind middle; disc regularly punctate, with punctures separated by distance greater than their diameters; surface between punctures shining, with numerous punctulae. Prosternum wrinkled, sparsely punctate, with short whitish setae; posterior margin of intercoxal process weakly concave, width of intercoxal process 1.25× diameter of procoxa. Mesosternum flat on anterior face, surface wrinkled. Metasternum smooth, with weak transverse wrinkles anteriorly, metepisternum finely alutaceous.

Elytra. Evenly punctate, punctures separated by distance greater than their diameters; width across humeri 1.3× width across pronotum; basal calli weakly developed; postbasal depression shallow.

Abdomen. Sterna with surface of segments smooth, with scattered short setae and a submedian pair of long white setae on sterna III–VI. Sternum VII with lateral margins smooth, a weak depression in center, long setae along posterior margin. Tergites lacking spicules, V and VI shagreened.

Genitalia. Median lobe in lateral view ( Fig. 58a ) strongly bent at almost right angle; in en-face view ( Fig. 58c ) with distal margin quadrate, a small nodule in center; endophallus with two unequal apical sclerites ( Fig. 58b ).

Female allotype. Body oval; length 6.4 mm (range 5.7–7.5 mm); color as in male, but with tarsi also dark blue.

Head. Frons, clypeus, eyes, and antennae similar to male; vertex with impressed line less defined.

Thorax. Prothorax distinctly wider than long, L/W = 0.52; shape of pronotum as in male; evenly punctate on disc, punctures separated by distance equal to or less than their diameters. Prosternum similar to male. Mesosternum more strongly wrinkled than in male. Metasternum and metepisternum as in male.

Elytra. Similar to male, but with posthumeral depression more distinct.

Abdomen. Terga with short white setae in median third of sterna III–VI, margins of sternum VII smooth.

Genitalia. Abdominal segments VIII–XI forming short, broad ovipositor (L/W = 2.27; Fig. 73a ). Sternum VIII with short, teardrop-shaped basal apodeme; hemisternites relatively broad, with short basal rods, baculum distinct, apical, subequal to gonocoxae. Gonocoxae short, robust, wider than long. Spermatheca ( Fig. 73b ) with receptacle short, cone-shaped, broadly fused to pump.

Specimens examined. COSTA RICA: (17♂, 29♀) Male holotype labeled: Est. Pitilla 700m 9km S Sta. Cecilia P.N. Guanacaste, Prov. Guanacaste, Costa Rica. K. Taylor, 31 mar–29 abr. 1993 L-N 3302000, 380200//INBIOCR1000375935. Female allotype labeled: same locality as holotype, 27 mar a 7 abr 1993 P. Ríos //INBIOCR1001386842. PARATYPES: Guanacaste Prov. (4♂, 6♀), same local- ity as holotype; (1♂) Mar 1990, P. Rios, C. Moraga & R. Blanco //INBIOCRI000195818; (1♂) 14 May 1991 R.W. Flowers //INBIOCRI000520884; (1♂) Jul 1991 P. Ríos //INBIOCRI000336776, K. Taylor, 31 mar–29 abr 1992 //INBIOCRI000376722; (1♀) 19 May–3 Jun 1993, P. Rios //INBIOCRI001355434; (1♂, 1♀) same locality as holotype, Abr. 1994 C. Moraga #2841//INBIOCRI001789913, INBI- OCRI001789912 ; (2♀) same locality as holotype, MAR 1995. P. Rios, C. Moraga, Malaise , #4211// INBIOCR1002341729 and #6211//INBIOCRI002341727; (1♀) same locality as holotype, Mar 1990, P. Rios, C. Moraga & R. Blanco //INBIOCRI000176667; (1♀, USNM) same locality and collector, Abr. 1995 #4827//INBIOCRI002145550; (1♀, USNM) Est. Cacao , 18 Feb. C. Cano L-N-323100 375800 #4397// INBIOCR1002138070; (1♂) A.C.G Liberia P.N. Guanacaste. Estación Primario. 1000m. 14 MAR 1988 Espinoza. Manual (red libre) LN322740375198 #52596// INB0003359045 INBIOCRI COSTA RICA. (1♀) La Cruz. A.C.G. Pque. Nat. Gte. Est. Mengo Ladera SW Volcán Cacao 1100m. 3 JUL 1987 Jan- zen. Manual. LN 330200375700 #52581// INB000335939 INBIOCRI COSTA RICA. (3♀) Z.P. Tenorio, Río San Lorenzo 1050m, Tierras Morenas , L-N- 287800, 427600, 28 mar a 21 abr 1992, M. Segura // INBIOCR1000422459, INBIOCR1000422531, INBIOCR1000752710. (2♀) same locality and date, A. Marin //INBIOCR1000422531, INBIOCR1000416117. (1♂) same locality, Abr. 1991, C. Alvarado // INBIOCR1001398417. (1♂) same locality, L S 283950424500 #2118//INBIOCR1001744421. Alajuela Prov. Sector San Ramon de Dos Ríos , 620m. L N 318100381900; (1♀) 25 Mar–12 Abr 1995, C. Cano, #5275//INBIOCR1002204928. (2♂) same locality, 13–28 Mar. 1994, K. Taylor //INBIOCR1001711724, INBIOCR1001711724. (1♀) Est. San Ramón Oeste , 620m, 3–19 Abr. 1994, C. Cano, L N 318100381900 #2818//INBIOCR1001769928. Heredia Prov. Los Arbolitos [altitude illegible] 20–27 Mar. 1993, F. Araya, L N 536100291400 #1952//INBIOCR1001676834. Limón Prov. Sector Cerro Cocorí, Fca. de E. Rojas, L-N 286000, 667600; (2♀) 26 mar a 24 abr 1992, F.A. Quesada //INBIOCR1000771034, INBIOCR1000771045. (1♀) same locality, Mar. 1991, E. Rojas //INBIOCR1000624750. (1♀) same locality and collector, May 1992 //INBIOCR1000373226. Puntarenas Prov. (1♂) Fca. Cafrosa, Est. Las Mellizas, P.N. Amistad , 1300m. L-S-316100, 596100, R. Delgado, 19 Jun–26 Jul 1990 // INBIOCR1000667864. (1♀) Buenos Aires P.I.L.A. Sector Altamira, A.C. Amistad , 1150–1400m., Jun 1994, R. Delgado, LS331500571700 #3015//INBIOCR1001920258. (1♀) same locality, Send. Gigantes del Bosque 1200–1400m, 1–22 MAY 2006 R. Gonzalez, Libre, LS331300571500 #86325// INBIO0004013273 INBIOCRI COSTA RICA. (1♂) Fila Cruces, Laguna Gamboa, 1400m., 30 Abr. 1996, I.A. Chacón, LS304200574850 #8233//INBIOCR1002447842. (1♀) Jardin Botanico Wilson, 1100m, 3 Mar. 1996, I.A. Chacón, LS305300577850 #8258//INBIOCR1002455278. Holotype and allotype deposited in MNCR-A, paratypes in FSCA, MNCR-A, MZUCR, and USNM.

Etymology. vacilona, Spanish , from vacilón, a common Costa Rican expression for something unusual, funny, or strange.

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from all other Beltia by the uniform dark cobalt color of the entire body and legs. The uncanny similarity of appearance between B. vacilona and Colaspoides unicolor was the inspiration for this revision.

Remarks. This species occurs in both the northern and southern termini of the central mountain ranges of Costa Rica, as well as in the northern Atlantic coastal lowlands ( Fig. 80 ).

Figures

Figures 36–41. Beltia, dorsal habitus. 36) Beltia tilarana, male. 37) Beltia tisingalita, female. 38) Beltia tsachila, female. 39) Beltia vacilona, female. 40) Beltia weyrauchi, male. 41) Beltia weyrauchi, female.

Figures 57–59. Beltia, male genitalia: a) lateral view of median lobe; b) endophallic apical sclerites; c) en-face view of median lobe. 57) Beltia tsachila. 58) Beltia vacilona. 59) Beltia weyrauchi.

Figures 67–74. Beltia, female genitalia: a) ovipositor, ventral view; b) spermatheca. 67) Beltia osa. 68) Beltia placidula. 69) Beltia sanchezae. 70) Beltia tilarana. 71) Beltia tisingalita. 72) Beltia tsachila. 73) Beltia vacilona. 74) Beltia weyrauchi.

Figures 80–82. Distribution maps for Beltia spp.: Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. 80) Beltia angustomarginata (squares), B. osa (triangles), B. vacilona (circles). 81) Beltia chiriquensis (circles), B. herreri (stars), B. nicaraguensis (hexagons). 82) Beltia sanchezae (square), B. tilarana (inverted triangles), B. tisingalita (stars).