Beltia gorgona 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 : 10-11

Beltia gorgona Flowers , new species

Figures 22 , 46 , 62 , 78

Description of male holotype. Body ovate, length 6.3 mm ( Fig. 22 ). Head, pronotum, and elytra metallic bluish green with purple-coppery reflexion; underside and legs glossy bluish green; anten- nomeres testaceous.

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

Thorax. Prothorax distinctly wider than long, L/W = 0.57; pronotum with punctures separated by distance greater than their diameters; surface between punctures glossy, with numerous punctulae. Prosternum punctate, with scattered short white setae; posterior margin of intercoxal process concave, width of intercoxal process 1.07× diameter of procoxa. Proepimeron with surface wrinkled and with scattered punctures in basal third. Mesosternum with anterior edge convex, surface smooth and sparsely punctate. Metasternum smooth, metepisternum with surface finely alutaceous.

Elytra. Evenly punctate, punctures separated by distance greater than their diameters; width across humeri 1.22× width across pronotum.

Abdomen. Sterna with numerous short setae and longer setae in submedian areas of sterna III–VI, surface of segments alutaceous. Sternum VII with lateral margins smooth, a weak depression in center. Terga heavily sclerotized, spicules on segments II and III small, segments V and VI shagreened.

Genitalia. Median lobe ( Fig. 46a ) in lateral view with prominent lateral flange; in en-face view lateral margins robust and converging, apex tapered to a slightly asymmetrical projection ( Fig. 46c ). Apex of endophallus ( Fig. 46b ) with a field of small spicules and a small, curved apical sclerite.

Female allotype. Body oval; length 7.4 mm (range 6.8–7.2 mm); head, pronotum, and elytra glossy metallic golden green with purple reflexion on antennal calli and margins of pronotum and elytra. Scutellum, underside, and legs metallic purple.

Head. Frons and clypeus less densely punctate than male, antennae similar to male but with apical antennomere slightly darker.

Thorax. Shape and punctation of pronotum as in male; prosternum and proepimeron similar to male. Mesosternum more strongly wrinkled than in male. Legs similar in form to male, and basal tarsomere of fore- and middle legs not expanded.

Elytra. Punctation as in male.

Abdomen. Sterna with numerous white setae, longer in middle third of sterna III–VI.

Genitalia. Segments VIII–XI forming a moderately elongate (L/W = 4.7) ovipositor ( Fig. 62a ). Sternum VIII with long, wire-like basal apodeme with apical end widened and less defined. Spermatheca ( Fig. 62b ) with bulbous receptacle.

Specimens examined. COLOMBIA: Valle de Cauca Prov. (1♂, 2♀). Male holotype labeled: COLOM- BIA Valle de Cauca , PNN Farallones de Cali Anchicaya 3°26′N 76°48′W 730m Malaise 8/14/01 8/28/01 S. Sarria Leg. M. 2861. Cauca Prov. Female allotype labeled: COLOMBIA Cauca, PNN Isla Gorgona El Hechelal 2°58′N 78°11′W 30m Malaise 6–22.iii.2001 R. Duque Leg. M. 1478. PARATYPE (1♀) COLOM- BIA Cauca, PNN Gorgona Mancora 2°58′N 78°11′W 60m Malaise 1/3/01 1/18/01 H. Torres Leg. M. 1235. Types deposited in IAVH.

Etymology. This species is named for the Parque Nacional Natural Gorgona in Colombia, where the two female types were collected.

Diagnosis. Beltia gorgona can be distinguished from other species in the genus by its larger size and brilliant dark green color with purple reflexions (which are easily seen with the naked eye but very difficult to photograph). It differs from B. angustomarginata , another species with a marked purple reflexions, by the less transverse shape of the pronotum.

Remarks. Two male specimens in poor condition, labeled simply “South America, Colombia /feeding on banana leaves” (FSCA), are tentatively assigned to this species but not included in the type series. They differ from the holotype in having a stronger coppery color and a sharper and more asymmetrical tip on the median lobe of the aedeagus. The type series of B. gorgona comes from only two localities on the Pacific coast of Colombia ( Fig. 78 ).

Figures

Figures 18–26. Beltia, dorsal habitus. 18) Beltia angustomarginata, male. 19) Beltia awapita, male. 20) Beltia chiriquensis, female. 21) Beltia confusa, male. 22) Beltia gorgona, female. 23) Beltia herreri, male. 24–26) Beltia ledesmae, females. 24) Monochrome specimen. 25) Bicolored specimen. 26) Same female as (25) photographed with diffuser.

Figures 42–49. Beltia, male genitalia: a) lateral view of median lobe; b) endophallic apical sclerites; c) en-face view of median lobe. 42) Beltia angustomarginata. 43) Beltia awapita. 44) Beltia chiriquensis. 45) Beltia confusa. 46) Beltia gorgona. 47) Beltia herreri. 48) Beltia ledesmae. 49) Beltia nicaraguensis.

Figures 60–66. Beltia, female genitalia: a) ovipositor, ventral view; b) spermatheca. 60) Beltia angustomarginata. 61) Beltia chiriquensis. 62) Beltia gorgona. 63) Beltia herreri. 64) Beltia ledesmae. 65) Beltia napoensis. 66) Beltia nicaraguensis.

Figures 78–79. Distribution maps for Beltia spp. 78) Northwestern South America: B. confusa (star), B. gorgona (inverted triangles), B. placidula (blue circles), B. rugosa (red circle), B. weyrauchi (square). 79) Ecuador: B. awapita (hexagon), B. ledesmae (squares), B. napoensis (triangles), B. talaga (circle), B. tsachila (star).