Beltia napoensis 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 : 14-16

Beltia napoensis Flowers , new species

Figures 16 , 27–29 , 50 , 65 , 79

Description of male holotype. Body ovate, length 6.5 mm (range 4.9–7.2 mm). Head, pronotum, elytra, and underside shining metallic green; legs, antennae, and apical abdominal sternite reddish brown ( Fig. 27 ).

Head. Clypeus densely punctate, punctures separated by distance less than their diameters, apex of clypeus weakly striate, emarginate. Frons strongly punctate, punctures separated by distance less than their diameters; surface between punctures finely wrinkled; a trace of a small bulla between eyes; vertex strongly punctate, punctures aciculate; antennal calli smooth, weakly swollen, with a few small punctures.

Thorax. Prothorax distinctly wider than long, L/W = 0.59; pronotum convex, widest behind middle; front angles acute, directed anteriorly and turned outward at their apices ( Fig. 16 ); disc regularly, finely punctate, punctures separated by distance greater than their diameters; surface between punctures shining, with numerous punctulae. Prosternum wrinkled, sparsely punctate, with short yellowish setae; posterior margin of intercoxal process depressed and bilobed, width of intercoxal process 0.74× diameter of procoxa. Proepimeron with surface smooth, transversely wrinkled. Mesosternum strongly declivous anteriorly, with V-shaped projection between coxae fitting apex of prosternum, surface wrinkled. Meta- sternum wrinkled, metepisternum finely microreticulate.

Elytra. Evenly punctate, punctures separated by distance greater than their diameters; width across humeri 1.2× width across pronotum; basal calli weakly developed; postbasal depression shallow.

Abdomen. Sterna with a cluster of long setae on sternum III at inner margins of coxae, sterna IV–VI with transverse bands of long setae. Sternum VII punctate in apical half, wrinkled in basal half, with

lateral margins smooth, a weak depression in center, long setae along posterior margin. Terga II and III with a basal row of strong spicules, terga V and VI shagreened.

Genitalia. Median lobe in lateral view strongly bent downward ( Fig. 50a ), in en-face view ( Fig. 50c ) asymmetric, with blunt projection. Endophallus with basal lateral digits curved, sclerotized; endophallic lateral digits complex, with erect sclerotized lobes, partially sclerotized lower lobes, and a network of sclerites surrounding shaft of endophallus at base of endophallic lateral digits ( Fig. 50d ). Apical sclerite small, irregular, larger at one end ( Fig. 50b ).

Female allotype. Body oval; length 6.7 mm (range 6.5–7.8 mm). Head and pronotum metallic greenish copper, elytra dark blue, pronotal lateral and basal beads bright green.

Head and mouthparts similar to male except interocular bulla more pronounced.

Thorax. Pronotum distinctly wider than long, L/W = 0.68; shape of pronotum as in male; evenly punctate on disc, punctures separated by distance greater than their diameters. Proepisternum and proepimeron as in male; prosternum similar to male but with concave posterior margin. Mesosternum subequal in width to prosternum, swollen between coxae, more strongly wrinkled than in male.

Elytra. Similar to male but with posthumeral depression deep. Epipleuron as in male.

Abdomen. Abdominal segments with numerous short setae and a pair of submedian long setae, margins of sterna VI and VII crenulate, sternum VII with apical notch bearing short, erect setae.

Genitalia. Abdominal segments VIII–XI forming elongate ovipositor (L/W = 5.5; Fig. 65a ). Sternum VIII with a long, needle-shaped basal apodeme; segment IX in apical two-thirds covered with minute spicules; hemisternites with elongate basal rods; baculum distinct, elongate; gonocoxae slightly longer than wide; baculum distinct, apical, shorter than gonocoxae. Spermatheca ( Fig. 65b ) with receptacle narrower than pump, elongate, cone-shaped.

Specimens examined. PERU: Loreto Region. (10♂, 14♀). Male holotype labeled: PERU: Loreto Dept ., Explorama Campo on R. Sucusari nr. R. Napo . 12–19-III-1968. J.E. Eger, coll.// collected at light ( FSCA) . Female allotype labeled: same locality, date, and collector as holotype ( FSCA) . PARATYPES. PERU: Loreto Region. (1♂, 5♀ FSCA) same locality, date, and collector as holotype ; (2♂) Explorama Inn, 25 mi. NE of Iquitos, 9,22- VI-1989, G.B. Edwards, Amazon rainforest ( FSCA) ; (1♂) 40 km. NE of Iquitos on Amazon River, Explorama Inn , 22–24-VIII-1992, J. Castner, P. Skelley, misc. at light ( FSCA); (1♀) same locality, Amazon Rainforest, 16–21-VII-1989, H.V. Weems, Jr. ( FSCA); ECUADOR: Napo Prov. (1♀) Ecuador, Prov. Napo , vic. Puerto Misahuali , 1600–1900 ft., 6–19-DC-1998, J.E. Eger, coll./ 1°2′4.2″ S lat, 77°39′49.2″ W lon. ( FSCA); (1♂) via Hollin–Loreto km 0, 1100m. 12/06/97. Lg. H. Peñaherra ( QCAZ); (1♀) Limon Cocha 0°24′ S 76°36′W. sept.–oct. 1964. H. R. Hermann, Jr. / G.N. Ross colln./ MGCL Accession / # 2006-20 ( QCAZ); (1♂) Tarapoa, via Cuyabeno , 09-X-1988, Legit P. Coral V. ( QCAZ); (1♂) Cuyabeno (?), 230m, fecha Oct. 18/85. Legit E. Carnazo ( QCAZ); Sucumbios Prov. (1♂) San Rafael Falls , 1100m, 5/ 6-VIII-98, W. Opitz ( QCAZ); (1♂) Cuyabeno 830m, 13–25-Jul 53, T. Santander ( QCAZ); (1♀) RFP Cuyabeno, 28/7/91, L. Schel ( QCAZ); Cuyabeno , 220m. Lag. Grande , 76°10′W ( QCAZ); Orellana Prov. (1♀) EC YASUNI, 250m., 76°24′19″W 00°40′32″S, 07OCT1997, E. Baus ( QCAZ); EC Yasuni, km 40, 79°28′W 00°39′S, 19AGO1997, E. Bau ( QCAZ); (1♀) Oriente, Limococha, 0.4S 76.6W, Peter L. Kazan ( QCAZ). COLOMBIA: Amazonas Prov. (1♂) PNN Amacayayacu Matamata , 3°41′S 70°15′W, 156m, Malaise , 3–17.ix.2001, D. Chonta Leg. M2241. Holotype and allotype are deposited in FSCA, paratypes in QCAZ, IAVH, FSCA, and USNM .

Etymology. This species is named for the Río Napo; most specimens were collected along this river and its tributaries.

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished by the prominent forward-projecting apical angles of the pronotum ( Fig. 16 ) and the broad asymmetric projection on the apex of the median lobe ( Fig. 50c, e ). It is larger than B. awapita , which has similar pronotal angles. While the prominence of the apical pronotal angles is less obvious in females, it can still be used to distinguish B. napoensis from B. chiriquensis or B. ledesmae , the species most closely similar in color. The shape of the en-face of the median lobe of B. napoensis is also unlike in any other known Beltia .

Remarks. Beltia napoensis is known from multiple collections made in the mouth and the upper basin of the Río Napo ( Fig. 79 ). This species shows some variability in the aedeagus: males from Ecuador ( Fig. 50e ) tend to have apical projections longer and less asymmetric than males from the mouth of the Río Napo. I regard them as the same species here because there are no consistent differences among females from the upstream and downstream populations, and because we know nothing of what lives in the middle reaches of the Río Napo. Like B. chiriquensis and B. ledesmae , females of this species can be quite variable in color ( Fig. 28, 29 ). A bicolored form was selected as the allotype; others in the type series are monochrome metallic blue or dark green. Legs are dark metallic, dark brown, or metallic with dark brown joints and tarsi. Males are more uniform: metallic green on the body with orangish brown legs.

Figures

Figures 9–17. Structures of Beltia. 9) Profemur, B. nicaraguensis. 10) Profemur, B. tisingalita. 11) Pronotum, B. angustomarginata. 12) Pronotum, B. ledesmae. 13) En-face view of median lobe, B. angustomarginata. 14) Apex of abdomen, B. placidula. 15) Concave prosternum (arrow), B. ledesmae. 16) Head and pronotum, B. napoensis. 17) Male abdomen with seta patches (arrow), B. herreri.

Figures 27–35. Beltia, dorsal habitus. 27) Beltia napoensis, male. 28) Beltia napoensis, female. 29) Same female as (28) photographed with diffuser. 30) Beltia nicaraguensis, female. 31) Beltia osa, male. 32) Beltia placidula, female. 33) Beltia rugosa, male. 34) Beltia sanchezae, female. 35) Beltia talaga, male.

Figures 50–56. Beltia, male genitalia: a) lateral view of median lobe; b) endophallic apical sclerites; c) en-face view of median lobe; d) en-face view of endophallic lateral digits. 50) Beltia napoensis, with endophallus partly everted: c) specimen from Peru; e) specimen from Ecuador. 51) Beltia osa. 52) Beltia placidula. 53) Beltia rugosa. 54) Beltia sanchezae. 55) Beltia talaga. 56) Beltia tilarana, with endophallus partly everted.

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).