Bruchia sparsa Weise 1906

Staines, C. L., 2007, A review of the genus Bruchia Weise 1906 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae), Zootaxa 1449 (1), pp. 45-50 : 49

Bruchia sparsa Weise 1906

Figure 4

Bruchia sparsa Weise 1906: 227, 1911a: 30 (catalog), 1911b: 44 (catalog); Bruch 1915: 378 (faunal list); Blackwelder 1946: 729 (faunal list); Monrós & Viana 1947: 259 (redescription); Papp 1953: 91 (catalog); Uhmann 1957: 115 (catalog), 1964: 11 (faunal list).

Parallel-sided; opaque black, legs and elytral maculae yellow; in some specimens the pronotum has a narrow yellow band on the anterior margin and another on the posterior; each elytron with 7 yellow maculae distributed as follows: two basal of which one rounded post-scutellar and the other larger situated to the side of the scutellum; two in the middle; and three in the apical region, which form a transverse oblique line. Head: vertex of head granulate; strong medial sulcus present; with shallow interocular sulcus and longitudinal striae in the internal orbit of the eyes; area between medial and ocular sulci deeply, coarsely punctate. Antenna: barely reaching middle of pronotum; thick, robust; antennomere I subglobose; II–V transverse, short, II subequal in length to I, III–V wider and shorter than II; VI–VII form wide, setose club, I–II punctate, III–VI with setae. Pronotum: lateral margin slightly angulate in middle, basal ½ sinuate and divergent, apical ½ sinuate and convergent; the anterior and basal margins somewhat arcuate; anterior margin with small, rounded tooth; posterior angle acute; surface with two types of punctures, some large and sparse, of irregular distribution and others finer and more numerous; medial longitudinal callus present which has a sulcus; transverse basal impression present; pronotal length 0.6–0.7 mm; pronotal width 0.6–0.9 mm. Scutellum: quadrate; granulose. Elytron: lateral margin sparsely dentate; apical margin slightly explanate, dentate; humerus produced, slightly angulate; densely, coarsely punctate, surface granulate; with tubercles more or less distributed in irregular series, tending to form costae; with 8 rows of punctures, puncture rows very irregular, confused; pit surrounded by carinae after middle of puncture rows 5 and 6; elytral length 1.9–2.1 mm; elytral width 0.9–1.3 mm. Leg: femur with row of setae on inner margin; tibiae straight, with fringe of setae at apex. Venter: prosternum punctate medially, granulose laterally; meso- and metasterna granulose; abdominal sternites granulose laterally, smooth medially, each sternite with row of white setae apically. Total length: 2.5–3.0 mm.

Comparative notes. This species is most similar to B. fulvipes and can be distinguished by the elytral costae being tuberculate; the vertex of the head with a medial fovea; and the elytral punctures rows being irregular.

Distribution. Brazil, Ecuador, and Argentina.

Specimens examined. Argentina: Buenos Aires, iii.1939 ( USNM) ; Buenos Aires, Delta Parana , Marzo 1944 ( USNM) ; Capital Federal , Marzo 1942 ( USNM) ; Formosa, i.1936 ( USNM) ; Misiones, Loreto ( USNM) . Brazil: Bahia ( USNM) ; Minas, B. Horizonte ( USNM) ; Minas Gersis Viçosa , 13 Oct.–1 Nov. 1985 ( USNM) ; Para, Bragance ( USNM) ; Taperina (USNM) . Ecuador: Napo: Yasuní , 0°40.47’ S, 76°38.84’ W, VIII-17- 1997 ( CDFA) . Total: 11.

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Figure 1. Bruchia armata Staines, new species, dorsal view. Figure 2. Bruchia fulvipes (Baly) dorsal view. Figure 3. Bruchia scapularis Staines, new species, dorsal view. Figure 4. Bruchia sparsa Weise, dorsal view. All bars on photos equal 1 mm.