Apterodina Bechyné

Flowers, R. Wills, 2004, New flightless Eumolpinae of the genera Apterodina Bechyné and Brachypterodina n. gen. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) from the Neotropics, Zootaxa 549, pp. 1-18 : 2-4

Apterodina Bechyné

( Fig. 3–6 , 9 , 11–16 , 21–24, 29, 31–33 .)

Type species. Apterodina bucki Bechyné 1954:117 (by original designation)

Body oval, dorsally convex. Head with clypeus coarsely punctate, punctures separated by distance greater than the diameter of a puncture, surface between punctures smooth, apex of clypeus emarginate. Frons coarsely punctate, punctures separated by distance greater than the diameter of a puncture; surface between punctures smooth; antennal calli smooth, slightly swollen. Eye oval, shallowly and broadly emarginate at antennal insertion; ocular sulcus running close to upper margin of eye. Antenna with scape and pedicel elongate oval, pedicel shorter than scape, distinctly shorter than flagellomere 1; flagellum filiform, each antennomere slightly wider at apex, elongate, antennomeres 7–11 slightly enlarged; antennomeres 36 with scattered appressed setae, antennomeres 7–11 densely pubescent, with whorl of long erect setae at apex of antennomeres 3–10; antennomere 11 spindle­shaped. Mouthparts with apex of labrum emarginate, with 2 dorsal setae and short row of lateral setae along outer margin. Mandibles with outer margin with sharp bend, lateral surface smooth, a prominent seta on dorsal surface at angle, apical teeth broad, pointed. Maxillary palpi with apical segment tapered. Prothorax distinctly wider than long, pronotum strongly convex, with posterior margin wider than anterior margin; anterior angles variable, posterior angles obtuse; all angles with a seta­bearing puncture; basal marginal bead present; lateral margins narrow, rounded or weakly undulate, strongly converging in apical half, with widest part of pronotum near middle; disc regularly punctate; surface between punctures smooth, shining. Prosternum with long setae, finely punctate, anterior margin with a thick, perpendicular edge; intercoxal process expanded laterally behind coxae, its posterior margin weakly emarginate, lateral angles of intercoxal process thickened. Lateral arms of prosternum with anterior margins straight, surface glabrous, bearing a raised costa from inner side of coxal cavity to exterior angle. Proepimeron weakly concave, sparsely punctate, with punctures separated by distance greater than diameter of a puncture, with surface smooth, shiny. Mesosternum subequal in width to prosternum, flat between coxae, surface coarsely punctate, with scattered setae. Metasternum very short, narrow between meso­ and metacoxae, transversely wrinkled; metepisternum gradually narrowed posteriorly, with surface alutaceous. Legs sparsely covered with short prostrate setae; all surfaces alutaceous. Femora strongly swollen in middle. Tibiae multicarinate, slightly to moderately sulcate between carinae, with setae increasing in length toward apex of tibiae; all tibiae widened and lacking emargination apically. Tarsi densely and uniformly pilose beneath; basal tarsomere of fore­ and middle legs triangular, with length subequal to width; second tarsomere broadly triangular, with acute apicolateral angles; third tarsomere longer than second, deeply bilobed; claws divergent, appendiculate. Elytra inflated, evenly punctate or striate, surface between punctures smooth with scattered small punctulae; humeri not prominent, broadly rounded; basal calli obsolete; postbasal depression lacking. Sides broadly rounded; apices conjointly rounded. Epipleuron narrow, slanted downward, visible in lateral view, tapering evenly from base to apex. Hind wing reduced to narrow strap or tiny lobe ( Fig. 11–13 ). Scutellum with base subequal to length; surface smooth, with few punctulae. Abdomen with segments decreasing in length posteriorly, with scattered erect setae, surface of segments smooth. Sternum VII with lateral margins smooth. Pygidium ( Fig. 9 ) with broad longitudinal median groove. Male Genitalia: Basal hood of median lobe constricted at point of attachment; median lobe in lateral view strongly curved ( Fig. 14 ); apex of median lobe broad, subbasal fenestra present; basal spurs acute. Female Genitalia: Segments VIII­XI forming long telescoping ovipositor ( Fig. 21, 24 ). Sternum VIII membranous with aciculate apodeme; dorsum of segment VIII with thin diagonal sclerites ( Fig. 23 ). Segment IX with hemisternites aciculate; paraprocts separated into pair of slender dorsal rods, apically forming hood­like projection above genital orifice; baculum apical, subequal to gonocoxae. Gonocoxae moderately elongate with setae apically and laterally. Spermatheca ( Fig. 29, 31–32 ) with receptacle bulbous, duct straight or convoluted.

Remarks. Apterodina can be distinguished from all other Neotropical Eumolpinae by the following combination of characters: 1) humeri broadly rounded and lateral margins of elytra arcuate; 2) prosternum with a thick perpendicular anterior margin, with a low bead in front of coxae; 3) hind wings greatly reduced; 4) pygidial groove present. Apterodina most closely resembles Brachypterodina (described below) but can be distinguished by the raised front margin of the prosternum. Dictyneis , the other known apterous Neotropical eumolpine differs from both these genera in having the prosternum excavated, normally developed subquadrate humeri, and various patterns of tubercles on the elytra.

Figures

FIGURES 3 – 6. Apterodina spp. 3 – 4, Apterodina bechynei: 3. male, dorsal view; 4. female, dorsal view. 5; A. bucki female, dorsal view; 6. A. ruminyahui female, dorsal view.

FIGURES 7 ­ 9. 7 ­ 8, Brachypterodina gonzalezi. 7. female, dorsal view; 8. humeral area enlarged; 9. Apterodina bucki, pygidium.

FIGURES 10 ­ 13. Hind wings. 10. Brachypterodina morae; 11. Apterodina ruminyahui. 12; Apterodina bechynei; 13. Apterodina bucki.

FIGURES 14 ­ 20. Male genitalia. Figs. 14 ­ 16, Apterodina bechynei; 14. median lobe, lateral view; 15. median lobe, apex; 16. apical sclerite. Figs. 17 ­ 20, Brachypterodina morae; 16. median lobe and base of endophallus, lateral view; 18. median lobe, apex; 19. apical sclerite; 20. endophallic lateral digits of endophallus.

FIGURES 21 ­ 32. Female genitalia. Figs. 21 ­ 23, 29. Apterodina bechynei; 21, ovipositor, ventral view; 22, dorsal hood of segment IX. 23, segment VIII, dorsal view; 29, spermatheca. Figs. 24, 32, Apterodina ruminyahui; 24, ovipositor, ventral view; 32, spermatheca. Figs. 25 ­ 27. 30, Brachypterodina morae; 25, ovipositor, ventral view; 26, dorsal hood of segment IX. 27, segment VIII, dorsal view; 30 (above and right), spermatheca; 28 (left and below), Brachypterodina gonzalezi, spermatheca. 31, Apterodina bucki, spermatheca.

FIGURES 33 ­ 34. Distribution of Apterodina and Brachypterodina. 33. Distribution of Apterodina; A. bechynei, closed diamond; A. bucki, closed circle; A. granulifera, closed triangle; A. ruminyahui, closed square. 34. Distribution of Brachypterodina. B. gonzalezi, closed triangle; B. morae, closed circle.