Altica gravida ( Blackburn, 1896 )

Reid, C. A. M. & Beatson, M., 2015, Disentangling a taxonomic nightmare: a revision of the Australian, Indomalayan and Pacific species of Altica Geoffroy, 1762 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae), Zootaxa 3918 (4), pp. 503-551 : 540-545

Altica gravida ( Blackburn, 1896) comb. nov.

( Figs 7, 14, 18, 19, 21, 22, 29, 31, 43 –46, 58–61, 73–76, 82, 83)

Haltica gravida Blackburn 1896: 75 (type locality: Murray River district, in South Australia). Altica ignea sensu Vestjens, 1979 , nec Blackburn 1889.

Material examined (312; *= dissected). Types: Altica gravida (Blackburn) : lectotype (this designation): ♂/ T M.R.[Murray River]/ Type / Haltica gravida Blackb. / Blackburn coll. 1910 - 236 / ( NHML); paralectotypes (3): 1 / 1544 / Austral. ex Black. type / Jacoby coll. 1908 - 28 a/ ( NHML); 1 / MR 1544 / Haltica gravida Blackb. cotype/ S. Australia Blackburn/ Haltica gravida Bl. SA NSW cotype I. 4038 / ( SAM); 1 / A 1544 / Haltica gravida Blackb. cotype/ Adelaide/ ( SAM).

Non-type material: Australia Capital Territory: 1 / ANU Campus, 26.xii. 1979, M. Carver ( ANIC); 2 / Black Mtn, light trap, 10 xi. 1966, IFB Common ( ANIC); 2 / Canberra 29.i. 1958, WJM Vestjens ( ANIC); 1, ditto 24.xii. 1956 ( ANIC); 1, ditto 15.xii. 1956 ( ANIC); 1, ditto, 24.xii. 1957 ( ANIC); 1, ditto, 13.i. 1957 ( ANIC); 1, ditto, 1.i. 1957 ( ANIC); 1, ditto, 11.xii. 1956 ( ANIC); 2, ditto, ex Myriophyllum , 1.xi. 1977, R. Nipperas ( ANIC); 1 / Cotter R., in flight, 7.xii. 1976, DP carne ( ANIC); 10 / Kambah Pool, on ground swarming, 24.xii. 1973, DP Carne ( ANIC); 1 / Kingston, 11.xii. 1956, C. Wellspring ( ANIC); 1 / Lake Burley Griffin, feeding on Ludwigia peploides montevidensis , 1.iii. 1985, N. Starrick ( ANIC); 1 / Lee’s Spring, 18.ii. 1922, G. J. Hill ( ANIC); 1 / Mt Coree, 1157m, 25.xii. 1973, E&S Britton ( ANIC); 1 / Pine Island, 10.xii. 1973, S. Misko ( ANIC); 2 / Red Hill, 23.xi. 1968, K. Pullen ( ANIC); New South Wales: ♂, 1 / Apsley Falls, 31:03S 151: 46 E, at light, 18.xii. 1968, Britton & Misko ( ANIC); 1 / Billabong Ck, 1 k W Wanganella, 1.v. 1978, Z. Leipa ( ANIC); 1 / Blayney, 5.iii. 1930, Salter ( AMS); 1 / 10mi W Blayney, nr Bathurst, 11.i. 1967, B Cantrell ( UQIC); ♀/ Bluegate, nr Yanco, 28.ix. 1932, K.C.McKeown ( AMS); 2 ♀/ Blue Mtns, H. W. Brown ( AMS); ♀, 1 / Bogan R, J. Armstrong ( ANIC); ♂*, 10m, 9 f/ Braidwood, Jinden, 27.xii. 1974, R. J. M[ulder] ( AMS); 1 / Caparra, mv light, 14.iv. 1991, SG Watkins ( ANIC); 1, ditto, 16.x. 1991 ( ANIC); ♀/ Carss Park, 24.viii. 1954, R. H. M[ulder] ( AMS); 1 / Cattle Ck Rd, SW Captains Flat, 26.xii. 1926, W Allen ( ANIC); ♂/ Clyde River, K. K. Spence coll. ( AMS); 2 / Collector Swamp, on wing at dusk, 10.iv. 1966, BP Moore ( ANIC); ♂/ Condobolin, 6.xi. 1972, D. A. Doolan ( AMS); 1 / Congo, nr Moruya, at light, euc scrub by coast, 16–17.iii. 1985, C. Reid ( ANIC); 2 / Cowal North, Lake Cowal, 10.iii. 1971, WJM Vestjens ( ANIC); 1 / Denistone, on Acacia blossom, 5.i. 1975, DP Carne ( ANIC); 1 / nr Euabalong, at light, 27.xi. 2001, G Hangay ( ANIC); 5 / Euberta, Wagga Wagga, 6.xi. 1935, JA Green ( AMS); 1 / 2.4 k NE Eugowra, 33 ° 26 S 148 ° 22 E, 24.v. 1972, Z. Liepa ( ANIC); ♀/ Euralie-Narrandera Rd, 9–19.x. 1932, K.C.McKeown ( AMS); ♂*, ♀*/ Fowlers Gap, 8.xii. 1974, D. Lester ( AMS); 1, ditto, arid zone res. sta., 20.i. 1980, K. Miller ( ANIC); ♂, ♀/ Gloucester, 17.x. 1977, D. A. Doolan ( AMS); 2 ♂ / Gogeldrie, 23.ii. 1927, W. B. McKey ( AMS); ♂*, 2 ♂ / ditto, except “damaging rice”; 1 / 5 k NE Griffith, Myriophyllum , 24.ii. 1992, G. Saintly ( ANIC); ♀/ Grosses Plains Ck, @Moonbah Stay, 36.49065 S 148.55431 E, 27.xi. 2011, DM & SJ ( AMS); ♂/ Gundaroo, Wattle Vy, at light 6.ii. 1979, B. P. Moore ( ANIC); ♂/ Gundaroo Rd, iii. 1970, B. P. Moore ( ANIC); ♀/ Jenolan SF, 23.xii. 1972, D. A. Doolan ( AMS); 2 / Khancoban, below Khancoban Dam, 36 ° 13 S 148 °06E, 300m, at light, 13.ii. 1987, A Newton & M Thayer ( ANIC); 2 / Lake Albert, nr Wagga, 20.iv. 1971, Z. Liepa ( ANIC); ♂*, 25 / Lake Cowal, 33 ° 41 S 147 ° 22 E, on Myriophyllum , 16.ix. 1971, W. J. M. Vestjens ( ANIC); 3, ditto, no coordinates or host, 15.ii. 1971 ( ANIC); ♂*, ♂, ♀/ ditto, except 11.xi. 1972, D. A. Doolan ( AMS); 14 / Leeton, weeds & rice, 4.iii. 1927, KC Mckeown ( AMS); ♀/ Leichhardt, Sydney, xii. 1977, F. T. Fricke ( AMS); 1 / Leura, i. 1932 ( AMS); ♂/ Marrickville, 16.xii. 1955, R. J. M[ulder] ( AMS); 2 / Menindee lakes, Burkes camp, 28.ix. 1978, Z. Liepa ( ANIC); 1 / Moonbil Lookout, 30 ° 58 S 151 °06E, 760m, 11.xii. 1974, Common & Edwards ( ANIC); ♀/ Mt Coricudgy, 20.xii. 1985, G. Hangay ( AMS); 4 / Mt Costigan, Tuena, 5.xii. 1961, FA Cook ( ANIC); 1 / Mt Kaputar, 3000 ’, at light, 6.ix. 1962, ex coll. UNE ( ANIC); 12 / Mt Kaputar NP, 30 ° 17 S 150 ° 10 E, 1362m, 5.xii. 1974, IFB Common & ED Edwards ( ANIC); ♂*/ Mount Tomah, 14.x. 1977 ( AMS); 1 / Myal Ck Xing @ Delungra & Binga Binga Rd, 25.i. 2000, G Hangay ( ANIC); ♀*/ Myall Lakes NP, 32: 37: 56 S 152: 12: 27 E, ex Acacia longifolia var sophorae , ML 101 /04B[eat], 15.xi. 1996, L. Wilkie ( AMS); ♀/ One Tree Waterhole, 145 miles N B[roken] Hill, 23.ix. 1955, R. D. Mackay ( AMS); 2, ditto except 24.ix. 1955 ( AMS); ♀/ Pilliga Scrub, Bongle Gulley, N. Baradine, 5.xii. 1978, R.D.K. ( AMS); 1 / Pilot Hill, Bago Forest, Batlow, 1.iii. 1957, TG Campbell ( ANIC); 1 / Quandong, 52 k SE Broken Hill, 26.ix. 1975, Z. Liepa ( ANIC); 1 / Quibray Bay, 22.i. 1983, S Watkins ( ANIC); ♂*/ Roto-Matakana district, 19.i. 1990, A. Sundholm & J. Bugeja ( AMS); ♀/ Roundhill Res., 28.i. 1969, J.V. Peters ( AMS); ♀/ Snowy R, Buchan-Jindabyne Rd, 30.xii. 1977 ( AMS); ♂/ Tamworth, xi. 1967, G.W. A. ( ANIC); ♂*, ♀*/ Tuglo, 48 k N Singleton, 6.i. 1978 ( AMS); 1 / Trangie, at light, 23.x. 1976, D. Whale ( ANIC); ♂*/ Upper Allyn, nr Eccleston, mv lamp, 25.ii. 1970, D. K. McAlpine ( AMS); ♀/ N of Warren, 26.iv. 1975, D. Lester ( AMS); ♀/ 30mi S Warren, 25.iv. 1975, G Gowing ( AMS); 1 / Wauchope, 31 ° 27 S 152 ° 44 E, at light, 4.i. 1970, Britton & Misko ( ANIC); 1 / Willandra Br., 11 k N Mossgiel, 33 ° 16 S 144 ° 34 E, dry swamp, at light, 21.xii. 1970, Britton, Misko & Pullen ( ANIC); 3 / Williamstown, ex Alternanthera philoxeroides , 26.x. 1977, M. Julien ( ANIC); 2 / Windamingle, nr Wentworth, 29.iv. 1951, A Dyce ( ANIC); 3 / Windsor, HJ Carter ( ANIC); ♂*/ Wingham, Stockard home, Combined St, incand. light, 8.ix. 1991, J. Stockard ( ANIC); 3 / Wits Ck Xing, Queanbeyan R, S Captains Flat, 19.xi. 1977, S&W Allen ( ANIC); Northern Territory: ♂/ 30 k WNW Alice Springs, 23: 32 S 133: 38 E, 7.x. 1978, M. S. Upton ( ANIC); ♂*, ♂, 2 / 39 k E Alice Springs, 23: 41 S 134: 15 E, 5.x. 1978, Upton & Barrett ( ANIC); 6 / 53 k NE Alice Springs, 23 ° 35 S 134 ° 22 E, 6.x. 1978, Upton & Barrett ( ANIC); ♂*/ 15 k SW Alroy Downs HS, 19 ° 24 S 135 ° 58 E, 10.iv. 1976, Key & Balderson ( ANIC); ♀, 8 / Bessie Spring, 8 k ESE Cape Crawford, 16: 40 S 135: 51 E, 26.x. 1975, M. S. Upton ( ANIC); 4 / 22 k WSW Borroloola, 16 °08S 136 °06E, at light, 16.iv. 1976, J Feehan ( ANIC); 1 / 4 k S Jarmarm, Keep R. NP, 15 ° 48 S 129 °06E, GPS, at light, 29.v. 2001, T Weir & P Bouchard ( ANIC); ♂*, 4 / McArthur R., 48 k SSW Borroloola, 16 ° 27 S 136 °05E, 29.x. 1975, MS Upton ( ANIC); ♂*/ Timber Ck, at light, 22.v. 1976, K&E Carnaby ( ANIC); ♂, 6 / Todd River, 9 k NE Alice Springs, 23: 38 S 133: 53 E, 10.x. 1978, Upton & Barrett ( ANIC); 1 / 3.5 k SW Victoria R. Downs Sta., in flood channel Wickham R., at light, 13.viii. 1979, LP Kelsey ( ANIC); Queensland: ♀/ Biggenden, xii. 1973, H. Frauca ( ANIC); 1 / foothills, Bluff Ra., via Biggenden, 15.ix. 1974, H Frauca ( ANIC); ♀/ summit Bluff Rg., 16.viii. 1974, H. Frauca ( ANIC); 1 / 62 k SW Boulia, 23 °02S 139 ° 18 E, 16.x. 1978, Upton & Barrett ( ANIC); 1 / Brisbane, iii. 1969, J. Liddy ( ANIC); 1 / Burnett R., N Eudsvold, 24 ° 46 S 152 ° 25 E, at light, 10.i. 1970, Britton, Holloway & Misko ( ANIC); ♂*/ Cheltenham, 21:03S 144: 56 E, 17.xi. 1986, R. Bejsak ( AMS); ♂*/ Coast Range, nr Biggenden, 1.vi. 1977, H. Frauca ( ANIC); 1 / Cunnamulla, iii. 1942, N Geary ( AMS); 1, ditto, x. 1941 ( AMS); 1 / Elizabeth Gorge, viii. 1974, JAG Brooks ( ANIC); ♂/ Gilruth Plains, 9.i. 1964, W. J. M. Vestjens ( ANIC); 6 / Hell Hollow Gorge NP, Powell Ck, 25 ° 34 S 144 ° 41 E, at light, 22–25.x. 1997, T Weir ( ANIC); 1 / Joalah NP, Tamborine Mtn, 27 ° 56 S 153 ° 12 E, 18–21.x. 1978, Lawrence & Weir ( ANIC); 2 ♂ *, 3 ♂, 3 ♀/ Lake Muncoonie, floodplain, 20.ix. 1977 ( AMS); 1 / Mackay, ii. 1964, JE Dunwoody ( UQIC); 6 / 25 k N Monto, 24 ° 41 S 150 ° 58 E at light, 13.xii. 1990, T Gush ( ANIC); ♂*/ Normanton, 20.v. 1976, K. & E. Carnaby ( ANIC); ♀/ Southport, xii. 1932, L. W. ( ANIC); 2 / Surat ( AMS); ♂*, ♂/ Wallaville, T.L. Bancroft/ Altica coerulea Ol. det G. Scherer 1969 / ( ANIC); South Australia: ♂/ Angorichina Ck, below hostel, 22.x. 1978, E.B.Britton ( ANIC); ♀/ Angorichina Hostel, 7 k E Parachilna, 23.x. 1978, E. B. Britton ( ANIC); ♀/ 12 k NW Cameron’s Corner, at light, 22.x. 1974, P. Meyer ( ANIC); ♀/ Innaminka, 23.iv. 1980, I. D. Buddle ( AMS); 1 / Lake Eyre S, 18.ix. 1978, Upton & Barrett ( ANIC); 4 / R Murray, AH Elston ( AMS); 1 / Tea Tree Gully, Ainsley’s Hill Reserve, ex Leptospermum , 6.xii. 1977, R. Patterson ( ANIC); Tasmania: ♂, ♀/ Devonport, 22.xi. 1977, G&G Palmer ( ANIC); ♂/ Hobart, Boat Harbour, 21.xi. 1977, G. & G. Palmer ( ANIC); Victoria: ♀/ Barmah NP, Little Rushy Swamp, 35: 53: 24 S 145:02: 24 E, infesting Myriophyllum papillosum , 25.ii. 2014 K Ward ( AMS); 1 / Buchan, 17.ii. 1974, GG Burns ( ANIC); 1 / Kiata, 21.x. 1976, GG Burns ( ANIC); ♀/ Lake Hattah, light trap, 9–15.iii. 1969, G. W. Anderson ( ANIC); 1 / Macedon, on Quercus fastigata , 1977 ( ANIC); ♂*, 1 f/ Mt Buffalo NP, 36: 46: 28 S 146: 47: 40 E, path to Dixons Falls, sweeping above falls, c 1475m, 28.xi– 2.xii. 2011, C. Reid ( AMS); 3 / Murray R., ex coll. National Museum ( ANIC); 1 / Manns Beach, ii. 1957, DF Coulson ( ANIC); 2 / Murrabit, xi. 1946, EH ( ANIC); 1 / Noojee, 31.i. 1986, GG Burns ( ANIC); 1 / Tullamarine, 22.iii. 1975 ( ANIC); 1 / Wahgunyah, 7.xii. 1950, JH Callaby ( ANIC); ♂*, ♀*/ Yamberloona, Trawool, Seymour, at light, 17.ix. 1981 ( AMS); Western Australia: ♂*, ♀, 8 / Drysdale River, 15:02S 126: 55 E, 3–8.viii. 1975, I.F.B. Common & M.S. Upton ( ANIC); ♂*, 1 / Carson Escarpment, 14 ° 49 S 126 ° 49 E, 9–15.viii. 1975, IFB Common & MS Upton ( ANIC); ♂/ Fitzroy Crossing, 18.iv. 1976, K. & E. Carnaby ( ANIC); ♂*, ♀/ Halls Ck, 19.iv. 1976, K. & E. Carnaby ( ANIC); ♀, 2 / Wyndham, 20.iv. 1976, K. & E. Carnaby ( ANIC).

Description. Relatively large, length male 5.6–6.5mm, female 5.7–7.2mm.

Colour: dorsum entirely dark bronze-green, purplish-black, black, or bicoloured, with greenish or purplish head and pronotum and purplish or greenish elytra; antennae black, apex of first antennomere occasionally dark brown; legs and venter black, usually slightly bronzed;

Head: ratios (Tables 3 & 4): male EG 8.33–9.40; IE 1.04–1.21; HG 18.83–20.80; HN 1.22–1.30; NE 1.70–1.95; female EG 7.50 –10.00; IE 1.08–1.22; HG 20.40 –21.00; HN 1.19–1.28; NE 1.90 –2.00; pubescence: a few short setae at inner edge of orbit, longitudinal row of short setae at sides of frontoclypeal ridge, transverse row of long setae behind clypeal anterior margin; transverse row between eye and buccal cavity; face impunctate except minute punctures at bases of setae; face strongly microreticulate, postantennal calli usually microreticulate; eyes large and laterally prominent; postantennal calli slightly elongate, with broadly triangular anterior angles and rounded bases; frontoclypeal median ridge lanceolate, weakly convex, anteriorly terminating in a narrow keel before clypeal margin; anterior clypeal margin slightly elevated and thickened but not finely ridged; sides of clypeus slightly rugose;

Thorax: pronotum dull and microreticulate; pronotum distinctly finely punctured throughout (punctures usually distinctly smaller than elytral punctures), separated by 2–4 diameters on disc, slighter denser in basal field; hypomeron entirely transversely strigose and shallowly microreticulate; scutellum triangular, densely microreticulate; elytra entirely microreticulate, sometimes shallowly so on disc; prosternum smooth and shining; mesoventrite strigose and dull, remaining thoracic ventrites densely microsculputured and pubescent; elytra finely and fairly sparsely irregularly punctured, interspaces mostly 2– 4 x puncture diameters; sides of elytra keeled from behind humeri to apical third, sometimes keel absent in males, often with 1–3 additional keels on disc in females; femora densely microsculptured and pubescent; outer face mid tibia with thin keel at base, flat in apical half; male first protarsomere ovate, slightly longer than broad, female 1.5 x longer than wide;

Abdomen: abdominal ventrites densely microsculputured and pubescent; male: length penis 2.25–2.35mm; in dorsal view slightly expanded from base to almost right-angled apical lobe; shallowly transversely ridged in small patch of middle of dorsal surface; fairly straight in profile, with tip abruptly curved; with dense oblique ridges on apical half of venter, absent from midline and apex, ridges subtending approximately 75–90 ° at midline; two short apicoventral depressions present, c. 0.2 x penis length, elongate, laterally smooth-edged, internally finely strigose, separated by broad flat ridge; female: vaginal palpi long and almost conical, length: width ratio 1.6–2, with rounded apex, and straight, concave or convex inner margin; palpal apodemes 1.2–1.4 x length palpi, 0.3–0.5 x width palpi; tignum with irregularly expanded blunt tipped base, broader than base of apical part, lateral arms absent, and slightly to broadly expanded apex; spermathecal collum of variable length and thickness and containing 3–4 twists.

Distribution and biology. Altica gravida is endemic to Australia, where it is abundant and widespread in the southeast, especially the Murray-Darling basin, but also including Tasmania. It is scarcer further north but occurs far inland through the centre of Australia as far as the Kimberleys (north Western Australia).

Altica gravida is apparently absent from most of the tropical coastal region, unlike the similar A. caerulea .

Altica gravida is an aquatic plant oligophage, feeding on Myriophyllum species ( Haloragaceae ), but not all species of that genus. Vestjens (1979) made detailed observations on the biology of A. gravida at Lake Cowal, NSW, misidentified as A. ignea (the correct identity has been confirmed by our examination of his specimens in ANIC, see list above). Large numbers of adults were present from August to June, including several huge swarms totalling up to 780,000 individuals. Adults fed only on Myriophyllum verucosum , but aggregations occurred on nearby plants, including Eragrostis ( Poaceae ) and Muehlenbeckia ( Polygonaceae ). Larvae occurred from October to May, only feeding on Myriophyllum . Larvae and adults of A. gravida have also been reared on Myriophyllum at Barmah, Victoria, but only on M. papillosum , not on co-occuring M. crispatum (K. Ward, pers. com. 2013; Fig. 83). Myriophyllum occurs throughout Australia, avoiding only the driest deserts of Western Australia (Anonymous 2014). The absence of A. gravida from high rainfall coastal sites may indicate that it requires temporary water bodies which evaporate, leaving the hostplants on drying mud. Perhaps this indicates a difference in pupation site between A. gravida and A. caerulea .Vestjens’ study suggests that specimen label data indicating presence on Ludwigia and Alternanthera represent strays from the host Myriophyllum (which occurs in the same habitat), although one specimen from Canberra was labelled “feeding on Ludwigia ”. Label records of singletons on Acacia ( Fabaceae ), Leptospermum ( Myrtaceae ) and Quercus ( Fagaceae ) may represent accidental associations or adults attracted to nectaries or pollen of non-host flowers ( Samuelson 1994). Specimens of A. gravida are also labelled “damaging rice” (material collected by W. B. McKey, 1927), but this has never been published ( Daniels 2004) or confirmed by other observations. We suspect that McKey collected A. gravida in a wet rice field with Myriophyllum present, and that the damage to Oryza was from some other agent. Confusingly, Veitch & Greenwood (1921) recorded A. gravida on rice in Fiji and this is presumably why it is listed as a dangerous pest by quarantine agencies in Australia and New Zealand. However this record was corrected by Bryant & Gressitt (1957), although wrongly; the correct name for the Fijian species is A. aenea (q.v.).

Vestjens (1979) sampled 11 bird species feeding at the shoreline of Lake Cowal where A. gravida was abundant, but found that only the generalist predator Gymnorhina tibicen (Australian Magpie) had Altica gravida (both adults and larvae) in its stomach ( Barker & Vestjens 1990).

Altica gravida has been collected in every month except July, but only 10 % of collections were made in May to August and 60 % in October to January, which appears to be the peak activity period. This species is attracted to light.

Taxonomic notes. Altica gravida was described from “Murray River district etc”, South Australia, based on an unknown number of specimens. We have seen four syntypes in the Blackburn collections (in NHML & SAM) and hereby designate a male lectotype to fix the identity of this species.