Dorynota (Dorynota) monoceros ( Germar, 1824 )

Simões, Marianna V. P. & Sekerka, Lukáš, 2015, Review of the Neotropical Leaf Beetle SubgenusDorynota s. str. Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae: Dorynotini), The Coleopterists Bulletin 69 (2), pp. 231-254 : 241-242

Dorynota (Dorynota) monoceros ( Germar, 1824) ( Figs. 13–14 , 45 )

Cassida monoceros Germar, 1824: 536 (type locality: ‘Brasilia’).

Batonota gladiator Boheman, 1856: 94 (type locality: ‘Guayra’); Spaeth 1914: 66 (synonym).

Type Material Examined. Cassida monoceros : lectotype (designated by Borowiec (1999)), pinned: ‘14255 [w, p, s] ∥ LECTOTYPE ∣ des. L. Borowiec [r, p, cb] ∥ monoceros ∣ Boh.* ∣ Caffid. Monoceros ∣ Germ. ∣ S. Paul. Sello [g, hw, cb, bb] ∥ PARALECTOTYPUS ∣ Cassida ∣ monoceros ∣ Germar, 1824 ∣ des. L. Borowiec [r, p, cb, bb]’ ( ZMHB); two paralectotypes, pinned: ‘PARA- LECTOTYPE ∣ des. L. Borowiec [r, p, cb] ∥ PARA- LECTOTYPUS ∣ Cassida ∣ monoceros ∣ Germar, 1824 ∣ des. L. Borowiec [r, p, cb, bb]’ ( ZMHB). Batonota gladiator : syntype, pinned: ‘Guayra [w, hw, s] ∥ Deyrolle [w, p, s] ∥ Gladiator Bhn. [w, Boheman hw, s] ∥ NHRS-JLKB ∣ 000020993 [w, p, cb]’ ( SMNH); syntype, pinned: ‘Type ∣ Guayra [w, Baly’ s hw, cb] ∥ Type [w, p, s, circle label with red frame] ∥ Guayra. [hw] ∣ ex Deyrolle [hw] ∣ Baly Coll. ∣ 1905—54. [w, p, cb] ∥ Batonota ∣ gladiator, Bhn ∣?Type [w, C. J. Gahan’ s hw, cb]’ ( BMNH).

Additional material examined (30). BRAZIL: Bahia: without additional locality data, G. Bondar lgt. (2 specimens, MMUE; 1 spec., MNRJ) ; Espírito Santo: Linhares ( Reserva Biologica Sooretama ), XII.1964, F. M. Oliveira lgt. (1 specimen, MNRJ) ; Mato Grosso: Rosário-Oeste , II.1972, (1 specimen, MZUSP) , X.1973, Dirings lgt. (2 specimen, MZUSP) , II.1974 (1 specimen, MZUSP) ; Minas Gerais: Lagoa Santa , Reinhardt lgt. (4 specimens, ZMUC) ; Matozinho , 3–4 trimestre 1885, E. Gounelle lgt. (1 specimen, MNHN) ; Pará: Santarém (Santarenzinho, Rio Tapajós ), II.1964, Dirings lgt. (7 specimens, MZUSP) ; São Paulo: without additional locality data (1 specimen, DBET) ; Bananal ( Serra da Bocaína ), I.1937, D. Mendes lgt. (1 specimen, MNRJ) ; Peruíbe , 20. XII.1936 (1 specimen, MNRJ) ; COLOMBIA: ‘ Kolombian’ , (1 specimen, MMUE) ; PARAGUAY: Central : San Antonio (Rio Paraguay) , 8.X.1936 (1 specimen, DBET) ; Itapuá: Vega , XII.1954, Dirings lgt. (3 specimens, MZUSP) ; URUGUAY: Paysandú: ‘ Paysandu’ (1 specimen, LSC) ; VENEZUELA: Distrito Federal : Caracas (1 specimen, MMUE) .

Diagnosis. Dorynota monoceros is characterized by the elytra with a long dorsal spine, the impunctate elytral intervals, humeri strongly expanded laterally with low but distinct carina, and pale colored dorsum. A similar combination of characters is also found in D. pugnax , which differs by having a short elytral spine (1.0–1.5X longer than width of its base), while D. monoceros has a long spine (at least 2.0X longer than width of its base). Dorynota borowieci is the most similar species, but it differs in having a uniformly yellow, explanate elytral margin and less impressed and somewhat sparser punctation on the elytra, whereas D. monoceros has the explanate elytral margin laterobasally black and a black spot posteriorly on the underside, and the punctation is very dense and strongly impressed, particularly on the lateroapical slope of the elytra.

Remarks. Among other records, we found a single specimen from Colombia in the MMUE collection, that unfortunately does not have precise locality data and could be easily mislabeled. Therefore, we do not consider it as a new country record until more accurately labeled specimens become available.

Boheman (1856) described B. gladiator , which was later synonymized with D. monoceros by Spaeth (1914). Batonota gladiator differs from the types of D. monoceros in that it has slightly less coarse and sparser elytral punctation, there is a black macula present on the apical slope of the elytra, and the venter is rust-colored.

Monrós and Viana (1949) were the first to list Bolivia in the species’ distribution. However, they did not mention any particular specimen in their examined material. We do not know why they did so. Since we were unable to find any published record of either taxon from Bolivia, we consider this record as dubious. On the other hand, the species might occur in Bolivia as it is found in neighboring countries. However, at the moment there is no reliable faunistic record of D. monoceros from Bolivia, thus we exclude that country from the species’ range.

Also problematic is the interpretation of the type locality of B. gladiator , since Guayra can refer to different places. Boheman (1856) provided just a brief description and mentioned that he obtained the material from Deyrolle. Boheman (1862), in the supplement to his monograph, included a description of B. gladiator again and mentioned ‘Guayra. Dom. Deyrolle. Venezuela Dom. Baly.’, which might suggest that the type locality he referred to was the city La Guaira in the Venezuelan state of Vargas. On the other hand, there are no accurately labeled specimens of Dorynota from Venezuela, thus it could optionally refer to Guairá department of Paraguay, which is within the species’ distribution. The third option is two Brazilian municipalities named Guaíra. One is situated in the state of Paraná and the other in São Paulo. It is known that Baly purchased many syntypes of species described by Boheman (1856, 1862) from Deyrolle, thus the BMNH specimen of B. gladiator is considered a syntype. We do not consider the specimen from Venezuela in Baly’ s collection as a syntype because it was not mentioned in 1856. Both syntypes from Guaira have a long spine and are morphologically similar to specimens from the southern part of the species’ range, thus the type locality probably refers to Paraguay rather than Venezuela. Generally, it is questionable whether the species is truly present in Venezuela, as only old and poorly labeled specimens with data ‘Caracas’ or ‘Venezuela’ are available. Baly’ s specimen from Venezuela has a short dorsal spine and less expanded and broadly rounded humeral angles and probably belongs to D. pugnax . On the other hand, we present above a specimen of true D. monoceros from Venezuela, which, however, could be mislabeled, therefore occurrence in Venezuela is considered doubtful.

Distribution. Argentina (Corrientes, Misiones), Brazil (Rio de Ja neiro, Santa Catarina), Paraguay (Asunción, Caazapá, Concepción, Guairá, Paraguarí) Venezuela [?] (Borowiec and Świętojańska 2014). New country record for Uruguay (Paysandú), six new state records for Brazil (Bahia, Espírito Santo, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Pará, São Paulo), and two new department records for Paraguay (Central, Itapuá) ( Fig. 45 ).

Figures

Figs. 9–14. Dorynota (s. str.) species. 9) D. cornigera, lectotype, dorsal view; 10) D. cornigera, lateral view and labels; 11) D. hastifera, holotype, dorsal view; 12) D. hastifera, lateral view and labels; 13) D. monoceros from Brazil (Bahia), dorsal view; 14) D. monoceros, lateral view.

Fig. 45. Geographic distribution of five Dorynota (s. str.) species.